Apple Tablet

[jvlgato]

My dad's always been pretty ahead on the curve, and has been doing medical records via a tablet for several years, and uses epocrates on his windows mobile device. I don't know that the medical community is all behind the curve

Definitely not all, but the majority of the folks I know, at least! I think your Dad is just ahead of the curve ... I know maybe one or two pvt practice folks who switched over, and they tend to be of the 'very wealthy' variety. The majority has been hospitals and of course, the entire VA system where I work part time.

Do you know how your Dad's tablet is set up? Networked into his own system vs online vs sync'd at the end of each day? Storage/backup? How much did his software cost? Is he happy with it? Thanks!

How else will this damn thing connect to the internets?

Looks vaguely familiar ... I think I have one in the closet next to my DBX cassette player. Maybe there is a modem-to-Wifi/Bluetooth adapter kit? )

I wouldn't expect medical records software to be on the iPad. I'm sure they make some kind of crazy contract with someone that restricts them to whatever.QUOTE]

Agreed. My hope was to subscribe to an online service and use iPad via Wifi/3G.

[grawk]

I don't know what he's doing, but:

Medical records on the iPhone debuts at health IT expo - Network World

[jvlgato]

.

Sorry - amazing I'm not banned yet. Be patient, I'm still a 'Limited Edition Bronze Participant.'

[jvlgato]

I don't know what he's doing, but:

Medical records on the iPhone debuts at health IT expo - Network World

Looks promising. I just got an email from Allscripts yesterday, trying to get me to buy their upgraded service. I'll have to check it out - I hope it's better than their free e-Prescribing service. I've been using that, and it's not so great.

[n_maher]

For some reason I have this feeling that the flood of ipad software will soon make the iphone apps seem like a trickle.

I'm not so sure about that. I think it'll largely depend on how many early adopters there are and I for one have no idea how many of these they'll sell in the first 6 mo or so compared to how many iPhones/Touches there are already out there. It's not like iPhone sales are dropping off a cliff either and they'll likely prop those sales numbers up with at least updated firmware or the rumored V4 phone itself (OLED, etc).

[Hopstretch]

Well, he's definitely going to buy one.

[thrice]

Ah, but can the iPad initiate a static warp shell?

[Voltron]

Ah, but can the iPad initiate a static warp shell?

Make it so.

[Hopstretch]

[Dusty Chalk]

If someone can get QEMU running on a jailbroken iPad, can you run any damn thing you want? It's already got some ARM support.

[Hopstretch]

Do You Want To Use Citrix Receiver To Run Windows 7 From The iPad ? ocb - Citrix Community

[thrice]

Another good article:

The iPad isn't a third device, but a third revolution | Laptop | iPhone Central | Macworld

[Voltron]

Do You Want To Use Citrix Receiver To Run Windows 7 From The iPad ? ocb - Citrix Community

Thanks for that!

[blessingx]

Another good article:

The iPad isn't a third device, but a third revolution | Laptop | iPhone Central | Macworld

As surprised as I am of the anger towards the iPad (for those who didn't get exactly what they personally wanted and others afraid the mass may not always be in Latin), I think this introduction has spawned the most interesting commentary I can remember, including that link .

[thrice]

While I haven't been following this type of thing for all that long (5-8 years at most), I agree. The earnest discussions about the future of computing, UI development and design and computer as appliance has been some of the most thought provoking tech articles I've read. I'm really excited about it.

[thrice]

MacBreak Weekly is on live on Twit right now... good discussion about the iPad

http://live.twit.tv

[manaox2]

Another good article:

The iPad isn't a third device, but a third revolution | Laptop | iPhone Central | Macworld

Good article. Makes me think do we always need to take a step back to take a step forward? Why didn't they just throw a modified OS X on the iPad to support the touch screen and introduced new apps designed around the touchscreen over time instead since they obviously have to release them that way anyway. Why take away running tasks in the background? Why no flash and java? If people don't understand all of it, then they don't have to use all of it, as it always has been before, its not likely they want to anyway. Slap a multi-touch screen on a computer with gestures programmed in and add in the capability to dual boot iPhone OS and/or emulate it on autorun and you have a real capable computer there with the same ability. I don't think the additional software would kill their price point as most of it is software they own and could afford to bundle, any upgrades to it would also increase sales without being a huge consumer turnoff. They can have a cripple button built into the device for all I care, call it simple mode, I'm sure people would love it.

The iPad doesn't have an excuse of being great yet, its pretty crippled for no real reason for much of it, many of those lack of features have very little to do with making it simple. Its main focus is hiding what people who have never used a computer don't understand, its all still there and will be for long time to come, its just make it harder to access. Its like using quicktime player instead of a real video player with options and actual customizable features. Its not the multi-touch screen thats going to prevent the need of people to tinker. Damn if people should be paying extra for what they could already do better with just as little effort if they wanted it to be so.

[The Monkey]

I liked that article, too. One thing that has me confused now, however, is why it took so long to get it out. As I understand it, the Steve had always said the tech just wasn't there and he wouldn't release it until it was perfect. Well, it doesn't seem perfect. But more importantly, it seems like the tech was there when they launched the iPhone. Hell, we could be on the 3rd or 4th iteration by now.

