Apple iTablet/iSlate/iPad (NDA lifted)

[malchior]

I cant see how that will stand. They're sort of gotten away from it on the iPhone so far, but this thing would HAVE to have Flash. (Which is to say, it will be its Achilles' Heel if it doesn't, and therefore I can't believe Apple won't make it happen).

There isn't any real reason for no flash on the iPhone. It comes down to Adobe and Apple warring for whatever reasons. I see Apple pushing HTML5 as the alternative.

[malchior]

It has a mike.

Oh really, missed that in the Liveblog. How long until we get photos of jackasses holding this huge thing up to their ear? 60 days? Sooner?

[YellowKing]

The only big news I saw was the iBooks thing. Adding books to the iTunes store is the final step in making ebooks truly mainstream. It's a huge plus for the ebook industry as a whole. I'm still uncertain what it means for the dedicated e-reader market/Amazon. With no e-ink display, it can never truly take the place of a dedicated reader, but on the other hand you know Apple's going to sell a load of ebooks with this thing.

Other than that, I was pretty meh. I'd basically be paying $500 for a 10-inch iPhone screen.

[zinckiwi]

I cant see how that will stand. They're sort of gotten away from it on the iPhone so far, but this thing would HAVE to have Flash. (Which is to say, it will be its Achilles' Heel if it doesn't, and therefore I can't believe Apple won't make it happen).

There isn't any real reason for no flash on the iPhone. It comes down to Adobe and Apple warring for whatever reasons. I see Apple pushing HTML5 as the alternative.

That would be fine too. If YouTube, Hulu etc. all roll out their HTML5 versions in a timely fashion then I'm sure Safari will handle it. Either way I guess. They certainly don't have the option of doing nothing with the iPad like they did with the iPhone.

[Arnir]

I had an Apple ][+ back in the day so I don't hate Apple, but I am still disturbed by how little memory they are putting in these things. My iPod had 30GB and I thought that was low. The GB in this machine is way too little - certainly at this pricepoint. At least add a slot for a memory card or something. (I could be wrong but I'm assuming it doesn't have one.)

My first thought is that this has all the size liabilities of a laptop combined with the functionality of a phoneless iPhone. I just don't see it.

[The Preacher]

It has a mike.

Oh really, missed that in the Liveblog. How long until we get photos of jackasses holding this huge thing up to their ear? 60 days? Sooner?

I'd measure it in minutes

The only big news I saw was the iBooks thing. Adding books to the iTunes store is the final step in making ebooks truly mainstream. It's a huge plus for the ebook industry as a whole. I'm still uncertain what it means for the dedicated e-reader market/Amazon. With no e-ink display, it can never truly take the place of a dedicated reader, but on the other hand you know Apple's going to sell a load of ebooks with this thing.

As a Kindle owner, I LOVE that I will be able to read my books on this and on my Kindle and on my PC and on my Blackberry (soon so they tell me). Of course, I'm in a minority by owning the Kindle but for those who do, this enhances the experience.

Other than that, I was pretty meh. I'd basically be paying $500 for a 10-inch iPhone screen.

I HATE Apple. I hate Apple fanatics. I loathe their commercials. BUT I find this to be a (potentially) good-to-great product when compared to a netbook. For instance, I think this would be a great thing to give my wife so she can do email on the couch, or browse Amazon for something or check on the weather. Wifi, 16GB device for $500 is a more expensive than a netbook but not radically so.

As a media device, however, I find this to be... ungood. Memory seems a bit too small even for just some music fans (if I still have to have my 100gb iPod, why do I want this?), and way too small when you start adding in all of the other functionality like video, pictures, documents, etc. And then when you start talking about iPad-specific games, like from EA? Good lord this thing will choke.

Anyhow, wife=good. Me=taking wife's 17" game-able laptop

[LawBeefaroni]

I had an Apple ][+ back in the day so I don't hate Apple, but I am still disturbed by how little memory they are putting in these things. My iPod had 30GB and I thought that was low. The GB in this machine is way too little - certainly at this pricepoint. At least add a slot for a memory card or something. (I could be wrong but I'm assuming it doesn't have one.)

It's a bet on the cloud.

You don't need storage when everything is streamed or cloudkept.

[Matrix]

The good thing, a lot of makers already jumping into the table top market, and with Apple paving the way for next wave, i am very sure i can buy something that will be, this, note pad and e reader all in one for around $300-400. I am surprised at price point, thats lower then i expected, but i wont be supporting apple from principle. Oh yeh, i met PC guy (from comercial) at a restaurant few month ago in NYC and had a bit of a chat with him.

[malchior]

Random thoughts while watching the Liveblog:

I wouldn't need a data plan at all if I was allowed to *ahem* legally tether my iPhone. I don't see the lack of European 3G being a problem for this reason.

