iPad Hysteria

[maraboutslim]

[Bucky]

[Mulboyne]

[Adhesive]

You think this is bad.. Try living in Cupertino...

Until about 3 months ago that is where I lived, actually. Still have a lot of friends who work for Apple in various areas, and only the most delusional are defending this thing.

[2triky]

Until about 3 months ago that is where I lived, actually. Still have a lot of friends who work for Apple in various areas, and only the most delusional are defending this thing.

So many of your friends who work at Apple are actually unenthusiastic about the iPad?

[Doctor Stop]

Clearly the "\ a \" sound is one of the uglier ones in English and the Japanese are lucky to not have it in their language.

Can you explain this in more detail?

[Christoff]

[Adhesive]

So many of your friends who work at Apple are actually unenthusiastic about the iPad?

Well, to be honest, I've only spoken with two...one's out-right disgusted by it, but she's only a beta-tester, the other person, who's in a much more senior-level position, basically just says that it's meant for a casual user. Not a condemnation, but he's certainly not claiming it to be magical and revolutionary.

And yes, the beta-tester lets me play with Apple goodies before they are released to the public, but I didn't get a chance to use the iPad.

[2triky]

Well, to be honest, I've only spoken with two...one's out-right disgusted by it, but she's only a beta-tester, the other person, who's in a much more senior-level position, basically just says that it's meant for a casual user. Not a condemnation, but he's certainly not claiming it to be magical and revolutionary.

And yes, the beta-tester lets me play with Apple goodies before they are released to the public, but I didn't get a chance to use the iPad.

"Magical and revolutionary" --that choice of words during the reveal was a bit much perhaps to be diplomatic about it.

I am curious to see how this thing fares commercially. It certainly hasn't received the critical acclaim of the iPhone upon its release.

[Yokohammer]

The big multi-touch screen is kinda impressive, but I have to admit the first thing I thought of was this:



Magic and revolutionary ...

[GomiGirl]

the other person, who's in a much more senior-level position, basically just says that it's meant for a casual user. Not a condemnation, but he's certainly not claiming it to be magical and revolutionary.

I think this really hits the nail on the head.. it is a new product category - it isn't meant to replace your main computer or your phone. It is really a new genre out on its own. Whenever something new comes out that doesn't fit into a pre-defined box, then there is usually this sort of criticism while people try to figure out if or how this would be useful in their lives.

I look at it as a substitute for buying magazines, newspapers and taking heavy books on holidays or watching DVD's in bed rather than setting up a second entertainment system in the bedroom. I rarely read the newspaper on-line as it is really not a good experience, but a real ones leaves inky fingers and doesn't allow drill down into the data more if I want. Plus magazines are super heavy and are a pain to dispose of in Japan and very expensive for me to get foreign glossy mags. So for me, it will have a use as a companion device but certainly not as a substitute for my phone or my computer.

Sure it is another gadget but I do love gadgets.. but I appreciate that it isn't for everybody. But giving the market more choice is always a good thing IMHO. Trying to find something that will suit everybody is wrong - giving people a choice is what this new device is.

As an education/reference tool I think it will be useful for people to have their heavy text books all in the same place. It will never challenge notebooks, desktops or phones, but it takes the eBook reader market segment into a whole new realm.

Just my two yen.

[Adhesive]

I think this really hits the nail on the head.. it is a new product category - it isn't meant to replace your main computer or your phone. It is really a new genre out on its own. Whenever something new comes out that doesn't fit into a pre-defined box, then there is usually this sort of criticism while people try to figure out if or how this would be useful in their lives.

I look at it as a substitute for buying magazines, newspapers and taking heavy books on holidays or watching DVD's in bed rather than setting up a second entertainment system in the bedroom. I rarely read the newspaper on-line as it is really not a good experience, but a real ones leaves inky fingers and doesn't allow drill down into the data more if I want. Plus magazines are super heavy and are a pain to dispose of in Japan and very expensive for me to get foreign glossy mags. So for me, it will have a use as a companion device but certainly not as a substitute for my phone or my computer.

