No SD slot. No USB.

Why are these such big issues?

EDIT: Reminds me of when PCs started doing away with parallel and serial ports and then netbooks with optical drives. They are not necessary.

Thanks Graham. No need to do my UA testing, for the price I think I’ll give it a shot myself.

I’ve got a netbook with Flash, usb etc etc and cost way less than an Ipad. In fact it does everything a tablet does and more except 1. The screen is smaller 2. Its not touch screen.

My brother has an Ipad and it was nice to play with, but I put that down to its 2 strong gimmicy points 1. That its a touch screen 2. Its slim and a different shape to a conventional netbook/laptop.

IMO Tablet type things are just a new version of a laptop and therefore currently have the gimmick advantage. Long term though I can image they will replace netbooks, but Apples just doesnt cut it at the minute as it doesnt have the funtionality at an realistic price.

No sd slot means I can’t plug my camera sd card straight in like I can on my laptop. USB would allow for keyboard and mouse or even gps, etc. Irrelevant for some people, not others.

I was really excited about GarageBand, that is the one app I have really been waiting for. But, no **** input options?!?! Except the in built microphone? Come on boys sort it out will I just prop the ipad beside my guitar? Rubbish!

kev where did you get this from? You can already buy adapters that let you plug a guitar into an ipad or iphone (such as the irig) – and a quick google suggests that garage band on ipad will let you plug a guitar in (it includes amp modaling etc)

No sd slot means I can’t plug my camera sd card straight in like I can on my laptop. USB would allow for keyboard and mouse or even gps, etc. Irrelevant for some people, not others.

There are decent options for all of this, except the GPS, which IS going to be a bit of an issue for me 😈

So what are these options?

philconsequence – Member
ring true?

So true of so many things! See also bikes, cameras et.

I think one thing here is the almost addictive nature of tha Apple acolytes. It’s like some quasi-religious force driving them to consume! BUY! UPGRADE! And then, of course, tell everyone about their kerrrazeee fun apps and how they’ve got the latest new shiny thing, something your cartoon so beautifully shows.

Also, the acolytes appear to believe that those of us pointing and laughing at them are somehow jealous. Pish, guffaw and nonsense. I am no more jealous of anyone with any techy product (regardless of brand) than you should be of the fact that I am about to have a nice banana for breakfast.

I do find it funny there’s the quasi-cult/religion like aspect to this, though! 😉

I’ll get an iPad when someone explains what they actually do…

I’ve had Apple computers for 18 years and suddenly, in the last couple of years I’m not impressed with much that Apple has done. We have an office iPad and I have a personal iPhone 3GS, but the iPad doesn’t do anything my laptop can’t and my iPhone contract is up in August, thank god, so I can get a phone with buttons that actually fits in my pocket.

And relax…

So what are these options?

Camera connection kit for the camera (http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MC531ZM/A)
Bluetooth Keyboard (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluetooth-Remote-Keyboard-iPhone-Touch/dp/B004JVTMGO/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1299148227&sr=8-15)

There are plugin options too

No official mouse support though .

Really?

Ooh that’s considerably cheaper than I had read previously.

Rumours abound that the Motorola Xoom price is £720 and we shouldn’t expect to pay much less: the firm’s VP of international marketing, Andrew Moreley, says “the Motorola Xoom is clearly a premium device with premium prices inside. This will show in the cost.”
— http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/motorola-xoom-vs-ipad-vs-playbook-924569

£500 is much more like it. Brings it into the same price range as the iPad, rather than marking it as a stand-out budget option. Interesting…

chipps – I work here
I’ll get an iPad when someone explains what they actually do…

Is there not an app to tell you that?

Mmm Binatone HomeSurf 7:
http://www.reghardware.com/2011/02/14/review_tablet_binatone_homesurf_7/

Lovely.

Yep, along with all the other cheapo non-brands that advertise in the back of shitty magazine/newspaper supplements.

there is a similar ‘cult’ around android/linux.
they are tools for a job that some brands are more suited to than others. pc or android devices are useless to me as the software i use is all mac based.

So what are these options?

An array of £30 plug-in adapters?

