So, yeah, uhm, I bought an iPad 2 today. I still don’t think anyone really needs a tablet, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want one. I wanted to wait until the HP TouchPad was announced, but now that it has, it seems it won’t be coming to The Netherlands any time soon. As such, the iPad 2 it was. A few quick fist impressions.
I bought the cheapest possible iPad 2 – 16GB, wifi, black, €479, plus the Smart Cover for €39. That’s one heck of a lot of money, but hey, sometimes I’m allowed to indulge myself with something that’s all want and no need.
Build quality of the device feels excellent – like all of Apple’s current hardware, really. It feels sturdy, strong, and the metal casing looks like it can take a punch. Compared to the row of plastic Android tablets I saw in the store today, the iPad 2 is not just miles ahead, but lightyears ahead.
Note, though, that build quality has nothing to do with the quality of the components inside the device. You can’t really judge those just by looking at and holding the device – my MacBook Air looks and feels just as sturdy as the iPad 2, but its SSD died within two weeks, and the left side of the display discoloured within a few months. Only time will tell how the iPad 2 holds up over the months.
Another thing you notice is just how fast and responsive the device really is. There’s no lag, no waiting, no stuttering – everything is fluid and quick. I find this a far cry from iOS’ somewhat sluggish performance on the iPhone. I guess it takes a dual-core processor to really make iOS fly.
I’ll get back to you all with a more thorough article in the future. So far, I’m liking it, but since I only just got it, that’s to be expected.
A friend and i saw the Motorola Xoom featuring android 3, packing a good tegra2 with a fresh os release .. it was so far beyond the ipad 1 it wasn’t even funny. My friend, a fairly big Apple opponent was all sigh since there was no comparison possible at all. The bestest android was still laggy around the edges, felt like a geeky tech demo with no soul or system wide vision. While the ipad released endorphin through your brain with the right amount of excellency in graphic stack / framework combination, aiming the nicest touch/visual response I’ve seen. Browsing between documents, rotation of the layout .. everything felt in place. Thinking of the other lower quality tablets and the not available dual core ipad 2 left a weird smile on my face.
p.s : Even thought it’s still a large amount of money, I can’t stop thinking about replacing the acer netbook I got my mother with an iPad, I’d bet 100$ she’d be happier, less anxious, more productive ‘computing’ user than ever
Edited 2011-06-10 22:17 UTC
Motorola Xoom is not the “bestest” Android in terms of *UI* speed: the Samsung Galaxy S-II or the Nexus S, or that new LG phone are (according to various benchmarks online). So while in the iOS world you need a tablet to get the best performance out of the OS (since in a tablet Apple can simply pack “more” of the same kind of hardware found on iPhone/iPod), the same is not necessarily true in the Android world. Different Android phones/tablets use so many different chipsets and UIs (and some of these chips are better in 3D rather than in 2D, or the other way around), that not all Android devices perform equally. So don’t generalize please.
Edited 2011-06-10 22:29 UTC
IMHO UI speed is a useless measure. I own an iPad2 and I’m really glad that there are so many iPad apps (i. e. Apps that are written for a tablet form factor, not just scaled up iPhone apps). This makes all the difference when it come to “speed” that really matters (= usability). So I couldn’t care less that there are “faster” phones (there are also faster desktops – who cares when talking about tables).
We know that. But the OP described things that are usually attributed to UI speed, e.g. how many fps you can get when you swipe UI stuff, how fast screens update etc. These things do contribute to the *impression* of how fast a device is for normal everyday use.
I have the Galaxy Tab P1000 and my wife uses the iPad 1 wifi 16Gb.
I can tell you that the Galaxy (Android) is just as snappy as the iPad and with it’s form factor actually delivers equal movie watching experience besides it’s being 7′ device as there are no black bars top and bottom of the screen.
Android also provide a lot of screen manipulating advantages over iOS (of cause in iOS 5 they are finally arriving)to deal with open pages.
Of cause the newer Galaxy Tabs are now arriving having dual cores and sd card slots which my Tab has as well.
The ipad is a beautiful device but the Galaxy has a lot going for it let alone the capability to load into it movies, music and other stuff without need for iTunes.
