A lot of people are psyched about the iPad. Not me! My god, am I underwhelmed by it. It has some absolutely backbreaking failures that will make buying one the last thing I would want to do. Updated

Big, Ugly Bezel
Have you seen the bezel on this thing?! It's huge! I know you don't want to accidentally input a command when your thumb is holding it, but come on.

No Multitasking
This is a backbreaker. If this is supposed to be a replacement for netbooks, how can it possibly not have multitasking? Are you saying I can't listen to Pandora while writing a document? I can't have my Twitter app open at the same time as my browser? I can't have AIM open at the same time as my email? Are you kidding me? This alone guarantees that I will not buy this product.

No Cameras
No front facing camera is one thing. But no back facing camera either? Why the hell not? I can't imagine what the downside was for including at least one camera. Could this thing not handle video iChat?

Touch Keyboard
So much for Apple revolutionizing tablet inputs; this is the same big, ugly touchscreen keyboard we've seen on other tablets, and unless you're lying on the couch with your knees propping it up, it'll be awkward to use.

No HDMI Out
Want to watch those nice HD videos you downloaded from iTunes on your TV? Too damned bad! If you were truly loyal, you'd just buy an AppleTV already.

The Name iPad
Get ready for Maxi pad jokes, and lots of 'em!

No Flash
No Flash is annoying but not a dealbreaker on the iPhone and iPod Touch. On something that's supposed to be closer to a netbook or laptop? It will leave huge, gaping holes in websites. I hope you don't care about streaming video! God knows not many casual internet users do. Oh wait, nevermind, they all do.


Adapters, Adapters, Adapters
So much for those smooth lines. If you want to plug anything into this, such as a digital camera, you need all sorts of ugly adapters. You need an adapter for USB for god's sake.

Update: Why stop at 8? Here are more things we are discovering that suck about the iPad.

It's Not Widescreen
Widescreen movies look lousy on this thing thanks to its 4:3 screen, according to Blam, who checked out some of Star Trek on one. It's like owning a 4:3 TV all over again!

Doesn't Support T-Mobile 3G
Sure, it's "unlocked." But it won't work on T-Mobile, and it uses microSIMs that literally no one else uses.

A Closed App Ecosystem
The iPad only runs apps from the App Store. The same App Store that is notorious for banning apps for no real reason, such as Google Voice. Sure, netbooks might not have touchscreens, but you can install whatever software you'd like on them. Want to run a different browser on your iPad? Too bad!


gizmodo.com
Read more!

|

Only way to interpret the launch of the iPad? Apple has declared the PC dead. Well-crafted but closed devices are their future of consumer computing. And if no one else can match the iPad experience, they may be right.

"In many ways this defines our vision, our sense of what's next." – Jonathan Ive

PCs will be around as expert devices for the long haul, but it's clear that Apple, coasting on the deserved success of the iPhone, sees simple, closed internet devices as the future of computing. (Or at the very least, portable computing.) And for the average consumer, it could be.

It's the "internet device" vision of a decade ago all over again, except now Apple can offer what is arguably the best user experience for internet and media consumption combined with a very reasonable (for a brand new gadget) price.

It may not be good for you, because you're an internet dork who wants to do heavy video editing or run Photoshop. (Or, you know, multitask.) But for the average person off the street walking into a Best Buy, their laptop money may now be going to an iPad.

What happens when they find the iPad is all they needed in the first place? They never buy a laptop again.

In the meantime, here are a few things to think about for we full-time dorks.

Does it kill netbooks?

If there's anything that you can take home from today's announcement of the iPad it's this: from here on out the battle between physical keyboards and touchscreen ones has moved beyond smartphones and into every other area of computing. Get ready to hear someone say "I touchtype just fine on a soft keyboard on my PC" very soon.

I'd be lying if I said the giant bezel doesn't ward me off a bit, even if I understand why it's necessary to be there. But it isn't as sexy as it could be, all things considered.

But a 1.5-pound device with a (theoretical) 10-hour battery life? Done and done. Heck, I'll haul two.

Yet I will buy the dock! Perhaps, even if I am frustrated to no end that they are not simply supporting the Bluetooth keyboard. But I suppose that is that—this really is what Apple imagines the future of laptops to be.

