Tech Review: iPad

[Vector]

Well, Apple have just released their next big thing - the iPad.
To me, it looks just like an overgrown iPod, but what does it really have to offer?

Well, according to the official iPad features page from the Apple website, the iPad touts some of the following features...

Safari
Funnily enough, I thought a web browser was available on the iPhone. And iPod. And my mobile phone from 5 years ago. But ok, you can browse the web on a regular sized screen now, so that's a plus. Additionally, you have Mail. I couldn't tell you if this was already available on the similar devices or not. (Although I'm sure there's an app for it!)

Photos
With its crisp, vibrant display and unique software features, iPad is an extraordinary way to enjoy and share your photos. Unfortunately, if you were thinking of taking any photos with the iPad, you'er out of luck because there isn't a built-in webcam. Although for an optional small fee, you can get a camera connection kit (read: USB/SD card adapter). Regardless, you can still sync pictures across or download them from e-mails.

Video
Again, I wouldn't expect any different from playing a video on an iPod here. I can vouch for the quality and vibrance of playing video on Apple devices to date, so I don't think we'll be disappointed.

Youtube
Since none of the iPod, iPhone, or iPad support Adobe Flash Player, you get a youtube app to view all of those videos of children hurting themselves and cats doing funny things. Nothing new, but still a plus.

iPod, iTunes, App Store
Again, totally expected and not disappointed. Although I am slightly taken back by the fact that the iPad supposedly still needs to sync to a computer just as you would an iPod or iPhone... I would have imagined that this device would have grown out of that need. Although obviously I haven't seen or done a sync with an iPad, so maybe it's not quite the same as the sync as we know it now. Time will tell.

iBooks
Even if I did have an iPad, even if the iPad was available in my country, I would only be able to access iBooks from the U.S., which I find disappointing. But then again, I'm always disappointed when manufacturers make something available in any particular country months after its initial release somewhere else, so maybe you shouldn't listen to me.
Having said that, iBooks looks to be nifty, letting you buy books on the store and display them on your own digital bookshelf.

Maps
From what I've read:
- the iPad does not have a full GPS installed
- If you have a wifi model, you don't get any sort of GPS
- If you have a 3G model, you will get GPS (based on mobile towers + signal strength), which means no service = no gps. Not helpful when you're lost and can't call anybody.

Other than that, Maps claims to have a handy search feature. From the site, "You can also search for a nearby business type (“Restaurant,” for example), then tap the business to see the route and directions from your current location."

Notes
Write notes. Read notes. It's notes. I can do that with a pen and paper. Although if I don't have $2.00 handy to buy a pen and pad, I might rush out and order an iPad so I can keep track of things.

Calendar, Contacts
Anything that claims that a calendar and contacts is a feature is starting to get me worried. I've had a calendar and contact list on my mobile phone for the last 10 years. It is not a feature, it is an expectation.

Home Screen
Really, the desktop is a feature? See above.

Spotlight Search
Kind of like Ctrl-F, but for the people without the Ctrl key.

Multitouch
This is the one thing that keeps on making me look at Apple products. I just love the idea of multitouch - it has so much potential in consumer and commercial applications, and I don't think that it's been fully realized yet, but it's definitely a great thing.

Battery Life
From the site, "you can use iPad for up to 10 hours while surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching videos, or listening to music.*"
And: "* testing conducted by Apple in January 2010 using preproduction iPad units and software performing each of the following tasks: video playback, audio playback, and Internet browsing using Wi-Fi. Battery life depends on device settings, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPad units; actual results may vary."



And thus ends the feature list.
To be completely honest, I'm a little disappointed. For something that may as well be should be able to replace my laptop, I think it's missing some really key components.

A camera for starters. It's crazy. Every other device on the face of the planet has a camera built into it. Think of the possibilities! Walking around on your non-miniature screen, video-calling someone from where-ever the hell you are. Beats the hell out of the 2 inch screen on my mobile, and it would probably bring video-calling to the front of our minds via skype or some other service. And then there's the lack of ability to take photos using that vibrant screen. As a photographer, I know that I can use the tiny screen on the back of my camera to give me a rough idea of how well a photo came out, but I'll never really know until I download them all. With a screen like that, you would already know if you had to take it again.

An SD card slot. Some people will live with 16/32/64GB of space, others will not. An SD card can not only be used to store additional files, but it can also be used to import a roll of film from your digital camera, transfer files between your mobile and the iPad given Apple's broken bluetooth never works if it's not with another Apple device, and so on.

USB ports. Who doesn't have a USB drive? Who, on the planet? If you can afford an iPad, you'll have a USB drive. To use a USB drive, you need a USB port. No USB port = No USB drive. Plus, you can't do stacks of other cool things, like plug in external devices that are made to enrich a computing experience, or make it easier (like a USB keyboard, which you can't use, but you can buy an optional extra keyboard dock to lug around with you if you want. )

As far as I'm aware (from what I've read) some of these things (the camera kit, the sd card slot, and the keyboard) will be available, but as I mentioned, in the form of an adapter or an optional extra that will cost money and require you to bring it with you, instead of being part of the device already, and I think that's just silly.

Overall
I'm not particularly impressed. I don't know if you can tell, but I'm not.
I think Apple have released a crippled product intentionally, to maintain their firm grip on the balls of every Apple consumer out there willing to fork out the money for an iPad. All of the features that make this thing actually useful and usable seem to be in the optional extras, and incur the inconvenience of needing to physically bring them with you, or dock, or something else that makes the iPad that little less convenient than it should be.