If you plug the Android device on a computer it appears as external drive. This makes it pluggable to a pc nealy anywhere without a need for specific software.
-cause +course, I think
Addendum: And then there is such a thing as battery life, you known. I guess it’s no problem to have a faster tablet, but having a faster one that also has longer battery life? Well ..
We’ve all seen the MHZ war in the PC era and even Intel has come to senses in the meantime.
True… The problem i have with android tablets/phones is every week a NEWER BETTER one comes out so i keep delaying my purchase lol. Right now im waiting for the galaxy s2 best phone ever hands down (even the apple fan boys over at engadget had to admit it!)To replace my phone and am eying the galaxy tab 10.1 as my first tablet. And for those who are worried about regular vs tablet apps there are plenty of apps designed specifically for the tablet but in any case icecream sandwich will fix everything
I’ll second that. When I upgraded from the Motorola Cliq to the HTC MyTouch 4G, it was like stepping through a portal into a new dimension.
Okay, maybe not quite that shocking, but it was virtually night and day. Now I understand why people like Android so much! I found that I hated the OS because of the sluggish, buggy, piece of shit hardware it was running on before. Now that I have a device that has virtually no lag, a capacitive screen that actually registers taps and swipes consistently, and a battery that lasts more than four hours with light use, I really like Android. I’ve played with an iPhone 4 and while it was very nice, I actually prefer the MyTouch, to my own surprise.
In fact I’d say the only thing about the Cliq I miss is the excellent hardware keyboard, and while Swype isn’t the best alternative I also now have Bluetooth HID support, so I can add a chatpad if I want.
So yes, in the Android world the user experience is almost completely tied to the quality of the hardware, with the OS version a distant second factor. Do your research folks, and you’ll end up with a satisfying device.
Edited 2011-06-11 20:04 UTC
All the hardware in the world wouldn’t make an Android better before it actually starts using it. Both Apple and Microsoft are using retained graphics model while Android still relies on an ancient immediate graphics model.
FTA:
This is frightening, especially given the fact that it’s from Apple, and given the high price tag.
Whilst the screen discolouration is definitely not good, SSD failure isn’t that unusual.
I know ssds are supposed to be more reliable than hard drives but (anecdotally) ssds seem to fail quite easily these days.
Glad it’s just anecdotal then, since I have had my SSD running as my boot drive in my MacPro for about 2 years, SSD in MBP for 2 years, and SSD in my HP 6130 for 1.5 years now and had nary a hiccup in any of them. Oh yeah, even my wife’s MB is running an Intel X-25 and she’s nothing but school girl giddy about its general performance. So either I’m really lucky, across 4 machines, or other people have had terrible experiences.
I use an SSD in my zero-dB desktop, and it failed after a year, but it was still under guarantee. But still, that sucks, I lost almost a week of work.
I wouldn’t say SSD’s are more reliable. But you could say SSD’s are more resistant to shock.
Apple has to buy from the same companies that supply to Windows consumers (many so cheap that they’d crap their pants than use a pay toilet.) If it wasn’t for the cheaper-is-better mentality throughout the PC world, you’d have chip fabs and display manufacturers creating more reliable products for Apple to use.
I’ve been an engineer for over 30 years. When I got into the field, a decent personal computer cost about as much as an economy car. Now a bunch of know-nothing consumers have driven down quality with their refusal to buy any computer that costs more than a mediocre bicycle.
Those parts of Apple products that are designed by Apple and exclusive to Apple are usually of the highest quality. Just look at a Mac Pro case. Pop the latch on the back and open side cover. The manufacturing precision and tolerances are enough to get anyone with mechanical engineering/manufacturing expertise to get weak in the knees.
Be careful what you wish for. One might say that all desktops, even the older ones are cheap pieces of sh*t compared to supercomputing clusters, and that we really should go back to the times where people rented mainframe time for a hefty price, accessed them from the distance, and had to hand their precious data to an unknown corporation…
…
Cloud computing is such a modern idea…
Hope you’ll have fun with your iPad 2! It is tempting to upgrade, but like for my phone, I try to discipline myself and skip every other generation. In the end it’s not that much of a problem, as I’m yet to encounter any issue with my first gen.