The increments in pricing for the increase of memory is way out of whack. I think they missed an opportunity here.

I would consider myself a hot-cold Apple fan. I've been cold on them since the Summer and this isn't helping. They are leaving out features that make little sense other than them trying to shape the market. It's infuriating, but that's Apple. Do it their way or no way. Sometimes it's great because it comports to your needs, but in this case I think it doesn't.

I'm not convinced they are going to do any damage to the netbook market. Netbooks aren't as cool, but you get an open platform, a keyboard, and better portability in my mind. This just comes across as fragile and overly expensive. Considering the times, I don't see them stealing sales from the Netbook market. This is going to be a Apple "base" product.

[LawBeefaroni]

The only compelling thing to me is:

11:13 Some iPad models will have built in 3G. Telcos charge $60 a month. We have breakthrough for iPad owners. Up to 250 MB a month will be $14.99. Unlimited data for $29.99 a month. Breakthrough deal with AT&T for both plans. With free use of WiFi hotspots. Activate on the iPad. No contract. Pre-paid, can cancel any time you want.

This is good. I don't mind a $700 brick as much when it doesn't also come with a $700 two-year contract.

[Exodor]

So does this mean you can use Google Voice on the iPad?

[The Preacher]

I'm not convinced they are going to do any damage to the netbook market. Netbooks aren't as cool, but you get an open platform, a keyboard, and better portability in my mind. This just comes across as fragile and overly expensive. Considering the times, I don't see them stealing sales from the Netbook market. This is going to be a Apple "base" product.

Let me throw out some counter points.

The value of a netbook is not its open platform. You can barely do anything on them to begin with. In that regard, Apple putting up a bit of walled garden, although one with an approved SDK, is fine. Most people aren't going to know any better. And the app store is already pretty darn large.

I agree on the keyboard. That's the toughest sell for people. What Apple does have going for it is that people know or hear the buzz about a keyboard-less iPhone. There could be a "willing suspension of disbelief" on this account.

On your third point, there is no way a netbook has better portability. I mean, what is the difference? This is the same size on the diagonal, but thinner because it's not a clamshell. I'm not saying that the iPad is more portable but I see them as indistinguishable.

What, imo, will move the dial against the netbooks is that this is a good UI for browsing, for personal email, for basic stuff. It is a slick piece of hardware compared to most netbooks, which are typically spartan devices at best wrapped in a little color. Lastly, Apple has significant device mindshare. A lot of consumers are going to think about the iPad at the same time as or before a Dell or an HP mini and WAY before Lenovo, Asus or Acer.

Look, I'm 99% of the time anti-Apple products and I would have bet against the iPhone. But this one I think is a hit.

[Captain Caveman]

The lack of multitasking is really disappointing. If you can't even listen to music while you type an email or surf the web, well, that's not good.

[Isgrimnur]

The lack of multitasking is really disappointing. If you can't even listen to music while you type an email or surf the web, well, that's not good.

You can do that now with the iPod function on the iPhone. No reason to assume that that has changed with the iPad. It's just that I'd rather have Pandora up while doing those things, which wouldn't work.

[malchior]

The value of a netbook is not its open platform. You can barely do anything on them to begin with. In that regard, Apple putting up a bit of walled garden, although one with an approved SDK, is fine. Most people aren't going to know any better. And the app store is already pretty darn large.

I agree to a point, but the PC platform has many apps as well, and many of them are free. The App store definitely is an edge though.

On your third point, there is no way a netbook has better portability. I mean, what is the difference? This is the same size on the diagonal, but thinner because it's not a clamshell. I'm not saying that the iPad is more portable but I see them as indistinguishable.

I guess I mispoke. I agree they are indistinguishable based on size. I think fragility is a real concern. With a netbook, I fold it up and that screen is protected to a degree. On this one, we have a big old naked and unprotected screen. Are we going to have huge screen protectors ala the iPhone on these things? IS the cover going to be enough protection?

This is my dig on Kindle (which I own incidentally) as well. I have a hard shell cover for my Kindle and have managed to break the screen on it already once while it was sitting in a padded bag all by itself. Amazon was awesome and replaced it for free. I just don't see Apple being as forgiving. This is the same company that refused to fix a hard drive for me, because my aluminum Powerbook had the minorest of dings on it. I didn't know it existed prior to the genius using it as the flimsy excuse to banish all support when I was throwing sector errors on a 2 month old laptop.

Look, I'm 99% of the time anti-Apple products and I would have bet against the iPhone. But this one I think is a hit.

I've been reading Apple forums and from the reception I see there I would use the world underwhelming right now. I'm not convinced it'll be a hit just yet.

[YellowKing]

Yeah, I still think they'll probably sell a ton of them, but there are some really questionable design decisions here.

No multitasking? Ouch.

Ridiculously low storage sizes. I'm sure they did this to get it in an affordable price point, but still.

