Really big iPod to lend new meaning to human existence
posted at 2:59 pm on January 27, 2010 by Allahpundit
The liveblogs by the Times and, especially, Macworld are the way to go for details. I thought it’d be nothing more than an iPod Touch with Kindle support built in, which would have doomed it to be merely a supplement to one’s laptop or desktop. (Why not simply get a Kindle instead?) Turns out it is an iPod Touch with Kindle support — they’re partnering with Amazon on something called “iBooks” — but it also includes the iWork suite to let you do things like word processing and spreadsheets. That makes it less of a supplement than a full-blown replacement device. Intriguing.
Price? That’s the big news. Macworld:
$499 for 16GB is the base model. For 32GB it’s $100 more, for another $100 you get 64GB of storage. The 3G models cost an extra $130 to build in radios. $629, $729, $829. These are the six models. The most expensive model is just $829. Unbelievable price.
Worried about having to type at length on a touchscreen keyboard that isn’t necessarily conducive to thumb-typing? Don’t be: The docking station comes with a standalone traditional keyboard built in. (The Times’s liveblog has a photo of it.) They saved that detail, plus the news about the price, for the very end to reassure people that this is in fact being marketed as a really cheap alternative to the home computer rather than a really expensive glorified leisure device like the iPod or Kindle. In fact, have a look at the movement in Apple’s stock as the presser wore on and it became clear that they were going for something more ambitious and widely marketable than was previously thought. A 10-dollar swing in the span of 90 minutes.
So why won’t I buy one? Well, (a) I have no need for portability, (b) trying to blog all day on a 10-inch screen would leave me blind after a few months, and (c) ain’t no way I’m giving up my cable modem for 3G. But your mileage may vary. Plus, check out the photo of the MLB.com app display at Macworld. Interactive onscreen game features while you watch? Dude.
Update: A good point from Andy Levy: How easy will it be to read books for hours on end on a backlit device?
Blowback
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See above. And get your facts straight before mouthing off.
Splashman on January 27, 2010 at 4:16 PM
No multitasking makes it an epic fail as far as I’m concerned. I’d be much happier with a net book. Far more capability for much less $$.
stvnscott on January 27, 2010 at 4:18 PM
Stop being a rabid Apply fanboy trying to protect the brand…
THERE IS NO MULTI-TASKING IN THE IPAD.
Enoxo on January 27, 2010 at 4:18 PM
A note to all the Apple haters:
I won a 2 GB Nano some years ago as a door prize, and the only real trouble I’ve had has been of my own making. The internal battery is wearing out, but that’ll happen with any music player.
My father (Zune owner) and siblings (forget the brands), on the other hand, have had all manner of headaches with both the devices themselves as well as the software. The Zune literally up and died one evening without any warning at all – one minute it worked and the next it was DRT.
Dark-Star on January 27, 2010 at 4:18 PM
Hehehe, I hear you about the cords. Luckily – I am a geek who keeps cords of all kinds around for those “emergencies”
I had a neighbor who needed a printer cable – old USB 1.0 Compaq version (that means nothing to you, hehe) – and I happened to still have one.
Agree with your husband – some books I cant trade in and have a few hard back copies and series, classics to today that I will never part with.
But for the volume of books we read and the clutter – those 80 year old bitty’s are a welcome sight each week.
Odie1941 on January 27, 2010 at 4:19 PM
It’s time for me to update/upgrade the old cell phone and I saw that Verizon is offering a Netbook for $99/with their data access plan. That sounds like a much smarter move than the ipad.
Verizon coverage is much better than AT@T too.
pugwriter on January 27, 2010 at 4:19 PM
Hope springs eternal. Because 100,000+ apps aren’t enough, right?
As far as I can tell, “open apps” is usually a synonym for “porn”, which Apple doesn’t allow.
Splashman on January 27, 2010 at 4:19 PM
We shall see.