I can’t say about the iPad 2, and my personal experience is anecdotal, but I got my iPad 1 on the release day and used it pretty much every single days for those 14 months, and all components have been holding great so far. I’m actually shocked on how good the battery is still, considering I see more degradations with my iPhones over the years.
It’s a bit ridiculous when people overly generalize everyone else needs. Not EVERYONE needs/wants a tablet, and there IS people to which tablets makes perfect sense. It’s not black or white.
For me, the iPad was a gift from the Norse gods. When I’m away from the office, I rarely have to do actual work, therefore over the last year I saw myself reducing my laptop usage to a bare minimum, and using my iPad most of the time.
There is some things the iPad can’t do (or not as great as a laptop), but there’s also plenty of things the iPad does WAY better. It’s all about the ratio between the two that apply to your own life/habits/needs/enjoyment.
I was given an iPad to do some testing for a project we’re working on, so I got to use it for a weekend.
First thing I noticed how incredibly useless it is in its factory state. I didn’t want to register with Apple and give them my personal details (do they still require a credit card for App Store access?), so I didn’t download any apps.
Proceeded to sync with my Google account, worked fine, no contacts or bookmark sync though. Also no IM on board (iMessage won’t help, as it is once again a new proprietary platform, probably unable to talk to any other IM service).
Next thing I wanted to do was download a PDF I wanted to read for a lengthy train ride – not possible. No download option in the browser. Also no PDF reader. Was only able to open that file in the browser, so I had to be connected (I had the WiFi only model).
The rest of the weekend I used it as paperweight.
So yeah, that was my first impression with that device. Can’t wait to try out the TouchPad.
Well yes, your experience was pretty much “limited” and not an accurate representation of what it normally is to use one. But I agree, the iPad in its factory setting doesn’t do much except browse the web.
It’s like Windows with no software installed on it. Not much to do with it, unless Notepad & Minesweeper is all you need 🙂
And yet to fail to take into account changes made in IOS 5. Yes, right now there are limiting issues but that is because the design was for it to hook up to a computer from day one rather than an independent device in its own right. The design was never hidden and it is hardly apples fault that you’re trying to use a hammer instead of a screw driver.
when reading a pdf in the browser, just tap ‘open in iBooks’.
It will get saved to your bookcase, and can be read offline.
iBooks is only available in the US yet, so, not for me (nor Thom) 🙁
I’m in The Netherlands and I have iBooks and I have some PDFs in it. There are not a lot of books in the Dutch store, mostly classic stuff.
So I got an account in the US store also with an iTunes gift card bought on-line and I could download books there too.
But I’m a retro guy so all the classic Jules Verne stuff is good enough for me.
Incorrect. iBooks (app) is available almost everywhere. What might be missing is the iBookStore, but that doesn’t stop iBooks from working. It’s a damn good PDF viewer as well as iBookStore client.
iBooks is also available in Canada. Have it installed on my 2nd gen iPod Touch running iOS 4.1.
Like about 100% of all “open purpose” devices with internet access.
Windows is pretty useless until you install some applications too.
If ibook or whatever wasnt on it them its either a free app or came with an ios update. You can most definitely download pdfs from the browser to it to read later as ive done this several times.
And if you want to do more than browse the web and read email you will need to download some apps. There are plenty out there to do whatever you want. Ssh, remote desktop, vnc, netflix, hulu, games, idos – install windows 3.1, whatever insane thing makes you happy. Hell, I use it with my dcs a-10c for touch mfd’s.
Dont knock the device until youve become familiar with it to not make false statements though.
– No, you don’t need a credit card.
– To sync (contacts, calendards, reminders) with gmail, you need to set the account up as an Exchange account.
– Since when is IM standard on smartphones?
– Install a filemanager (ie air sharing) and you can use “open in” to store pdf’s.
You could at least pretend you gave the iPad a real chance.
Don’t know what to say Thom.
I always get so confused reading some of your Articles. There’s some sanity one day then plain weird the next.
One minute you can’t stand the Apple ecosystem and closed source nature, yet you still buy and support their products.
Where’s the conviction?
I’m not sure what it is, iPad is the last thing I thought you would buy. Maybe you’re toughest on the ones you love hey? Deep down you’re just a big ole softy for Apple and love them so much but you just have to put on a brave face and pretend you dislike them just so you don’t get labelled as one of the ‘sheep’. Come to the Darkside Thom. We have cookies.
