iPad...

[brntorng]

Slingbox on 3G

BTW, with regard to AppleTV. If you look at the mess that is video to the home I do believe it will take 10 years for the clear winners to emerge. Everyone has a finger in the pie: cable service providers, Hulu, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Apple, the major networks, cable networks, etc. The consolidation that is required to overcome the currently fractured market is substantial and will take years to play out. The point of AppleTV is to have a place at the table just like all the other major players. It's impossible to negotiate for media distribution rights if you don't have a viable solution. Apple has a viable solution and a reasonable library of media, but it's not priced to compete with Netflix and Redbox and that's not within their control. Nor is anyone else able to compete right now. This market is not a technology issue because the technology exists. It's a business model issue and no one has the critical mass to emerge at this point.

 

[mia1994]

In reply to:

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[rreading]

Glad to see the discussion's still going on, because I respect mia's points and no one has touched my reasons for getting the iPad.

In descending order:

3. Jobs is right. Flash eats up processor memory. My parents have a netbook at their house, and when I am there, I am better able to use the internet on my iphone than to use their netbook. I'd love to be able to browse more video with my iphone, but if it's not going to work correctly, I'd rather not do it. I've other things to do with my time, and I've better computers that handle flash fine when I need it. But usually I read the internet.

2. The interface with probably be largely amazing and somewhat frustrating - but over time the software should be fabulous and the utility already looks excellent with regard to iwork.

1. I have a laptop and a iMac at home, and my laptop is probably going to feel antiquated after getting our iPad. Not because of the problems with the iPad (no camera - although we rarely use the laptop's camera so no great loss; poor keyboard; no flash), but because I use my iMac for my digital home. My photos get put into the iMac. My music is imported into my iMac. My movies go into my iMac. With the laptop, I have to either cloud computer them across or transfer the files actively which is really a nuisance I generally don't bother with. WIth the iPad, I'll transfer files to it the same simple way I do with my iphone. It'll be there to consume those files but my home computer will be the one to store/modify those files. I intend it to be an extension of my core computer to use until I get back to base.

Just my .02, but I'm buying one - probably a 3g. Not sure how much size I'll want, but probably the 64gig.

 

[mia1994]

The Link

Somebody at work put this together and put some cardboard inside of it to give it some weight. Not that I want to rehash all 6 pages of this thread, I will say that being able to "hold" it changes some of my early reactions.

First and foremost, I was absolutely picturing the form factor incorrectly, the device is significantly smaller and more square than I was envisioning it. The size of the bezel is not only not a significant issue, I would argue that it is entirely necessary given the size. The device does not feel at all like an underpowered tablet, but rather an oversized Touch/iPhone... which is, of course, exactly what it is. I understand why the people at the launch event seemed perplexed by people complaining that it was "basically a big Touch", because there really isn't any ambiguity there at all. It is not remotely attempting to compete in the personal computing space, not for "grandma", not for anyone.

Also, I was wrong earlier when (if) I said you couldn't type effectively with two hands. It requires come stretching, compared to the smaller devices, but you can thumb type while holding the device if you were so inclined. I'm not sure how you would approach touch typing without putting it down, though. Which is to say there is likely some truth to the criticism that typing is more difficult than with the Touch/iPhone, but it is not insurmountable.

The screen is large enough that I think app makers will be happy, though I fear that most of that advantage will be lost when attempting to replay widescreen media. Because of how square the design is, even switching it horizontal is going to result in a fair amount of lost space.

Being able to "hold" it makes its place in the market more clear to me than it was before. That said, it is the same market that the iPhone, the Touch and pretty much any other current generation smart phone occupy. It differentiates itself in size, but that comes with some cost to portability. In any event, if you are happy with your current smart phone, owning this device seems more than a bit redundant. Which indicates to me that this device is primed to compete most strongly for gadget hunters with old phones who aren't upgrading but are looking for a supplemental gaming/browsing device... which seems like a small market to me.

All of which leads back to this, the most significant thing about the iPad seems to be its pricepoint, which now more than ever seems very high. This device is not attempting to be a phone, it is not attempting to compete even marginally in the computing space, so what you are left with is a $650-$900 personal media player which can check your email. Honestly, I'd be shocked if this device doesn't drop in price after 6 months to a year, if not before its actual release.

What seems most clear is this device was not made for me. This makes me sad, but so be it. I hope it does well.

 

[brntorng]

What I've found intriguing are the number of innovative uses and applications for the iPad that have been suggested since its unveiling and this is just the very beginning. The best ideas are still under wraps awaiting introduction. Disney may be on the right track to make it an interactive element in conjunction with live television. Sure you could do it with an iPhone or an iPod Touch, but the iPad screen size provides a much richer experience. Imagine what ESPN could do: select your own replays and camera angles to watch on the iPad and, eventually, on your TV when such media is streamed rather than broadcast, Game Track multiple games simultaneously, etc. I have a feeling this thing is going to be big, especially if the price goes even lower. And to that point:

Other reports suggest that the current manufacturing cost is low enough that Apple could reduce the price even more or add features at the current pricing and still maintain their margin. I wouldn't be surprised to see the base model go down to $399 before Christmas 2010 and down to $299 in 2011.

I can appreciate a lot of people questioning whether they'll get one since we have yet to see the innovative applications which will emerge. At this point it's a relatively worthless hardware platform. However, it has the potential through even lower pricing and innovative applications to be the game changer some predict. We'll see...