Combining similar things into one didn’t really make the jumpsuit the last piece of clothing you would ever wear, like the movies in 60′s said we would.
barnone on January 27, 2010 at 4:21 PM
i love my iphone but i hate the fact it doesn’t multitask. really. why the heck can’t i even listen to streaming radio while i play solitare? its infuriating.
picklesgap on January 27, 2010 at 4:22 PM
Those of us who mostly want this as an ebook reader should be glad that it uses the open epub format — that’s the most popular format, readble across multiple devices. Kindle has its own proprietary format and Apple could have used its own format like they do for iTunes, but they didn’t. Of course, there are converters available if you already have a lot of ebooks, but still.
Fortunata on January 27, 2010 at 4:22 PM
i just want to know if, when receiving a phone call, you pick the thing up and put it to your ear…
picklesgap on January 27, 2010 at 4:22 PM
Beware the deal. Take a look how much it costs per month versus buying you own netbook and a 3G card with the carrier of your choice.
barnone on January 27, 2010 at 4:23 PM
–So, Esthier can use iTunes and the iPad reading program simultaineously (sic)? Just not a third party music program (like WinAmp or the Windows Media Player) and the iPad reading program?
–I thought the Droid and some of the Android phones let third party apps run at the same time?
Jimbo3 on January 27, 2010 at 4:25 PM
It’s not a phone… even though it uses the iPhone OS.
Enoxo on January 27, 2010 at 4:26 PM
Text books are the real market. I used to lug around 20+ lbs of books every day. Perhaps, I’m not alone. Note taking, highlighting, sorting, printing notes from the book, searching your highlights, etc. Awesome! (And I don’t mean that in a southern california surfer way.) It would be a wicked cool text book reader. Besides that, on a beach I’d rather have a paperback. Nobody steals paperbacks. Paperbacks don’t care when you spill a drink on them or get lotion or sand on them.
As I am no longer in college, I don’t need one. But then again I can’t live without my iPhone.
Pablo Snooze on January 27, 2010 at 4:26 PM
AT&T is the Achilles Heel of the iPhone/iPad. Worst phone service in every market and their service usually stinks.
Twice, the local AT&T store either canceled services I wanted or screwed things up that cost me $hundreds in time and money.
rockbend on January 27, 2010 at 4:27 PM
Right after you stop being a FUD-spewing moron. Read this. Then keep in mind that for tech blogs like Gizmodo, “No multi-tasking” is their code for “no 3rd-party multi-tasking.”
I’m not arguing that 3rd-party multi-tasking wouldn’t be cool. I’m trying to promote facts instead of FUD, and “no multi-tasking” is FUD. And for all those like the geeks at Gizmodo who would imply that “no 3rd-party multi-tasking” is a deal-breaker, take a look at this: Survey: 99% of iPhone 3GS owners happy, despite AT&T’s network. And notice that “no multi-tasking” didn’t even make the top five on the “dislike” chart.
Splashman on January 27, 2010 at 4:29 PM
Blah, what a waste. Who wants to carry a docking station around with them to get the keyboard?
I do just fine on my HTC Touch Pro 2 when on the go, or I can grab my little Acer netbook. Apple just filled a niche that didn’t exist.
Bishop on January 27, 2010 at 4:29 PM
–It took me awhile to open the above link. Here’s what it ssays:
No Multitasking
This is a backbreaker. If this is supposed to be a replacement for netbooks, how can it possibly not have multitasking? Are you saying I can’t listen to Pandora while writing a document? I can’t have my Twitter app open at the same time as my browser? I can’t have AIM open at the same time as my email? Are you kidding me? This alone guarantees that I will not buy this product.
Jimbo3 on January 27, 2010 at 4:29 PM
LOL. Hard to find a thread around here that doesn’t. On the internet, those are love-taps.
This is hardly the toughest room around.
Try some Val-U-Rite, Granny.
RushBaby on January 27, 2010 at 4:31 PM
No no no. You speak into the Ipad while holding an Ipod next to your ear.
Bishop on January 27, 2010 at 4:31 PM
Without seeing the API, I can’t comment for sure about the multi-tasking. And the same goes for Gizmodo. Until we actually see what the official docs say, nobody knows for sure. But I’d be willing to bet that this version won’t.
However.
