The only real change Apple made between the first and second rev of the iPhone was 3G service, GPS and a redesign of the bezel to support regular head phones. All of the rest of the changes were really in the guts. Which is to say, I don't expect the second rev of the iPhone to be drastically different than the first. I suspect they'll add a camera, but adding a USB port seems very unlikely. Which is to say, don't expect to get rid of your laptop anytime soon, since iTunes on another computer will be the gateway for adding content to the device.
The Link The Link The Link The Link The Link 33.5 million units in a single year is hardly a bust. Netbooks have not caught up to laptops in total unit sales, but it is the only computer form factor which has seen significant growth in the last three years. Which is to say the market says that all computers units sold have been flat except netbooks whose market share are climbing. The future of netbooks is unclear, since the driving factor in its growth is presumed to be its razor thin margin, they are only arguably a good business. From the consumer perspective, however, the report is clear, netbooks are a desirable item.
This app developer does a far better job than I could of providing a vision of what will be possible with the iPad. As it turns out, the larger screen is a very big deal in his opinion. "iPad is exactly the product I've been wishing for ever since I wrapped my mind around the iPhone and its constraints. Although the rumor mill was churning with all kinds of crazy possibilities for the Apple tablet, I mostly rolled my eyes, because I felt strongly that all Apple needed to do to revolutionize computing was simply to make an iPhone with a large screen. Anyone who feels underwhelmed by that doesn't understand how much of the iPhone's operating system's potential is still untapped."
i just read an article saying that the ipads will probably be shipping with with a built in webcam like the laptops, that is a nice addition if true. i will try and find the article.
This is one of many reports that show a camera option is designed into the iPad case. Whether Apple ships it initially, adds it in a new model down the road, or never ships it remains to be seen. The current iPod touch is also designed to accept a camera, but doesn't ship with one at this time. It's probably just one of the trade-offs Apple has available to hit their price point.
brntorng, to be clear, it is not the form factor that I find lacking. If I was designing a stand alone app, I'd be a big fan of the iPad, as well. It is a fine developer device, my objection is that it seems to be a poor consumer device in as much as it under delivers at its price point. It does a bunch of things "ok" and considering that fact it is very expensive. As a consumer I would be much more attracted to a Touch with 3G (which would be an awesome device), than the iPad. My central argument boils down to this: at this size and price point I expect a device which is more customizable. It is one thing to lock down a device because of its performance characteristics, it is another to do it because the Execs think they know what is best for me. Many of the choices about this device seems to have been made out of sheer obstinance. My understanding is the guts are situated in such a manner that it is unclear if the camera is forward facing or user facing. I'm not sure why they'd need the former, so I'll assume the latter. If they do implement this, what do you want to bet that AT&T locks down video streaming except to WiFi? They are a bunch of ********. In any event, we can only discuss the skus we've seen. Potential future mods are just speculation, and the fact is by the time particular mods are included the story of the device could already be written, and Apple can say it was only a "hobby" device the whole time.
I remember when people dismissed the iPod because there were other music players with more features that cost less. Over 150 million iPods sold now, we can see how that turned out. I don't know if the iPad will be a hit or not, but considering the past decade of performance and innovation I wouldn't bet against Apple. They have radically changed how we think about (and acquire, and use) music. They revolutionized the cell phone and showed the world that it could be much more than a phone, and now everyone is copying them because Apple recognized an opportunity and executed on it very well. Steve Jobs once said that one of Apple's strengths is that they have the discipline to think through what people might want, and they have usually been right. And anybody who throws out stupid terms like 'fanboy' might be interested to know that this fanboy bought Apple stock at $72 just a few years ago -- it's now around $200. Yeah, I'm a fan.
Dion, every device manufacturer has its fanboys, that isn't exclusive to apple. It refers to the people who think the manufacturer can do no wrong and purchase whatever they offer. It is a descriptive term more than a "stupid" one. Apple has introduced plenty of duds historically (Newton, which seems particularly apt here) and recently (AppleTV, Air). They have a singular eye for design, and have done a great job of cornering the pocket device market, but their successes in other media types have been pretty hit and miss. Since the iPad is not in the pocket device market I don't think it is untoward to be skeptical.
My wife is a physician and wants one to take when out of town to use to write dictations, return e-mails, surf the web, etc. It appears to be a lot easier to transport than the laptop she currently uses and battery life looks like it will be much better. Without taking a close look at the eBooks app, I will reserve judgement on the book-reading aspects. E-ink is awesome to read, but I'm sure Apple will have something of their own to maximize readibility. I think I would primarily use it for magazines and newspapers, so it should be an improvement in that area. Basically, i am reserving judgement until i get one in my hands. The demonstration didn't look all that great, but I see a lot of potential.
while apple has brought some great things to the marketplace..... a. ipod - the first succesful portable digital music player b. iphone - do i really need to say anything? c. macintosh - still big to this day this comparison:
Slingbox app over 3G approved by AT&T today...interesting to see what the picture will be like on ipad.
The Link It sounds like this will need a new version, so that's why it isn't in the app store yet. Looks like they scaled back resolution to fit the streaming requirements. Who knows, maybe it will lower the price. This is great news.
