who's gonna buy an iPad?

10 hours battery – one month standby – so they say

p.s. what's wrong with iphone battery life? It lasts ages.

As a devoted iPhone user, I'll be the first one to chime in here and say the battery life is easily the weakest point with the iPhone. If I make a few calls, do a bit of web browsing, and a few other bits and bobs on it, can easily drain more than half the battery in no time in my experience. I have to charge mine every day for sure (not an issue unless you go somewhere when you've forgotten your charger!), even on standby it won't last 2 full days without dying.

Other than that, it's ace! And to be fair I'm never away from a facility to charge it should I need to really (except when out on my bike).

theyEye – Member
Don't do it. It's worse than a laptop for using in the house (underpowered, limited iPhone-ish OS), and it's worse than an iPhone for walking around with (waaay too big). It makes no sense.

wow, you were lucky to be at the event and get some hands on time with the demo units.
<\sarcasm>

I don't have an iphone any more (sold it to buy a new Nexus One, because I much prefer Android to iPhone OS), but I thought the battery life was pretty good (better than a lot of the other 'features').

Used to last me a couple of days with plenty of use and up to 4 days with minimal use.

Lasts ages !!? No way

(sent from my iPhone)

Don't do it. It's worse than a laptop for using in the house (underpowered, limited iPhone-ish OS), and it's worse than an iPhone for walking around with (waaay too big). It makes no sense.

Don't get a car. A car will be worse for carrying passengers than a bus (not enough seats, limited engine size), and it will be worse than a motorbike for driving in traffic (too big and too slow). No-one will want one.

i think iPhone uses find themselves picking up and using their iPhone a lot which gives the illusion of a bad battery – i'm not sure it's stellar, but I think the consensus is that all the smartphones are about the same.

Don't get a car. A car will be worse for carrying passengers than a bus (not enough seats, limited engine size), and it will be worse than a motorbike for driving in traffic (too big and too slow). No-one will want one.

iLike this analogy 😀

Ordinarily I try not be one of the naysayers. But in this instance I can't see it being a great success, other than the iFanbase that'll no doubt have to have one.
I do think that the iPhone being as successful as it is will mean that casual users won't super size (for want of a better way of saying). And those that are into gaming, browsing and the likes will compare with netbooks and other small devices, and not sure it'll be favourable to them without really looking into it.
Now if it had been rubbery white then it would be killer.

i must admit it made me look at my iPhone and think, wow, it's a mini iPad but with a camera!

Yes – I want something that is a pain to browse on (no mouse), a pain to type on (no keyboard),

I find browsing with my iPhone a lot easier than my laptop, and just as easy as using a mouse.

Typing is the best thing ever, I can type just as fast on my iPhone as I can on a full size computer, almost……
Took me a couple of weeks to get used to it but I love it. The ipad is something that geeks won't like as it's not the same as everything they already have (but in a different box and more ram), it's a genuinely useful thing. My wife when I told her about it thought it would be ace for us.

Big iphone without the camera or GPS. What's the point?

Big itouch that you can pull out on the train and look like a total knob. What's the point?

The bus analogy is rubbish. A laptop will do everything that an iPad will do, better, and that's the whole point. Not true for the bus.

The forte of the iPad is the format, which may be more attractive and usable, sometimes. If you're willing to blow a few hundred quid on something which MAY occassionally be more convenient than your laptop and iPhone, go for it. But my guess you'll play with it for a couple of weeks, and then it will become a really expensive paperweight.

I might buy one for the Mrs. She's a technophobe but is determined to discover what the Internets are for. I reckon this might be just the thing.

"But my guess you'll play with it for a couple of weeks, and then it will become a really expensive paperweight."

Wow – I bet you're WAY out on that! – those that buy it will use it loads.

I have an old macbook that gets used after work from 9 – 12pm every night for casual browsing, email, facebook etc – the battery's had it and it burns your legs. for us the iPad would be something that quietly gets used a LOT!

And then there's the fact the screen resolution, though ok for its size again, is only 1024×768… Who uses a computer at that res these days?

Erm.. any netbook user? e.g. Samsung NC10 (a forum favourite and one of the most popular netbooks) is only 1024×600.

battery life is easily the weakest point with the iPhone.

Agreed. Though I also agree that it's probably cos I use it so much.
Annoying bu not really a huge issue. Charger at home, charger in the car, USB cable at work, extra Kensington battery for long flights etc. Sorted. 🙂

Big iphone without the camera or GPS

I thought it had GPS? Apple website says "Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)"[/URL] 😕

Big itouch that you can pull out on the train and look like a total knob. What's the point?

How would you look any more of a nob than someone using a laptop, netbook or tablet PC?

a pain to type on (no keyboard)

Yeah, imagine that, how awful. 🙄
(Sent from my iPhone)

I will be getting one, for certain. It fulfills exactly my requirements', which is something biggerer than my iPhone, that I can properly read books, magazines and newspapers on, watch movies at a decent size, see OS maps at a decent size, and browse the web, also at a decent page size. All these things I do on the phone, but the screen size is limiting sometimes. Yes, I could get a laptop, but they're bulky by comparison, and even a MacBook is going to be a fair bit heavier, and lugging my 17" PowerBook around in my bag for casual use is utterly out of the question; a 7lb fragile laptop with poor battery life by comparison? No contest. The pad in a padded case will just sit in my bag unnoticed until I need it, it's just exactly what I need.

no usb is the big kicker; pack light go to a conference, do some last minute changes to work, but then you need a laptop to sync and then put the presentation across.

for a travel/work device its too limited. that then leaves it as a web browser/video viewer, which is (more) easily done on a netbook.

robdob – Member
Typing is the best thing ever, I can type just as fast on my iPhone as I can on a full size computer, almost……

Thats great. For you. On the other hand, I can use both hands and most of my fingers when I type, which means I can use a real keyboard properly. Therefore, no comparison.

