Thursday, January 28, 2010

The New iPad!!! So...That's It?!!!


So I'm trying to get my head around Apple's newest addition to their family, the iPad. I think the problem is that I'm not sure how necessary it was, as the functionality isn't anything new. What I mean by that is other than how large it is, how is this product any different than a iPod or iPhone? There is no multi-tasking (which is desperately needed on the iPhone), no camera, no USB support, no HDMI output, and it is isolated to a closed app ecosystem.

Want to run another web browser other than Safari? Too bad!!!

So this is clearly not a Macbook that's a tablet..... It is more like a giant iPod that has some newer functionality. And lets not talk about how you're going to have to type on this thing. Unless you're sitting with your legs together, it doesn't seem to be an easy way to do this.

Yes it does seem like a cool new e-reader but at a $500 starting point, I'm just not sure I would go down that road.

If the iPad had the functionality of a Macbook, then I would be on-board screaming and clapping with the other rabid Mac heads. And perhaps the next iPad v2 will address all the issues that I'm having right now.

But for now....... It's a big ass iPod!!!!

5 comments:

Mike.com said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike.com said...

I'm not buying this thing in its current form. Too much hype, not enough substance...or Cowbell. No screaming, clapping, or other "rabid" response from this Mac head. Gimme a Verizon iPhone and I'll be good.

Just so you know, there is support for USB and other plugins with dongles...that you have to buy.

If you were expecting it to run another browser, you were dreaming.

For $500, you're not getting a touchscreen macbook. Ever.

v2 will not address all the issues you're having right now. Alcohol might.

Nelson said...

This thing should be able to run OS X and install Firefox or whatever browser I want. They should have charged $1500 and made it what it should have been. A touch screen tablet that is also a Macbook.

Having the iPad only run apps is selling this thing short of what it could have been.

I wanted a touch screen Macbook..... It needs much more Cowbell!!!

Malcolm said...

I agree, not too impressed with this. Apple is kind of going through the motions with this offering.

Mike.com said...

While I still don't want one yet, I think Apple has created a new niche and it'll succeed. It's not going to evolve into a full-blown touchscreen PC. Not in v2 or v200. That model already failed. Instead of making a MacBook into something else, Apple has created a new class of computer.

Many apps are moving to the clouds. Web-based apps are the future, and Apple knows it. You don't need a big HD and a video card and extra RAM and cables and blah blah blah to work portably anymore. A BT keyboard and you're good to go - anywhere. I expect video and photo editing via the clouds to be the future. And editing with multitouch should be more user friendly than using a mouse. All your videos and photos are stored in a cloud, too.

Office-compatible apps already exist on it. Flash is going bye-bye. HTML 5 will win and the iPad will run it very well. Web browsing will be superior with multitouch. I expect v2 to have a webcam for videochat. So what more do you need when mobile?