I Pad

[PigDogg]

Sounds like a sanitary napkin.

[ezflip]

I confess, I love my iPhone. But this...iPad? What were they thinking?

Runs only iPod/iPhone apps. No webcam, no phone apps (yet it has 3G connection and a mic) no hand writting recognition, no usb port...

All this for 699$ US 16gig/wifi/3G

Where do I sign up?

[whore]

I thought this thread was a confession from one of the service girls in Temptations.

[assist]

Apple Unveils New Tablet Computer - The iPad


SkyNews © Sky News 2010

   

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs has unveiled his new touchscreen computer called the iPad.

He said it was a "revolutionary" product that was between a laptop computer and a smartphone and was "awesome" for watching films and TV shows.

The device will be available to buy worldwide from late March, with prices starting from $499 (£308) for the 16GB model, Apple said.

But the Wi-Fi and 3G models of the iPad will cost about a fifth more, and will be delivered in the US and "selected countries" in April.

Speaking at a news conference in San Francisco, Mr Jobs said: "We want to kick off 2010 by introducing a truly magical and revolutionary product.

"All of us use laptops and smartphones now.

"The question has arisen lately - is there room for a third category of device in the middle, something between the laptop and the smartphone?"

And then, to a round of applause, he showed off the new iPad, which has an on-screen keyboard, is half an inch thick (1.3cm) and weighs 1.5lb (0.7kg).

Mr Jobs said the device, which has a 25cm colour screen, is "so much more intimate than a laptop and so much more capable than a smartphone."

Dressed in his trademark blue jeans and black turtleneck, Mr Jobs demonstrated some of the features of the iPad.

He said they include browsing the internet, playing games, listening to music and watching high-definition video.

"We've got movies, videos, TV shows," the chief executive added.

"We have been able to achieve 10 hours of battery life," he said. "I can take a flight from San Francisco to Tokyo and watch video the whole way on one charge."

The 32GB model is set to cost $599 (£370) and $699 (£431) for the 64GB model.

An Apple statement added: "The Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad will be available in April in the US and selected countries for a suggested retail price of $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB model and $829 for the 64GB model."

Website Mashable reported the iPad: "Can be held in any direction you want. It looks like a giant iPod."

Also at the event, Mr Jobs announced the launch of an online bookstore dubbed "iBooks" for the iPad and is set to take on Amazon's Kindle device.

"We've got five of the biggest publishers in the world supporting us and will open the floodgates for the rest of the publishers starting this afternoon," Mr Jobs went on.

Earlier in the day, Sky News revealed that an official prototype of the device has been used by a UK design company to develop software.

Brandwidth were given the device to help them develop applications for Guinness World Records using some of the confirmed software features.

[Thaime]

It's basically a large I-Phone and you can't run two apps at the same time.  

Apple's iPad event: What we didn't get
Wed Jan 27, 2010 4:33PM EST
See Comments (0)

       Buzz up!36 votes Apple's just-announced iPad looks like an iPhone on steroids, and it boasts a price tag that's a lot lower than people feared. But many of the enticing rumors about Apple's new tablet€”such as chatter about a built-in camera, monthly TV subscriptions, and support for Verizon's 3G network€”turned out to be dead wrong. Also: no iPhone for Verizon, at least not yet.

You can check out the details on the new iPad right here, and don't get me wrong: judged on its own, away from all the gargantuan hype, and considering its $499 price tag (for the 16GB model), Apple's new tablet is certainly one sexy piece of gadgetry.

But ... is it a category-changer, like the iPod and the iPhone before it? That'll be hard to judge right away, and I still need to see the thing in person before I start making any sweeping generalizations.

That said, some of the coolest would-be features that had been rumored for the iPad failed to materialize Wednesday, starting with ...

No 3G support for Verizon
One of the earliest rumors about the iPad (which I'd still rather call the iTablet) was that it would come with embedded 3G support in addition to Wi-Fi. Well, the 3G part was true (monthly pre-paid plans will start at $14 for 250MB of data, or $29/month unlimited), but alas, no Verizon; instead, we're stuck with good 'ole AT&T (which is either a good or a bad thing, depending on how you feel about AT&T).

No jaw-droppingly new user interface
One of the most amazing things about the original iPhone was its ground-breaking touch interface; just pinch to zoom into a Web page! Tap to turn on the speakerphone! Swipe to flip through your photos! So maybe it was only natural that many of us gadget hounds (myself included) that Apple would come up with some new, "Minority Report"-style interface for the iPad ... perhaps some cool haptic feedback for the virtual QWERTY keypad, or maybe (as outlined in some recent patent filings) the ability to sense a finger that's hovering near the screen but not touching it. What we got, instead, was ... pretty much the same touch UI as on the iPhone, except with a lot more room. Not bad, but not all that revolutionary, either.

