Apple Tablet

[grawk]

Well, there's already idisk support for iphone os. I can see it not being a big deal to extend it to other disk storage.

I just read the tech specs page. It does allow regular bluetooth keyboard, the ipad case will act as a tilt stand, so you can use regular keyboard without the kbd dock.

There's also a camera attachment kit that allows use of a card reader or camera.

[Hopstretch]

From Engadget:

In even better news, however, the device will also work with standard Bluetooth keyboards like Apple's own wireless QWERTY slabs. Additionally, Apple will be selling a "camera connection kit" to allow you to plug your camera in over USB or use an SD card to import pictures.

EDIT: Oops. Late.

[GPH]

So, besides the slick form factor, I don't see anything the iPad does that a netbook doesn't at a much smaller price. No multitasking on a 500-900$ computer is a big fail in my book.

[manaox2]

Well, there's already idisk support for iphone os. I can see it not being a big deal to extend it to other disk storage.

I just read the tech specs page. It does allow regular bluetooth keyboard, the ipad case will act as a tilt stand, so you can use regular keyboard without the kbd dock.

There's also a camera attachment kit that allows use of a card reader or camera.

Awesome.

[Hopstretch]

Chill. It is widely rumored that multitasking will be added to the iPhone -- and presumably now the iPad too -- in the next major firmware update.

Also, I see several things it has that netbooks generally do not -- like a decent display and a processor that isn't hamster-powered.

Edited January 27, 2010 by Hopstretch

[tyrion]

Multitasking was the other issue that was a problem for me but as Stretch said, it will probably be added down the road. I rarely had the desire to get a netbook. However, I would take this with the limitations over a netbook any day, even at the higher price.

[manaox2]

With that kind of support for peripherals now announced, I don't think I have a real problem with it as an OTG device. I bet there will be apps to combine tasks that people really want (If someone isn't working on that, I'd be shocked). EDIT: Noticed what Stretch said, nice.

No flash is a bigger bummer to me, but not a deal breaker. Maybe a display adapter for HDMI out would be nice, but at this point now I'm only picking at straws.

[n_maher]

Reks,

My experiences with netbooks have been good once you move beyond the 7" size. The 9" asus that I have was perfect on vacation for checking email, casual surfing, watching movies in bed, etc. Neither should be used as a work device (unless you're Dan), at least in my expectation.

[tyrion]

Maybe 3G is not needed. All I need to do is go to a Starbucks when I'm out and need the internets via wifi. In terms of memory, I will not need any music on it as I will have my iphone.

[Hopstretch]

As far as SD cards go, there is a card reader adaptor for photos and a USB connection for cameras, so we know the device can access external storage through the 30-pin connector. It'll be a question of file system support for other media or external drives, I guess?

[postjack]

netbooks are really crappy to use. this thing shouldn't be. that right there is what the iPad does that a netbook doesn't at a much smaller price.

in the words of Sick Boy from Trainspotting:"beautifully fucking illustrated."

[manaox2]

The 3G support is just an external adapter like they currently have for laptops is it not? So that it could be bought from Mac separately and added later?

[GPH]

netbooks are really crappy to use. this thing shouldn't be. that right there is what the iPad does that a netbook doesn't at a much smaller price.

I agree that netbooks are crappy, I had a MSI Wind U100 that I sold last week because it was gathering dust since I always favored my MacBook. But I could actually run Matlab and do whatever I wanted on the netbook. No doubt the tablet will be pleasant to use as are all Apple products, but I at least expected a hybrid between iPhone OS ans OS X for 500$+, not a bigger iPhone, but perhaps my expectations were too high and I'm just not the right crowd for this.

[penger]

If the folks talking about flash support are mainly referring to youtube, youtube has a html5 beta (i think it uses canvas) which should allow you to still watch videos using safari.

[tyrion]

The 3G support is just an external adapter like they currently have for laptops is it not? So that it could be bought from Mac separately and added later?

It's built in.

[Knuckledragger]

Cheer Up!

'Stretch - They knew you were coming!

South African Police reveal Apple tablet photos ? The Register

Perfect for the Head-Caser:

[Hopstretch]

It's built in.

Yup. The only visual indicator is the black strip on the back, which isn't there with the wi-fi model.

[Voltron]

Hate the name of this thing, but I will definitely be getting one. If I can skip the POS Dell laptop I have from work and can just take this little biscuit on the road, then I will be very happy. Almost everything I do is internet-based through Citrix so I don't need big storage, etc. Nothing terribly shocking or completely out of the box compared to the speculation, but it looks like it will be huge as Stretch and others have said. Naysayers can go on typing their complaints on their shitty little PC netbooks, assuming they can read what they type on those poopy little screens.

[Hopstretch]

It also looks like you don't get GPS unless you pony for the 3G model. Must be an integrated chip.

[The Monkey]

I find the hardware disappointing. I expected it to be more robust. And I am skeptical about the ergonomics. The content will be key, and I guess that's the main message here. This seems like one of those devices from Apple that could be of the "I didn't even know that I needed it" variety. However, I still think there's the potential for a BigFlop here. It is, after all, just a big iPod Touch/iPhone. Apple did a nice job, though, on the price point. However, given the aforementioned, it is probably priced where it should be.

I think I'd rather have a MacBook.

[riceboy]

The Ipad looks great and if anyone can make a device a hit it would be Apple with the Ipod, Iphone and now Ipad. Here is some details I pulled off of Engadget if you folks haven't seen it:

• It's not light. It feels pretty weighty in your hand.
  
• The screen is stunning, and it's 1024 x 768. Feels just like a huge iPhone in your hands.
  
• The speed of the CPU is something to be marveled at. It is blazingly fast from what we can tell. Webpages loaded up super fast, and scrolling was without a hiccup. Moving into and out of apps was a breeze. Everything flew.
  
• There's no multitasking at all. It's a real disappointment. All this power and very little you can do with it at once. No multitasking means no streaming Pandora when you're working in Pages... you can figure it out. It's a real setback for this device.
  
• The ebook implementation is about as close as you can get to reading without a stack of bound paper in your hand. The visual stuff really helps flesh out the experience. It may be just for show, but it counts here.
  
• No camera. None, nada. Zip. No video conferencing here folks. Hell, it doesn't have an SMS app!
  
• It's running iPhone OS 3.2.
  

The no multitasking thing for me is a disappointment, but it still looks great. I would like to see how it would be as an ereader.

[grawk]

Kindle DX - $489

Toshiba Netbook - $329

ipod touch - $299

Combined - $629 (32gb w/ 3g), plus $30 a month if you want 3g

[veloaudio]

I never take my personal laptop on work travel because I hate carrying two laptops on a plane. The iPad would be perfect for this. I'll still have my iPhone for music, although adding the iPad is like doubling my iPhone storage. Price is good too.

[Hopstretch]

Dinny, I think they could have built a really cutting-edge device that hardcore geeks would love, but it would have been twice the price or more. And they decided the only way to create this new category was to have it be mass-market right from the start. To do that, it had to be relatively cheap and it had to be relatively simple. Jobs said it right at the end: "With over 75 million iPhones and iPod touches sold, we've got over 75 million people who already know how to use the iPad."

[Voltron]

Dinny, I think they could have built a really cutting-edge device that hardcore geeks would love, but it would have been twice the price or more. And they decided the only way to create this new category was to have it be mass-market right from the start. To do that, it had to be relatively cheap and it had to be relatively simple. Jobs said it right at the end: "With over 75 million iPhones and iPod touches sold, we've got over 75 million people who already know how to use the iPad."

Exactly right. They can always bulk up later model and give them more options.