Belay that! A couple of you have pointed out that the Bluetooth keyboard is in fact supported! I am a'flutter.

But it's a lot more likely I'll carry around an iPad than a netbook.

What about the add-on keyboard, though? I sort of love it, but it is so very un-Apple to have a keyboard attachment. And all the dongles. And only a VGA output, not DisplayPort! It seems like the iPad came from an alternate dimension.

Productivity

If typing on the iPad's soft keyboard is even slightly faster or more comfortable than typing on an iPhone, they could have a productivity winner here. But I sort of doubt it's going to be comfortable enough to use for hours of typing at a time.

For emailing, attachment browsing, and the like, though, I think it'll be a pretty powerful little device. Its form factor is perfect for pulling out of a little executive bag to check mail or show off a PDF to a coworker.

The new cloud-based iWork looks amusing, but who really wants to switch from Office to iWork? Email and other web-based tech is still the most portable solution. On the other hand, a functional iWork is what convinces your CTO that you can use the iPad to display Powerpoints.

Screen Aspect Ratio

There was never going to be a perfect size, especially since movies are widescreen, but a single page of a magazine or book is decidedly not. Yet the aspect ratio, which is something close to 4:3 (if not exactly), surrounds widescreen movies with a lot of black, especially when you include the bezel. I would expect future iPad models to lengthen ever so slightly, but not much.

3G Access

250MB for $15 a month; unlimited for $30. No contracts. Unlocked SIM slot. Completely reasonable.

Of course, it uses AT&T, so if you're in NYC or San Francisco you're screwed. But it also means you could switch in other carriers' SIM cards if you like.

And the free Wi-Fi access in an AT&T hotspot—presumably only if you've paid for some AT&T access—won't hurt.

That the iPad is unlocked, though, also means that T-Mobile could potentially roll in with a 3G option for even less money.

Pornography

It's simple: You can hold something that weighs 1.5 pounds in one hand.

Relaxation

A few have mentioned how sitting down with an iPad may feel casual, less prone to send one into "work-mode". I can buy that—but that will also serve to delineate use-cases between laptops and iPads, making the iPad seem more like a toy.

Reading

Don't call it a Kindle killer. Books on iPad will probably be more expensive than Kindle's titles, at least at first. And there's nothing about the iPad's screen that will make it better for reading than, say, a laptop. But having a dedicated iBooks store? That's good for everybody, including iPhone and iPod touch users.

And for anything color—comics, children's books, magazines—the iPad will destroy what e-paper can do.

Multitouch

Here is the thing to know: When it comes to multitouch, consider the iPad the harbinger of all the interface tricks that will be coming to iMac and MacBooks in the relatively near future.

VoIP

It has a microphone. There's no reason to think it won't be able to do VoIP.

All in all, I think they've got a category-straddling winner here, but it's a bit of a gangly pseudopodal mutant at the same time. It doesn't kill the laptop or the PC quite yet, but you can at least see how Apple intends to choke the life out of those markets.

Don't like that? Better get to work on a better tablet.

gizmodo.com
Read more!

|

Apple introduced its latest device to the world at an event in San Francisco today: the iPad. Saying that it fit into the space between the iPhone and the MacBook, company CEO Steve Jobs praised the new device as Apple's "most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price.” The lowest-end model will retail for $499 US, and a fully-loaded 64GB iPad with 3G connectivity will sell for $829. The iPad will start shipping to customers in April, with 3G models coming a month after that.




The iPad is a half-inch (1.25 cm) thick, weighs 1.5 pounds (688 g) and has a 9.7-inch IPS touch screen with a 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch. It comes in three models: 16, 32 and 64 GB, with and without 3G; all models have WiFi and Bluetooth wireless. The battery lasts for 10 hours, and according toApple, the iPad can remain on standby for a month without needing a charge. It comes with a standard 30-pin iPod/iPhone dock connector and can output HD video at 576x480 pixels, progressive or interlaced, with the optional Apple Composite A/V Cable.