I thought you’d be all over Android like a fat kid on a cupcake regardless.
Enjoy it
Edited 2011-06-11 01:37 UTC
It’s a sort of digital stockolm syndrome
I’m sure most anyone here would agree to send you a touchpad. And I’m sure you could have asked HP for a dev device too.
Anandtech doesn’t have the touchpad why would you think the small osnews would get one?
Oh come on… for starters, they sent me a Pre2 and I don’t even review products.
Secondly, I meant, the readers or people on the OSNews team could have mailed him one.
There’s no jailbreak for the iPad 2 (yet), but now that I have one I understand why it’s so important.
The games are awesome, ebooks and web browsing work fine and it’s absolutely portable. The only issue is that you need to provide a credit card number even to download the free apps, oh … and if your credit card is not from the US you will likely have problems downloading Google Earth.
You cannot program on it, and email and word processing are somewhat awkward (remember to turn off the auto-correct option) but, I like it a lot. I am not using the desktop computer as much as I did before and it worked well with some low power settings in my Wifi router so I am saving energy and reducing the risk of cancer.
You can get apps without a credit card, a simple Google search gave this:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2534
Thanks … I feel a lot happier not to have my credit card information online !!!
No Apple for me. The only Apple product I have is the iPod Touch Nano and it does one thing (Listen to music) beautifully and I like the interface and it is unobtrusively small. I won’t go any bigger than that. Too much overhype on those other products. On tab/slate – well hands down I want the Blackberry Playbook. It’s in my want list. I like the fact that it runs on QNX and not any variation of Android or other linux derivatives. Apart from that if I want a smartphone I’d go for Samsung Galaxy SII (Best Android phone). All will be had by the end of the year (Looking forward to some year end bonus). Am I anti-Apple, resoundingly yes.
I won’t call you crazy.
Biggest downside of the device is, as I think I read/heared* you do need to have a BlackBerry phone if you want to do tethering.
Which is just stupid vendor lockin kind of behaviour.
If they promised an update which makes it work with others it wouldn’t be so bad,.
That would be one of the biggest hurdle for most not to buy it.
* That was before it came out and I’ve not checked if this is still true. But they seemed very clear about it at the time.
The tethering is unfortunate but I do “think different”. I’m tired of Android everywhere. Android is suffering from over exposure. What RIM is doing with their acquisition (QNX) is admirable and they are putting out regular updates to overcome the initial shortcomings. And RIM has TAT (The Astonishing Tribe) so hopefully the UI shall be awesome. I hope to own a Blackberry smartphone but it’ll have to wait until they upgraded the OS to QNX.
Edited 2011-06-11 10:56 UTC
Take a look at the new HP tablets. They look sweet and aren’t Android or iOS. I’m not too familiar with Palm or webOS. But, I assume it’s not even Linux. Never the less, the videos show it off nicely on HP’s site.
WebOS is based on Linux. Nothing against Linux but I just prefer something more exotic hence QNX on Playbook. That said HP TouchPad is an interesting tablet and its UI implementation is more polished than Honeycomb I have to say and conceptually more original.
I’ve used both and the PlayBook blows the iPad 2 out of the water. The size and weight are much more sensible, while the iPad is too heavy to hold for any serious amount of time, unusable if laid flat on your lap, and the slippery surface makes it hard to hold onto. It’s like Apple deliberately set out to take all of the worst things about laptops and smartphones & combine them into a single device.
Really, the only advantage iOS has going for it is the library of third-party software; in other words, it’s now the Win9x of handheld OSes. I guess we know why Apple’s volunteer shills have been so desperately spewing FUD and anti-hype ever since the PlayBook was first announced.
Any tablet is better than the PlayBook for one simple reason: I don’t want to buy a goddamn crappy BlackBerry phone just to be able to email from my tablet!
I have one (compound) word for you: Webmail.
I have several words for you. This is rubbish! When one is paying $500 for a 7″ screen device, it had better have a localized email client. Especially when its the supposed strength of the company. Think mobile messaging, think BB right? So now they jump into the new market and abandon the company mantra to say, ” Hey, we got one too!” Please stop trolling.
