Chump fanboy blogger oddly lukewarm about shiny new Apple gizmo
posted at 9:55 pm on March 2, 2011 by Allahpundit
C’mon, I had to write about it. It’s thinner, it’s faster, it’s lighter, it’s got cameras and a gyroscope, and you can go nuts on GarageBand with it. Best of all, the price is the same as it was for iPad 1: Just $499 to start, a significant price break over competitors who are stuck at around $800 (or who haven’t set a price yet) because, unlike Apple, they’re forced to partner with retailers to move units. If you’re looking for a tablet and unwilling to spend upwards of a grand, it’s probably still your best option.
What I can’t figure out is why you’d buy one if you own the original iPad. The camera’s nice, but how often do people use FaceTime on the iPhone? The iPad’s a bit more conducive to video chat since you can put it on a stand and go hands-free, but again — how often, really? A better processor is nice, but I have no complaints with the speed of the original iPad for the surfing/tweeting/gaming I do with it. Much will depend, obviously, on the superiority of the games designed for the more sophisticated iPad 2, but they’d have to be darned superior to justify dropping 500 bucks on a mostly redundant device.
What’s actively annoying about the latest Apple whatzit with double the shininess is that they continue to neglect basic yet crucial software upgrades in favor of tricking the hardware out with new bells and whistles. Nothing would please me more than being able to post new Headline items via the iPad from the comfort of my couch, but I felt a grim shudder of recognition the other day reading this lament from Slate’s John Dickerson:
For work, however, the iPad is not just bad, it represents a net reduction in productivity. One of the great things about the new Web is that you can manipulate text, but the iPad treats you like a child. (Not unlike the way iTunes treats you like a child with your own music.) I can’t copy text out of the New York Times app or the Washington Post app or most other apps for that matter. Doing it from a Web page on Safari takes about the time required to make a cup of tea. I feel like I spend all my time poking at the screen trying to get the little blue box to behave. It’s like I’m on an endless search for a button in the sewing box.
Just so. Instead of a new HD camera, how about a version of copy/paste that remotely approaches the ease of use of a desktop computer? How about, in lieu of a machine that’s four millimeters thinner, an upgrade to auto-correct that doesn’t force me to re-spell eight different words per three-line e-mail? And, for the ten millionth time, how about Flash? Simple pleasures. They make all the difference.
The new promo page is already up at the Apple website. I’m passing on this one.
Related Posts:
Breaking on Hot Air
Video: How Russia and Syria lied about the chemical weapons attack
WSJ: Will Pope Francis challenge Egypt on visit after Palm Sunday massacres?
UC President Janet Napolitano hid $175 million while raising tuition, paying excessive salaries
Blowback
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
iPad with skype?
Perfection.
John the Libertarian on March 2, 2011 at 9:57 PM
It’s as skinny as Steve Jobs!
SouthernGent on March 2, 2011 at 9:58 PM
Gee… Let’s keep buying stuff we don’t need. And we wonder where the overspending people in DC get their ideas from.
viviliberoomuori on March 2, 2011 at 9:59 PM
those cameras might work for your new therapy sessions, huh AP?
ted c on March 2, 2011 at 9:59 PM
$499? That’s more than my share of the rent.
multiuseless on March 2, 2011 at 10:00 PM
You say that now, but once you talk it over with your cat…
malclave on March 2, 2011 at 10:01 PM
Do you let Apple know the improvements you would be interested in? The seem like a company that would be interested.
Cindy Munford on March 2, 2011 at 10:02 PM
As long as it doesn’t have anything Edison invented, I am all for it. /
Electrongod on March 2, 2011 at 10:02 PM
Not to worry, if you decide to skip this version, the Ipad 3 will be out in time for next Christmas. Thinner, lighter, so much so that it will drift off the table if you breathe on it.
Bishop on March 2, 2011 at 10:03 PM
I have never understood the redundant complaints about the business aspects of every new Apple product since the IIe when Apple has never made any pretension towards making one of their products useful for business.
Rocks on March 2, 2011 at 10:03 PM
who cares about the gizmo – best.headline.ever.
mpk on March 2, 2011 at 10:04 PM
BTW, want to have some weird fun? Visit your local Apple Store with the employees who wear permagrins and are required to get really really excited when you decide to buy something. Strangest retail environment on Earth.