“It’s so much more intimate than a laptop and so much more capable than a smart phone,” Jobs said of the iPad, sitting on a couch as he demoed its features. He showed the different capabilities of the device, browsing the Web (with a minor gaffe as a Flash plugin apparently failed to load), manipulating photos, playing music, videos and games, and reading e-books. “In order to really create a new category of devices, those devices are going to have to be far better at doing some key tasks,” Jobs said. “Otherwise it has no reason for being.”

Apple also introduced an App Store-like marketplace for electronic books called iBookstore at the event, as well as a multi-touch enabled version of iWork that will be available from the App Store for $30, or users can buy the Pages, Keynote and Numbers separately for $9.99 each.The iPad runs all current apps, either iPhone-sized with a large black-border, or at a 2x up-res full screen. Apple also announced a new SDK allowing devs to easily design for the iPad.

The device is powered by Apple's first CPU, the 1 GHz A4. Apple had purchased PA Semiconductor, a manufacturer known for making power-efficient processors, back in 2008. According to Apple, this SoC (system-on-a-chip) allows the iPad to play back HD video for 10 hours before requiring a full battery charge.

Gizmodo, among other websites, already have their hands on the iPad and are putting it through its paces. Mark Wilson, Gizmodo's reviewer, says the device is extremely fast and has a solid feel. The size and resolution of thescreen also won kudos. The device apparently runs a slightly modified version of the current iPhone 3 OS, which ought to be released with the iPad as iPhone OS 3.2 (rather than iPhone 4 as some rumors had held).
Read more!

|

As we count down the final tablet-free hours, we've gathered our writers together to predict what we think will be announced tomorrow at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Feel free to add your own predictions in the comments below.

Sang Tang

9.6 inch LED-backlit display
Wireless HDMI support (to output to TV)
Front facing camera

Erica Sadun

Tomorrow, we expect to see Apple finally launch the long awaited tablet. It will likely feature a 10.5-inch diagonal capacitive touch display and look and function much like a large iPod touch. Running iPhone OS, it may feature an enhanced vocabulary of user-interaction gestures, suitable for the larger screen size.

The new tablet should offer a variety of augmented reality applications, allowing users to interact with and annotate many kinds of media including TV and movies, maps, newspapers, and more. Although I'd like to see a front-facing camera on the unit, I can easily see why Apple might omit one, so I'll take a pass on voting for or against. Looking towards the netbook market for competition, the tablet may provide optional nationwide wireless for a monthly fee.

I'm keeping my prediction on the conservative side -- so I'm guessing no mind blowing new tech on-board, at least at the start with product launch. A larger iPod with good connectivity options and excellent media provider deals is enough to get the tablet going without any special OMG One More Thing items needed. It will help if the new tablet better integrate with Apple's emerging cloud services, namely Mobile Me and iWork.com.

The rainbowunicornpuppies will be an optional extra for a small fee, and Uncle Steve will be giving candy to all the good little children.

David Winograd

The most amazing thing to me is that with thousands of rumor stories fueling the blogs, we really know nothing that's completely official. The controlled leak to the Wall Street Journal was brilliant since it gave not one detail outside of the fact that the thing is real. So, my random guesses are:

• 10" LED screen
• Cameras on both the front and back, both for pictures and iChat.
• Running iPhone OS 4.0 which should be announced tomorrow.
• Allow tethering to an iphone, maybe not for data but for the ability to use a keyboard.
• Hopefully no additional data plan, since I really can't see people wanting to pay another monthly bill. If there is a plan, I hope it to be optional.
• Lots of new gestures available.

I see Verizon coming on board but not now. My guess is that it'll be announced later in the year with Phone OS 4.0.

Steve Sande

I'm predicting that the tablet, after all of the hype and alleged "forecasting" by every Apple fanboy, will make absolutely nobody completely happy. I also predict that many of our commenters will say that it's the stupidest thing they've ever seen, it's too expensive, and too limited in what it can do. Then we'll all go out and buy them anyway!

In terms of the display, I'm thinking it's going to be something new for Apple and the industry -- they'll use a 10.5" version of the Pixel Qi hybrid screen, which will give us insanely great battery life (especially when using the tablet as an e-reader), and readability in bright sunlight.

