Any of you goons get an iPad?

[General Zod]

Well, iTunes is not really a data organizer as much as it is an intergrated market and data protection mechanism. I don't have a huge issue with it, but I don't like the iTunes software itself or the way it wants to manhandle my formats--but then again I don't even own a smartphone or MP3 player so I may as well be banging rocks together. The only time I've interacted with it is on someone else's computer, and not surprisingly I didn't find it convenient.

The reason they don't want to use a lot of other data movers with their products also has to do with the fact that they really want to use their marketplace functions to generate revenue, not only for them but for their partners, which keeps the service going. If people didn't need to buy iBooks for their iPad via iStores or whatever then they'd basically just have a big expensive data reader and that's not what the newspapers want.

I like the idea of a Premium Product, but I wish they offered these things without the attendant other doodads. If I could get an iPod without the Apple-associated stuff (iTunes and so forth) then I'd be much happier. Same with the iPad and it's attendant issues. Premium products that are also brand-exclusive and have diminished functionality in areas of convenience are barely 'premium,' they're just kinda niche.

So . . . you've interacted with iTunes once and that's enough to dismiss it as not useful? I use it with my iPod touch all the time and frankly I don't have any issues with it. Then again I don't give two shits about minor formats nobody else cares about, and I find the expandable storage option not such a big deal.

[Admiral Valdemar]

The iPods are awful for video due to their wierd screen size and inability to scale video. The iPhone (and I imagine iPad) can do that on the fly and don't require 'specific' versions (although I think iPhone doesn't support high profile h264 properly).

Trufact. Before I got my present phone, I used to watch video on my 6th gen Classic, and while it wasn't bad, the screen and the rigmarole of converting was a total pain in the arse. It was marginally easier on my old N95, but the battery sucked. My Samsung mobile can play any video format I'd use natively, that is, I can drag the 720p download of 24 on to its drive and watch it with no fuss. Thankfully Real Player wasn't the default and only option for watching on, like some mobiles. Music-wise, the free MP3 player I downloaded from an app site has so many more functions of usefulness than the iPod's inbuilt OS, it makes me cry. I could live without 5.1 virtualisation, or a visualiser, but an editable equalizer is rather neat, among other little things.

I'm trying to work out how iTunes is a 'resource hog' when I have it running all the time while playing games and encoding video with no problems, or how this is relevant to your preference for the 'old' way of doing things. I hate to repeat myself, but if your content is in your iTunes library, it is a single step to put things on your device, and iTunes is aimed at a) normal people who b) buy things through iTunes.

I don't know, honestly. I didn't have any issues with it on my older desktop when I got my iPod back in '07, but it progressively got worse until I just stopped uploading any new songs to my iPod and used the residual space for keeping videos and files for transfer if visiting someone. The funny thing is, Songbird, which normally sucked even MORE than iTunes does now, works fine. In fact, even with numerous add-ons loaded, it's able to boot and load everything in a fraction of the time of iTunes (which I last tried to get working on my new laptop the other night).

That said, I did like using iTunes for buying music that was literally nowhere else on Earth, in physical or electronic format (the District 9 OST, for one). I just can't be bothered for using it with my iPod, despite it having barely 10k songs on it.

[Stark]

Oh sure, it's a platform for mney making they want to tie customers to, but that's a more cogent issue than 'wah I can't use it'.

Not relevant to iPads really either; the way the big apps will work willbe oriented over internal data use through wifi or 3G (for better or worse).

[Covenant]

Hah, you infer that I only used it once? That'd be wrong--but that's not the point anyway. No, all I'm saying is that the only time I ever use the program is on someone else's machine, and that I didn't find it convenient to have to move things into libraries and so forth, especially since I've never had an opportunity to do that on my own. On my own, what would I need iTunes for? I don't have any media that I want to move to an iPod. It's not valuable enough for me to install it without the hardware, and I don't have the hardware that it works with.

Why so defensive? You'd snapping for nothing. I'm not saying I've avoided these products because of iTunes. If I had wanted a smartphone or MP3 player but could not accept the iTunes apple taint, I'd have bought a separate product, which I haven't.

[Stark]

You misunderstand; I'm contrasting your understanding of the business model with people who 'refuse' to use iTunes simply because it's different.

[General Zod]

Hah, you infer that I only used it once? That'd be wrong--but that's not the point anyway. No, all I'm saying is that the only time I ever use the program is on someone else's machine, and that I didn't find it convenient to have to move things into libraries and so forth, especially since I've never had an opportunity to do that on my own. On my own, what would I need iTunes for? I don't have any media that I want to move to an iPod. It's not valuable enough for me to install it without the hardware, and I don't have the hardware that it works with.

