* Camera. Back, front-facing, or otherwise. There was no camera shown off and none visible. While this fits the “big apps iPod touch” metaphor, and allows Apple to do the typical “start limited, add functionality over time” strategy, we still wanted one now. * Multitasking. Apple only showed one iPhone app or iPad app running at once. We’ve heard it’s running iPhone OS 3.2, and multitasking might be an iPhone (and iPad) OS 4.0 feature, but again, we wanted to see it now. * Notifications. Did Apple show any form of notifications for email, apps, or otherwise? (Badges aside)? Again, we’re hoping a better version is coming with 4.0. * Textbooks. We saw the New York Times app, we saw iBooks for novels, but we didn’t see the much-talked-about textbooks… yet. (We’re guessing they’re coming soon though.) * Verizon. Only GSM/HSPA networking was announced. No CDMA, which would be required for Verizon to support the models shown off so far. * TV Subscriptions. While print media is jumping all over themselves to get on the iPad, TV continues to show nothing approaching forward thinking. Not surprised, but hope that changes. * Complex multitouch gestures. So far, the multitouch gestures look like the ones on the iPhone, no swipe 3 fingers and twist in a circle to launch a document. Phew. * Tethering. No word on whether the WiFi only version of the iPad will tether to your existing iPhone (which would be nice), or if the 3G iPad will allow you to tether another device (we won’t hold our breath). * HDMI out. Where’s our big fat video out cable so we don’t need an Apple TV?
A swing and a miss as far as I'm concerned. From the name to its features to its price tag. My $250 netbook can dual-boot into Ubuntu and allow me to do some quick Rails work. $600 iPad? I can run a single fart app at a time.
And don't get me going on the name. Favorite so far is maxiPad.
There are many issues you could have with the iPad. No multitasking, still no Flash. No camera, no GPS. They all fall away the minute you use it. I cannot emphasise enough this point: “Hold your judgment until you’ve spent five minutes with it”. No YouTube film, no promotional video, no keynote address, no list of features can even hint at the extraordinary feeling you get from actually using and interacting with one of these magical objects. You know how everyone who has ever done Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? always says, “It’s not the same when you’re actually here. So different from when you’re sitting at home watching.”? You know how often you’ve heard that? Well, you’ll hear the same from anyone who’s handled an iPad. The moment you experience it in your hands you know this is class. This is a different order of experience. The speed, the responsiveness, the smooth glide of it, the richness and detail of the display, the heft in your hand, the rightness of the actions and gestures that you employ, untutored and instinctively, it’s not just a scaled up iPhone or a scaled-down multitouch enhanced laptop – it is a whole new kind of device. And it will change so much. Newspapers, magazines, literature, academic text books, brochures, fliers and pamphlets are going to be transformed (poor Kindle). Specific dedicated apps and enhancements will amaze us.
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* Multitasking. Apple only showed one iPhone app or iPad app running at once. We’ve heard it’s running iPhone OS 3.2, and multitasking might be an iPhone (and iPad) OS 4.0 feature, but again, we wanted to see it now.
* Notifications. Did Apple show any form of notifications for email, apps, or otherwise? (Badges aside)? Again, we’re hoping a better version is coming with 4.0.
* Textbooks. We saw the New York Times app, we saw iBooks for novels, but we didn’t see the much-talked-about textbooks… yet. (We’re guessing they’re coming soon though.)
* Verizon. Only GSM/HSPA networking was announced. No CDMA, which would be required for Verizon to support the models shown off so far.
* TV Subscriptions. While print media is jumping all over themselves to get on the iPad, TV continues to show nothing approaching forward thinking. Not surprised, but hope that changes.
* Complex multitouch gestures. So far, the multitouch gestures look like the ones on the iPhone, no swipe 3 fingers and twist in a circle to launch a document. Phew.
* Tethering. No word on whether the WiFi only version of the iPad will tether to your existing iPhone (which would be nice), or if the 3G iPad will allow you to tether another device (we won’t hold our breath).
* HDMI out. Where’s our big fat video out cable so we don’t need an Apple TV?
And don't get me going on the name. Favorite so far is maxiPad.
There are many issues you could have with the iPad. No multitasking, still no Flash. No camera, no GPS. They all fall away the minute you use it. I cannot emphasise enough this point: “Hold your judgment until you’ve spent five minutes with it”. No YouTube film, no promotional video, no keynote address, no list of features can even hint at the extraordinary feeling you get from actually using and interacting with one of these magical objects. You know how everyone who has ever done Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? always says, “It’s not the same when you’re actually here. So different from when you’re sitting at home watching.”? You know how often you’ve heard that? Well, you’ll hear the same from anyone who’s handled an iPad. The moment you experience it in your hands you know this is class. This is a different order of experience. The speed, the responsiveness, the smooth glide of it, the richness and detail of the display, the heft in your hand, the rightness of the actions and gestures that you employ, untutored and instinctively, it’s not just a scaled up iPhone or a scaled-down multitouch enhanced laptop – it is a whole new kind of device. And it will change so much. Newspapers, magazines, literature, academic text books, brochures, fliers and pamphlets are going to be transformed (poor Kindle). Specific dedicated apps and enhancements will amaze us.