The iPad

[Bromptonboy]

I have seen this clip used like this before.  The subtitles are quite funny - although I am sure a translation from our Cosmonaut would be more accurate!
http://holykaw.alltop.com/hitler-responds-to-the-ipad-34?



((some profanity in the subtitles))

[KingIsaacLinksr]

I think it's derailed the thread though.

That's being nice...

Video did remind me why I don't like Mad TV.  Now, back to the real topic at hand.  (Although I did lol at the video)

King

[cosmonaut]

I have seen this clip used like this before.  The subtitles are quite funny - although I am sure a translation from our Cosmonaut would be more accurate!
http://holykaw.alltop.com/hitler-responds-to-the-ipad-34?

It's hard to focus on the subtitles, but if you wonder what's happening, it's this:
The red spot on the map is Berlin and the blue line right next to it is the red army. Hitler is slightly upset his imaginary troops aren't attacking as he ordered and blames the guys standing around him, calling them liars. In the end he states he'll rather shoot himself than leaving Berlin.
Did I mention the very realistic film was a bit depressing and with 156 min a pain to sit through? (Don't think I have to tell you how it ends...)
The far shorter satirical version:
Adolf - I'm sitting in my Bunker

This was a bit off-topic, the iPad looks nice and all (and who wouldn't want to have a PADD?) but I'm certainly not going to be an early adopter.
I still don't really get what it's good for and why it should be superior to a notebook and an ebook reader, it isn't. Where am I supposed to use it and for what task? Yes, I watched Jobs presentation, but there was nothing special.
And do I really want to use a monitor with finger prints all over it? Will the surface scratch, and how well will it handle some pressure being carried around in a bag?

So, yes to SHINY but no to MUST HAVE NOW. :)

[RickPeete]

My two cents on the iPad:

This thing will probably sell the 1 million units Apple is expecting.  It is slick and pretty and guys and girls between that ages of 16-25 will likely be asking for it for Christmas and birthdays.

Why?  Because it is Apple and it is cheaper than a MacBook (which is what they really wanted but Dad said 'too expensive').  The iPad will give them what they want, even without 3G since most schools have WiFi for the students and there is always Panera, Starbucks, amd imsecured home networks.   They will install Skype for making calls (yes, it has a microphone ), a instant messenger client, a text messaging client from the App Store, and they ya go!

My only questions are:
1) Will the iWork stuff be able to print to a network printer?  If so, that would be a killer app for the device for school use.
2) How long before the OS supports Flash (a MUST!)?
3) Will it support tethering (BT or USB) with an iPhone?
4) Will it support BT fully (keyboards, stereo audio, etc.)

I could see myself buying this thing to replace my NetBook if it could do these things.

I will tell ya one more thing about this device (and the Kindle):  If I can download my daughter's college textbooks on a device at half the price of the printed book for just one year, the hundreds of dollars saved would cover the purchase price.  I would buy her one in a hearbeat.

[Ktrek]

I will tell ya one more thing about this device (and the Kindle):  If I can download my daughter's college textbooks on a device at half the price of the printed book for just one year, the hundreds of dollars saved would cover the purchase price.  I would buy her one in a hearbeat.

Rick - You might check out some of the sites that sell textbook ebooks and see what you think. Here is one that sells textbook ebooks in Adobe and a couple of other formats. If they don't have DRM you could use Calibre (a free program) to covert them into a usable format. The Barnes and Noble nook that I own supports PDB, Epub and PDF. Here is the site:

http://www.textbooks.com/etextbooks.php

Kevin

[RickPeete]

Thanks for the info.

Actually, I work for Follett Corporation.  We are the largest bookstore management and textbook management company in the US.  I am pretty familiar with the textbook business and I think it will be very interesting to see how the iPad influences the whole ebook marketplace.  Kindle and the Nook are the first wave.  The iPad is going to really force the issue and make the competition kick it up several notches.

To that end, I hope it brings the publisher pricing down.  Even my company is going to have to take serious notice of where things go.

[alanp]

2) How long before the OS supports Flash (a MUST!)?

According to this week's TWiT, Steve Jobs hosted an Apple Town Hall Meeting for employes where he blasted Flash.  He claimed Adobe is lazy and more often than not when a mac crashes flash did it.  He claimed Flash will not be coming to the iPod Touch or the iPhone.  Steve seems to be embracing HTML 5.  Presumably, neither will it come to the iPad. 

This really sucks for people who want a small device to watch internet videos on.

As far as flash crashing macs, Flash often will crash my Safari browser ever since the official Safari 4 came out.  Crome handles it much better.  And youtube runs smoother after I joined the HTML5 beta at http://www.youtube.com/html5

[Bryancd]

Steve has been at war with Adobe for ages! LOL! Nothing new about that. He's not going to give in to what he considers a bad technology, come what may.

[alanp]

One of the most common questions people ask before buying a netbook, people ask "Does it play Hulu?"

Hopefully Hulu will make an iPad app like Youtube did.  That would really alleviate not having flash.

[Bryancd]

I appreciate Rico's good natured teasing of me in this weeks podcast, and to show I am fair and balanced, here's a brief and I thin honest appraisal of what the iPad might mean for Apple following it's initial release.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/02/03/apple_seen_moving_2m_ipads_in_2010_before_sales_catalyst_emerges.html

[Bromptonboy]

Good information here - looks like the iPad will not have the ability to tether to an already existing iPhone data plan.  This lack of tethering has been an annoyance to me for some time (as an avid iPhone user & fan).  I was able to tether my old Windows Mobile 6.1 HTC Tilt phone to my laptop a few years ago.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/190976/apples_ipad_wont_tether_with_iphone_report_says.html

[alanp]

How many data plans does AT&T think people are willing to buy?  This is just asking for people to jailbreak it.

[Bryancd]

iPad reviews from NYT and Wall Street Journal are coming in and they are impressed. Apple has a very real chance to corner the net book and e-reader space with this device, mark my words.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/03/31/first_sanctioned_ipad_reviews_speak_favorably_of_new_device.html

[RickPeete]

Well I just saw a confirmed posting that said NetFlix is going to create a free iPad App that will allow subscribers to their service to view their On Demand videos on the iPad.  And there is a rumor that Hulu is in fact, creating an iPad app as well (although this has not been confirmed and there is no info regarding whether this will be a FREE App or whether Hulu will charge a subscriber fee).

I am still going to stick with my DELL Mini 10v for now since it does everything I need.  But if in the future, iPad v2.0 comes with a front-facing camera to make Video Skype workable, and has a way to tether to my iPhone, then I might make the switch.

[JoSpiv]

Well I just saw a confirmed posting that said NetFlix is going to create a free iPad App that will allow subscribers to their service to view their On Demand videos on the iPad.  And there is a rumor that Hulu is in fact, creating an iPad app as well (although this has not been confirmed and there is no info regarding whether this will be a FREE App or whether Hulu will charge a subscriber fee).

I am still going to stick with my DELL Mini 10v for now since it does everything I need.  But if in the future, iPad v2.0 comes with a front-facing camera to make Video Skype workable, and has a way to tether to my iPhone, then I might make the switch.

I'm with you.   Without the tether ability it's a waste of money imo.