Let me know
Let me know what you think. Have the websites that I've been reading fed me garbage information? Tell me. I want to think good about this product but I'm really struggling - it looks like something that could have been ground-breaking and paved the way of the future (like the iPhone) in portable technology, but is basically an overgrown iPod for lack of better features. Tell me I'm wrong, please! 


[edit]Added Image[/edit]
[edit]Additional link: Apple iPad: A Comprehensive Guide[/edit]

[chluaid]

The joke that is the iPad has the opposite effect on me. Rather than counting the days and queuing like a fool for this, I will avoid it at all costs. Buying this thing will mean you are tied to iTunes and the App Store (pretty much like we are with the iPhone), if only to justify your $500-$1000 spend. It has absolutely nothing for me, unlike the iPhone which WAS a game-changer and which I love. ((The iPhone's shortcomings are easily forgivable, considering the sheer versatility of most of its aspects.))

In all honesty though, I sense a marketing strategy here (though quite a transparent one). They release a shitty unfinished unit which is slightly more polished than a prototype. Fanboys rush out and pay big bucks for it, only for the next generation to come out 8 months later with a few more features for a lower price. The fanboys pay again, more people get in on the action. By 3rd gen, it is a full featured, highly desirable device that everyone must have.

btw, I hope I'm proven wrong some beautiful day but Flash on these devices will never happen. Flash is an app development tool (I hear some even use it for animation!). If Flash were integrated, Apple could never monopolise the market through the App store, the way they do now. If Flash were on the iPhone, would you pay money for games on the App Store? Or would you just go to Newgrounds, Kongregate and Armor Games? Would you pay money for (example) a calculator app? Or would you just whip one up for yourself in actionscript?

For me the biggest laugh with the iPad (because it is supposed to be "better than a netbook") is no multitasking. You can't do two or more things at once, i.e. can't sketch or use email while listening to music. Fail.

[elephant]

Don't really care for it, but I must say it's one of the best names Apple has ever come up with.

"It's thin, comfortable to use and will absorb you!"

[Snowman]

and will absorb you!"

Hahahaha, excellent!

Yeah my first impression was that it's just a bloated iPod touch, one that you can't fit in your pocket so what's the use just having it as a quick media utility. But it's also a shrunken netbook that is missing features which would make it a viable competitor.

All in all, I don't really care about this one. It's 'neat' I guess, and some people will enjoy the midway aspect it has. I can't see it becoming that widespread like Apples other portable brand names.

[Halowood]

Not sure if i'm allowed to link it but ED has a lulzy review of the iPad.

[psychomunkey3]

Not sure if i'm allowed to link it but ED has a lulzy review of the iPad.

PM a mod with the link and see if it would be okay to post it with a warning of its content.

[Halowood]

PM a mod with the link and see if it would be okay to post it with a warning of its content.

Anyone in particular?

[Juggleballz]

I'm getting me a big rock. They're awesome!

[Jaehl]

They've had thousands of years to improve rocks, you'd think they'd have Flash support by now.

Edit: OMG, I just noticed my post count! So awesome! I guess I can never post in this forum ever again now, or I'll lose it. Bye everyone!

[TheGrayK]

I would screenshot it and put it in my sig or something.

Edit: I realized I forgot to put what I was going to say
Its late/early up all night.

The I-Pad is really a poor excuse of a device and a way to suck even more money out of those who could use the money for better things.
Even the name is a rip off of the I-Pod this device is nothing really new or different it is a big I-pod touch that is all.
Steve Jobs has proven that "If you build it they will come."  I'll leave the last word up to your interpretation.
but thats what all the fanboys are doing and we'll never hear the end of how awesome this product is because of them (being the fanboys).
Thats my take I hope i didn't offend anyone I just hate useless technology.

[supermoose]

I suppose that its no real disappointment for me.  Possibly because I didnt listen to any of the rumors, possibly because I have a seething hatred for Apple, and want all their products to flounder before I see them.  Also possibly because first generations of new technologies always suck butt.  Always.

This is basically a giant iPod touch.  Still has wifi, still has screen, still cannot make phone calls, still can only do apps form the store, still has no real OS.

Thats not a bad thing.  All of this is in addition to "tablet."  You can draw on it, you can look at pics on it, and as far as I know, a cintique which does similar (albeit a bit bigger) is around $2000.  I can almost garuntee that these will be back-engineered to be a computer tablet, which is cool by me. 

In my mind, this is just a prototype.  Will I buy one?  No.  Will I be interested to see the iPad 2.0?  Heck yes.  Then they may have put in multitasking, they may have put in a USB slot, or an SD slot.  Actually, probably not a USB slot.  It would be an "Apple USB mini" slot, so that you would have to buy a $40 adapter or only use their accessories.  I would bet money that later versions would have a camera.  It still could "revolutionize" things, just not in its current use.

Also, lol for menstruation jokes.
http://i.imgur.com/gb9ZN.jpg

[Esn]

It doesn't appeal to me either, for a whole lot of reasons. The device I'm currently waiting for is the Pandora:

[Halowood]

Oh yeah. Forgot about the pandora.
I'm hoping for a HP Slate though.

[Zwickel]

Hormones+ Itouch= IPad

[Kamikengen]

Hormones+ Itouch= IPad

iPod Touch + 'Shroom = iPad

iPad = newfag