Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Can't wait for the ipad to come to Australia, the American version looks very groovy, I may get that instead, not to sure how it's performance verses price stacks up, compared to what you can get in laptops...
...I might end up giving a bit more money to Steve Jobs yet.

But don't expect all web applications to work. Unbelievably Apple still doesn't have a working Flash client available for the Ipad. This is almost acceptable on an Iphone, but for a net-centric tablet, the lack of Flash support is just unforgivable.

Maybe the Ipad could at least be used as a video conferencing device, but no, Apple didn't see fit to include a camera on the back, let alone a front-facing webcam.

Even the micro SIM support left people wondering exactly who else on the planet uses the new diminutive standard. At least there's a slot for this - you won't find any SD or USB connections on the Ipad.

Sure, the added Ibooks application will appeal to a select few who want to peruse a book for up to a maximum of 10 hours before being tethered to a wall, but this is hardly a killer feature. Competing e-book readers are readily available, and there are already e-book apps on other Apple devices such as the Iphone.

Plenty of Mac zealots have already brushed all of these concerns aside, saying they're unimportant and people should not presume to judge the Ipad until after they've used it.

But these are not minor issues - they're critical. People expect limited functionality and features on a phone, but they don't expect it on a $499-plus device, especially when competitors are offering much more for substantial discounts to the Ipad's price.

And let's face it - anyone who's used an Iphone or Itouch has already used this device. They're all the same thing. This is nothing new.

We can't gauge what the actual target market is for Apple's Ipad.

Apple has massive support from designer types, yet it's too underpowered for any reasonable design use, and without mouse or stylus support little in the way of graphics designs can be produced.

Office types won't want to drag around a separate keyboard, either. Though Apple has been touting the virtual keyboard, the immediate option of the additional keyboard doesn't fill us with confidence. And the majority of people won't want to be constrained to use only web-based Iwork applications.

Gamers were allegedly targeted by Apple in the run-up to the event, inviting the likes of Kotaku, yet few other than Iphone games have been demonstrated.

It's also doubtful that the Ipad has enough CPU and graphics processing power to handle current PC games at playable frame rates.

No one yet knows how Apple's proprietary CPU/GPU combination will perform. Presumably it won't be up to the likes of Nvidia's Tegra 2, which allegedly will be utilised in many other tablets.

So exactly who is the tablet aimed at? We can't understand who's going to want it, let alone buy it. We realise there's a segment of die-hard Apple fans who've been holding out for an Apple-branded netbook, and this might fit the bill, if not perfectly then at least well enough to make the fanbase happy for awhile.

But for the mass market, unlike some others, we simply can't see the appeal

Yep, agree. Don't know why they bothered to release in this condition. Useless for the kids - all the good web games are flash-based. Useless for most work without a keyboard - at which point you've got a laptop. Doesn't even replace a netbook, which makes it a bulky and expensive extra toy to carry around. The media deals are underwhelming - we expected something more compelling for newspapers.
posted by : SV Guy, 28 January 2010 Complain about this comment
Dropped the ball

I agree with your assessment, Brian. The biggest let-down for me was that this cannot even be used as an e-book reader...at least not for any length of time. The back-lit LCD will be as hard on the eyes as trying to read an entire book on your computer monitor. I can see the class-action lawsuits from blinded Apple-users on the horizon. So that use is also out (at least, for people who want to retain their vision). I do not see why they didn't put a decent reflective-mode display on this thing.

The general locked-down Apple-thing also bothers me: you are locked into iTunes, locked-in battery, locked into a specific wireless provider due to the non-standard microSIM card, locked into whatever non-expandable storage you purchased with the unit, no USB sticks can help out here, as there is no USB port. You are also locked into using a non-customizable, iPhone OS.

I think that Apple is going to be stuck with a bunch of these in their warehouses for quite some time.
posted by : Alfred, 28 January 2010 Complain about this comment
Useless

This is clearly a toy and not a tool.
posted by : Wretch, 28 January 2010 Complain about this comment
if?

If two women own an ipad, will they automatically sync?
posted by : danjl, 28 January 2010 Complain about this comment
Apple as Nintedo

I am reminded by the hardcore industry reaction to the DS. I like many others saw it as a useless underpowered thing when compared to the PS portable. Look how that turned out.

The reality is that it is suffient for the job it does. Combined with ease if use, a huge existing cheap software library, and the fact that apple does UI better then anyone else and I think it will do just fine vs netbooks for the ordinary consumer. And if you are worried that it cant take a linux install that that is what you arn't
posted by : Eoghan, 28 January 2010 Complain about this comment
na..

I don't remember the 'industry reaction' to the DS being anything like what you suggest. Maybe in the dev stages sure, but when it was released it came with Mario64 a full 3D game which couldn't be done by any other handheld out there at the time.

The ipad on the other hand, can claim no such thing. What can the ipad do what other things already released can't already do?

A bad analogy.
posted by : spence91, 28 January 2010 Complain about this comment
USELESS TOY

The iPad is nothing more than a giant iPod Touch. It lacks far too many features that Netbooks that cost half as much, already have. I don't see it being the must have items that a hand full of fanbois believe it will be. Apple dropped the ball this time. Anyone who already has an iPhone won't need an iPad.
posted by : Frank Black, 28 January 2010 Complain about this comment
Kinda done already