maxi pad

Why did they need to roll their own ARM derivative, though? Power-efficient H.264 playback?

I suspect that Apple had some sweeeet license deal to avoid IP entanglements. http://chipdesignmag.com/display.php?articleId=1447&issueId=23

They want to have a "total ecosystem" that is VERY DIFFERENT than the Android model...

This is from Apple's spec page:

>Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)

Does this mean that only the 3G model has GPS? What is "assisted" GPS? Where is GPS Pilot anyway? And what about Naomi?

Hmmm...

It seems like they released an iPhone 1.0 version of the tablet even though they had the tech to release an iPhone 3.0 version of it.

US$499? Well, given the Aussie peso is over US 90 cents, Apple Australia will of course price it at A$1799 plus GST...

It'll kick the snot out of the Kindle - but that's not really saying much...

In terms of "insanely greatness" I rank it about the same as the release of the macbook air...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2010 01:23PM by Tony Leggett.

almost sounds to me like assisted GPS either uses cell tower triangulation, OR, are cell towers transmitting some GPS-like, pseudo positioning technology?

Yeah, I think "assisted GPS" is GPS + cell-tower location + Skyhook Wi-Fi location. You can often tell when the iPhone is locating itself with Skyhook/cell, as it's a lot faster than the actual GPS.

http://www.apple.com/au/ipad/pricing/

Nice. At the moment they just have it in US$ at the Australian site. Smooth well-planned product roll-out...

It's not like you can order one now anyway. And maybe, by shouting out the $US price, they've made it harder for themselves to price it inappropriately high in $AUS. Well, I can hope, anyway.

Quote
John Willoughby
It's not like you can order one now anyway. And maybe, by shouting out the $US price, they've made it harder for themselves to price it inappropriately high in $AUS. Well, I can hope, anyway.

Would a current events periodical in Tony's country, aimed at currency exchange be called....

$aus-age ?

haha. thats funny jeffe

Reaction seems mixed. People are making fun of it and saying its stupid like never before with an Apple product.

Name and appearance are certainly questionable. I think they should have made it less rounded, less bezel.

Not sure I will get one.

I will have to wait awhile since my tax refund looks to be going bye bye, but I definitely want one. I think the screen size of this makes it so much more awesome for jailbreaks. If the microphone is halfway decent it will be awesome for Skype. I think it will be great for students instead of laptops as well.

Let's just remember who and what this thing is aimed at. It ain't us. We are just the cushion on the pool table. The real target are folks like Lord Rupert and the NY Times. Don Trabajos fully intends to take money from their wallets by making a bank shot off of us. Never mind the tri-corder BS boys and girls. This is DTP part deux. It is also round two for Hypercard, without the Hypercard app. It is something Don Trabajos has spent his whole life dreaming of -- a technology so sophisticated that it seems effortless blended with the World of the Arts and Entertainment.

The choice of names for this device is rather unfortunate. Its lack of I/O ports seem a serious drawback, until I think, "Its one of them thar wireless doohickies!"

Having said all of this, I am well aware that there are potentially many missteps AAPL could make, Don Trabajos liberal political inclinations may well lead him into self-destructive behavior, but in the end someone will make a device like this work. It IS the future, although the future may well run on some form of Linux.

I'm thinking that we'll see a number of content announcements in the next few months, and perhaps even some hardware enhancements before the iPad ships.

Not until I went to work around humans today did I ever really think people would vocalize the adolescent teen snickering of the name.

I have never been a type of guy that (in practice) thinks of things like that. I grew up in a town whose mascot/team name is TROJANS, and I never even made the connection with condoms until I was in college and someone literally mentioned the two in the same sentence.

Same with iPad. I would have never made the connection with feminine hygiene products. Even last night I was talking with this guy at the mall and one thing led to another and we both knew this guy with last name Horney. shrug.

I was playing around in my basement helping my daughter glue together letters for her science fair project and I think I understand the rational behind the big bezel -- it allows people of various sized hands to be able to hold the thing without getting something off in front the touch screen sensors.

See my second grader literally could not use two hands to smush the sprayer without getting one hand in front of the aerosol: http://www.staples.com/3M-Spray-Mount-Adhesive/product_130831?cmArea=SC1:CG1036:DP100:CL10000

I see these things being used in a zillion places. One accessory likely to come out will be a post-style attachable handle. Carry it in one hand, operate with the other. Set it down, it acts like a picture frame stand. You can set it down with any edge down, will display properly. Or mounted as store kiosks. Hand them out as restaurant waiting in line buzzers. Well probably not that. But approximately a bazillion business applications.

I think the one-hand hold will be hard. I would prefer some skin on it that had some strap (like a camcorder) or round grip.

All I can do is execute a well-earned slow-clap for the words of Jon Stokes of ArsTechnica:

Quote

Apple's closed ecosystem is feeling less and less like an exclusive resort and more like Big Love's Juniper Creek compound. If the company doesn't figure out this whole Internet thing, soon, they're ultimately destined to go the way of the once-mighty AOL. And if you're itching to retort that Apple really does "get" the cloud, as is clearly evidenced by the amazing MobileMe service, then congratulations—you're now ready to buy yourself some prairie garb and take that second wife you've been eyeing.