I like the unibody construction as a reason why it is of robust construction. That just means it is (essentially) not repairable and another example of poor design to satisfy disposable society. It will sell and lots of people will buy it as they 'need' it. Just like lots of people 'need' an iphone. Clever marketing indeed.

I think that the only other second computer I would consider would be a MacBook or another MBP, and it would only get used for web browsing 99% of the time.

Ah I see the real reason for you getting one. A true apple fan boi.

How would you look any more of a nob than someone using a laptop, netbook or tablet PC?

Bit less of a knob, I'd say, as you will actually be doing something and not just staring out of the window waiting for the thing to boot.

Thats great. For you. On the other hand, I can use both hands and most of my fingers when I type, which means I can use a real keyboard properly.

Have you got a camera like Ti29er?

Has anyone else mentioned the inability to multi task? One thing at once – thats not really very good is it? No booting up, but one thing at a time after that. Poopy indeed.

Has anyone else mentioned the inability to multi task? One thing at once – thats not really very good is it? No booting up, but one thing at a time after that. Poopy indeed.

You're spending a lot of time and energy criticising this thing, TT. People might start to think you have an unhealthy obsession.

for a travel/work device its too limited. that then leaves it as a web browser/video viewer, which is (more) easily done on a netbook.

that's the market it's aimed at IMO. Don't really see how a netbook is easier though?

And then there's the fact the screen resolution, though ok for its size again, is only 1024×768… Who uses a computer at that res these days?

It's the second most popular resolution on stw with 17% of the pie.

Flash support? Many sites are moving away from flash because it is bloated, particularly on OSX. And proper video support in HTML5 will show a big decline for showing video. That is when internet explorer catches up…

though ok for its size again, is only 1024×768… Who uses a computer at that res these days?

me

Thing about most of the naysayers – no matter what the tablet was like they probably wouldn't have bought one anyway – they're not the target market.

They're pitching it between an iphone and a MB(P). For anyone that can afford these, it's a cheap cool gadget and many will buy them.

Personally, I can see me replacing my MBP with one. I already have a (powerfull) desktop too, and given I can do entertainment and comms tasks on the ipad, and crucially use it to not only give, but also tweak presentations, makes it tempting.

http://www.stephenfry.com/2010/01/28/ipad-about/ has a great write up about the launch and the device itself. He touched it you know.

i wonder if you can run pirate software on it … See what i did there pirate..ipad.. oh dear igmc 🙂

I think a case in point is Mrs Flamejob.

Me – Bit of a Mac geek; work on Macs have iPhone, TimeCapsule + 3 Airport express house, admin an OS X server etc

Her – Works on a windows network, has a posh Dell laptop for work and a Macbook which she only uses for email, browsing and photos etc. She has no interest in computers, but just wants to be able to sit on the sofa/stand in the kitchen pick something up and use it instantly.

This morning she said 'I think I'm going to give my parents my MacBook and buy one of those iPad things', with no prompting from me at all.

That is the target market, not a group of tech obsessed middle aged geeks who ride bikes that make life more difficult for themselves.

The iPad is, unfortunately, the inevitable future of general computing.

Flash support? Many sites are moving away from flash because it is bloated, particularly on OSX.

Will advertisers also stop using it to make irritating ads which use all your processor time? You might have come across one or two sites where that's a big problem, Tom.

but then you need a laptop to sync

Or a cloud?

http://www.stephenfry.com/2010/01/28/ipad-about&#8230;..

……He touched it you know.

…and by the way he gushes about it you would think he was fellated by it also.

Who says there's no iBook reader? I think you'll find there's an iBook app built in, and iBooks equivalent of iTunes for buying and browsing stuff from.

Or a cloud?

Ah, that wouldn't help in your case, would it? You need to plug in projectors and the like…

I think it's their biggest fail to date. Most of the 'negative' comments above I agree with.

It'll be interesting to see if the blinkered fanbois still make it a success – that'll reinforce all my unhealthy cynicism about fashion in the marketplace.

It'll be interesting to see if the blinkered fanbois still make it a success – that'll reinforce all my unhealthy cynicism about fashion in the marketplace.

Hahaha – bitterest post so far!! Consider yourself King of the Haterz!! 🙂

"Who says there's no iBook reader?"

Apple do. Only announced for the US release so far. Currently other country's pages have it conspicuously missing.

i like apple. i don't have an iPhone, but I have a macbook. think the iPad fails from an ergonomic point of view. my mac book in my lap has the screen pointing at my eyes and i can alter the angle easily – same if it's flat on a table – resting nicely with the keyboard/trackpad easy to use. an iPad on my lap will be at the wrong angle to view/use unless one hand is holding it. same if it's on a table. i still think they should have gone for a slim netbook with a decent hard drive running snow leopard. also how happy would you be chucking it in your man-bag without it being in a case – scratchy screen anyone?