tech: iPad

[amezri]

I was running around all day today and didn't really pay much attention to the hype surrounding the iPad presentation today.

FIRST OF ALL. You guys. You GUYS. iPad?! My initial reaction was basically, "ew... what? moving on" but it seems like a lot of people are having a similar response. Not the Apple fantards probably. MadTV did this joke 4 years ago:

Anyway, back to Apple's fancy new device. Honestly? I don't care. From the specs that were presented, it's basically a giant iPod Touch. I was going to list all the specs, but just go look at Apple's spec page.

What is really amazing is all the stuff this thing is missing:

• No multi-tasking - for now, it's running iPhone OS 3.2 but I guess people are hoping they'll put out a new version of the OS that will take care of that. I dunno. How long did iPhone users have to wait for copy & paste?


• No drag & drop file management - you'll have to sync to your computer. Will possibly only be able to associate with one device like iPods?


• No USB Port or SD slot - srsly. There was a comment on a site saying that it was no big deal the iPad doesn't have a camera - take a picture with your for real digital camera. Great. Now how do I get that picture off the camera to sent to the intarwebs via my iPad?! Also, 64GB isn't that much storage. Why not let me use a 32GB SDHC to expand?


• No camera - your fancy $600 device doesn't have a camera. Not even a crap webcam.


• No GPS chip - you only get assisted GPS if you have the 3G model.


• It doesn't make phone calls - which means you'll still need to keep your iPhone plan or get another mobile phone. To be fair, you can use VoIP to make calls as long as you are connected to wifi or 3G, but if you end up in an area without it... I hope you don't have to make any emergency calls.

Not that they are really comparable, but here are things my Nokia N810 Internet Tablet has:

• wifi (mobile phone available on the N900)


• ebook reader


• miniSD slot


• drag & drop file management


• webcamera


• VoIP ability


• multi-tasking


• GPS chip

Okay, sure. It's a puny device and yeah, it doesn't have the App store or multi-touch. But I'm expecting that a $600 device can do a lot more than one that cost me $150 so really, I don't think I should even be able to point out the things that I have in comparison.

Maybe, eventually, the iPad (ugh.. I don't want to type that anymore) will get to the point where it's the most revolutionary device EVAR. (When they make one with a flex screen? Sony's on it, as is Asus with a new concept.) Or we can just wait for another Asian company to make a knock-off with better specs. There's already a Windows 7 version - the DigitalRise X9.

Actually, you guys, the Waveface (yeah.. IDK. Waveface?) was shown at CES2010!



Uh.. what was that about Apple's new device again?

(Let me just say that I do see the potential of this device and I'm sure that it's amazing to use with the shiny surface and multi-touch and all that shiny stuff. However, I really do think this version is a giant iPod Touch. Maybe by V2 or v3 it'll be a bit more amzing?)

Comments

[athenaktt.livejournal.com]

So leave it to Apple to make something pretty but lacking in function if you actually wanted to do something more than just stare at something and play music?

Also the moment I saw iPad, my brain went to the other pad too. Because REALLY? couldn't they do something like iTablet or iSlate or something that doesn't make all women automatically think of Aunt Flo? Well, at least this confirms that the marketing department in Apple consists of only men.

[amezri.livejournal.com]

I'm so timely with my comment replies -_-;

I read somewhere that Apple might be reserving iSlate for a future device based on the iPad. Probably the device they wanted to develop, but decided to do a half-assed job and made the iPad instead.

A real functioning tablet device would be really great. I love my Nokia Tablet, I just wish it were a little bit more robust (which I guess the N900 is supposed to be). It's pretty funny that my device has features this fancy new iPad doesn't.

[juri-anne.livejournal.com]

I am SO happy I'm not the only one. My hubby came in the kitchen last night and asked me if I saw the information about the iPad, and my INSTANT reaction was "Is Mac making feminine products now?" I think I scared him off it! heh I haven't read anything about it, but I think, on principle, I'll stay away from the iPad and stick my PCs.