Bishop on March 2, 2011 at 10:05 PM
I still don’t get tablets. You have to either hold it with one hand and work it with the other or lay it down on something and hover over it.
imshocked on March 2, 2011 at 10:06 PM
The only person I know who owns an Ipad is trying to incorporate a mount for a fleshlight. Real necessary technology, i tell ya.
viviliberoomuori on March 2, 2011 at 10:06 PM
I have a laptop (work issued). I have an iPhone.
What in blazes do I need an iPad for? Especially for $500 freakin dollars. Yet another freakin gadget and cord to haul around. Nope. Pass.
tickleddragon on March 2, 2011 at 10:08 PM
A typo? I sure hope so.
Electrongod on March 2, 2011 at 10:08 PM
Allah seems to think that the only reason Apple created the iPad2 is to convince owners of the original to dump theirs in the trash.
The cats must not be speaking to him. Either that or his status as beta was reaffirmed today in a particularly demeaning fashion.
Splashman on March 2, 2011 at 10:09 PM
Allah, you need to get an Android tablet. I hear they’re the bees knees.
Although I don’t really care for tablets. PC (desktop, laptop) and smartphone is enough for me.
modnar on March 2, 2011 at 10:09 PM
Really?
Weight of Glory on March 2, 2011 at 10:10 PM
Why, no, I don’t think that at all. Didn’t I begin the post by saying that if you’re looking to buy a tablet, it’s the best option?
Allahpundit on March 2, 2011 at 10:11 PM
Think I’ll wait for the iPod IX.
BigAlSouth on March 2, 2011 at 10:12 PM
Enquiring minds wonder: Is Apple using Corning’s Gorilla Glass? Probably not, given what they did for the iPhone 4:
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2010/06/25/ifixit-backtracks-on-iphone-4-gorilla-glass-claim/
http://www.slashgear.com/iphone-4-gorilla-glass-not-quite-so-scratch-resilient-after-all-2391212/
For all you air pistol owners who are afraind of shooting out your “eye”, there’s this:
http://www.slashgear.com/brave-samsung-galaxy-tab-owner-tests-gorilla-glass-with-air-pistol-video-10113335/
unclesmrgol on March 2, 2011 at 10:13 PM
Allah, good review. My original iPad still reeks of awesomeness, no need to upgrade for a few cameras. When the iPad 4 comes out, then maybe I’ll take a look at it. Until then, my 64gb, wifi/3G enabled clunker is still the best piece of technology I own.
joejm65 on March 2, 2011 at 10:13 PM
If you have a ipad, I wouldn’t bother getting the new one. And yes Allah, IOS needs to be improved. However, Xoom should not cost $800 after that presentation by Apple. I will get the IPAD2 and jailbreak the hell out of it.
JVelez on March 2, 2011 at 10:14 PM
I want one, badly, but will need to wait. Someday, Steve Jobs, someday!
Bob's Kid on March 2, 2011 at 10:15 PM
I’m building a new PC because what was bleeding edge five years ago won’t handle the new air sim coming out of the IL2 stable, Cliffs of Dover. Any combat sim folk will know about this… for some people a tablet might be good call but with prices and performance being so amenable to consumers you could build something special and powerful.
I see the tablet as a peripheral rather as a stand alone machine. I see why people like them and I would have one as a network and device controller… but I still love PC. Build it yourself and save more money and learn something new along the way. It isn’t that hard.
lexhamfox on March 2, 2011 at 10:16 PM
The only people I know who fell for the over priced iPad propaganda are liberal moonbats. I’ve got a 7 year old Dell laptop that still runs like a top and just bought a Toshiba netbook for about $300 bucks and it also has a camera.
I refuse to become a slave to the Apple game.
Knucklehead on March 2, 2011 at 10:17 PM
I dunno. I may wait until iPad 3 comes out. But I have to say the apps on an iPad are awesome. I think my kids would try to use it the most. Why aren’t there any ports?
AP–on the typing issue, why don’t you use a wireless keyboard and mouse? That would eliminate the pesky nuisances of typing on the screen.
conservative pilgrim on March 2, 2011 at 10:17 PM
Yup. Right you are Mr. Allah.