Why so defensive? You'd snapping for nothing. I'm not saying I've avoided these products because of iTunes. If I had wanted a smartphone or MP3 player but could not accept the iTunes apple taint, I'd have bought a separate product, which I haven't.

Snapping? lol. I just don't see what kind of point you're getting at other than "wah, I don't like it!". If you're not in the market for any kind of Apple products then it's pretty clear you don't need it, so I'm not sure why you're trying to get people to convince you of its worth.

[Covenant]

It's pretty clear you don't need it, so I'm not sure why you're trying to get people to convince you of its worth.

I'm not trying to be convinced that it's a good doodad for media management, I was responding to people wondering about the lack of card slots. The iTunes store, with DRM and so forth, actually helps allow for these products to be marketed. If it was too easy to put on pirated books, you might never get any iPad style things anyway. I don't own an iPod, but it was a very good concept, a way to re-legalize MP3 downloading. The hype around it sucks, but I'm sincerely hoping for an updated future version to be the mobile draw-pad PC that I'd totally buy. Right now it doesn't support those programs, but I'm hopeful for the future. I'd buy some other random-ass tablet PC but if I'm buying a bizarre niche product I'd rather get it from a company I can generally trust I can get parts from. Plus I like their sensitivity technology.

I was saying that the iTunes store concept behind it is a good one--it's a marketplace tool, and the big value of an iTunes intergration for the iPad is that it allows these vendors to sell their products directly to the hardware rather than selling then as PDFs or whatnot and then put onto a card and then put onto the device. As I understand it, this was one of the big things the media wanted. Personally, I'd like them to alter the software, but I'm in favor of things like steam or my PS3 store, and would be totally down for something like that on a mobile device.

@Stark, I wasn't aiming any comments at you, I was responding to Zod.

Personally, as a developer of software, while I don't have the need for these specific devices yet, I like the concept. Something that would let me sell directly to the hardware with a much diminished risk of casual piracy is a good thing, and it's because of these marketplace functions that devices like this can exist. I don't want the iPad but I would still like a multitouch tablet PC with the ability to run all my adobe art stuff. If the iPad takes off it won't be because of the things it can or cannot do, but because the utility of it plus the media subsidization of the device make it convenient enough.

[Ryan Thunder]

Well that's really my point; nerds masturbate themselves into a furious rage that anyone would DARE have the audacity to Market a premium product. It's like the fcuking Nokia N95/iPhone comparisons that still fucking persist to this day completely ignoring the different target audience and design choices that go into a device.

Shit produced by Apple is "premium" now?

That's hilarious. Every fucking Apple device I've ever interacted with has been an umitigated piece of shit. Oh, except that they make really nice screens and monitors and the insides of their computers are laid out nicely.

There are two people out of ten or more who I've spoken to who were actually satisfied with their products, and one of them was utterly delusional. Like "Computer freezes up and needs to be hard restarted every ten minutes or so, but Macs don't crash and I'm buying an iPad to read the news" delusional.

[General Zod]

Well that's really my point; nerds masturbate themselves into a furious rage that anyone would DARE have the audacity to Market a premium product. It's like the fcuking Nokia N95/iPhone comparisons that still fucking persist to this day completely ignoring the different target audience and design choices that go into a device.

Shit produced by Apple is "premium" now?

That's hilarious. Every fucking Apple device I've ever interacted with has been an umitigated piece of shit. Oh, except that they make really nice screens and monitors and the insides of their computers are laid out nicely.

There are two people out of ten or more who I've spoken to who were actually satisfied with their products, and one of them was utterly delusional. Like "Computer freezes up and needs to be hard restarted every ten minutes or so, but Macs don't crash and I'm buying an iPad to read the news" delusional.

It could be the people you're talking to just bought one because of the hype and don't understand the limitations in getting them. Actually owning a macbook, I can say I haven't experienced any kind of significant problems with it. Then again I actually know what to expect with the hardware.

[MKSheppard]

iPad will have one noticeable effect -- it will force the other ereaders on the market to finally fucking ditch their unusable unworkable "e-ink" formats for something that actually refreshes decently.

[Superboy]

My iPhone is the most useful device I've ever owned and the idea of a larger, more powerful iPhone actually sounds great to me. I hate lugging my laptop around and it's just awkward pulling it out and powering it on to show people something if I'm at a restaurant or pub or almost anywhere, but the iPad seems great for that. It's not something I'll use to do a lot of work on, but it seems perfect for doing 99% of what I use my laptop for now (internet browsing, watching videos, listening to music) and I love the Appstore. Not to mention the ebook reader aspect, which I'll use constantly.

Despite all that, I'm still definitely not buying one for a while. As much as I love my iPhone, I don't really like Apple or most of the products they release, and I don't trust them to not fuck over the early adopters of their stuff. I'll wait a while, see if there's a big price drop coming (like what happened with the iPhone) or if they update the hardware or make any general changes. I'm also waiting to see what kind of Jailbreaks will be available to get around the idiotic restrictions Apple places on their devices.