The next-gen processor for the iPhone will be multi-core. It’ll be bloody fast, and use less than half the power as the current one. Now, the iPad uses a different chip (built in-house, using tech Apple bought a couple of years ago), so there are no guarantees. But I’d just about bet my house that they’re working on the next-gen version of this chip as we speak. Once they get that rounded out, Apple will update the APIs to handle multi-tasking. It’ll happen.
Am I disappointed that multi-tasking is apparently not available this round? Yep. But I’d be willing to be that most users won’t worry about it. And the same work-arounds that Apple built into the current iPhone OS (push messaging, etc) that allows pseudo-multi-tasking will work well on the iPad. So you’ll be able to listen to tunes while working on iWork, etc. Not a fully robust solution, but adequate for basic stuff.
The next version (I know, don’t all Mac geeks say that??) will be pretty rockin’. I’m already looking into developing for the iPad. There are some killer app potentials with it.
nukemhill on January 27, 2010 at 4:33 PM
Look Jobs wannabe. Not everyone is a Techie trolling snarling gadet ibate fan like yourself.
It makes me wonder if people like yourself ever get out on the real world.. this isn’t WoW or Avatar. Get a grip i-junkee.
upinak on January 27, 2010 at 4:33 PM
There’s going to be a big marketing push at educational institutions. I think McGraw-Hill has all their texts ready to go for it. It’s the touchscreen and any position orientation that makes this appealing compared to a netbook. It fills a niche.
Laddy on January 27, 2010 at 4:33 PM
My Sony Ebook reader is backlit.
rollthedice on January 27, 2010 at 4:34 PM
We’re not talking about another smartphone. No multi-tasking for my iPhone is perfectly acceptable to me–I never had a need to multi-task on it.
But no multi-tasking (whether it’s third-party multi-tasking, or not) is a major problem for a computer. My crappy MSI Wind netbook can multi-task for Christ-sake.
Enoxo on January 27, 2010 at 4:35 PM
That’s correct. I’d love to have unrestricted multi-tasking, so I could run Pandora.
That’s also correct. Palm Pre, Droid, Google’s Nexus One all have unrestricted multi-tasking. For some small percentage, the iPhone is off the table due to restricted multi-tasking. For most, however, it’s either a non-factor or a minor annoyance that is more than offset by the rest of the iPhone experience. Thus the sky-high satisfaction ratings.
Splashman on January 27, 2010 at 4:36 PM
Oh. And Allah. I don’t think Apple’s doing a deal with Amazon. The reader is there own app, and the bookstore deals are directly with the publishers.
The Kindle is dead. The iPad is cheap enough that it’ll crush the Kindle. There may be a niche market for it, but I don’t think even that’s realistic. Apple’s completely rewriting the online and mobile publishing world. That’s one of the killer apps on this platform.
nukemhill on January 27, 2010 at 4:36 PM
Check out the video demonstration, it gives a better idea of the iPad.
http://www.apple.com/ipad/#video
Lots and lots of potential in the long run. (Just remember what the first iPod and iPhone were like compared to the latest generations.)
albill on January 27, 2010 at 4:37 PM
Oh absolutely, but the Verizon coverage makes their deal a little easier to swallow. The ultimate point, though, is that a Netbook, whomever the data carrier is, is much more practical than the ipad, for less money.
pugwriter on January 27, 2010 at 4:37 PM
Perfect. Just perfect.
Mazztek on January 27, 2010 at 4:39 PM
Supporting Flash would allow people to write apps that Apple didn’t pre-approve (and didn’t get a cut of the revenue from selling them in the Apple Store).
It would simultaneously greatly expand the ability to run 3rd-party apps on the device, and reduce Apple’s iron grip over what can run on the device and what can’t.
That cannot be permitted to happen. Thus, no Flash.
VekTor on January 27, 2010 at 4:40 PM
It has a built-in virtual keyboard (you don’t *have* to use the dock/fullsized keyboard) – i wonder how it comares in size to a netbook keyboard.
Midas on January 27, 2010 at 4:40 PM
Reminds me of one of those big giant calculators they sell at Target for people old people who have trouble working with “normal” sized stuff. Sort of like a GeezePod
crosspatch on January 27, 2010 at 4:41 PM
The biggest issue with multi-tasking (which Droid programmers are aware of) is the battery life. That’s why Apple restricted it on the iPhone. Once that issue really gets handled, it’ll show up on the iPhone and iPad.
