The Truth Behind Apple's iPad

[topgear]

It's a console.

Apple's iPad, which launched today to much fanfare, is simply an enabling platform. Those who have the iPhone or iPod Touch, know what it's like, for the most part, to use the iPad.






Sure, the iPad's got a much larger screen, and a faster processor, and even 3G, but it's just a bigger iPod Touch.


The killer application for the iPhone, was in fact, its ability to fit right into your pocket. Can you see yourself grabbing an iPad while you dash out your front door? Not me. It's big. And I already have my notebook, which also happens to be a MacBook Pro. Sure, call me an Apple fanboy, I don't care. My main desktop is in fact, a custom built PC. But even someone like me who has an Apple product, I can't vouch for the iPad.


The most critical point about the iPad, is the fact that it can't multi-task. Like the iPod Touch and the iPhone, it can only run one application at any given time. Despite having a powerful CPU on the inside, the iPad is crippled because of its operating system, the same operating system behind the iPhone. Fundamentally, if you already have a notebook and an iPhone, the iPad will have a difficult time finding a place in your daily routine.


Let's all say it together now: no multi-tasking? What the bleep?


The truth.


The iPad is a console, in every sense of the word. The real money maker for Apple, is the App Store, iBook store, and iTunes store. The iPad will capture the audiences that the iPhone/iPod Touch wasn't, and then some. It'll also capture the core Apple audience too. I've talked to a few real Apple fans today, and even they difficulty wrapping their heads around the iPad.


The iPad is a closed system. You can't do anything you want to it. Apps must be from the App Store. Like an SNES, or a PS3, software must be sanctioned. And like consoles, only one game can be played at any given time. And Like those consoles makers, the money is in the software (for consoles, it was the license to make software).


The iTunes store, the App store, and now the iBook store. Even if Apple sold each iPad for $50, it would make back its losses in a very short time period.


Truth be told, the magic should have been in the software. Given that the iPad is a tablet, we can understand that it doesn't have a keyboard. But not to be able to let its owner run more than one app is a miserable thing. The OS could have been so much more for the iPad. What the iPad should have shipped with, was OS X, with a tablet designed UI--not a tablet, with the iPhone OS.


Like a console though, it almost doesn't matter. It's all about getting people onto the App Store and making small payments, but a lot of small payments. One closed system, many software purchases. And because of the iPhone's already enormous popularity, it's not hard to convince just even those users, to hop on the iPad.


No doubt, there will be some instances where the iPad can deliver some unique uses. For many mainstream users who either just chat, email, or browse, the iPad may be OK. But for power users who love their software and want to get things done, there are alternatives.


Did I mention you can at least chat while playing games on current generation consoles?

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/app...sole,9525.html

[ash]

I am quite underwhelmed, perhaps the hype around this-killer and that-killer was too much to handle. It seems more like iphone goes supersize.
Seems like it will not replace any other device (unless someone is fine with a large screen for a phone... but there too it does not have an SMS app yet!) which is a pity with already too many devices one needs.

[topgear]

Adobe Slams Apple for iPad's Lack of Flash

Adobe says that the iPad, without Flash, will miss out on the majority of web games and video.

Apple may tout the iPad as the best web browsing experience, but what about Flash? Love it or hate it, you can barely go through a handful of clicks before running into an Adobe-flash powered element.


Flash has been an important part of the web, and it'll be something that iPad won't have out of the box when it ships in late March. While the omission of Flash was excusable on the iPod Touch and iPhone, competing devices today run Flash, which makes the iPad omission even more glaring.


Adobe's Adrian Ludwig, the company's Flash Platform Product Marketing Group Manager, wrote in a blog post:


It looks like Apple is continuing to impose restrictions on their devices that limit both content publishers and consumers. Unlike many other ebook readers using the ePub file format, consumers will not be able to access ePub content with Apple's DRM technology on devices made by other manufacturers. And without Flash support, iPad users will not be able to access the full range of web content, including over 70% of games and 75% of video on the web.


If I want to use the iPad to connect to Disney, Hulu, Miniclip, Farmville, ESPN, Kongregate, or JibJab -- not to mention the millions of other sites on the web -- I'll be out of luck.


Adobe and more than 50 of our partners in the Open Screen Project are working to enable developers and content publishers to deliver to any device, so that consumers have open access to their favorite interactive media, content, and applications across platform, regardless of the device that people choose to use.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/app...fail,9531.html

[cute.bandar]

The most critical point about the iPad, is the fact that it can't multi-task.

does it mean one can't listen to music while doing something like browsing ?

[sriharsha_madineni]

Originally Posted by cute.bandar

does it mean one can't listen to music while doing something like browsing ?

No you can listen to music while browsing.
What he meant was you cannot run two apps at same time as in Symbian phones.
But you have two jailbreak apps Backgrounder and Kirikae, the combo of these enables multitasking to an extent. And the interface is quite similar to symbian, like holding the menu in symbian phones shows open apps list to switch b/w open apps, right.
Those two apps do the same to Apple iPhone and iPod touch by holding power button or home button( can be customized in settings ). Here's how I multitask in my iPod touch

[cute.bandar]

listening to music while browsing sounds like multi-tasking to me. but i haven't used any nice phone like iphone or symbian.

[ico]

Android based Tablets will be out by the end of this year.

And iPad sucks, because of no multitasking. iPhone OS is fine for the iPhone, but for the iPad we need something better and more 'open'.

