The iPad

[Rico]

Frankly, I'd like to have all three things:  a solid laptop, a netbook, and a iPad.  But, if I only bought two it might be the laptop and iPad right now.  For me, the laptop I think will come first.

[X]

I was out yesterday and picked up a sony pocket reader for 149 and came home to buy a zune HD or a ipod touch. Went with the touch because of my 360 content. with the 100 bucks off that audible is offering through amazon, I got it for less than 100 with next day shipping.

Not once did I consider getting the iPAD. I think my subconscious has spoken for me. iPAD is a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Everything it offers can be gotten elsewhere, cheaper, and better for what it is. I might get one in the future, but it seems to me that it's more flash than substance.

When I saw that many of my podcasts were also on Zune, it was a no brainer  

[billybob476]

I'm still leaning toward a Kindle as an ebook reader.

[Bryancd]

We know what they say about opinions. ;)

The beauty of free market capitalism is the the market will be the ultimate arbiter of a products success. The iPad so far is a huge win and will only grow in popularity although I do enjoy the techie rage rants. :)

[billybob476]

I agree Bryan, now that I've seen it in action I think the iPad is great. Great enough for me to get right now? No, but that's just my opinion. If someone gave me one, I'd find many great uses for it.

[Jobydrone]

Yep, I agree with pretty much everyone.  Mine was a gift, and it is freaking awesome.  I would never (in good conscience anyway with 3 kids and multiple demands on my disposable income) be able to pay for it myself.  I do believe though, that the iPad comes the closest to being a convergence device for the features I've mentioned in my previous posts (movies, games, web content, email, books, comics, and to a lesser extent productivity apps) and I think that for those things, the iPad delivers those features as good as or better than any other comparable device out there.  

[psikeyhackr]

I think a device similar to this is the near perfect design:


http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/08/27/sharp_linux_arm_netbook/

The iPad and the Kindle are too big.  That one may be a little too big.  The device needs to fit comfortably in a pants pocket.

An automatically scrolling book reader program would be better then the Kindle or the iPad.  The book paradigm is obsolete.  The words can be BIG so only 3 or 4 fit on a line and the device can scrool them up so no side to side motion with the eyes is necessary.

A little bigger than my Archos PMA400 would be fine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archos_PMA400

The foldover keyboard would protect the screen when not used and be better than the keyboard screen on the Archos.  Everybody's hardware is capable enough so some companies make unreliable junk.  It is all about software now.

Has Star Trek helped brainwash people into wanting iPads?  LOL

[Feathers]

Has Star Trek helped brainwash people into wanting iPads?  LOL

Clearly not you...

(or me, come to think of it.)

[psikeyhackr]

The iPad looks to be an awesome bit of kit, but it's not for me. I'm sticking with the netbook too.

ROFL

I remember that use of the word KIT from 30 years ago.  I was all excited about an Accuphase E-202 integrated amplifier and was reading lots of different reviews.  A British reviewer used that term.

http://www.accuphase.com/e-202_e.htm

I still have the amp.  LOL

NO, the iPad doesn't remind me of the Accuphase at all.

psik

[Bryancd]

Has Star Trek helped brainwash people into wanting iPads?  LOL

No, I just don't want a piece of crap like you have pictured. :)

[Darkmolerman]

Has Star Trek helped brainwash people into wanting iPads?  LOL

I just want a tablet PC.... the iPad happens to be the size I would want...that and I want to be like Mckay, or any other prominent scifi character with a tablet PC thing

[psikeyhackr]

Has Star Trek helped brainwash people into wanting iPads?  LOL

No, I just don't want a piece of crap like you have pictured. :)

LOL

I was just showing a form factor, I don't give a damn about brands and model.  The iPad won't fit in a pocket, doesn't have a USB port and no camera.  Apparently the software is implemented better than most other equipment.  Macro$cam sucks.

Everything is screwed up for different reasons so everybody has to choose what they dislike the least.  But people getting all emotional about this stuff is ridiculous.

http://chucksblog.emc.com/chucks_blog/2010/05/what-ipads-did-to-my-family.html

psik

[Bryancd]

I'm actually one of those buyers who don't want pocket portable and I don't need a netbook or laptop. The iPad is the internet content mobile browsing experience I want. I don't carry mobile internet devices all day, I'm at my desk and go online via a traditional desktop. Same at home. But if and when I go portable, I want a bigger screen than an iPhone. I was sitting by my pool today thinking how great it would be to have an iPad to surf the web. SOLD.

[Darkmolerman]

Well actually if I were to have a scifi themed portable device I would go with Orion's watch thing from Chuck

[Ktrek]

I had a chance to play with the Ipad twice for some periods of time the last couple of days. It is an impressive machine. It's amazingly fast and for photo apllications, games, movies and music it's really great. As an ereader it sucks. It has the same drawbacks of any backlit device when reading for extended periods of time. Actually it doesn't take very long before it starts bothering my eyes while reading. Surfing the net would be fine because that's a completely different kind of reading but books would be a real burden. Overall though I have to give the device a thumbs up but I probably would not buy one.

Kevin