Where's the front-facing camera? Demoing a Skype video call would have been a surefire crowd pleaser.

I honestly can't tell if this thing fills a niche, or if it's a completely unnecessary device for a niche that doesn't exist.

[The Meal]

The lack of multitasking is really disappointing. If you can't even listen to music while you type an email or surf the web, well, that's not good.

Well... you can do that on the iPhone if you utilize Safari for the music-playing side of things. (OOTunes)

Preach thinks this is a hit. I suck eggs at guessing what the common man wants. I know for me, this looks like a netbook that you'd use when you're not at a desk, which only really translates to being an e-book reader for me. (Maybe it'd be an awesome device for classrooms, but I don't intersect with that anymore.) I've already got all the same apps in my pocket (iPhone owner) ubiquitously, and I've already got desktop devices for doing things like iWork. My netbook(s) get used as portable data entry devices (paying bills off-site) or for email/websurfing away from home (work trips), or specific to myself, as poker clock timers during my home game, or remote camera capture machines (triggering, downloading photos). None of those netbook applications are met better by an iPad.

So for me, it's an easy pass. If I lived on an airplane and liked to watch low-res movies and use a half-ass e-book reader and/or liked to websurf/email from the couch and didn't already have a device that runs iStore applications, then it may be more appealing.

[The Meal]

I honestly can't tell if this thing fills a niche, or if it's a completely unnecessary device for a niche that doesn't exist.

Honestly, to me it looks like a device that came out of the engineering department (LOOK AT THIS COOL DEVICE WE CAN MAKE) rather than the marketing department (LOOK AT THIS COOL DEVICE THAT PEOPLE WANT).

[malchior]

Honestly, to me it looks like a device that came out of the engineering department (LOOK AT THIS COOL DEVICE WE CAN MAKE) rather than the marketing department (LOOK AT THIS COOL DEVICE THAT PEOPLE WANT).

To some extent I agree, but what engineer hates multitasking?

You're right though that it is hard to market. The tagline, "Apple. Boldly taking you back to a world before Windows." is a hard sell.

[Smoove_B]

My first impression upon watching a video on Youtube is that I can't trust a man that doesn't wear a belt.

My immediate, initial reaction upon seeing the device was that it looked like something straight out of Star Trek.

I still don't get the general fascination with carrying the internet around in your pants, but I guess if you wanted a bigger screen to do so, this seems like a great plan. Maybe.

[Carpet_pissr]

"iPad", really? Let the menstrual jokes begin, if they haven't already.

As a current iPhone owner and lover, (but wouldn't touch an imac or ipod), they have their work cut out for them if they consider me a potential client.

As far as I can tell, the iTab (much better, no?) is:

1. a big iPhone without the phone
2. almost exclusively a media device, primarily, its strengths seem to be: internet browsing + book/movie/photo/music viewer (and admittedly, if it's like the iPhone but bigger, should do those better than anything out there)

I can see this for a non iPhone owner, but I will NEVARRR pay for two (three counting the data plan for my wife's G1 iPhone) data plans. NEVER Apple, NEVER.

In fact, one of my favorite apps is the Kindle app. Use it every single night, and every flight. It's great because it's SMALL AND I always have it with me. This thing is too big to "always have it with me" imo, but would certainly enhance the usability of email.

Very nice, but pass. If I didn't already have an iPhone, a definite maybe. Now if they offer existing iPhone users some additional small fee that would include both devices, you have my attention again. If it had Flash support, I would certainly look at it more closely.

EDIT: OK, it just hit me. For existing iPhone users, they will probably just try to convince us to buy the non 3G version and use it at home, or where you know there will be wifi. I can see that. Go cheap and small (memory wise) and have a svelte, fancy multi touch ebook reader. Hmmmm

[SpaceLord]

The Onion reports.

[The Preacher]

The lack of multitasking is really disappointing. If you can't even listen to music while you type an email or surf the web, well, that's not good.

Well... you can do that on the iPhone if you utilize Safari for the music-playing side of things. (OOTunes)

Preach thinks this is a hit. I suck eggs at guessing what the common man wants. I know for me, this looks like a netbook that you'd use when you're not at a desk, which only really translates to being an e-book reader for me. (Maybe it'd be an awesome device for classrooms, but I don't intersect with that anymore.) I've already got all the same apps in my pocket (iPhone owner) ubiquitously, and I've already got desktop devices for doing things like iWork. My netbook(s) get used as portable data entry devices (paying bills off-site) or for email/websurfing away from home (work trips), or specific to myself, as poker clock timers during my home game, or remote camera capture machines (triggering, downloading photos). None of those netbook applications are met better by an iPad.

So for me, it's an easy pass. If I lived on an airplane and liked to watch low-res movies and use a half-ass e-book reader and/or liked to websurf/email from the couch and didn't already have a device that runs iStore applications, then it may be more appealing.