I use the bluetooth Apple keyboard on the iPad. It works well. Yet still nothing is faster than swiping with a mouse and right clicking for copy and paste. So a touch screen does not completely obviate the need for a mouse even when using a keyboard.
The Pages app still has no folders and no footnotes like the Mac version and no Drop Box support. Apple wants you to buy MobileMe for $100/year to get to the Cloud and sync with other devices. They do provide an easy way to export tho’, using email attachments in word DOC or PDF format.
Geochelone on March 2, 2011 at 10:18 PM
OOoooooo….I did not know this. Sturmovik and its spiraling cannon-round smoke trails is easily one of my favorite flight sims.
I may have to get a friend to build me a new machine too.
Bishop on March 2, 2011 at 10:21 PM
But that kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it? More junk to carry around?
Knucklehead on March 2, 2011 at 10:23 PM
If you’re at home typing, blogging in AP’s case, then no, you wouldn’t be carrying it around.
conservative pilgrim on March 2, 2011 at 10:24 PM
Just so you know I’m a PC guy who built my desktop from scratch with best of breed components. Got a Raptor, ASUS motherboard with high speed Bus, bla bla bla.
So I’m not an Apple fanboy tho’ I got the iPod, iPhone, iPad and even a Kindle.
Geochelone on March 2, 2011 at 10:27 PM
Why, no, I don’t think that at all. Didn’t I begin the post by saying that if you’re looking to buy a tablet, it’s the best option?
Allahpundit on March 2, 2011 at 10:11 PM
Yes, and then you began your second paragraph with this…
…and spent the rest of the paragraph trying to figure it out. Whatev.
Can’t argue much with your complaints about the software, except to point out that no one inside or outside of Cupertino will claim that a touch interface makes everything easier (or just as easy) as a mouse-based GUI. There are tradeoffs with any choice — some things are easier on the iPad, some are more difficult. It’s not for everyone, and that’s that.
That said, autocorrect needs work.
Splashman on March 2, 2011 at 10:27 PM
To do that would be admitting that Apple produces stuff not to be useful but for people with disposable cash to effect an air of technical ability.
People with actual technical ability buy things which meet their technical needs to begin with or wait till someone produces something that does.
Rocks on March 2, 2011 at 10:29 PM
I think he specifically mentioned sitting on the couch. A specific anecdote perhaps but an indication that he wants to use it outside of a desk-like environment.
amerpundit on March 2, 2011 at 10:30 PM
iPad 2? iPass.
rukiddingme on March 2, 2011 at 10:31 PM
Yep and yep.
Geochelone on March 2, 2011 at 10:33 PM
From what I gather it’s not just faster, it’s quite a bit faster.
Ortzinator on March 2, 2011 at 10:34 PM
That’s why I wait awhile before getting gadgetsw like this. Let them work the bugs out first, let the price go down, THEN pick one up. That’s why I waited until Generation 3 before picking up a Kindle.
ScoopPC11 on March 2, 2011 at 10:35 PM
What he needs is a fainting couch. Then he can be as odd and as warm as he likes.
Fortunata on March 2, 2011 at 10:36 PM
Nope. No typo. Swear to God.
viviliberoomuori on March 2, 2011 at 10:37 PM
I have no need for a tablet; it is redundant to my desktop and smartphone (which are somewhat redundant to each other).
I pointed out on Cnet that iPad 2 still doesn’t measure up to Motorola Xoom; boy did that pi$$ of the fanboys! They say “wait till iPad 3!” I’ll compare it to Xoom 2 next year.
mad scientist on March 2, 2011 at 10:39 PM
The iPad has a niche audience. Every gadget has its limitations; it depends on what the consumer needs. Aren’t all of these gadgets geared toward people with some disposable income? Maybe a cell phone is a need, maybe. Wouldn’t everything else fall in the “want” category?
conservative pilgrim on March 2, 2011 at 10:41 PM
And I want a zillion dollars for my birthday. Plus a unicorn.