I’m not worried about it. 95-99% of the users won’t care. The rest are anal geeks who want it all now and think Apple sucks anyway. So who cares.
nukemhill on January 27, 2010 at 4:43 PM
Every experience I’ve had with AT&T has been a disaster, as in home phone, cell phone, 3G, and U-Verse. From lousy customer service to poor reception to liars for salespeople, I have no idea how that giant clusterfark stays in business.
Hate them!
pugwriter on January 27, 2010 at 4:43 PM
Apples and oranges. One is E-ink…one is not. The Kindle is as easy on the eyes as a paperback and will run for days without recharging.
Oh, and Kindle? There’s an app for that.
Asher on January 27, 2010 at 4:45 PM
Motion Computing has been making tablet PCs for years. In fact I have an older version: uses a stylus (no touch screen) and the screen cover becomes the keyboard. Has WiFi and Bluetooth. HP also has a version of a tablet PC that’s even slicker.
Barnes & Noble has an e-reader I downloaded for free (along with five classic novels) and also has a version for the Blackberry and the iPhone.
So what am I missing here?
My biggest complaint with tablets (which was also a problem with the Mac Air) is the CD/DVD drive is external. On the version I have, the CD drive has to be plugged in to a power source because of the limitations of the battery life. And the speakers on my particular model are poor, so I use a headset. If Mr. Jobs has resolved those issues, maybe I’d be interested.
March Hare on January 27, 2010 at 4:46 PM
I understand that, but then the dinky screen gets cut down to size, you would have to constantly widget the keyboard on and off to see things on a full screen.
What do you do on the go, hunch over the screen while you’re typing. A laptop I can prop open and I’m good to go.
Bishop on January 27, 2010 at 4:46 PM
Odd post, filled with half truths.
Any device has to be concerned with heat and speed, regardless if its Apple or Alienware or Creative Labs. What does forward this ability… is a true free market for better development, something Apple hates to go along with. Unless of course you are talking about iPhone Apps, whereas everything is developed by 3rd party. See Phunware.
As to the multi-tasking – the iPhones issue was both proprietary rights, and technological capability. And of course they didnt achieve the limited multi-tasking until Summer ’09 with the release of 512 RAM phones, in a response to the launch of Palm’s Pre with WebOS. Nextel has dominated this messaging with their 3G multi-task ads for 9 months now as a core provider vs other carriers.
I have no idea why Apple fanboys and girls attempt to act smart, when they are propping up a deluded idea about Apple “its better than everything else”. Its not.
Innovative – sure, successful (only when Jobs is at the helm) – yes. Better, no. Its all in the users experience.
Apple never wants to be the biggest tech company on the block, it would hurt their margins and wow factor. They are a premium brand that charges for the brand perception, “better” has nothing to do with it.
In the same way a Jaguar is a preimum car, yet at $5000 a shop visit, multiplied by 10 times the repair of a Mustang -isn’t “better”.
If you want to look at a comparable brand – take a look see at Bang & Olufsen.
Elite brand, that costs an ungodly amount of money and has a small market share…
With 5 times the failure rate and high repair cost due to it being a proprietary brand.
I have mentioned Jobs is the greatest marketer of the past 25 years, which I stand by – but the us vs them garbage, sprinkled with elitism and junk tech knowledge is too much.
Odie1941 on January 27, 2010 at 4:46 PM
The iPhone is a hand-held computer with a phone built-in. The iPad is essentially the same with a bigger screen.
You are welcome to not purchase an iPad, and to consider it as woefully inadequate to your needs. But consider what it means for you to declare that restricted multi-tasking is “a major problem for a computer”. It means that when a gazillion people buy the iPad and the satisfaction rating is 90%+, you’ll either have to admit you were wrong, wrong wrong (yeah, that’s going to happen), or you’ll have to proclaim that everyone who bought one is a kool-aid drinking Apple fanboie sheeple.
