Tuesday, January 26, 2010

So Let It Be Written, So Let It Be Done...

And the new Apple iPad is out...

Wonder what it'll be like to play with one when it's in stock at the Apple Store?

Hmmmm...



The new Apple iPad...

Say what you want about it. I'm not betting against Steve Jobs, just like I'm not betting against James Cameron. Check it out, give it time to arrive and go see it yourself.

Think different...

UPDATE: Steve Job's Keynote is now up. Click to watch/fawn/complain/whine...

31 comments:

Justin said...

I was hoping for something a little more different.

Woodrow said...

I hesitate in giving James Cameron a dime from my pocket for Titanic II, but will willingly shovel mounds of hard earned cash into the pockets of Steve Jobs. Is there a support group for this kind of behavior?

I enjoy the Disney/Apple mash of this website. I've seen the Frog avatar with all that great voodoo in the French Quarter and in the beautiful bayou 4 times; it keeps getting better.

iFail said...

So in other words it's a 10-inch supersized ipod touch. No thanks, Steve. Pass...

Anonymous said...

Ok, so I'm not sure what my reaction to this is... is it BASICALLY just a bigger iPhone, except without the actual phone part?

I guess what I'm asking is, this is something that you would get in ADDITION to a laptop/computer, right? This is not a computer in itself?

Anonymous said...

It's a giant ipod touch. I'll stick with my ipod touch.

Anonymous said...

The only real target seems to be potential Kindle buyers who want to also to be able to run other iPhone/iTouch apps. If you really want a reader and also want your music and videos and are willing to spend more then I think it is a go. Everyone else......not so much.

PirateGuy 815 said...

I giant iTouch for almost double the cost. How unnecessary. I'll keep mine, thanks.

How about an iTouch that can use Flashplayer? Now that would be handy!

2.0 and Beyond said...

Just as with EVERY OTHER NEW TECHNOLOGY, it's best to wait until version 2.0 comes out in order to appreciate the true potential.

Unknown said...

I have to admit this is exactly what I was hoping for.

I find myself shunning the laptop and using my iPhone more and more. Its biggest limitation (aside from things like Flash) is the small form factor.

I think the iPad will be great for casual web browsing and all of those other little tasks I do on the iPhone, but with the larger screen and keyboard. I would LOVE to see more newspapers and magazines embrace the tech.

Not sure that it will eliminate any current devices from my life but it's definitely something I can see taking outside of the home (work, vacations) far more than I do with a laptop.

Anonymous said...

Microsoft Courier looks more fun.

Youzney said...

When can I get my Marvel and Boom Studios Comics on the new download service??

Anonymous said...

There is big potential for this product but I'd wait for version 2. Microsoft, where's your Courier? I'd buy a Courier over an Ipad any day...

jedited said...

I'm I the only one on this board that is surprised that the (so called) "marketing genuiuses" at Apple gave it a name that sounds more like a feminine hygenie product??
When I first saw Steve holding this on MSN's front page I thought it was a photoshopped picture where someone had taken an iPhone and blew it up.
This is a product that all the Apple kool-aid drinkers will line up to buy and EVERYONE else will yawn at.

Anonymous said...

The larger screen means there is a whole new world of software potential and THAT is what makes this so powerful. After using the I-Touch, I kept wishing the screen was bigger. There are people who still like to read and want access to the internet and other apps---so I will be looking to buy one for sure. My son can continue squinting at the I-Touch.

Unknown said...

Fanboys seem to be almost inventing ways they will use it rather than actually apply it to their real lives. If you really think you need a $600 device to read email and look at non-Flash web pages, then this thing is for you ;) You can't even listen to music while working on something else since it can't multitask!

And as an entertainment device???? It doesn't even have 16:9 resolution!

And the stupid quote of "wait until version 2.0 comes out in order to appreciate the true potential." ROFL!!! WAIT A MINUTE!! Are you saying that the almighty Apple released something that isn't ready or good right now? If so, then why praise the thing? Get off the bandwagon and call Steve Jobs out for peddling sub-standard wares and for using his customers as beta testers until the improved product comes along.

But no...instead you will be like the rest of the sheep and get your wallet out for something that you yourself isn't really ready.

Katy said...

iPad... I'm guessing that no women were involved in the naming of this thing.

Kevin Willis said...

Major: You can indeed listen to music while doing other things, just like the iPhone and the iPod touch. It can multitask where Apple wants it too. Developers just can't take advantage of that.

Bill Gates said...

What do Steve Jobs and George Lucas have in common? They are both always seen wearing the same shirts. They are both masters of media hype. They are both always tweaking their products to sell you the same thing again and again with something new slightly changed or added but are always holding something back to keep you longing for more. They both have legions of whining fanboys who both viciously defend and at the same time scathingly denounce them. They both are regularly featured on Blue Sky Disney.