Selecting text is a precision operation well-suited to a mouse-based GUI. A touch interface is by definition dependent on a non-precision input device (finger). Unless text size is boosted to 36pt, there is simply no way that text selection will ever be as simple on an iPad (or Xoom, etc.) as it is on a Mac or PC.
Amerpundit, obviously I’m not arguing with you, but with Allah’s expectations. And even though I’ve never used an Android device, I’ve read enough complaints about them to know that iOS’s implementation of cut-and-paste is the best available, for now.
Splashman on March 2, 2011 at 10:42 PM
I have never understood the redundant complaints about the business aspects of every new Apple product since the IIe when Apple has never made any pretension towards making one of their products useful for business.
Rocks on March 2, 2011 at 10:03 PM
Agreed. Most business software is windows compatible, it makes MS Office a natural choice. Bring work home with you and you have no use for Apple.
mad scientist on March 2, 2011 at 10:42 PM
After making my daughter wait a year for the Mac we just bought her ($2300.00)she started with the “I need an IPad because I can’t travel with the Mac”…and I was adamant when I said no…then they sent her an email today describing the new IPad AND THERE WE WENT AGAIN! I holding out ’till June… I hope this darn thing is worth the money…
CCRWM on March 2, 2011 at 10:54 PM
I have never seen the price of an Apple product go down that much…
CCRWM on March 2, 2011 at 10:57 PM
Mighty big niche, apparently. From zero to 15 million sold in its first nine months. Most successful rollout of a new device category ever. And every tech company in the world is falling all over themselves trying to release me-too products ahead of their neighbor. (HP is already suing RIM for IP infringement, and neither have yet released their iPad clone.)
I’ll be the first to agree that iPads aren’t for everyone — certainly not for power users like myself. But truly, I don’t think “niche” is the proper term for this device. Given how most people use computers (surfing, e-mail, facebook, etc.), iPads are a better fit for most of the population than a laptop or desktop. It’s my opinion that five years from now, laptops/desktops will be a true niche (<10% of units sold), used mainly by large business.
Splashman on March 2, 2011 at 11:05 PM
It’s still alive and well. New Korea War version coming out as an add on by a third party. Hundreds of people still fly IL2 at most times on the hyperlobby platform. Not bad after nearly ten years. Cliffs of Dover looks amazing. But have a second look at IL2 as well. It’s a huge community.
lexhamfox on March 2, 2011 at 11:11 PM
I see Jobs went with the black shirt and blue jeans again.
I’m still waiting for the Blackberry Playbook. It looks thoroughly awesome and since my business revolves around my Blackberry, which does what it does so much better than an iPhone, I’ll be looking for a tablet which syncs seamlessly with it. I’ve already tried an iPhone and an Android and it’s just so much hassle trying to get those OS’s synced properly with the way I use Outlook etc. Too many intermediate steps and 3rd party workarounds required. While the iPads have always looked attractive, I just can’t bear the thought of going what I went through with my iPhone to get it up and running for business.
The only thing that would make me consider buying one would be if it had a Retina screen. After owning an iPhone 4 for a few weeks every other screen looks like crap in comparison, including the iPad’s.
Sharke on March 2, 2011 at 11:12 PM
iPad 4 will be corneal implants with cochlear bluetooth.
profitsbeard on March 2, 2011 at 11:12 PM
Really? Honestly? Truly?
Well, golly gee. I better take your word for it.
Splashman on March 2, 2011 at 11:15 PM
New iPad out, AP hardest hit.
jnelchef on March 2, 2011 at 11:21 PM
Maybe I’ll use this as an opportunity to get a cheap iPad 1. I don’t really have any use for the cameras.
I think it’s ridiculous that Apple’s devices still need to be synced with a desktop computer. I should be able to sign into an account and automatically have everything right on the device.
The iPad has something that no laptop/notebook under $3500 has: a good screen. I really want the rumored iPad with retina screen, though.
yelnats on March 2, 2011 at 11:23 PM
Sigh. It’s not a laptop Allah. It’s not meant to replace them. Nor do they expect iPad owners to drop their current iPad to buy this new one. This is to get that huge market that held off on the 1st gen device. If it has improved enough, they’ll buy it. Don’t blame Apple for you false assumptions.