[sriharsha_madineni]

I beg to differ,How can everyone decide for yourself without even looking at it Physically and without even using it. People said the same with iPhone it hasn't got this it hasn't got that blah blah blah. But those who have owned it or used it will tell you how their perceptions changed before and after using it.
So let iPad hit the market,let people use it and then decide whether it is crap or not.
For those who are soo worried about multitasking,I guess i've cleared it in my previous post, though it is for iPhone/iPod touch for the time being, it should be available once iPad jailbreak happens.
So people,let iPad hit the market first!!!!!!!!!

[ico]

tbh, for a Tablet, one needs multitasking. I'll really like to have an IRC client running in the back ground and simultaneously browsing + listening to music.

iPad is nothing but an oversize iPod touch as of now.

[sriharsha_madineni]

tbh, for a Tablet, one needs multitasking

I agree with you on that and I've shown you the workarounds too

I'll really like to have an IRC client running in the back ground and simultaneously browsing + listening to music.

Of-course you can do that even on a non-jailbroken iPhone, Just run your IRC client app with push notification in the background. And listening to music while browsing is ofcourse enabled by default What else ??

iPad is nothing but an oversize iPod touch as of now

That's what I'm Thinking too,but in a positive way. Now I can do the same thing on a bigger screen and faster too with that proccy. Ask any iPhone or iPod touch user what it feels like using that interface and numerous functional Apps with an added bigger screen functionality and for the rest of them they'll love it once they interact with it.
Considering the price of basic iPad @ 23K, I would go for it happily keeping in mind that I spent 20K on my iPod and for just a 3K more I'm getting a bigger screen,an IPS one that too with a fast processor. What else can I ask for?? I don't expect a desktop replacement functionality na or even a laptop functionality for 23K.

@All
I hate people whining about products which they never saw physically or used them,not just iPad, any other product.
Stop giving blind comments. Just because some reviews said its a fail. Everyone started following suit,whining about what it doesn't have blah blah blah.
wait for the product,use it and if you still feel the same then it's ok, But don't just make blind comments.

[Rishabh_sharma1990]

Visit this link about iPad, really funny.......
iPad Made Me Poop Bricks

[ico]

For 17k, I can buy a Netbook which will also let me do 10x more things.

[sriharsha_madineni]

Originally Posted by ico

For 17k, I can buy a Netbook which will also let me do 10x more things.

Vice-versa dude the very same netbook can't do what iPad does.

[Rishabh_sharma1990]

[Quad Core]

@ its doesn't hav a camera

@ cant use two apps simultaneously

iphone+Macbook = iPad.

[ico]

Originally Posted by sriharsha_madineni

Vice-versa dude the very same netbook can't do what iPad does.

tbh, nor I hate Apple, nor the iPhone, I'm a proud owner of a Mac mini, but a Netbook can do more things than the iPad.

[Quad Core]

netbook can do a lot more than iPad, i presume.

[sriharsha_madineni]

@ its doesn't hav a camera

Agreed

@ cant use two apps simultaneously

Look a few post above

iphone+Macbook = iPad

I don't think so
This discussion is going no-where,this would be my last post here

[Quad Core]

i jus said my perspective.

jus relax man, y dis is gonna be ur last post???

[sakumar79]

if he answered here, it would no longer be his last post, would it?

BTW, IMHO, Apple's products are not meant for everyone... Every product it has released has some glaring omission of features but an amazing sense of simplicity... Which is why there are vehement fanboys of the product as well as a set of people who can never see the Apple way... (Personally, I probably belong to the latter group of people)...

Arun

[Garbage]

I wish, only after some days of launching, somebody should jailbreak it, or figure out some way to install Linux on iPad.
How that sounds?

---------- Post added at 10:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:53 PM ----------

I wish, only after some days of launching, somebody should jailbreak it, or figure out some way to install Linux on iPad.
How that sounds?

[Sarvesh]

I wish, only after some days of launching, somebody should jailbreak it, or figure out some way to install Linux on iPad.

Why will someone invest 17k ? just to install linux ??

[goobimama]

Like it or not, it's going to change the way people use computers. Mark my words. If it doesn't come true, I'll whizz on my hands.

[topgear]

Disclaimer - No offense meant to anyone

Just think of playing games like crysis ?? Will it change the way a avid gamer uses his computer ??

[ico]

^ I think the launch of iPhone really changed the way I use my computer.

[Pat]

Originally Posted by Quad Core

netbook can do a lot more than iPad, i presume.

Its the same thing again. Do you want features just to add up to the feature "count" that your device provides ? Or it is okay to have little less number of features, but whatever features are provided are out-of-this-world and irreplicable ?

For eg: Try running a HD video on netbook. Try reading books/playing games on it.

[asingh]

For the amount of money Apple charges for the products as per me they just do not justify the value they offer. Extreme less customization options, locked out hardware, mandate software requirements, difficult to use controllers. Good products --- but placed incorrectly, but still lap it up. Apple should be commended more for great marketing than product design.

This is the iPAD:

[ico]

^^^

[Liverpool_fan]

Originally Posted by goobimama

Like it or not, it's going to change the way people use computers. Mark my words. If it doesn't come true, I'll whizz on my hands.

I'll keep this quote for future reference

[goobimama]

@liverpool_fan: If my prediction does come true, I'm gonna pee on your hands.

Awright. I'm out. See you digit boys in a few.