Just a thought — why not skip that part, and just write something like, “Hard to imagine a computer with limited multi-tasking, but I’ll wait and see what happens when people actually use the iPad for a few months.” The fact is, I don’t know if the restriction will be a big problem or not. Based on the population’s reaction to the iPhone, and the fact that the iPad is structured similarly (touch-screen, app store, etc.), I’m guessing it won’t be a problem. But I’ve been wrong before.
Perhaps the size of the screen (bigger than a phone) has got you thinking that the iPad is intended to compete directly with laptops, and thus the restricted multi-tasking seems ridiculous. Think of it more like an up-sized iPhone, which is intended for casual users, not power-users.
Splashman on January 27, 2010 at 4:49 PM
The original mobile Flash was a huge power consumer. So Apple killed it before it was born. Since then, it has been rewritten and is apparently much better. The politics are definitely an issue, though. You may very well be right about losing control of the user experience and applications.
Jobs is a control freak. Sometimes it is to our detriment; sometimes not.
I’m not a huge Flash fan, because most Flash apps are horrifyingly bad. They’re huge resource hogs, and bad programming can take down the whole browser. Which is a legit issue on the iPhone/iPad. I think Jobs isn’t completely out of line in keeping Flash off of the mobile devices. Whether you like it or not, the user experience on the iPhone reflects back on Apple. As long as it’s Apple’s iPhone/iPad, that will continue to be the case. Their image is critical to them. Therefore, it’s their call. You don’t have to like it, but they could give a shit.
nukemhill on January 27, 2010 at 4:50 PM
The Kindle is dead. The iPad is cheap enough that it’ll crush the Kindle.
That is exactly what was said about the Apple TV. It was a game changer. It was going to take over everything.
Don’t expect to see iPads going anywhere much except to some of the usual Apple fans.
Meanwhile, my iPod keeps on playing. That was a game changer.
Moesart on January 27, 2010 at 4:50 PM
that’s the filthiest thing I’ve heard all day.
rihar on January 27, 2010 at 4:50 PM
I honestly don’t know why the iPad is using the iPhone OS, rather than the Mac OS X. That would have made it a wholly better product rather than just an iPhone Touch XL.
As it stands now, it’s pretty much a $499 iTunes interface, and not a real computer tablet.
Enoxo on January 27, 2010 at 4:51 PM
–Well, think of it as a big iPhone without the phone functionality.
Jimbo3 on January 27, 2010 at 4:52 PM
Heh. The Apple threads are almost as much fun as the Palin threads, Allah. You’ve got another winner here!
nukemhill on January 27, 2010 at 4:52 PM
Dude, dude slow down…
Apple neither has the wherewithall or capability to do anything in the processing field. IBM, AMD, Intel, Toshiba, etc. do and will continue to dominate the field.
However, if fanboys want to be alpha-testing consumers, more power to you…
Funniest thread yet from a fanboy…
Odie1941 on January 27, 2010 at 4:52 PM
… without the phone functionality though, right?
Midas on January 27, 2010 at 4:53 PM
Spooky, lol.
Midas on January 27, 2010 at 4:54 PM
No it’s not. They’ve made some significant improvements with OS 3.2. I’m downloading it now (tick, tick, tick). It’s definitely beefed up. The interesting thing will be if they can port some of the stuff back to the iPhone.
I’m probably not going to be able to talk specifically about the API changes, as there are NDAs involved. But just by the demos, it looks like some cool stuff has been added.
I’m really wondering when Apple releases touch-screen iMacs and monitors for their desktop machines. I’m sure it’s still too expensive, but it’s going to have to happen sometime soon.
nukemhill on January 27, 2010 at 4:55 PM
Soooooooooooo….my HTC phone with the FM radio widget, 3.5mm headphone jack and 32g memory card to hold music….is better than this thing?
Bishop on January 27, 2010 at 4:57 PM
LMFAO HAHHAHAAAA! You owe me a NEW keyboard!
upinak on January 27, 2010 at 4:57 PM
Thanks for proving my point.
Gran on January 27, 2010 at 5:01 PM
So much for the left having a monopoly on elder-bashing, huh?
Dark-Star on January 27, 2010 at 5:03 PM
LOL. No foolin’. Heck, the bloggers are meaner at some sites than the commenters are here.