Twice as fast and 33% thinner is a hell of an improvement for me. I take the train a lot every day and thinness and weight are important.
I’ll probably still hold off though because of the price. Can’t afford one now.
Dongemaharu on March 2, 2011 at 11:28 PM
Sometimes there is a chance to take what is available now and create a new process that utilizes it in a way that is better than the old way of doing things. Problem is that the way Apple designs their stuff there is very little flexibility in how you do things.
pedestrian on March 2, 2011 at 11:38 PM
I’m going to skip this and go for the newest MacBook Air. Almost as thin and light and is a real computer with a real keyboard.
YehuditTX on March 2, 2011 at 11:41 PM
I think they’re revamping MobileMe to do this, and provide more cloud storage also. Don’t quote me though.
YehuditTX on March 2, 2011 at 11:43 PM
No doubt, the MacBook Air is awesomeness. The iPad is a whole different user experience, though. Great on weekends when you want to lounge around in bed.
John the Libertarian on March 2, 2011 at 11:53 PM
There is always a trade off between a work machine and a toy. Sounds like the toy side wins this one.
I was at an antique shop today and saw a typewriter. They don’t have cut and paste either. And it was really heavy.
petunia on March 3, 2011 at 12:52 AM
If Apple makes their next iPad circular they can take a bite out of Frisbee, too.
profitsbeard on March 3, 2011 at 12:55 AM
My son just threw over his iPhone (same operating system as the iPad) for an Android phone. He got tired of having to deal with Apple’s customer service, which in his case stank — he never quite got the phone’s connectivity to live up to what Apple advertised. The new Android phone, he says, has a dual-core 1GHz cpu, 1GB main memory, and a graphics adapter good enough to stream 1080p via a mini-DisplayPort to his TV. And it fits in his pocket like the iPhone did.
He said I should get one, because I can hook up a full sized keyboard and mouse to it and the programming model is completely open.
My response: I like lots of pixels and when that little screen has lots of pixels, I’ll buy one. Until then, I’ll program using my Linux boxes.
And things like this make me want to steer clear of the iPad. Heh.
unclesmrgol on March 3, 2011 at 12:57 AM
Racists!
Shy Guy on March 3, 2011 at 1:44 AM
I don’t buy over-priced proprietary Apple products – ever.
BTW, a netbook for less than $300 will do all that an iPad can, plus more.
As for reading, I’ll take my non-glare, non-fingerprinted, purse-sized Kindle, thanks very much. Plus, the Amazon bookstore beats the iBookstore with price and quantity by far.
Thanks to Apple, we now have the agency model, which Random House joined yesterday just in time for the iPad 2. They jacked up the prices on all of their books, losing me and many others as customers.
Thankfully, we have indie authors, Amazon’s Encore program, and authors who self-publish their backlists when they regain their rights.
Common Sense on March 3, 2011 at 1:45 AM
The biggest draw back to apple products tend to be their price. In the ipad 2, you have a device that performs better than the competition, is more usable and defined (have fun waiting for wifi on the Xoom), and comes in at a significantly lower price, with things like facetime built into the network that won’t ever exist on the other tablets, outside of skype.
The specs on the ipad are on par with, if not higher than, similarly priced netbooks. Are there cases when a netbook will be preferred? Sure. But with the right apps and the keyboard, you can turn the ipad into a pretty convincing laptop in it’s own right, and the ability to use it on the move/pull it out on the fly no matter where you are is something that a netbook just can’t do.
For upgrading, it’s like going from an iphone 3g to a 3gs. From what I’m reading at engadget, the speed difference is really quite noticeable, and app’s are going to be taking advantage of it. Do you absolutely need to upgrade? Of course not. But if you can ebay your ipad for $300 and shell out $200 for an upgrade, it’s certainly not a bad deal. But we can all be assured that the ipad 3 will probably be a bit of a total overhaul. I just wish I didn’t have to wait for the iphone 5 to set up a personal hotspot for the ipad 2. Ugh.