That’s about as intelligent as buying a Honda lawn tractor and expecting to be able to use it like a motorcycle because, uh, that’s what Honda’s known for right?
The only two market segments that matter to RIM with the PlayBook are corporate users (most of whom already have a BlackBerry) & normal consumers, who don’t know a POP3 server from a hole in the ground and just use webmail even on their desktops/laptops.
If it is webmail one uses, why buy a PlayBook?
But this is just silly. RIM made its name selling BlackBerries that had one powerful feature: email. If they can’t build that in to their iPad killer from day one something is very wrong.
They ruined the first impression completely. Compare this to the Apple Newton. The later generations were pretty good, but everybody had in their minds the image of the first version. Now the words “PlayBook” and “suck” are forever linked.
For business use, I actually much prefer my Blackberry over iPhones I have played with. And I will never buy an iPhone for one simple reason: No real keyboard. I do too much typing on my phone to put up with having to sit there and try to do it on a touchscreen.
Sure, the release version of the OS doesn’t include a local e-mail client. But the web browser supports pretty much every webmail site out there. And there should be a local e-mail client available for it this summer.
TouchPad not coming out in the Netherlands soon… I understand because the WeTab hasn’t popped up around here.
I dislike Android, and avoid Apple products like the plague.
Bring me some MeeGo, damnit!
Also still no HP TouchPad (WebOS).
On the HP-website it says: Pre-order available on June 19
I bought an iPad last year, planing to put in somewhere in the living room so I could grab it if I needed to check my email, read news or google something. It would replace my iPod touch which I used to do these things.
However it was hard to put it down. Sure it replaced the iPod touch, but also the MacBook Pro. My wife and son use it too. It’s so easy to pick it up, pass it around, do stuff and put it down again. Using a laptop is nowhere as convenient.
An iPad can’t beat a “real” computer for serious work, but it sure is near perfect for all casual stuff.
Depends what serious work is. For example, I regularly fly to and from London City airport, and airport staff are given iPads to easily and quickly look up information on flights. Obviously, if work is writing 20 page documents, then and iPad is not the right tool for the job, but if you aren’t doing big documents or spreadsheets, or basically don’t need to type a lot, you could find yourself more productive with an iPad.
Agreed.
ipad 2 is by far the best tablet, but I can’t endorse buying something built without an sd card slot just to fuck you.
I also don’t buy the need for no battery door, but that is a different battle.
Wondering, whats the SD card slot for? Saw an article on PCMAG where they surveyed mobile users and found that the majority of users use the sd card slot on their machines on average 1x every 2 years. iCloud, IOS 5, PC Free, literally kills the thought and need for physical connections, or do you have a better idea?
Edited 2011-06-12 22:24 UTC
I was like you once, completely ignorant of this:)
Imagine using a computer with a 16GB hard drive. Introducing the iPad.
SD Card & slots – complete and total ignorance amongst users! There’s no awareness of its capabilities amongst users. I’ve even see people unaware that they can just buy cards for their cameras.
Once they learn that they can use these slots and cards just like they used floppy discs or that they can just pull the SD card from their camera and stick it in any old machine their eyes are opened and they realise just how useful SD cards really are.
When I showed my family the “lock” switch and told them what that did (it keeps your data locked when you put it in another computer so it can’t accidentally be deleted) again… “Gosh! That’s useful!”…
I would imagine most people just see it as another slot on the computer they don’t use. Without someone to tell them how to use it they won’t.
I managed to persuade my lot to just buy new SD Cards (they are comparatively very cheap) instead of copying pictures off and manually deleting them. Just take the card out of the camera, lock the card and put a new one in… Instant backup!
Does this new iPad actually do all the things described in this review ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct1_r_61sk8
I admit it was almost enough to make me want to buy one ^^
Probably not, but it does do way more than most critics give it credit for. The fact that iOS 5 looks like it’ll again address most of the criticisms that people have, well, that makes it even better.
