So without a USB, how can you hack the sucker?

I've been reading through this thread and it baffles me that people keep calling it either a 'netbook' or 'e-reader'.

It isn't either of these things, and is not supposed to replace either of them, or a laptop. You need to look at what is designed to do, and more importantly who for.

I have a main mac about 6 foot away from my sofa, and also a small 13" laptop for work when I'm traveling. However if I want to quickly look something up, or check my emails it's much easier to do it on my iphone than wait for the laptop or main computer to take it's time to start up. You can literally open you emails in about 5 seconds, quickly view a web link etc on the iphone. Much easier, and much quicker.

This is the main point of the iPad. Speed and simplicity. The majority of netbooks I've used are horrible to use. Tiny screen, not really optimised for anything in particular.

The iPad however is designed with these main purposes. To provide the quick and simple use of the iPhone platform, but at a size that is actually useable. Its designed as a CASUAL entertainment device. If you need to do work, you use your main machine or laptop. This is designed to enable the user to do the majority of day to day functionality as quickly and simply as possible, and the screen is optimised for web and reading in the same manner. It will no doubt be used by huge amounts of technophobes and the older generation as it is so user friendly. turn it on click on icon ad you're there, no having to find the program in menus and finders etc etc.

This is why it will work so well for newspapers and magazines. You don't have to wait for the content to load. you pick it up, click the icon and there it is. All as quickly and conveniently as it would be to open an actual magazine.

I personally wouldn't spend the money one as I have no need, but then it's not really designed for people have a main pc/mac and a laptop (unless they're very well off ).

However I can guarantee you this will be a HUGE success. I work as an iPhone developer and some of the possibilities for the platform are fantastic... what's coming for the device will greatly increase it's appeal.

Oh and I have to add, comparing a hackintosh to a 'proper' mac just doesn't even come close. Yes macs are a sh*t load more expensive, but you are paying for the reliability of them... as well as the sexy design obviously. Because they generally use only one or two hardware setups, you don;t get any issues, crashes, hangs etc etc. I've tried several hackintosh systems that have been ridiculously well made... but they always have a lot more issues than the initially designed hardware setup. I used to be PC user all the way, until about 7 years ago when I used OSX, and even a 4 year old mac with massively lower spec worked so much better than a brand new pc with nearly double the specs. They just work better, it's as simple as that really. I'd never buy a PC again, even windows 7 is still slow, clumsy and buggy in comparison (although I appreciate everyone will have their own preference).

Anyway, just thought I'd chuck in my two pence

Originally posted by crezo

I work as an iPhone developer and some of the possibilities for the platform are fantastic... what's coming for the device will greatly increase it's appeal.

iPhone developer eh, what do you think about the new SDK agreement for developers?

Oh and I have to add, comparing a hackintosh to a 'proper' mac just doesn't even come close. Yes macs are a sh*t load more expensive, but you are paying for the reliability of them... as well as the sexy design obviously. Because they generally use only one or two hardware setups, you don;t get any issues, crashes, hangs etc etc. I've tried several hackintosh systems that have been ridiculously well made... but they always have a lot more issues than the initially designed hardware setup.

When you buy a Mac you're paying for the design, Macs today are just fancy looking PC's running OSX. If you build a proper hackintosh you will have no more issues than with a Mac. OSX is very stable once you get it set up. It's not Mac vs PC anymore, it's OSX vs Windows.



[edit on 10-4-2010 by cripmeister]

Hi, I don't know about the SDK agreement to be honest. I'm the designer there, so I just make things pretty and flow nicely and the techies make it all work

I honestly have to disagree about the hardware side of things (not saying you're wrong, just not my opinion ). Admittedly you are paying a premium for the design of the machines, there's absolutely no doubt about that; but if you compare the insides of even the most expensive desktop windows machines to the interior layout and structure of say a Mac Pro, it's a completely different league of design and manufacture. There's no open motherboards, no wires all over the place, the entire inside of the chassis is made for smooth airflow and you won't get dust collecting anywhere. Nearly all components are isolated so heat buildup etc won't interfere with other components. It's clear that this all has a huge impact on running reliability and functionality, plus with the previously stated 'set' hardware configuration I think this is main aspect of hardware reliability... oh yeah, and of course OSX

Anyway, I'll shut up now... i don't want to start ANOTHER endless pc v mac debate that will never end.

Murdoch kind of sums up apples whole strategy quite well.

They purposefully limit the browser content such as no flash to force the use of apps anyone who thinks that html 5 will change this doesn't see apples strategy or they reason there is no flash support.

This basicly allows them to charge and put subscriptions for content that would be absolutely free elsewhere if they could they would lock the whole internet down piece by piece and charge for it separately.

Ipad is even made to look bad spec wise by new phones such as the htc incredible it truly is a very poor offering even by apple standards.

[edit on 13-4-2010 by Teknikal]

I'm looking forward to seeing what HTML5 brings. They say that flash is currently too buggy and too much of a resource hog, causing massively decreased battery times and crashes.

Yet, I've seen a few games running off the flash compiler and they run completely fine. Now they are saying it's due to the multitasking coming in OS4. I can understand how without running the the proper API's from the iPhone OS this could affect the functionality of the multitasking, but it does seem convenient (I'm not a techy by the way so don't fully understand the workings of the code).

But considering how Adobe pretty much made apple the leader in the professional design market, pissing off your main contributor seems like shooting yourself in the foot to me. It would have been so easy for them to work together to get flash optimised for the platform, yet apple resisted it every step of the way. lets just hope this Adobe lawsuit against Apple doesn't result in them limited their software to apple users... or I'm going to have to go back to working on a PC!

I guess we'll just have to see what they do when HTML5 replaces the majority of flash content on the web. Should be interesting

I have an iPad it's easy to use and it's replaced my computer and xbox.
Sure it LOOKS like an oversized iPod, but it's very handy capable, for work, reading and entertainment.

Of course its not cheap, one day it will be, it's the way of consumerism, eventually it's cheap..er.