Regardless, I agree that the debate about the fundamental way in which we relate to computers and technology generally is fascinating and worthwhile. I'm just not a fan of Apple's self-fueled hype machine. Basically, I think Jobs is a disingenuous prick. A genius, but still a prick.

[penger]

Another Blow in the Great Amazon/Apple Publishing War: HarperCollins - Apple - Gizmodo

[thrice]

I liked that article, too. One thing that has me confused now, however, is why it took so long to get it out. As I understand it, the Steve had always said the tech just wasn't there and he wouldn't release it until it was perfect. Well, it doesn't seem perfect. But more importantly, it seems like the tech was there when they launched the iPhone. Hell, we could be on the 3rd or 4th iteration by now.

Well, I imagine some of the tech was there... but the tech being there is only part of the equation... it's got to be there at the right price and in the right quantities. Besides... there's a little showman in there. Jobs once said about the iPod getting video, "No one wants to watch video on a screen that small." A year later, the iPod had video capabilities. As far as it not being perfect.... well, that's up for debate. I can't think of any company that releases a product that's "perfect" right out the gate... there's a product pipeline and planned upgrades...etc. There's nothing new there.

I imagine that the smartphone/iPod market was easier to penetrate initially than the computing market for something like this. This device depends on a number of things, most importantly.... apps and content. A smartphone and a portable music player don't necessarily need apps to make their core functionality valid. They were valid in and of themselves. So Apple sets up the app store and this whole big ecosystem of developers and then BOOM.... iPad. That thing will be released with 140,000 apps ready to go and many in the wings waiting for the updates to post.

Regardless, I agree that the debate about the fundamental way in which we relate to computers and technology generally is fascinating and worthwhile. I'm just not a fan of Apple's self-fueled hype machine. Basically, I think Jobs is a disingenuous prick. A genius, but still a prick.

He and Apple have built a pretty damn strong brand. Right down to the product names:

Mobile line:

iPod

iPhone

iPad

Computer Line:

MacBook

MacBook Pro

Mac Pro

There's a lot of unity there. I was just thinking about it today and it struck me how well unified their product names and lines are. Jobs is almost like an auteur in some ways. He's creating something... not just at the granular level of the product, but on a larger level with the company. They're selling an experience. Some people like it, other don't.

[Smeggy]

I still want flash, USB and multi-fucking-tasking dammitt!!!

and I want it to get me a pizza when I'm hungry. Fucking apple.

[grawk]

I still want flash, USB and multi-fucking-tasking dammitt!!!

and I want it to get me a pizza when I'm hungry. Fucking apple.

Flash is something to block, not to want.

I'm with you on the pizza tho.

[blessingx]

Good article. Makes me think do we always need to take a step back to take a step forward? Why didn't they just throw a modified OS X on the iPad to support the touch screen and introduced new apps designed around the touchscreen over time instead since they obviously have to release them that way anyway. Why take away running tasks in the background? Why no flash and java? If people don't understand all of it, then they don't have to use all of it, as it always has been before, its not likely they want to anyway. Slap a multi-touch screen on a computer with gestures programmed in and add in the capability to dual boot iPhone OS and/or emulate it on autorun and you have a real capable computer there with the same ability. I don't think the additional software would kill their price point as most of it is software they own and could afford to bundle, any upgrades to it would also increase sales without being a huge consumer turnoff. They can have a cripple button built into the device for all I care, call it simple mode, I'm sure people would love it.

This isn't how Apple would likely introduce change*. Right or wrong, they tend to be more focused. Plus as mentioned by others, Apple has other products for most of those requirements and I think the commentary has been pretty clear Jobs was unlikely to consider OS X an acceptable tablet interface (plus those Windows 'successes' of the last seven years). Maybe Android/Chrome OS (which should be part of this larger discussion), may (likely?) go down a hybrid path, but Apple doesn't 'slap' anything on.

I really think the Flash discussion needs to be on the side (and again pulls Google, etc. in), and as mentioned by others, multitasking is likely to be introduced in the next OS update (though if controlled threading, etc. is part of that we'll see - stability is rising in importance and limited multitasking has always been part of the OS).

Way I see it, as soon as you decide on a Linux desktop environment, compromises are made, and that's long before the more restrictive Windows or OS X most users accept. We all laugh at the not far past of hunting down video drivers for every application or avoiding laptops because their hardware isn't 'open.' This is just the next step... for some/most.

* Then Intel move is the only recent I'd consider gradual and that was only an internal shift.

Also: northtemple - On iPads, Grandmas and Game-changing

Edited February 3, 2010 by blessingx

[Grahame]

This is more like it!

[Smeggy]

Flash is something to block, not to want.

I'm with you on the pizza tho.

You do realize that 99% of all Internet porn is flash. They could have marketed it as the ultimate Porno surfer, what do they do? Give us some cacky 'productivity' app..... If you can't watch poon, what's the point of the intertoobz!