Pavel on January 27, 2010 at 5:03 PM
I hate to point out the obvious, but tablets running Windows have never sold well. What makes you think a tablet running Mac OS X would?
And if by “real computer tablet” you mean “doesn’t sell,” you’re absolutely right.
Just checking: in your estimation, is an iPod Touch just a $200 iTunes interface? Does the phrase “100,000 apps” mean anything to you?
Splashman on January 27, 2010 at 5:04 PM
I wonder if it has iWings.
cannonball on January 27, 2010 at 5:04 PM
Whoops, you’re right.
Splashman on January 27, 2010 at 5:05 PM
I’m sure you’re right. I’m sure the iPad would tank if only everyone was as smart as you.
Splashman on January 27, 2010 at 5:07 PM
The thing you’ve got to realize with this device is that we’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg. I bought my iPhone to use as a media player on long flights. That was before the app store. Now, my iPhone is my life. You’d have to kill me to take it away from me, and I would take you with me. Let’s give the iPad a few months to prove if it is more than just a big iPod Touch. I bet it will prove to be a stunning device.
fleiter on January 27, 2010 at 5:17 PM
Yes, the iPod Touch is just a $200 iTunes interface. That’s why I never bought one. I’m quite happy with my iPhone–because it’s a phone with applications.
This could very well be a revolution in the making–stranger things have happened.
But as it stands, I don’t intend to buy one and that’s incredibly sad because I was looking forward to buying one since the rumors swirled several years back.
I was looking for a tablet that is similar to Macbooks that didn’t have a physical keyboard–not a giant iPod Touch. I was wanting a replacement for my crappy MSI Wind netbook, not a replacement for my iPhone and iPod–I’m quite happy with those.
So unless future generations fundamentally change the product, I’ll just have to lug around my netbook until a better tablet comes by.
Enoxo on January 27, 2010 at 5:17 PM
Wow, what brought that on? You enjoy picking fights with everyone here? ROFL
Bishop on January 27, 2010 at 5:18 PM
Weird, my comment isn’t showing up… I think it may double-post here in a second.
Enoxo on January 27, 2010 at 5:18 PM
He’s a rabid Apple fanboy… don’t mind him.
Enoxo on January 27, 2010 at 5:19 PM
Yes, the iPod Touch is just a $200 iTunes interface. That’s why I never bought one. I’m quite happy with my iPhone–because it’s a phone with applications.
Enoxo on January 27, 2010 at 5:20 PM
I’m not a very tech-savvy person, that I’ll grant you. But how exactly does that negate my positive mac experience? In fact, since the vast majority of computer users are similarly unskilled, an idiot-proof, already assembled product would seem to be a positive thing.
Why can’t you just be happy for me?
Infidoll on January 27, 2010 at 5:23 PM
This could very well be a revolution in the making–stranger things have happened. But as it stands, I don’t intend to buy one and that’s incredibly sad because I was looking forward to buying one since the rumors swirled several years back.
I was looking for a tablet that is similar to Macbooks that didn’t have a physical keyboard–not a giant iPod Touch. I was wanting a replacement for my crappy MSI Wind netbook, not a replacement for my iPhone and iPod–I’m quite happy with those.
So unless future generations fundamentally change the current product, I’ll just have to lug around my netbook until a better tablet comes by.
Enoxo on January 27, 2010 at 5:24 PM
I guess, or on the Apple payroll. Man, I make a simple post and splash gets all twitchy. Still funny though.
Bishop on January 27, 2010 at 5:26 PM
O M G!!!
But, it’s sorta like an iPhone for the reading impared…
Mazztek on January 27, 2010 at 5:26 PM
More powerful than my iPhone, less powerful than my laptop, can do the same thing as my kindle. No thanks, Apple, I’ve drunk the kool aid enough.
Rightwingguy on January 27, 2010 at 5:33 PM
Yawn. I’ll start getting interested when they come out with version 4 or so. If they never get to that point, it tells me all I need to know about the usefulness of this dealio.
Pavel on January 27, 2010 at 5:43 PM
My thoughts as well.
Hope we never have new Apple tech and a major Palin report on the same day. Probably crash the comment system. *grin*
Nathan_OH on January 27, 2010 at 5:46 PM
We’ve been able to multitask for over a year now.