Nobody seems to talk about storage, but at the price I think we'll see at least 64 GB and probably 128 GB. It's going to be running a PA Semi-designed chip set.

I can't see 3G / 4G wireless being forced upon the masses. There are too many of us who already have one or two expensive wireless plans, and the additional cost of yet another plan would be a deal-killer for many. 802.11/n connectivity will be built-in, of course, with an option for 3G / 4G wireless.

The built-in apps? Mainly for media, including a Zinio-like magazine / newspaper reader with built-in browsing for books and other printed media, which will of course be located in the App Store. I think it will also have the next generation of iWork built in for light productivity. I'd love to see a way to use the device with a built-in universal remote app to control all of my other devices -- think of it as a Logitech Harmony on steroids.

We're also going to hear about iLife 2010, the newest and greatest version of the iLife suite, now with a new member of the suite in the form of a painting program!

I also predict that most of our predictions will be totally off-base.

Dave Caolo

Apple will introduce and demo the new tablet, with a shipping date in June or July. It'll have a 10.5" touch display, it's own store in the the revamped iTunes, and work in a way that none of us have guessed.

The device's emphasis will be on fun, not work. Yes, you'll be able to access a more web-based version of the iWork apps (tablet-friendly iLife '10 will also be introduced), but just as Apple has been promoting the iPod touch as a gaming platform, they'll really amp it up with the tablet.

I also expect ereader capabilities with Apple style and flair. Gorgeous, full-color books will appear from a select group of publishers and newspapers, with lots of interaction.

Finally, the new web-based version of iTunes will allow for steaming of TV shows at $0.99/pop. That will have been a concession on Apple's part, as they wanted a subscription model. Expect that to change by year's end.

The iPhone will not get a mention, as this isn't its show.

Mike Schramm

The Tablet will appear with a 10" display, full App Store compatibility, and some groundbreaking media partnerships with lots and lots of paid content flowing through Apple's gates. No camera at all. I'd really love to see that dynamic touch keyboard, but I don't think it's going to happen, unfortunately -- this is a larger iPod touch. All kinds of connectivity though, including possibly a 3G or 4G connection on a plan set up through Apple with whatever provider you want. $1000 price tag, in stores in March.

One more thing, if there is one, is a Verizon iPhone. But they may save that until later this year.

Mel Martin

Tablet will have a major focus on publishing, with interactive, colorful books and magazines. It may be a death blow to the Kindle if it is priced right. Clearly it will have the option of 3G access and Wi-Fi. I personally would not be enthusiastic about another monthly data plan, especially with AT&T unless it is VERY reasonable.

Expect lots of games, probably scaled up from the iPhone. BT keyboard and mouse would be a good option. Expect it will be integrated with iTunes for music, movies, and probably publications.

There aren't really difficult predictions to make, but I think they are close to the target.

High price will kill it. Apple, are you listening?

Megan Lavey

I'm throwing my money in with Chris on this one. Everyone pretty much has said what I was thinking.

But, I also think that Steve makes a wonderful point about everyone not being happy at all.

So, I'm going to do a prediction completely out of left field. That despite the leaked specs and the speculation, "Tablet" isn't its own device at all, but a piece of software integrated with OSX and the iPhone that is like a hyper-iTunes bringing you whatever content that you desire and can be synced on any Mac you own, including the iPhone - designed to stream books, magazines, TV shows, music, etc. The 10-inch device is slated to be part of the MacBook line, replacing the current white plastic models, but is essentially a cross between a current MacBook and a really big Nintendo DS.

Aron Trimble

I would like to go on record saying that if Apple releases an appropriately-priced tablet, their stock price will not go down.