OK my eeePC is fatter than a fondleslab, but I can do a lot more for a lot less € and plug Ixus/EOS SD straight into lappy.

Is there a Linux version of itunes yet? Or is standard drag-drop to filesystem now also included (via USB and/or bleutooth, with whatever adaptery things are needed)?

Still only seen a single iPad1 in the wild. I guess 99.9% don’t leave the house?

MrSmith – Member
there is a similar ‘cult’ around android/linux.

Agreed, and also with certain bike brands…..

you had a banana?!?!?! OHMYGOD! gimme gimme! 😀 is an iBanana with a higher resolution touch-skin and less memory than a 10pound tesco mp3 player? 😆

Try lying on your back and holding your laptop over your head!

I don’t read magazines or books like that. Plus I don’t imagine a tablet would be very comfortable slouched in a sofa and trying to type on it since I’d either have to have it flat on my lap placing it at an unreadably oblique angle, or hold it up so that I only have one hand with which to type.

My iBanana has an amazing app called birowrite. You can write on it. WITH A BIRO!

😉

I’ve got a netbook with Flash, usb etc etc and cost way less than an Ipad. In fact it does everything a tablet does and more except 1. The screen is smaller 2. Its not touch screen.

3. It’s not an IPS screen.
4. It has no GPS.
5. It has no cameras.
6. It doesn’t have instant access to a store of 400,000+ vetted, virus-free apps to download.
7. It doesn’t turn on instantly.
8. It doesn’t have gyros.
9. It doesn’t have 3G.
10. It doesn’t give 10 hours of video playback on a single charge.
11. You do need to fanny about with virus scanners, malware, firewall, Windows Updates etc

Okay so some of those points may not be valid depending on which exact netbook you have but the point is that the “my laptop does all that” crowd don’t seem to get that the tablet market is different and offers different things (generally sacrificing ultimate flexibility in order to gain the usability and ergonomics of a more focussed device).

Note: I don’t have a tablet. But my nice little netbook gathers dust at the end of the sofa while I do 99% of my surfing on my phone. I see the advantage!

11. You do need to fanny about with virus scanners, malware, firewall, Windows Updates etc

I still don’t get this. Been using Windows in our house since 3.1 and never had a “proper” virus. Why are people so shit at browsing the internet? I don’t even have a virus scanner on my main pc any more, all they do is slow it down.

4. It has no GPS.

Mine does

5. It has no cameras.

Again yes

6. It doesn’t have instant access to a store of 400,000+ vetted, virus-free apps to download.

Boo hoo! I have MS Office, Tracklogs, Cubase, Training Peaks, Eclipse, whatever I want!

8. It doesn’t have gyros.

Doesn’t need em.

9. It doesn’t have 3G.

Yes it does

11. You do need to fanny about with virus scanners, malware, firewall, Windows Updates etc

Done once, for free, forget.

Dammit why am I getting drawn into this?

never had a “proper” virus. Why are people so shit at browsing the internet?

Browser vulnerabilities mean you can suffer “drive-by” viruses/attacks from well-respected but compromised websites. OS vulnerabilities mean you may be actively attacked just by being connected to the Internet.

Not all viruses/spyware arrive in sexyladies.exe downloaded from a dodgy website.

Off topic a bit, but the £320 price tag makes the gopro camera (£300) look an absolute rip off.

5. It has no cameras.
Mine does

6. It doesn’t have instant access to a store of 400,000+ vetted, virus-free apps to download.
I’ve never counted the number of apps on the Ubuntu/Debian/etc. repos, but it’s gonna be “shed loads”.

7. It doesn’t turn on instantly.
Mine resumes pretty quick

8. It doesn’t have gyros.
Don’t need them

9. It doesn’t have 3G.
My model doesn’t – others do.

10. It doesn’t give 10 hours of video playback on a single charge.
I’ve never got past half way thru a single LOTR film in one go, let alone the complete 3x 3hr boxset 😉

11. You do need to fanny about with virus scanners, malware, firewall, Windows Updates etc
Nor do I 🙂
Linux ftw.

why are you all making it so complicated?

if you want one then buy it.
can’t afford it? tough shite.

got something already that you are happy with?
good now stop trying to convince those that have a desire/need for one that your choice is better, because for their needs it isn’t.

