maxi pad

I don't really like it. It's too heavy and the lack of physical buttons bugs me. It's only mine until the end of the month, though, so I don't really care. I really like my Nook Color. Perfect size and weight. It'll be even better when the Honeycomb source is finally released.

IF the Honeycomb source is finally released. I expect it will be, but I think Google is going to try to exert more control over the ways that the code is used.

But Google has always been at war with Eurasia.

Rubin, bless his geeky heart, wants to define "open" technically. The only people who were buying his definition will continue to. (Ironically, while using Windows.) It continues to be irrelevant to the rest.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2011 06:05AM by johnny k.

That's true -- I've always (well, not always, but you know what I mean) wondered why the most vitriolic freetards seem to hew to Windows. My old housemate was of the knee-jerk "of course Apple did that and of course it's evil and of course it will fail" kept buying and setting Win boxes for his media center, his mom's computer, etc.

ddt

Mazel tov!

Well, give a good look as to what your use cases and must-have apps on it would be -- do any of those require connect-anywhere, I-need-to-connect-now functionality?

And if you figure out which apps you will def use, post a list?

ddt

You talkin' to me? I mostly want a 3G iPad just because we already have a WiFi one and I can see using the data in a pinch when travelling. I see that my model is going for $700-$1000 on eBay. Ridiculous. People can't wait 3 weeks? I may sell it now and use that to fund a 3G + leather cover whenever Apple sees fit to deliver.

Just got to play with a WiFi Xoom yesterday. Liked the feel in the hand but I was also surprised by how heavy it felt. I actively felt wrist strain after a few minutes. Wonder how much of this is because it nudges you to use landscape mode, and that + the bigger aspect ratio puts more torque on your wrist when one-handing it. The power button right on the back is weird; it means you have to pick it up to turn it on.

Pretty zippy but still has that barely perceptible Android lag in touch response. OS seems nice enough, but I can't critique too closely since I'm not familiar. The rearrangement and restyling of controls shot what little familiarity I had. The escape button - home - is nestled between other soft buttons, and I agree, that at least should be a physical button. I do like the screen previews of all the open apps before switching. Noticed a real lack of polish in software. The Android Marketplace only works in landscape, and it has sloppy bugs like the drop shadow behind a heading in the wrong font and size from the text its shadowing, and "no results" text stuck in the background that stays fixed as you scroll. The movie editing app I was excited to try, but on first launch you have nothing to do. When you try to add a clip, it doesn't have any and doesn't let you record one right in the app. Not good for the novice. Presumably I'd have to find another app just for video capture.

Yeah, you! I was 1) asking a reality check on the 3G and its value and b) always curious what the godlike of usability and makers among us are interested in.

So there.

Still tablet-free and yet to see,

ddt

I adore Instapaper, Simplenote and Twitteriffic on the iPad. Those are my main apps along with Mail. I use the iPhone version of NetNewsWire a lot. I need to do my research on iPad newsreaders. Everyone swears by Reeder it seems but I'm a bit put off by the graphical representation of each feed like it's a book, and I'm supposed to shuffle between them instead of reading all inline. I'm sure my impression is wrong and it can do inline, though.

Overall for the tablet-free, I think this shines in a certain place. Anywhere you're not standing, or not at your work desk, it's the right physical interface. It lends itself to chipping away at all the bits of information you must ingest. I triage email, cut down on my reading list, jot down lots of notes, do quick research without getting distracted. It feels less restrictive than a smartphone, less hyper than a computer. It's a luxury like a bicycle is a luxury.

It's a luxury like a bicycle is a luxury.

Bite your tongue!

No, I agree. About tablets, not bikes. It's not that I'm against. Just can't afford, and am at the moment opposed to acquiring and having to take care of any more Stuff.

ddt

Understand that I live in a dense city where bikes are very useful. That's really my retort to people who think that the iPad is a luxury. What I mean is that these are tweener machines that meet a certain mode of computing/transportation better than the more limited/excessive alternatives. Another analogue might be the microwave.

Johnny, your quick review of the Xoom is pretty much in line with how I feel about it. I've had it for a couple of days now and I'm liking it more than I did initially but I still think it's too heavy to be a good ebook reader. The battery life is phenomenal, though. It had about 65% charge when I took it out of the box and after 48 hours with WiFi turned on, syncing email from 4 different accounts, a bunch of web browsing and streaming Internet radio, it was only down to 25%. I'm charging it now so I can get a better idea of what battery life will be when I start with a full charge.

The Honeycomb OS definitely needs some more polish and the lack of a physical home button still irritates me.

Okay, I've spent a lot more time with the Xoom tonight and I'm liking it a lot more now. Still heavier than I would like it to be but it's becoming more and more useful.

Liking it a lot more or just "getting used to it?"

A little of both. There are some features in the web browser that I really like.

I have also loaded up some PDF files of old computer magazines. The 7 inch screen on my Nook Color is just a little too small to read traditional magazine layouts but the Xoom is well-suited to the task.

Still too heavy, though.

The current rumor is that Google will be giving away the LG G-Slate at the IO conference. That would be cool.

Finally jailbroke the ipad on 4.3.1. Not too much to report although it is nice to use the dimmer app to turn it down to read in bed.

Still, I am so used to reading in bed on the laptop that when I read in bed with the iPad and start nodding off, the iPad hits me square on the forehead as my wrists go limp and release the device.

We need to get a padded case on the market, ASAP.

For the iPad or for baha's head?

ddt

Why can't it be both?

They're roughly the same shape.