[General Zod]

iPad will have one noticeable effect -- it will force the other ereaders on the market to finally fucking ditch their unusable unworkable "e-ink" formats for something that actually refreshes decently.

Doubtful. The current batch of e-readers have a huge advantage in terms of power consumption, and you can purchase them for less than what the iPad goes for.

[Lonestar]

My iPhone is the most useful device I've ever owned and the idea of a larger, more powerful iPhone actually sounds great to me. I hate lugging my laptop around and it's just awkward pulling it out and powering it on to show people something if I'm at a restaurant or pub or almost anywhere, but the iPad seems great for that. It's not something I'll use to do a lot of work on, but it seems perfect for doing 99% of what I use my laptop for now (internet browsing, watching videos, listening to music) and I love the Appstore. Not to mention the ebook reader aspect, which I'll use constantly.

Yeah I know, right? If only there was a category of notebooks that were small and lightweight with low power consumption and inexpensive...

[Lord Pounder]

The iPad, the solution to a problem no-one ever knew existed. The only thing I can imagine wanting a iPad for is the newpapers thing, but guess what I already get them on my much more portable iPhone.

To me the iPad is just a iPhone on steroids, except not quite as useful given the lack of flash etc in it's browser and the previously mentioned lack of USB ports or card readers whats the fucking point except to show off how much disposable income you have.

[General Zod]

The iPad, the solution to a problem no-one ever knew existed. The only thing I can imagine wanting a iPad for is the newpapers thing, but guess what I already get them on my much more portable iPhone.

To me the iPad is just a iPhone on steroids, except not quite as useful given the lack of flash etc in it's browser and the previously mentioned lack of USB ports or card readers whats the fucking point except to show off how much disposable income you have.

Erm. The iPhone doesn't have any of those features either, you know . . .

[Lord Pounder]

iPad will have one noticeable effect -- it will force the other ereaders on the market to finally fucking ditch their unusable unworkable "e-ink" formats for something that actually refreshes decently.

Doubtful. The current batch of e-readers have a huge advantage in terms of power consumption, and you can purchase them for less than what the iPad goes for.

I got a Sony E-Reader PRS300 for Christmas, cost £180 from Play.com. I use it quite a lot, at least several hours a day, and it only needs charged once every fortnight and to be honest I've found the e-ink quite easy to read. The only problem with refresh I have is the few minutes it takes to load a new book and that is only if I was being picky and trying to find a fault.

[Lord Pounder]

The iPad, the solution to a problem no-one ever knew existed. The only thing I can imagine wanting a iPad for is the newpapers thing, but guess what I already get them on my much more portable iPhone.

To me the iPad is just a iPhone on steroids, except not quite as useful given the lack of flash etc in it's browser and the previously mentioned lack of USB ports or card readers whats the fucking point except to show off how much disposable income you have.

Erm. The iPhone doesn't have any of those features either, you know . . .

Yeah I am aware, which is why I rarely use the internet on my iPhone, I have a laptop for browsing the internet, but the various newspaper apps are very useful. I haven't bought a newspaper in over a year now.

[Superboy]

I don't understand why people who wouldn't personally enjoy using an iPad condemn it as useless to everyone. Yes, netbooks are also small and portable, but a lot of people don't want to have to dick around with more complicated operating systems, drivers, software compatibility and a ton of other things that you just don't don't have to worry about with the iPad. It's not some new revolutionary technology, but it does some things very well and very easily. That's worth the money for a lot of us. Even people like me who know their way around computers can appreciate the much easier and faster GUI on the iPad.

[Lord Pounder]

I don't understand why people who wouldn't personally enjoy using an iPad condemn it as useless to everyone. Yes, netbooks are also small and portable, but a lot of people don't want to have to dick around with more complicated operating systems, drivers, software compatibility and a ton of other things that you just don't don't have to worry about with the iPad. It's not some new revolutionary technology, but it does some things very well and very easily. That's worth the money for a lot of us. Even people like me who know their way around computers can appreciate the much easier and faster GUI on the iPad.

Ever hear the phrase "the jack of all trades is the master of none"?

[Ace Pace]

Ever hear the phrase "the jack of all trades is the master of none"?

Sure we have, but we also know sometimes I want a jack.

I'm out and about, I want to read some documents, or watch youtube. No, I don't need to create the next youtube sensation, or write my next novella. But I can watch content on an iPad. It's good enough for those needs.