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Apparently I never replied to this >_<

They clearly don't have any women in the company who are at a high enough level to just go, "DUDES. Really?" and throw a maxipad at them.

The fact that you don't get it is the biggest problem.

[tirgaya.livejournal.com]

Well, its pretty much exactly what I expected. Yep, it isn't in any way revolutionary. Its also pretty much what I wanted.

Its a multi-touch interface that is designed properly for human interaction from the ground up. That's fairly important. In fact its the entire game.

There are tons of more feature packed smartphones out there, but the iPhone is outselling them dramatically. Why? Design of the human interface.

Looking at the cool concepts you linked, they mostly miss the point.

DitalRise is "nice" from a feature checklist standpoint, but it uses Windows 7. Bzzt.

Neither Windows, Linux nor Mac OS X are really suitable for touch devices. They are designed for keyboard and mouse. It will take some redesign to make them work well with keyboard and multi-touch. There are a very few applications where you could just pile in multitouch and go. (Google Earth, paint/photoshop, audio mixing, 3D modeling and animation and editing interfaces- not exactly everyday software!)

Everything else is a design concept or lab prototype. You can't make a mass market product from flex-screens yet.

They look cool, but that isn't the point... its all about how they function. Not the features, but how a user can use them to get things done.

So, would I prefer an SD slot? A webcam? Some type of "Finder-like" file interface? Sure. I think its a huge mistake that Apple didn't include these features.

I'll happily trade them all for a multitouch interface that works fluidly.

I can't wait for the competition to finally get it, because that's when economies of scale will drive prices to the floor. That's when innovation will truly get moving.

The other companies won't get it until users like YOU Amezri realize what is making these things so popular is that they are designed well. You need to realize that ultimately the devices main function is making sure you can use all of its capabilities naturally and fluidly.

SD card slots don't contribute to that human interface.

Brilliant designers like YOU do contribute to that.

Influential advocates, people who others look to for tech advice, again like YOU, contribute to making companies realize what is important.

Re: The fact that you don't get it is the biggest problem.

[tirgaya.livejournal.com]

Sorry to reply to myself, but I want to make the point that I am not being an Apple fan here.

I am a touch interface fan, I think its the way of the future- or at least a big part of it.

I think Apple is the only company making products that are really well thought out for that future.

Yes they can do better. Heck if I had 10 billion dollars in the bank I could do better.

The main point is that Nokia, Sony and the others really need to step up because Apple needs real competition in this market- the future depends on it!

But those companies won't step up until consumers stop demanding "features" and start demanding thoughtful design.

Re: The fact that you don't get it is the biggest problem.

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Whoa. Chillax. I am all for a touch interface. I want multi-touch and the ability to use a stylus for writing. I am on board for where Apple was possibly trying to go with this. And yeah, okay. they pushed one out first.

BUT.

I don't think the iPad, RIGHT NOW, in THIS configuration should be classified as the "greatest device ever" which some Apple fantards are doing. Yeah, it's one step closer where we are heading - basically a slimmer tablet that never really materialized 10 (?) years ago when they started coming out.

So, would I prefer an SD slot? A webcam? Some type of "Finder-like" file interface? Sure. I think its a huge mistake that Apple didn't include these features.

That's all I'm saying.

I'll happily trade them all for a multitouch interface that works fluidly.

See. I don't understand why you have to trade those things for multitouch. The tech of those things isn't broken, they don't need to be rebuilt, and an SD (or micro-SD) slot and camera are both plenty small enough to put in the device.

No way to expand memory in my $600 device is pretty bullshit.

What if you bought a digital HD camera and it came with 32GB of space. Internal. With no card slot. How happy would that make you?

ALSO, as everyone always holds up Apple as having devices with a great, clean aesthetic, I say in this case the ginormous bezel really kills the look.