Sure it is another gadget but I do love gadgets.. but I appreciate that it isn't for everybody. But giving the market more choice is always a good thing IMHO. Trying to find something that will suit everybody is wrong - giving people a choice is what this new device is.

As an education/reference tool I think it will be useful for people to have their heavy text books all in the same place. It will never challenge notebooks, desktops or phones, but it takes the eBook reader market segment into a whole new realm.

Just my two yen.

I've heard enough people say they plan on buying it to realize that there is indeed some sort of market for it, but I disagree with your assessment on why it's being so heavily criticized. I think the negative feedback stems mainly from the disappointment with what could have been. I totally get that some people will use it for watching videos, browsing the net, and flipping through periodicals in bed (even though I think e-ink is the only truly viable option for replacing real print), what is upsetting, however, is that for the price they didn't add features like a camera, flash support, true usb support, etc., etc.

Personally, I'll probably just bypass tablets altogether and wait for an E-reader that uses color E-ink. Anyone with a current E-reader can tell you how vastly different the experiences is. If only they released some kind of hybrid screen.

[Taro Toporific]

...It will never challenge notebooks, desktops or phones, but it takes the eBook reader market segment into a whole new realm.
Just my two yen.

I am have been an iTouch (32GB) user for past year, and everyday I say to myself, "Damn, this screen is too small!" and "If only this iTouch had a flexible keyboard that doubled as a cover."


The lack of a camera for skype is a deal killer to me (and there is a special sump in the lowest level of Hell for the a-holes who design the iPod/iPhone/iWhatever lineup without a swapable battery). I suspect that Ver2 of the iPad will have a camera and/or 3G phone interface but for now I would rather buy a $199 USD netbook that does not runs Windows. I would not mind using the Google cloud and Google docs on the occasion I needed work from a remote or mobile situation.

Hell, if the shitforbrains folks at Kindel offered a real/functional browser that runs on WiFi (better yet flat-rate 3G) I would rather own one of their eBooks with an ePaper screen. Not having Spawn-of-Satan 'Flash' is a beneficial feature.

[IkemenTommy]

I don't know what's the BFD this is all about when there had been an Ipad ages ago. It was a real POS-device.

[maraboutslim]

[Adhesive]

For those who still want a tablet but demand modern day features:

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[CrankyBastard]

[Adhesive]

To be honest the American pronunciation of some vowels sometimes confuses me. I'm never sure whether some Americans are saying, 'top' 'tap' 'tep' or 'tarp'

I can imagine those being particularly confusing if the person was from boston or something.

BTW, what does tep mean?

[CrankyBastard]

BTW, what does tep mean?

West Midlands "Paki slang" means something like "gangsta" but used to mean an immigrant from Pakistan who speaks more Urdu than English.
(Long ago I sailed with Lascar crews and picked up some of their lingo)

[Adhesive]

I can imagine those being particularly confusing if the person was from boston or something.

[yt]x0rgjV9Y6jA[/yt]

[Greji]

[SIZE="5"]Bra inserts and engines: iPad name not original[/SIZE]
Apple's new tablet PC is not the first product to be called the "iPad". Japan's Fujitsu says it launched one years ago, and the name has also been used for small engines and even bra inserts.

Amid the hype about Apple's latest offering, the device has been hailed as an "iPhone on steroids" and a "Kindle killer" that will upstage electronic book readers, but also mocked on chatrooms for evoking a feminine hygiene product.

Now it looks like Apple could have a trademark dispute on its hands.

Fujitsu Ltd. said its US subsidiary in 2002 launched the "iPad", a sleek handheld multimedia device with a 3.5-inch screen, used by retail store clerks to keep inventory data, scan barcodes and manage business operations.

Fujitsu's device has an Intel processor and a Microsoft operating system and supports both Wi-fi and Bluetooth connections.