Anonymous said...

I'd rather have the Courier too. Looks kickass.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if they really believe they can get away with a tablet computer without flash? How's web browsing going to work for folks without that basic piece of software?

Unknown said...

I used to follow Microsoft products almost exclusively. That is, until I tried Firefox, which is far superior to IE. And until I finally gave up on a decade's worth of Windows Smartphones and bought an iPhone. I've even experimented with a so-called ultra portable PC which cost a lot more than the best model iPad.

I've never owned a Mac computer. I have never owned a dedicated iPod of any variety. I don't have Apple TV or any of their other fringe products. The iPhone 3GS is my ONLY Apple product.

But I'm buying an iPad they day they go on sale. The iPhone ended years of struggles with buggy, slow, user un-friendly programs on Windows Mobile.

I have no desire to own a Netbook. We have a laptop in the house but it essentially belongs to the rest of the family. I don't go out of my way to drag it around with me. More often than not I find myself trying to do casual browsing on the iPhone, and the thing it is most lacking is a large display.

No Apple fanboy here. It just so happens that they are delivering a product which fills my EXACT needs.

Sure there was talk of more features...but there was also talk of a $700-900 price tag which Apple avoided. I've never used a webcam in my life so I certainly won't miss it on this device. I already have Component video cables for my iPhone.

There is room for improvement in the device, but I don't see any better options in the marketplace for a Tablet PC. And I'm certainly not waiting around for Microsoft to wow me.

Cory Gross said...

I can't for the life of me figure out what I would use this for. I don't need to surf the internets while on the bus because I use that time to read actual books, which are generally pretty cost- effective, user-friendly and energy-efficient. I already have a laptop, a TV, a DVD player and a couple video game systems at home. I keep my phone numbers in my cell and my daytimer in my satchel beside my book. Maybe someday I'll get some MP3 player, for plane rides and things, but ordinarily I dislike headphones because I like the concept of hearing, especially when there are cars and birds in the world. I dunno'... I just don't feel a need to be connected to an entertainment platform all the time. I guess I'll pass.

Anonymous said...

Well, I think it looks amazing and is cooler than an iPod touch, although they are both very similar. The main differences are the much bigger screen, the ability to buy and read books on it, the ability to make a Powerpoint presentation and such like on a laptop, AND you can actually read and pick a whole webpage instead of a tiny sliver of it like on the iPhone. I really think just making an iPod Touch with a 9.7 inch diameter screen opens up so many possibilities and is very conveniant

Anonymous said...

I know Steve is on the board, but I don't understand all of the Apple posts. It's your blog, but....???

Anonymous said...

It's useless without an usb port for importing photos and videos, and it doesn't support flash and Netflix. Why only watch movies via iTunes? That's expensive.

Unknown said...

Uh...people aren't buying magazine or newspaper content now because it SUCKS. But since Apple is going to let you read it on their iPad, all of the sudden its great for this?

As for books, how many books can you read at a time? Do you carry around 12 books at a time, unless you are a student? So just to read ONE book at a time, you justify a $600 reader to do it?

Furthermore, as someone commented "It can multitask where Apple wants it too. Developers just can't take advantage of that." This is just hilarious. It's like buying a TV and Apple telling you what channels you should be allowed to watch and telling TV stations how they will do their writing, etc.

Apple is good at its CANNED things. They want to control everything and this creates the illusion that its better. No doubt Apple makes quality products, but its still a mirage generated by their marketing.

In the end, ANYONE buying this (or most Apple products) merely has DISPOSABLE INCOME. NO blue collar family is purcashing this crap, except maybe the inexpensive low end stuff. Being in the tech business, I constantly get calls for "I need to buy a laptop and my kid wants a Mac becuase he said they are cool" I'm NOT making this up.

I tell them to go do some browsing at the Apple store and then go online to Dell, HP, BestBuy, or whatever.

EVERY TIME they come back to me saying "HOLY SHIT! The cheapest thing in the Apple store was like $1000!! My kid needs a laptop for school papers! Why are Windows laptops $500 or less?"

If you have disposable income, God bless you and go out and get this stuff. But wait a few years when you get married, buy a house, and pop out some kids. Let's see if you skip getting you kid's braces becuase you want to get the latest iGadget from Apple ROFL

Anonymous said...

All you naysayers, remember your words, they will be very bitter when you eat them. The iPod mini and iPhone all were predicted to fail miserably just like the iPad, wait and see. This thing is going to explode.

Johnny said...

Annonymus, that's Apple's plan! Cut out the competition.