Rainsford on March 3, 2011 at 3:15 AM
Ugh, he got an Atrix, didn’t he? Sure, it’s probablly the most powerful Android on the market at the moment, but the dualcore on something so small is overkill. And did he really get the media center thing? It’s basically a dock that let’s you connect it to the tv via HDMI, but the phone has a built in HDMI so the dock is just a glorified charger for 80 bucks. The “laptop shell”, which will run you $500 (along with a mandatory tethering package for an extra $20 a month if you try to save a few bucks with a package, doh!) is flimsy, has a trackpad from the 1990’s, and essentially does nothing but run a watered-down, laggy firefox browser. The videos of it in action are pretty horrendous, and I’d rather just run the browser off the phone itself. I really can’t understand why Moto went with a firefox instance instead of chrome OS on an Android, but whatever.
And sure, you can use a mouse/keyboard by plugging it into a monitor and getting the same enviroment as the laptop shell, but again it’s like using a laptop from 10 years ago. For the $250 for the phone, $80 for the dock and $500 for the laptop shell(plus extra monitor, keyboard, etc), you can grab a $20 3GS iphone and a $250 netbook and do everything the atrix can do, just better.
Rainsford on March 3, 2011 at 3:21 AM
How about Tesla??
Sherman1864 on March 3, 2011 at 4:43 AM
It would be REALLY COOL if it had a lid, and the screen would stay tilted, and it had a keyboard…you know…LIKE A LAPTOP.
#FAIL #FAD
American Elephant on March 3, 2011 at 5:27 AM
Guy walks into our office couple of weeks ago with zero chance of selling his product. Breaks out an iPad, puts it on one of those little easels that you buy in the Apple store, fires up a slick Powerpoint presentation of his product, leaves the office with a 20 odd thousand dollar order.
Try convincing him he wasted his money.
I was told when I started with my current company that they would get me a desktop or a laptop so I could log into their citrix connection, etc, etc. I told them I was all set – I had a MacBook – they told me it wouldn’t work.
Not only does it work on the Mac platform, I can log into citrix and they have an app for Mac specifically. I run citrix faster on a wireless airport than other people in the company run it with their T1 connection.
And they call me when they have trouble doing stuff that requires anything more fancy than word or excel.
You’re kidding, right?
Have you ever been to an Apple Store?
First of all, any one that I have ever been to anywhere in the US is packed with customers. It is an oasis of busy amongst the shuttered doors in today’s mall. Try buying a PC at Circuit City today.
I bought two of my daughters iPads for Christmas and even though the place was a mosh pit, I was in and out in 15 minutes – they had an express table with iPads – scan your credit card on an iPod (or was it an iPhone, who cares…) put your signature on the iPhone, receipt by e-mail.
My MacBook had a (rare) problem a couple of weeks ago. Made an appointment on-line, walked in, was greeted immediately, problem resolved, out I went. Cost? Zero. Attitude? Superb.
In so many ways, Apple runs a business that more businesses should strongly emulate. I don’t care how much they charge for their products. Their competition isn’t even close to them.
turfmann on March 3, 2011 at 5:38 AM
You kinda lost me with the comment about sitting on your couch working, IPad being a component of the moment.
I can sit on my couch working, can even sit at the dining table working just as easily which is another dozen or so feet away from the screen, or standing at the kitchen counter, anywhere up to 30 feet away with a wireless keyboard and mouse. 42″ screen in the living room. Speakers that I can adjust from the keyboard. Fonts change with a mouse click. This is not new technology.
Never had an Apple, ‘cepting the edible kind. I build my own PCs. Upgrade components when the technology improves enough to justify it. A C-note here or there, not a $500 outlay every couple of years. Donate older parts as a re-build to family, friends, the needy. Does Apple work that way? Not that I’ve heard.
Robert17 on March 3, 2011 at 5:38 AM
Dude, you are literally one in a million. Most people have trouble finding the on/off switch, never mind running a screwdriver to take the screws out of the CPU cabinet. It’s great that you can build your own stuff but for 99.999999999% of us that is a complete impossibility.
turfmann on March 3, 2011 at 6:07 AM
Apple’s rivals have yet to make significant inroads with consumers, in part because they have had difficulty matching the iPad’s pricing. The Motorola Xoom, for instance, costs $800. The Samsung Galaxy Tab is available for about $500, but at 7 inches, is much smaller than the iPad, which is nearly 10 inches.
albill on March 3, 2011 at 6:19 AM
Good point!!