Yeah, to be clear... this isn't going to get anyone to switch away from their current netbook. I see it as a great competitor for tomorrow's netbook shoppers. Let's call it the "Mom's On Couches" market. I'm not sure how one measures the business opportunity of the MOC's but I'd guess it's a good size, especially if you add in the NOC's (newbies on couches).

I think that as a media device it is a big fail. Too little stuff, too much cost. It's no different than a netbook to me in this regard.

[msduncan]

I am annoyed that they spent an hour and a half showing me this thing, but I can't preorder it yet. I called the store even for an estimate on when i can preorder it, and they told me that the best info was on the Apple.com site.

I WANT TO GIVE YOU MY $800. TAKE IT PLEASE.

[Carpet_pissr]

Why is it a fail as a media device? Hell, that's the ONLY thing going for it imo. Certainly won't be replacing my laptop anytime soon.

[EvilHomer3k]

I think the iWork apps are the biggest thing that Apple added to the device. Without those it's just an Archos with half the storage for $100 more. I can't see replacing my current slate pc. The extra battery life, lighter weight, and multitouch would be nice but I'm not going to give up the open platform of Windows 7.

I think the biggest barriers are lack of netflix support (no silverlight/flash) and the storage size. If there was an SD slot I could see myself buying one at the $500 price point.

[zinckiwi]

I'm a geek with a 90-minute bus commute morning and evening, Mon-Fri, with 100% 3G coverage the whole way. I'm all over it.

[EvilHomer3k]

Why is it a fail as a media device? Hell, that's the ONLY thing going for it imo. Certainly won't be replacing my laptop anytime soon.

Because the Archos is cheaper, has more form factors, and has more storage. It also does flash.

[The Preacher]

Why is it a fail as a media device? Hell, that's the ONLY thing going for it imo. Certainly won't be replacing my laptop anytime soon.

To me, it's the paucity of hard drive space and the cost:benefit of upgrading to the 64GB. I have a 100gb iPod that is mostly full of music. I'll be damned if I'm going to carry an iPod and an iPad. The Preacher can only carry so many iDevices. Add on the size of videos, apps, games, photos... I think they're going to need a bigger box.

[malchior]

Because the Archos is cheaper, has more form factors, and has more storage. It also does flash.

Except it is clunky and slow. I wanted to love it, but it is sort of a mess.

[The Meal]

Why is it a fail as a media device? Hell, that's the ONLY thing going for it imo. Certainly won't be replacing my laptop anytime soon.

To me, it's the paucity of hard drive space

It has no hard drive.

[Isgrimnur]

Why is it a fail as a media device? Hell, that's the ONLY thing going for it imo. Certainly won't be replacing my laptop anytime soon.

To me, it's the paucity of hard drive space

It has no hard drive.

The hard drive enginerd is correct. It's all flash memory.

[LordMortis]

Will the next device be the iPud?

[EvilHomer3k]

Because the Archos is cheaper, has more form factors, and has more storage. It also does flash.

Except it is clunky and slow. I wanted to love it, but it is sort of a mess.

Really? Did you try the one with android or the one before that? I played with one at Best Buy (don't think it was the android one) and I thought it worked quite well and the screen was fantastic. I had been thinking of getting one for a while and liked it even more in person. Just never pulled the trigger on one.

[The Preacher]

Why is it a fail as a media device? Hell, that's the ONLY thing going for it imo. Certainly won't be replacing my laptop anytime soon.

To me, it's the paucity of hard drive space

It has no hard drive.

The Meal doesn't like it when you mess up memory terms!

[msduncan]

can you plug a USB hard drive into the device to carry extra movies with you when you go?

[The Meal]

Well, the term "hard drive" at least. Flash is not synonymous with hard drive.

[Formix]

I agree that it will certainly appeal to the MOC in my home. If it only had multitasking and a camera, I'd be in as well. So, see you for version 2.0 in 18 months?

[malchior]

I agree that it will certainly appeal to the MOC in my home. If it only had multitasking and a camera, I'd be in as well. So, see you for version 2.0 in 18 months?

It's Apple. The answer is generally yes (depending on success) and if so, it'll be far superior.

[YellowKing]

I have been having a blast reading the comments on various message boards. Some of my favorites (paraphrasing):

"Does it come with an easel?"

"First there was the iPod Nano, now there's the iPod Giganto"

"Hey college kids, throw this in your pack with the rest of your crap and listen to that glass break!"

"Steve keeps talking about having this stuff in the palm of your hand. Who has these gigantic hands he's talking about?"

"iWork? Awesome, now I can create spreadsheets that are incompatible with the rest of my company while taking a poop!"

"They should have called it the iBezel."

Late night TV is going to have a field day with this thing.