[Lonestar]

I don't understand why people who wouldn't personally enjoy using an iPad condemn it as useless to everyone. Yes, netbooks are also small and portable, but a lot of people don't want to have to dick around with more complicated operating systems, drivers, software compatibility and a ton of other things that you just don't don't have to worry about with the iPad. It's not some new revolutionary technology, but it does some things very well and very easily. That's worth the money for a lot of us. Even people like me who know their way around computers can appreciate the much easier and faster GUI on the iPad.

You were talking about how you mostly use your notebook for internet browsing, watching videos, listening to music, and ebooks...all things that netbooks do and with much, much less cost. Only a fool would call Win7 or XP a "complicated operating system" and worry about drivers and software capability on a netbook. The programs that won't run on a netbook won't run on a iPad either. This really is Apply Fanboyism speaking here.

(I would agree that Windows really has no place in the Tablet realm, and so the user interface on the iPad has that beat for tablet purposes. That may change when the HP Slate with the HP "skin" on Win7 comes out later this year.)

I'm out and about, I want to read some documents, or watch youtube. No, I don't need to create the next youtube sensation, or write my next novella. But I can watch content on an iPad. It's good enough for those needs.

If you're carrying around a $500(16GB Starting price! For 3G enabled it starts at $630 + plan!) electronic device just to watch random videos or read documents...why don't you just buy a netbook? Or an iPhone/Smartphone?

[Dominus Atheos]

I'm out and about, I want to read some documents, or watch youtube. No, I don't need to create the next youtube sensation, or write my next novella. But I can watch content on an iPad. It's good enough for those needs.

If you're carrying around a $500(16GB Starting price! For 3G enabled it starts at $630 + plan!) electronic device just to watch random videos or read documents...why don't you just buy a netbook? Or an iPhone/Smartphone?[/quote]

No kidding. If that's really what you want to do, Verizon sells a $200 (with contract) Windows 7 ION netbook that has unlimited mobile internet for $60 per month. If I felt like I really needed a 10'' screen that can hook up to the internet anywhere, that's what I would get. It would be about a hundred times more useful then an iPad since it has a real operating system, and much, much better specs. Even with the data plans it would still be cheaper then the closest speced iPad (64gb vs 180gb, so even then it's still not much of a comparison) for 21 months ((200+(60*21))=1460 vs (829+(30+21))=1459).

Full disclosure: I do not have one of these, or even Verizon Wireless service. I have an iPhone.

[Ace Pace]

If you're carrying around a $500(16GB Starting price! For 3G enabled it starts at $630 + plan!) electronic device just to watch random videos or read documents...why don't you just buy a netbook? Or an iPhone/Smartphone?

I can't comment on an iPhone/smartphone tangent, having never really used them. But netbooks suck. I despise browsing with them, I can't stand watching video and trying to manage a windows UI on them is an exercise in asking myself why am I not using something better.

[Superboy]

You were talking about how you mostly use your notebook for internet browsing, watching videos, listening to music, and ebooks...all things that netbooks do and with much, much less cost. Only a fool would call Win7 or XP a "complicated operating system" and worry about drivers and software capability on a netbook. The programs that won't run on a netbook won't run on a iPad either. This really is Apply Fanboyism speaking here.

First of all, I strongly dislike Apple and most of their products, so you really can't call me an Apple Fanboy.

Most operating systems, including Windows, suck for doing simple tasks quickly. That's why the iPad would be far superior for my needs. I want to do things quickly and easily. It's not that I can't figure out the complicated OS of a netbook, it's that the OS and UI of a netbook just plain suck for doing fast on-the-go things.

To say that netbooks have a "real" operating system while the iPad doesn't is missing the point. The OS and GUI on the iPad is just way more efficient and easier for doing the simple things that most people want to do while on the go.

I admit the price right now is too high and I don't plan on buying one until that price drops, but at a more reasonable price, the iPad would be great for me.

[Skgoa]

edit: I don't think the price will come down that soon. The iPad is already at a very competitive price and seems to be on the track to becoming one of apples best sellers. I wouldn't bet on the price dropping any significant amount until there is either a next generation iPad or any good competing devices, at which point I would probably choose to buy one of those.

I don't understand why people who wouldn't personally enjoy using an iPad condemn it as useless to everyone.

They do it to feel superior, its a holdover from back when we lived in small tribes. At the moment the "ipad buyer tribe" gets all the media attention and the image of being "in" and apple has successfully made it the culturaly accepted thing to buy their products, if you are able, in the last decade or so. So naturally everyone who doesn't plan to buy apple products (or the iPad specifically) is now doing his best to change public opinion against it.
You are effected by this, too. You are trying to show why the iPad is great and you are enraged by the negative comments because you have commited to the "iPad tribe".
Thats the reason why I have simply stated my oppinion and have not answered any other posts in this thread, arguing over this is pointless and will only get me angry.




BTW someone had mentioned jailbreaking. Looks like we won't have to wait long: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/04/ipad ... -it-reall/