In 2003, Fujitsu's US arm made a trademark application for the "iPad" name with the US Patent and Trademark Office, which is still pending and not yet registered, said Fujitsu spokesman Masao Sakamoto in Tokyo.

He said Fujitsu was yet to decide on how it may react to the launch of Apple's tablet computer, saying: "As we are now sorting out the facts, we have not decided on what action we may take."

A possible feud between Apple and Fujitsu has sparked debate on Japanese chatrooms, with one observer proposing: "Let's apply for as many 'i' such-and-such names as possible! We'll make money in the future!!"

Apple has been embroiled in trademark disputes with other companies before, including Cisco Systems, which launched its "iPhone" before Apple. The two companies settled the dispute in 2007, agreeing to share the name.

Professor Teruyuki Inoue, an IT sector expert at Daito Bunka University, said the "iPad" issue is unlikely to turn into a full-blown legal battle.

"They will probably have talks to settle this, given that the customers for their products do not overlap, and for the sake of their business ties in the future," Inoue told AFP by telephone.

He said he was not surprised the two companies had doubled up on the name, saying: "Everybody can think of an easy name like 'iPad.' It's not creative."

Indeed several other companies worldwide have had the same idea.

Germany's Siemens uses the trademark "iPad" for small engines and motors.

The Swiss-based microchip maker STMicroelectronics has reportedly also registered "IPAD", short for "Integrated Passive and Active Devices."

In Canada, the Ontario-based company Coconut Grove Pads Inc. has since 2007 made a line of bra inserts and shoulder pads called the "iPad", according to an online report by the Globe and Mail daily.

A Japanese company that makes a product of the same name -- pronounced "ai pad" when transcribed from the Japanese -- is Awaji-Tec, a manufacturer of adult nappies with a high-tech twist.

The company says its nappies feature an electronic device that can send a signal to a remote caregiver when it needs to be changed.

"We have been selling this elderly care product for the past five years, said Yasuaki Mori, who works at Awaji-Tec's special sensors division. "It would be regrettable if people thought we had copied the name."

Meanwhile in China, a company has used a different name -- the "P88" -- for an iPad look-alike, with a slightly larger screen, faster processor and larger memory but battery life of only 1.5 hours compared to the iPad's 10 hours.

It marks a new milestone by Chinese manufacturers -- cloning a product before it had even been announced -- mused Shanghaiist.com, a Shanghai city blog, and Shanzhai.com, a tech blog dedicated to Chinese copies. But the makers of the P88, Shenzhen Great Loong Brother Industrial Co., said Apple appeared to be the copycats.

"We don't understand. Why did they make the same thing as us?" Huang Xiaofang, an executive at the company, told AFP. "We launched it earlier."

[2triky]

Same thing happened with the iPhone. When it came out it was revealed to the public that as a trademark, "iPhone" was owned by Cisco Systems.

[GomiGirl]

[waruta]

Doesn't even have FCC licensing yet as an additional bonus....

[Catoneinutica]

Here's a hip British guy to explain what it all means:

http://www.youtube.com/user/RedEyeRecap#p/u/5/e00_NbaBE4A

[Adhesive]

Pretty much Apple propaganda...

Did somebody say propaganda???

[YT]1ZS8HqOGTbA[/YT]

[American Oyaji]

Thing is, the iPad is not supposed to be a computing device. It's a consumer electronic device.

[FG Lurker]

I actually saw an idea the other day that would be quite a good use for an iPad, especially with a keyboard attached.

In theory you will be able to use it with Jaadu RDP to remotely access your Windows desktop or server. At 1024x768 (or thereabouts) it would be a bit small but it would certainly be usable. Jaadu RDP works very well on the iPhone, having a larger screen would make it a lot more useful.

If I am able to piggyback an iPad onto my existing SoftBank data plan (yeah, right...), or if I can get a cheap enough Docomo data plan then I might be interested in an iPad...

[Adhesive]

[Adhesive]