The only thing that it’ll still lack after iOS 5 is a user accessible file system… and to be honest, it isn’t even an issue in iOS 4 any more. All you need is a hub app (most of the download apps have a free version) which will let you drag files on through the iTunes app management functionality, or download from the web, You then “open in” whatever app supports that file format. I get PDF’s that way, I get comicbooks that way, I get movies that way. It’s not perfect, bet it works for most things. Once we see how iCloud storage pans out, it might be a better and fuller solution. I dunno. If they added a filesystem hub app that allowed PC/Mac desktop mounting and then allowed files to “open in” whatever app supported them (and gave an API that allowed all apps to put files back on to that hub) I think that would address pretty much my usage issues.
Agreed, iOS 5 is a good step forward for Apple. I still wouldn’t buy anything running it due to the low choice of hardware (too expensive and too little hardware shortcuts to lengthy touchscreen actions), the locked-down software (in tons of way. I know you can bypass nearly everything but that’s like modding a frying pan to turn it into a wind power generator) and the desperately crippled “application grid only” home screen, but I have to admit that for people who don’t care about all of that, it’s pretty good.
Edited 2011-06-11 13:36 UTC
Im an Apple fan, i love their computers and was a convert in 2005. I loved the iPhone when it was first introduced. However the iPad i didn’t quite get. To me it seemed to under powered to replace a notebook and too large to be portable, i had an iPhone and it seemed to fit the bill.
However i changed jobs and my new job meant about 1hr by train instead of 1hr by car. So i was in the market for a notebook/netbook for the train ride. The two important considerations where battery life and an always on internet connection. I decided to give the iPad another look, after playing with one i though i’d try it, ebay seemed to offer a good return if i didn’t like it.
However i get it, it’s only when you own one you realise how versatile and useful these devices are. I find the touch keyboard very easy to type on and can do some pretty hefty emailing, light documents. It’s robust and handles the daily commute with ease, it works well in a work environment and the media abilities are second to none (for me it’s makes more sense as i already made an effort to put all my media through iTunes).
For the naysayers i say give it a considered look, not just a brief look. It’s really hard to describe how useful these devices are, there is no way i would be without one.
It will never replace my iMac 07, but then when i brought my netbook and macbook 06 i never expected those to replace the iMac either, they have always been considered secondary devices.
The only thing i would change is file storage, i love dropbox and it works really well. however the main problem is getting files back onto dropbox, downloading is a breeze. So for example i can download and edit a word document but i can’t get it back on to dropbox without doing it manually when i get back to a desktop computer.
If you find yourself needing to do a lot of typing, there are a couple of different hard covers available that include a hardware keyboard. The case pops off the screen, slides underneath the screen and turns it into a “laptop” formfactor.
All that’s missing is to include an extra battery in the keyboard part, so that it charges the iPad while connected.
Edited 2011-06-12 17:50 UTC
thanks, i did consider one of the hard cases with the built in keyboard but so far the virtual keyboard is doing the job. Although i have been hankering for an iPad case with built in notepad and stationary holder, a complete mobile office
Thom, you are funniest bloger on internet
Here’s why:
“HP Launches TouchPad – for the Lucky Few
…
Anywho, pricing is looking pretty good: $499 for the 16GB model”
and than, next day, about iPad price:
“I bought the cheapest possible iPad 2 – 16GB, wifi, black, €479, plus the Smart Cover for €39. That’s one heck of a _lot of money_”
can you explain this ???
… beside:
“Another thing you notice is just how fast and responsive the device really is. There’s no lag, no waiting, no stuttering – everything is fluid and quick.”
>>> C:\NGRTLNS.THM – welcome to POST PC world (never is too late
) ) ! ! ! <<<
EDIT:
did you USE first iPad? “I guess it takes a dual-core processor to really make iOS fly.” – for first iPad is same: “everything is fluid and quick. ”
so better grab Apple products as soon as possible otherwise “Future of Computing” will pass by you
Edited 2011-06-11 14:15 UTC
Sure. Looking at tablets, the sweet spot for the cheapest models seems to be 500. So, if a new tablet comes out, and it’s priced at 500 – it’s looking good. However, that doesn’t change the fact that sweet spot or no, it’s still one heck of a lot of money.
This really isn’t rocket science.