BTW Like fuji apples myself. Very crisp.
Sherman1864 on March 3, 2011 at 6:33 AM
Look at the apple logo. Observe how they market their products. What historic event do they associate themselves with and why? Is it something that would make some of us hesitant to use their products?
ted c on March 3, 2011 at 7:37 AM
Turfmann is right–there is absolutely no way I would ever undertake building my own computer–and I’m fairly mechanically inclined. The very idea of it scares the socks off me, but even if I got past that, I just don’t have the time to learn how–I need something that just works, which my Mac does. When I was a PC user, that wasn’t the case–would that I had back the hours I wasted struggling with my Windows-based computer. I know there are plenty of techies on HA who use Linux, Ubuntu, etc., but for many of us, those are scary, too. (Please let’s not use my comments to start a battle of Mac vs. PC–those always end up looking like some lame bar fight between people with thick glasses and asthma).
I can see buying the iPad2, and probably will. I like my Kindle, but the idea that I can haul a number of audio books with me, as well, and that I can iChat/Skype with my husband when one of us is traveling and doesn’t want to haul a laptop, is awfully appealing.
DrMagnolias on March 3, 2011 at 7:44 AM
Did someone spike your Wheaties this morning?
conservative pilgrim on March 3, 2011 at 7:45 AM
@Allah
The iPad 2 lets you stream 720p over HDMI at 30fps (i.e. smoothly) to your living-room TV set. Which means: instantly magnify that web clip, movie, game to 42″ or more.
With the previous iPad hardware, this wasn’t possible due to lower CPU/GPU performance.
Niko on March 3, 2011 at 7:50 AM
Hard to imagine a professional blogger/writer would be interested in an iPad for work. It’s a consuming device, not a creative one. You want a light laptop with a full keyboard? Get a MacBook Air. The 11.6″ one is just a delight, weighs only 2.3 pounds, and with its Core2Duo processor and solid-state drive will run rings around any netbook.
I wanted a built-in optical drive, so I opted (as it were) for a 13.3″ MacBook Pro. Quite a bit heavier at 4.5 pounds, but still an elegant, full-featured computer.
MrLynn on March 3, 2011 at 8:13 AM
I’m too poor you insensitive slobs.
But I am curious about the AT&T(ugh) smartphone that docks to a laptop like thingy.
orbitalair on March 3, 2011 at 8:17 AM
Hey – AllahP is honored here with his own comic!
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple
Good Lt on March 3, 2011 at 8:17 AM
I should clarify, if I ever get a smartphone, it would be like a portable device, I cant afford data plans (esp not at&t $45+ /mo one). And I think the dock like device would make a smartphone more useful. However, where is the laser projector screen, and laser keyboard???
I see its called the ATRIX4g and its $499 (plus you need a phone, which if bought unlocked is probably $600+). Still far too expensive for normal working guys like me.
For that much money I am buying a gun, which will take me 6mos to save for.
orbitalair on March 3, 2011 at 8:32 AM
Negative, Ghostrider. The 40 dollar dongle they just released for HDMI out works with the Ipod 4 as well as the original IPAD.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/02/apples-digital-av-adapter-also-works-with-iphone-4-fourth-gen/
Asher on March 3, 2011 at 8:44 AM
Seriously Allah, why would you buy first generation anything? Silly.
For those of us that have waited for the release of Ipad 2 I am stoked. It’s just what I’ve been waiting for.
I will use it for everything from weekly phone calls with family that lives out of state (which all of my family does), to an ereader for my online rental textbooks, surfing the web, laying in bed at night watching movies with the hubby, to streaming movies for the children on our frequent road trips, emails, and even papers I have to write for school — and that is just the beginning of what I will be doing with this thing.
Virginia Shanahan on March 3, 2011 at 9:01 AM
I love my iPad. I hate my iPad.
I love my iPad because it’s a fun device. Great for games. Great for watching NetFlix videos. Pretty good for browsing.
But I hate my iPad because it’s the perfect size to be a productive device for doing – y’know, actual work; but it lacks thse features:
1) No integrated file system. Each app carries its own file system so if I have an app for creating Word-style docs, those docs are not accessible to other apps. The only workaround is to place your documents on a cloud server – which I usually am too lazy to do.