Just jailbreak it.
You know Geohot will have this thing jailbroken in 2 days after release.
Okay, complain in saying you don’t want to jailbreak it (which takes, literally 20 seconds) – but don’t say it can’t multitask. It CAN. You’re just unwilling to make it multitask.
iamse7en on January 27, 2010 at 5:56 PM
For some reason even without it being there, you can tell who’s a mac user and who is a PC user.
case in point…
FontanaConservative on January 27, 2010 at 5:56 PM
You’re The Face.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhsWzJo2sN4
Maybe you’re too young to remember that…it was right about the time that some nerd named Bill Gates got the INSANE idea that maybe software didn’t have to be proprietary to the manufacturer of the hardware–that maybe 3rd Party Apps would allow the entire non-communist world to design for a “personal computer” instead of just a few hundred guys…thus, wildly increasing its utility and value…
You, on the other hand, WANT to use proprietary software. Yes, you are sheeple–you bodywashed Starsky&Hutch’d-headed clubcrunk kids have been stampeded by the pursuit of KEWL right off the cliff back into 1982! COLECO, jackass! Jobs oughta sell you CARTRIDGES for your apps!
Chris_Balsz on January 27, 2010 at 5:59 PM
Dead last in customer satisfaction. Even with the iPhone.
pain train on January 27, 2010 at 6:08 PM
The ladies already can. Although it’s called the iVibe. (NSFW link alert.)
wearyman on January 27, 2010 at 6:24 PM
LOL
Macs are too damn expensive!
PC are to much damn trouble!
Wheres my abacus? wheres my etch a sketch?
bigskinny on January 27, 2010 at 6:29 PM
Apple peaked with Oregon Trail.
They haven’t been the same since Mary got cholera and died near Chimney Rock. :(
CPL 310 on January 27, 2010 at 6:30 PM
I like my iphone, but I too (as some other have said) hate that you can’t multitask but for a few items that are strictly apple only. Apple is full of crap with their logic behind this, which pisses me off the most. If you can listen to ipod music on the phone AND open an application, there is NO reason you can’t listen to streaming music in one application and text at the same time. I love to listen to XM radio or rhapsody music on the phone, but when I need to check email or do ANYTHING else, you’re forced to shut that stream down to get to anything.
Shouldn’t it be MY choice if I want the battery to drain faster by multi-tasking or having the phone run slower when doing the same? Apple won’t even let you get to the friggin’ battery compartment let alone do what YOU want to do on the phone. It’s maddening.
TheBlueSite on January 27, 2010 at 6:30 PM
ipride
daesleeper on January 27, 2010 at 6:45 PM
Jobs is a control freak. Deal. Nobody said you had to like it. Nobody’s forcing you to use an iPhone. Quit your bitching.
If it’s that big a deal, go start a petition and demand that Apple go open source with the OS, and that it be completely multi-tasking, and that the battery can be removable. I mean really. Since it’s such a big deal. While you’re at it, demand that Jobs give up his billions to charity, and work for nothing. Force him to teach everyone how he manages, so that all companies can be as prosperous and cool as Apple.
Sheesh. There’s nothing wrong with having an opinion. But quit being such a pissy little bitch about it. Man up.
nukemhill on January 27, 2010 at 6:48 PM
AP, as Nukemhill pointed out, there is no partnership with Amazon. Steve Jobs essentially gave Amazon props by saying “we’re going to stand on their shoulders for this,” but it wasn’t meant to imply they had a partnership. Amazon already has a Kindle app for the iPhone, which they will likely port to the iPad, but the content for the iBook app has been negotiated by Apple directly with publishers.
simons on January 27, 2010 at 6:51 PM
Mad TV clip:
This video has been removed due to terms of use violation.
daesleeper on January 27, 2010 at 6:57 PM
Less than 300 comments in 4 hours for the invention that will transform the world & change life as we know it?
Based on this kind of scientific study I’m going to predict that the world really doesn’t need a giant phone with a removable keyboard for $500.