No built-in camera
The iPhone has a camera, the MacBook has a camera ... heck, even the new iPod Nano has a camera (well, a video-only camera, anyway). So, what about the iPad? Ahhh ... nope, and that's especially disappointing given the chatter from the Wall Street Journal that Apple has been toying with facial-recognition software that could potentially be used to, say, identify the various members of your family and deliver their own, customized iPad interface.

No Flash support
When, oh when, Apple, will you let us view Flash videos and Web modules on the mobile version of Safari? Who knows, but it's definitely not starting with the iPad, which is just as bereft of Flash support as the iPhone and iPod Touch are.
No user-replaceable battery
Steve Jobs claims that the iPad will come with an impressive 10 hours of battery life and a full month of stand-by time. Pretty cool, but as with the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the latest MacBooks, the iPad battery comes sealed in the case, and there's no way to swap in a new one yourself.

No TV subscriptions
One of the more intriguing recent rumors was that Apple was going around to all the TV and cable networks, trying to sell them on the idea of monthly TV subscriptions that viewers would be able to watch on iTunes, the iPhone, Apple TV, or ... the iPad. Word even had it that Disney's Bob Iger was in San Francisco today, all set to announce a new content deal with Apple, but ... nope, didn't happen. (The writing for this non-event was on the wall, thanks to a recent New York Times story that reported that TV execs looked over Apple's subscription proposals and said "thanks, but no thanks.")

No iPhone software 4.0 announcement
Yet another interesting rumor had it that the reason that there hadn't been a big iPhone software update lately was that the new code was too intertwined with the iPad OS, and therefore we'd get a big announcement today for iPhone software 4.0€”complete with full-on app multitasking, UI enhancements, and other goodies. The rumor sure sounded plausible (and hey, the part about the new iPhone software being closely interwoven with the iPad may well be true), but the Apple event came and went Wednesday, with nary a sign of iPhone software 4.0.

Last but not least ... no iPhone for Verizon
Besides the iPad itself, the Apple rumor that seemed to generate the most excitement was the possibility that Steve Jobs would announce the end of Apple's exclusive iPhone deal with AT&T ... and announce an iPhone for Verizon at the same time. After all, most believe that the Apple-AT&T deal is set to expire this summer anyway, so why not get a jump on the news? But as with the talk about the iPad coming with support for Verizon's 3G network ... well, maybe we'll get a Verizon iPhone in June or July, but we didn't see one today.

So, what were you hoping for Wednesday that didn't quite happen?

[Snick]

Just contacted a friend at USA mac store and asked him to order one for me.
Can't wait to load up some porn on it and sit in the back row of Cascades.

A few observations
no camera - WTF
no built in SD card slot, but SD reader available as $30 accessory (can use as general purpose storage or just for copying photos off a camera ? ? ?)
Battery power is so-so, I wonder if there is a low power mode when using it just as a book reader.

For me this is an eBook Reader,a video player, a game machine, a portable computer -- in that order.

Since 3G is so spotty in Thailand, I decided to not get the 3G option (which costs +$130)

[deepthroat]

Snick is spot on. I'll be thinking of getting one as a Kindle-killer. If you enjoy reading as much as I do, you may find that the Kindle/iPad is as revolutionary a way to enjoy reading as the iPod was to enjoying music.

I think this has way more upside potential than most of us figure. Wait until you see one and meet someone that's a convert. Then you'll begin to see the advantages.

[Bumpa STIKKA]

I'll stick to books.

[koykaeng]

(Bumpa STIKKA @ Jan. 28 2010,06:58) I'll stick to books.

Books, are they still making those things.

Reminds of the days we used to visit these buildings where they kept the books, and you had to be very, very quiet..... I think they call them libraries.

Cheers
Koykaeng

[JaiDee]

(ezflip @ Jan. 28 2010,02:02) What were they thinking?

Militant talk to the apple geeks out there!!

Thankfully I am not one of them.....I think all their products suck and the 10% of alternative people who NEED to have their products are wasting their time and money.

I will stick with my PC and my Nokia phone....both work fine. and I agree, I like books better.

Ipad = more nonsense from a nonsensical company.

[laputanegra]

it so big wont fit on my lil clutch

[Snick]

Jealousy is a horrible thing

[Bumpa STIKKA]

If it looks like a Sinclair...

Who the hell is gonna carry one of these around?

[spare wheel]

cant beat a mac

SW

[Torurot]

They will be carried along just like net books are. Nothing like being able to flick a book.