Chris Rawson

Tomorrow's event:

1. Steve crows about Mac sales
2. Mac portables get updated with Intel i7 processors
3. Steve crows about iPhone sales
4. iPhone OS 4.0 available today with "over 100 new features"
5. Spends 10 minutes highlighting new features. Biggest new feature: app multitasking (not available for first-gen iPhone)
6. Flashback to 2007 when Jobs said "You're lucky to make even one revolutionary product in your career: Mac, iPod, and now a third one," - "Well, three years and a lot of work later, we've got a fourth product that's going to change the industry forever."
7. Talks about scaling iPhone OS - the most intuitive OS ever, even a one-year-old baby knows how to use it - to a full-fledged computing device. "This is really the direction computing is going to move in the future."
8. iSlate: 10" capacitive screen. Looks like a first-gen iPhone got steamrolled. No thicker than an iPhone. Runs a modified iPhone OS. Runs iPhone apps out of the box, can be scaled to fullscreen or run in "windowed mode" for multitasking. Battery life better than iPhone.
9. Spends a good 20 minutes showing off features.
10. Has optional 3G wireless. Cost: 599 for model without 3G. 699 for model with 3G if you sign a contract with wireless provider, 999 without. Available in April.
11. "One more thing" -- in order to grow both iPhone and iSlate business, expanding to additional carriers. (crowd goes crazy). Announcing partnership with Verizon wireless. iSlate will be available with AT&T or Verizon on launch day. iPhone available with Verizon starting in April.
12. Musical guest.
13. Apple stock goes down. AT&T stock tanks. Verizon stock goes way up.
14. PC World publishes a snarky article about all the things the iSlate can't do and why no one should buy one
    

Lauren Hirsch
A lot of the tech specs seem to already have been leaked, so I'm going to go out on a limb and talk about some of what I think they're going to show off that it does for you:

First and foremost, I strongly suspect that a good portion of the announcement speech will describe some sort of newspaper subscription service, starting with New York Times. I know it's supposed to be a "Kindle Killer," and I'm sure part of the announcement will be that there are already publishing houses on board for eBook delivery through iTunes, but I think Apple wants to ease it into your hands as a daily media device, where users can enjoy the morning paper in its full, graphic glory, just like things used to be. This would dovetail nicely with the fact that newspaper media companies have been wringing their hands for a few years on how to stem the revenue hemorrhage from loss of traditional paper subscribers, and this will be a nice way to recapture some of that market from folks who long ago stopped subscribing to a physical paper service, but will pay for cohesive, graphic content if it's delivered effortlessly and cleanly through a bright, easy media device. It also offers a bit of the nostalgia of getting "the paper" and could bring back a viable subscription model to an industry that needs revenue for the kind of investigative, research-based journalism that's starting to wane in recent years. I think its an innovative idea, and throws newspaper companies a much-needed rope. Expect some kind of overhead picture of the device displaying the New York Times in its full, print glory.

I think we'll hear of the beginnings of some sort of monthly TV subscription service, also delivered through iTunes, as Apple ramps up for some kind of assault on traditional cable service. I don't think all the content is quite there yet, but I think we'll see some sort of trajectory laid out. I think Apple TV is gone, and this device will interface with your TV in some meaningful way, with subscription access to content streaming rather than local storage.

Lastly, I think in terms of how the device will fit into Apple's product line, I'm starting to think that Apple might be poising it to replace the lowest end MacBook, as it'll have all the web/email/entertainment features that most people use those laptops for.

Share your own predictions below, and look for a scorecard after the event. Stay tuned for our liveblog as well!

tuaw.com

Read more!

|

We're about 12 hours away from seeing the thing for real, away from the speculation and leaks, but these two photos popped up just a few minutes ago. We don't know if it's real, but it's definitely possible.



So here's what we can see in these photos, sent by a tipster to Engadget: A tablet in the general form of an iPhone, including the trademark home button, looking like it's encased in some kind of S&M leather case with snaps. It's running what seems to be a larger, scaled version of the iPhone's mobile Safari browser, possibly with tabs. In the upper left, it looks like it says "No Service," which would be referencing 3G (also a ha! moment for AT&T, if it uses AT&T) as well as a Wi-Fi logo. Very little else can be ascertained, including the most important pieces of the puzzle, the software and keyboard.

Is it real? It's the most likely suspect in my mind, not least because it only popped up the night before the event—Apple's security is so tight that this is the most leakable time. But it is, right now, unconfirmed.

Stay tuned until tomorrow, when we'll be liveblogging the Apple event from San Francisco.

gizmodo.com

Read more!

|