I just really want to know why these revolutionary Apple products don't support something as basic as flash. How can it be revolutionary when it doesn't even support a staple program?

Unknown said...

"Uh...people aren't buying magazine or newspaper content now because it SUCKS. But since Apple is going to let you read it on their iPad, all of the sudden its great for this?"

Traditional publishers have been losing market share but let's not pretend that there is zero interest in magazines and newspapers. At the very least a device like this should help convert current readers to a paperless delivery system. Even better, I'm sure some publishers are holding out hope that it will help them grow their subscriber base.

"As for books, how many books can you read at a time? Do you carry around 12 books at a time, unless you are a student? So just to read ONE book at a time, you justify a $600 reader to do it?"

In 2007 Amazon begin selling the Kindle for $400. They don't reveal exact figures but claim to have sold "millions" of units.

Amazon has publicly stated that they are now selling an average of 6 ebooks for every 10 print copies.

Sony stated that sales of their ebook reader have quadrupled in the last year.

Clearly there is a market for such a device. And both of those devices are one-trick ponies. I can easily see people willing to pay a bit more for the added functionality that the iPad brings to the table.

Certainly there are people who will never want an iPad. But there are also people who would never dream of buying a $50,000 automobile. In that same vein, the iPad is certainly a luxury...but it's a luxury which many consumers may end up justifying.

Kevin Willis said...

Major:

Apple's control of their devices keep them stable. Given it's a mass market, I can't blame them for going for stable over open.

As for the multi-tasking thing, my point was that, contrary to your primary objection, you can indeed listen to music or audiobooks or whatever while doing other things on your iPad, just as you can on the iPod touch or the iPhone. That was not a valid objection.

The only reason I'm not buying an iPad any time soon is that I don't have the spare money to buy an iPad. If I did, I would buy one. The Flash thing would be nice, but doesn't really concern me that much. Certainly wouldn't influence my purchasing decision, one way or the other.

Lots of places I see applications for these. I'm curious as to if/when there will be display software to get the content of the iPad on a wireless projector (we use Epsons where I work, and there is PC and Mac software to wirelessly connect and display, and if you get that on an iPad I could see that as a very popular application).

More useful than getting Flash on these things would be a scaled-down version of Microsoft Office, plus software support for wireless display systems. I know we'd be buying some, if they had such things. Which they may well.

Additionally, I see educational applications, both due to functionality and price. We already have dozens of carts full of laptops--which cost considerably more--for students to do things that could probably be done on an iPad--at least 80%. And we're incorporating iPod Touches into the curriculum now. I'd be willing to bet that in a year or two we'll have at least a few carts loaded with iPads, and we won't be the only school system to be going in that direction.

I'm excited. I think this is a heck of a product, and though I'm not sure sales will bear that out (especially given the economy), I'm hopeful. Like the iPod and iTunes, I think this is a bigger step forward than anybody suspects.

Unknown said...

"We already have dozens of carts full of laptops--which cost considerably more--for students to do things that could probably be done on an iPad--at least 80%. And we're incorporating iPod Touches into the curriculum now. I'd be willing to bet that in a year or two we'll have at least a few carts loaded with iPads, and we won't be the only school system to be going in that direction."

This is another angle where I'm laughing out loud. Macs in the classroom CAUSE more issues at home than solving them. My kid goes to a private school and they have Macs. So when my kid comes home, we have Windows. I'm suppose to spend $1000+ so my kid can do homework? Really?

Which leads up to school kids getting older and then going out to make a living......where any enterprise is going to be using Windows. Why? Because its made to be used collectively! You can have group policy to control passwords, what users can get to, etc.

Until Apple makes something usable in the enterprise, I see anything they make as a CONSUMER product. Taking consumer products and using them in an education or enterprise environment does nothing but emphasize the individual from its lack of being a collective workgroup setup and such a small market share.

Furthermore, why buys SLATES with no keyboard for $500 with NO USB port for students to use when you can just get netbooks for $300 that can do the same thing plus more? how do they get their schoolwork onto it without direct connections? I know most kids use USB drives to bring in their homework, projects, etc. This thing doesn't even have a USB port on it!

As I have said before, fanboys will continue to INVENT what this thing will be able to do AND say "well, you just have to add this, buy this, and then wait for this...and then this thing will be great!"

If you got the money, go ahead and buy one. Apple sheep will purchase it and no doubt it will be a hit with them. But the mainstream has hammered it for good reason. I think the thing is cool, but its lacking SO MANY key features (USB, change the battery, Flash, keyboard, need to purchase Apple stuff to "complete it", etc) and that as usual, I have to tether myself to iTunes to do everything. that is not a canned experience?