Dammit why am I getting drawn into this?

because people like to be reassured that they made the right decision. and to stop the niggling doubt of being misled at the back of their mind they like to verbalise their insecurities and to feel better after public affirmation from like-minded individuals.

Linux ftw.

It so isn’t.

because people like to be reassured that they made the right decision. and to stop the niggling doubt of being misled at the back of their mind they like to verbalise their insecurities and to feel better after public affirmation from like-minded individuals

Maybe that’s why the iPaddlers are so vocal about how wonderful they are? 🙂

@molgrips: as I said, not all points apply to all netbooks. Perhaps the most important aspect is that the “known” nature of iPhone/iPad hardware means that apps are specifically written to work on them and use all the hardware available. In this respect they are more like games consoles in that the capabilities (screen res, hardware, speed, memory) are fixed and known.

Your laptop may have GPS and cameras, but I’d wager that very few programs on it actually use them.

Maybe that’s why the iPaddlers are so vocal about how wonderful they are?

if they are so good why are so many vehemently dismissive of them? 🙄

In this respect they are more like games consoles

Yes and that is a significant advantage.

Your laptop may have GPS and cameras, but I’d wager that very few programs on it actually use them

Well it’s like any other Windows computer so the cameras are used by Skype, Live messenger etc. and anything that can use VFW.

The GPS works with Google Maps via Google Gears.

Waiting for a Playbook. Smaller form factor, Blackberry BES email portal, USB and SD. I liked Apple products when they were niche. Now they aren’t. I have a non-upgradeable G5 iMac an original iPod photo that NEVER communicated with said iMac (but was fine with Windows) and the kids have an iPod Touch (currently confiscated 😈 ).

If they had reduced the current one to half price, I’d probably have bought one for sofa browsing…

if they are so good why are so many vehemently dismissive of them?

Of iPads? It’s a reaction against the hype. I’ve no complains with iPads – another neat thing to use if you want it. But people ARE often trying to persuade you that you’re wrong for liking normal laptops or whatever else you like.

People are just a little bit crazy here, and the only reason I can think of is the hype surrounding the big Pomme.

Well it’s like any other Windows computer so the cameras are used by Skype, Live messenger etc. and anything that can use VFW.
The GPS works with Google Maps via Google Gears.

Yup. So the cameras get used by camera apps. The GPS by map apps etc.

It is rare to get PC apps that use combinations of these because only a select few laptops would be able to use them.

Whereas on an iPhone/iPad/droid-tablet apps that use multiple “peripherals” are common. e.g. something like Google Goggles will let you take a picture of a landmark then combine it with information from the GPS, compass and gyros to tell you exactly what it is.

Can you not use a mouse with an ipad?

I could see the point if I could use it say on a train in ipad mode, and then get to an office and plug it in to a keyboard and mouse.

Can you use iWorks with it?

Can you not use a mouse with an ipad?

I could see the point if I could use it say on a train in ipad mode, and then get to an office and plug it in to a keyboard and mouse.

Can you use iWorks with it?

No official mouse support, although it can be done with a jailbroken one apparently.

There are verions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote for the ipad (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4088)

Ralli:

?

Not brilliant but it’s kind of a tablet that’s a laptop and runs W7. Ok so it’s not slim and light like a tablet should be, and I can’t work out why you’d use it as a tablet when you can just type and use the touchpad…

I bought one and now rarely turn on the laptop. I use my main PC for the heavy lifting jobs and the iPad for browsing, checking mail, watching a film and the odd game. My laptop used to do that but isn’t as nice to use. Also I do agree with the flash decision – my laptop would start kicking off all the fans when flash was on a page (including STW).

Horses for courses, innit?

I also find it useful in a very sad way of making the shopping list; I can carry it around the kitchen to see if we really do need to buy more vim/pasta/tinned tomatoes etc.

What’s an IPAD?

I’ll get an iPad when someone explains what they actually do…

Mine was great at protecting my testicles post vasectomy when walking with the kids. It’s good to surf the web while eating breakfast….other than that, it’s pretty pointless.