2) No access to my LAN. I don’t know why I can’t just mount a network folder from my LAN, but I can’t. Stupid.
3) Keyboard isn’t great. You have a virtual keyboard but it doesn’t have a non-destructive back space (arrow) key. What the …? If I want to backspace into a line of text I have to use the touchscreen. No, I don’t want to use the touchscreen, you stupid …. You can get a Bluetooth keyboard, but I think it’ll suffer from the same limitations.
4) No support for Flash and that means some Web video ain’t gonna work for you. If you like a site like Hulu, you’re out of luck. Their video requires Flash. Now with HTML5, I think this is going to change but for now you do have problems.
So in the end, Apple produced a shiny toy for brain-dead kids and left the market open for someone else to introduce a productive workplace tablet.
Kind of like what they did with the personal computer market.
PackerBronco on March 3, 2011 at 9:08 AM
Instead of spending your money on a new IPad, I would take that $500 and buy Apple stock. Going forward, the tablet technology will be the dominant computing product and Apple will likely enjoy upwards of 80% of that market for some time. I can see dollar signs from my couch.
Syd B. on March 3, 2011 at 9:11 AM
Does the new Ipad have a new liver?
esnap on March 3, 2011 at 9:13 AM
Share the acid or explain the trip.
You-Eh-Vee on March 3, 2011 at 9:29 AM
I don’t like laptops or Ipads. I need the bigger keyboards. All I want for Christmas is a highspeed land line, which is not likely, considering that I live in the boondocks of South Carolina. My satellite web connection is way, way too slow.
SC.Charlie on March 3, 2011 at 9:55 AM
I remember when I bought my first IBM PC back in the early 1980s. I cost over $2,000. Talk about antiques.
SC.Charlie on March 3, 2011 at 10:03 AM
The lack of copy/paste for media apps is a feature not a bug. Backdoor DRM for dead tree media who is forced into the digital world
thegreatsatan on March 3, 2011 at 11:05 AM
perfect.
wildweasel on March 3, 2011 at 11:24 AM
He didn’t get the dock. As you pointed out, he can connect the TV directly to the phone with the right cable. He has the right cable, not a dock. His assessment of the dock is similar to how you feel, but he knows I’m a programmer and that I have bad feelings about cross-development — it’s too easy in the “emulation environment” to build what you’ve just described — bloatware. But add a keyboard and mouse and a native development environment, and you are far less apt to build something too big for the house.
The thing he likes about it is that (a) he can make a phone call no matter which way he holds the phone, and (b) he no longer has to deal with the App Store. And he can swap out the OS himself. He’s free — free at last, according to him.
From his description, I’d recommend the phone to anyone worred about an overdose of smurfberries.
I personally turn my cellphone on to make a call, and turn it off after I am done talking. I can go for weeks between recharges. My cellphone has real buttons — and would have a dial if they’d make one that way which fits in the pocket. I don’t use it to cruise the net, or to “text”, or to watch movies. But he’s a kid and raised in an era of 24-7 connectivity.
unclesmrgol on March 3, 2011 at 11:30 AM
Rumours are that the iPad 3 is the one to replace your iPad 1
J_Crater on March 3, 2011 at 12:03 PM
Huh?
Dude?
Ward Cleaver on March 3, 2011 at 12:03 PM
Boris Badenov: “I can’t be tricky all the time .. I’ve got other things to think about”
J_Crater on March 3, 2011 at 12:04 PM
Yeah, I don’t get it either. Then again, I don’t get anything that ted c posts.
You-Eh-Vee on March 3, 2011 at 2:27 PM
Apple only cares about selling new stuff. They are just like the democrats – you get no real choices – you get what they say you get.
No matter how cool the Ipad seems, you can’t fix it. You can’t even change the battery.
An expensive (though admittedly very shiny) toy.
Squiggy on March 3, 2011 at 3:40 PM
The logo is an apple…with a bite out of it… Garden of Eden…Adam and Eve…original sin? Ringing any bells yet?
Pretty sure that’s what he means.
American Elephant on March 7, 2011 at 6:32 AM