Call me crazy…
Dorvillian on January 27, 2010 at 7:01 PM
And never will be, Apple does not like the adobe pugin as it is prone to crash and can only be fixed by adobe since it is their code. Think HTML5 and H.256 instead.
Friendly21 on January 27, 2010 at 7:03 PM
While we’re on the subject (okay, we’re not but I have to find out).
How in the heck do I turn off these annoying popups that say “congratulations, you have been selected to take a survey, blah, blah, blah.” and it has the sites name at the top.
It continues to play after I close the window and it’s now on most sites. Is this paid advertising or something else?
MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
Virginia Shanahan on January 27, 2010 at 7:53 PM
Exactly.
What is it about the computer or smart phone industry that makes so many people start talking about:
a) Market share. or
b) The Highlander syndrome (THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!!)
Why is it always “The iPhone KILLER” or “Can Apple survive…insert whatever some pundit thinks will generate hits here”
I mean really, Market share is really a problem for Apple? Have you seen the last quarterly report?
“$15.68 billion and a net quarterly profit of $3.38 billion, or $3.67 per diluted share.”
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/01/25results.html
Really? Market share is a problem for Apple?
As to the Highlander syndrome… Look computers and phones or smart phones are tools.
Just need to browse the web, send receive email and be fairly mobile..GREAT get a cheap netbook. Want to do some minor photo editing, look at pictures of freinds and family? Lots of options out there. Used to working with Windows XXX??go for it. Want to try your hand at video editing/making DVD’s ? Apple’s got some great software that comes built-in.
Need to set up a cheap web server and are pretty experienced? Commodity parts + *nix+ Apache and off you go. Need something more and could use some help/hand holding? The Mac-mini server could be just the thing. In other words, there’s a lot of choices out there. What fits for you maybe totally inappropriate for somebody else.
singlemalt on January 27, 2010 at 9:04 PM
Lots of F bombs but John Welch pretty much nails it
http://www.bynkii.com/archives/2010/01/more_flash_crying_from_adobe.html
singlemalt on January 27, 2010 at 9:13 PM
Uh…what? A 10″ iPod touch will change the way we compute? Okay…an led screen will also make your eyes bleed for reading.
metric on January 27, 2010 at 9:22 PM
A smartphone OS on a 10″ screen does not constitute a Tablet. This thing is a total gimp. Looking forward to the HP Slate and upcoming Android tablet.
metric on January 27, 2010 at 9:28 PM
It looks to me like a giant iPod touch with some wordprocessing capabilities. But if you use the onscreen keyboard, how much of your document will you be able to see?
cobrakai99 on January 27, 2010 at 9:32 PM
You do realize that Apple is pitching this as a “better” netbook right? It’s one thing to have a gimped phone OS, but to port it to a larger screen and call it a tablet is hilarious & pathetic. Not having an actual OS defeats the purpose of the iTampon
metric on January 27, 2010 at 9:35 PM
What the iPhone doesn’t allow is multi-tasking of 3rd-party apps
Which means its doing it cooperatively (ie non-preemptive) with each Apple app implementing explicit yields periodically. This can work of course, but it means all the apps participating are in the same process space and a bug in one will hang the whole machine (or trigger some sort of watchdog timer initiated warm restart if they implemented something that sophisticated)
Properly designed cooperative tasking in a closed environment can give extremely high task switch rates and good real time response. Years ago I wrote cooperative tasker for the 8088. At 4.77mhz it could do over 10,000 context swaps/second.
Purple Avenger on January 27, 2010 at 10:54 PM
Maybe if’n I get one of these here fancypants iPads I can use it figure out what-h@ll Twitter is good for.
Knott Buyinit on January 27, 2010 at 10:56 PM
Hmmmm.
I program computers and I’ve been reading “for hours on a backlit” screen for years now.
Also.
Don’t we do this when we visit Ace of Spades? Who doesn’t have a backlit screen on their laptop or desktop?
memomachine on January 27, 2010 at 11:31 PM
When are they going to come up with something they just plug into your brain like Neo in The Matrix so you don’t have to think and stuff?
Interesting thought…digital technology replacing mind-altering drugs…hmmmm.
Dr. ZhivBlago on January 27, 2010 at 11:31 PM
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