Apple’s iPad – is it just a glorified smartphone?
I was just gushing down a bowl of extremely salty French Onion soup at TGIF near the Marriot Grand Hotel in Moscow where I am staying when I saw Jobs flashing the iPad in some Russian news channel. That was enough for me to spend the next 90 minutes watching Job’s keynote.
Two things struck me from the iPads launch today:
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Apple is really going into a closed lock-down system.
The iPad will be utilising Apple’s new 1GHz processor (Apple now totally owns the hardware and the OS).
It also launched iWorks (competitor to MS Office) for US$9.99 for each of the spreadsheet, presentation and word processor software (called numbers, keynote and something else I cant remember) It also launched iBooks – an e-book reader and store. With App Store and iTunes Music Store, now Apple also owns the software and services platform.
Apple struck a deal with AT&T for adding 3G at US$29.99 per month for unlimited access. So like the iPhone, you are stuck again with a specific telco. And my guess is the two will work together to lock-in consumers and share the money.
It looks like the Apple way is increasingly becoming a closed, lock-down system. I dont like lock-down systems and it sure makes Microsoft (who only controlled the OS and the apps and tried with the browser) look like an angel in comparison.
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Is the iPad simply a glorified smartphone?
Yes, it did look cool watching Jobs spin the thing round, but what exactly is the Apple 1GHz processor? Early rumours are swirling that it is simply one of the many 1GHz ARM processors (ARM licences its processor tech to people like Nvidia and Qualcomm to make smartphone processors) around. The same architecture that powers the Google Nexus One smartphone. But can it be powerful enough to support a mini-laptop? In case you are still wondering why the iPad does not support the ability to run multiple apps at the same time, perhaps this is the answer!
Apple’s iPad – is it just a glorified smartphone? – Techgoondu http://bit.ly/9RqueU
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Apple’s iPad – is it just a glorified smartphone? http://bit.ly/bDSzBa
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Apple’s iPad – is it just a glorified smartphone? http://bit.ly/bURiP6
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You know, only Steve Jobs can sell this thing and make it sexy cool new to the Apple fanbois. Sorry Apple fans, gotta call it like I see it — tablets have been around for a *long* time, and *only* because it’s Apple (and Steve) does the whole world sit up and take notice.
Mashable did an excellent write-up of what’s missing from iPad.
http://mashable.com/2010/01/27/ipad-whats-missing/
And at what cost? Lowest end is US$499 for Wi-Fi and 16GB? And no storage SD slot? No USB?
What WOULD I want this for?
It’s not an eBook reader like the Kindle, which does one thing well — let me read books on e-ink, good battery life, there’s an easy bookstore marketplace for download, priced right for this specific function.
It’s not a smartphone, which already allows me to surf the net, get YouTube videos, have mapping aps, etc. Btw, there’s no GPS on the iPad. And oh, my smartphone can actually place calls and sms.
It’s not a netbook, which would allow me to do far more and would cost roughly the same if not cheaper (depends on which version of the iPad you want). A netbook would allow me to video-chat (there’s no camera on iPad), the amount of storage is piddling when compared to netbooks.
I’ll pass.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Charles Lane and Brian Meunier, PadRevolution.com. PadRevolution.com said: Apple's iPad – is it just a glorified smartphone? – Techgoondu http://bit.ly/9RqueU [...]
[...] the PC as we know it? Has Apple just signaled the death of the ultraportable MacBook Air? Will it replace smartphones like the iPhone or Nexus One? Has Apple just pwned another media marketplace — sorry Amazon, [...]
If the iPad cost much cheaper, i think these will create a positive outlook and much more big buzz. So, let’s see what will happen these coming months.
This comment was originally posted on Palafo
One of the things that I love about my Kindle is that I can grab it by the screen, the same way I hold a magazine or newspaper, running my finger underneath a particularly interesting bit of reading or sticking my thumb on the screen when I get up from my poolside seat. To a certain degree, the touch-ability of the screen on the iPad is a step towards something more foreign, in this regard.I still want an iPad (eventually), but I think I’ll keep my Kindle 2 too.
This comment was originally posted on Palafo
Interesting point. I figured the touch screen/grip issue is one reason for the border around the screen, which some design experts clucked at. I just tried the behavior you described in the Kindle and Stanza iPhone apps. Kindle doesn’t do anything, though a hard tap will turn the page. Stanza seems to give you options to select, cut and paste. Maybe that would distract, or not. But it seems like you could touch a page on a screen in a casual way without a problem; it’s a pretty firm tap to turn the page in both apps.
This comment was originally posted on Palafo
(That said, I really did love my Kindle and overlooked the shortcomings. My biggest fear re the iPad will be the eyestrain issue. I do stare at a computer screen and a lot of text all day, though, so perhaps such fears are overblown.)
This comment was originally posted on Palafo
@adalinelau I went to the Apple Store hoping to see a demo, but not in yet. Hmm… This one? http://bit.ly/bP5zqp from Techgoondu
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I thought the same thing re: the bezel. We’ll see when it lands.My eyes definitely feel tired at the end of the day after staring at glowing screens. The Kindle is always a nice switch from them at night / when my eyes start feeling too tired.
This comment was originally posted on Palafo
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