Finchwizard explained in post http://www.osnews.com/permalink?476886
personally, i got an ipad2 because i find a use for it. I do all my schoolwork on my ipad, i read all my books on my ipad, i work in ssh on my ipad, i can’t really find much need for a laptop for day to day stuff. i still have my desktop at home to do things that require more power.
and the idea that any android tablet compares to the ipad is a laugh at best. webos maybe, wp7 could be interesting but i’m not expecting much but not android.. google sucks at making interfaces. they are the microsoft of this generation, so big that it doesn’t matter what they do because they are giving everything away for “free”
Maybe OSNews should hold an iPad 2 giveaway…
…oh wait, better not, Apple has decided that they want iron-fisted control over that too:
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/06/01/apple-tries-to-put-the-kibos…
But don’t worry, I’m sure the Apple Apologist Army will be along to eagerly explain things & call us idiots/haters/poopie-heads for daring to apply critical thought to Apple… no doubt this is for our own good, it just coincidentally happens to be exactly the sort of thing that arrogant control freaks would do.
I don’t see how Apple can actually enforce that with a company they are not in contract with in the first place. A company like MacMall should be more worried about it, since apple could cut of there shipments if they don’t like the way they use there product. But a TV station could acquire the equipment from any reseller, and if they want to give it away, they should be able to do so.
I don’t think it would stand up in court. The article is pretty vague on what action was taken against the TV station. It only implies that they run afoul of the the rules stated in a contract that the station did not actually enter into. It points out that resellers (who are more likely to be bound by that contract) did not seem to be actively held to it.
If Apple is suing the station I would like to hear how it turns out.
I’m curious in how the iPad handles iTunes payments in Holland. Is it going through iDEAL or some other Apple setup?
I use my wife’s credit card. People without credit cards or wifes use gift cards.
if you like to draw, get sketchbook pro, they just released version 2.0. if you already had it, it updates for free. amazing app for drawing. has layers, multiple brushes. layer modes. if you like to draw. this app is amazing.
Does it come with some kind of “stylus”, or does it still require you to finger paint?
iPad’s, IMO over priced generic all in one gadgets. But hey, just because it doesn’t fit my needs it does fit a niche for others nicely. I’ve toyed with a couple from those I know who have them. But much like smart phones while there may be a few neat features it really doesn’t fit my needs. For a portable I have an Alienware M11x, it’s nice and has the power to run applications like VMWare Workstation which I require but it’s very portable.
A reader, the Kindle is the best IMO reader there is, eInk is awesome. Long battery life and I can actually read outside in the sun. The Kindle got me reading regularly again, love it.
Anyway the iPad does fit a niche for those who need/like generic all around devices. I follow a simple and basic philosophy, just use the best tool to fit your needs.
You are one of these guys who don’t think their posts through well enough. Even if I call you out now, in a year you’ll be raving about how much you love your iPad.
People who like “all around” devices are a niche? I could go on.
Really? So you know my needs, requirements eh?
So please show me how to run VMWare on an iPad.
Guess you didn’t notice in my post
“I follow a simple and basic philosophy, just use the best tool to fit your needs.”
First up, on an ARM-based device like an iPad having VMware Workstation would be fairly useless if you wanted to run any existing VM images you may have, since they’re all likely to be for IA32/IA64. If this is truly a hard requirement then you’re inherently stuck with getting a laptop based on an Intel or AMD chip.
VMware do still have the iPad covered, with both a VMware View client, and a vSphere management app:
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/vmware-view-for-ipad/id417993697?mt=…
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/vmware-vsphere-client-for/id41732335…
I’d expect that for most people that’ll have their VMWare needs covered.
Or creating images, teams, etc.
That is if they’re always connected via LAN.
Like I said above in my first post
Which the iPad nor any other tablet for that matter can full fill. Which they also lack a number of other requirements I have thus why I don’t own one
“A few quick fist impressions”, as Thom put it 🙂
Cracked me up ..
http://comparexy.com/compare/IPad%20vs%20Stone
Things like that can be funny when they are true. You have no clue. This is a rhyme too.
It’s called humor, yes get a clue
Yep, these stone-apple device comparisons had become a bit of a meme at some point
They can be terribly funny sometimes.
Remember one with iphones where two criteria were “does not fear water” and “can be used as weapon” ^^
Yeah and it’s also funny how simple humor like this will offend the many fanboy’s. They crack me up as much as the humor itself.