View Full Version : Apple announces "iPad" touchscreen tablet...



warreng88
01-27-2010, 11:59 AM
Apple announces ‘iPad’ touchscreen tablet
Steve Jobs calls it 'truly magical' and 'revolutionary' device

After months of rampant speculation, Apple Wednesday announced a touchscreen tablet computer, the "iPad" for consumers who want to take their movies, TV shows, music, games and reading with them, be it around the house or on the go.

"We want to kick off 2010 with a truly revolutionary and magical product," CEO Steve Jobs told a packed audience at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Wednesday.

"So far it really looks like an oversized iPod Touch, which is great, but if that's it, price will be paramount," said Avi Greengart, Current Analysis analyst, blogging from the event itself for Reuters news service.

The iPad weighs about 1.5 pounds, is 0.5 inch thin, has a 9.7-inch display and should have a battery life of 10 hours, Jobs said. It uses what he called Apple's own 1GHz A4 chip The tablet has the company's online iTunes Store built into it, as well as YouTube in high-definition.

The tablet uses multi-touch finger gestures and swipes like the iPhone, but the iPad's "larger screen requires less swiping to navigate," said Ross Rubin of the NPD Group. "That's a big plus from the iPhone."

Several uses of the tablet were shown during its unveiling, including e-mail, games, video and reading The New York Times on it. Martin Nisenholtz of The Times, on stage, said that the newspaper’s iPhone app “has been downloaded 3 million times,” and that the company wanted to “create something special for the iPad … We think we’ve captured the essence of reading the newspaper” on it.

Apple's new product comes at a time when e-readers, like Amazon's Kindle and others from Barnes & Noble and Sony are on the market, with more coming this year from companies such as Samsung and the Hearst Corp.

Last year, about 3 million e-readers were sold. Estimates are another 6 million will be sold in 2010 according to the Yankee Group. The Kindle, which has a 6-inch screen and sells for $259, has the bulk of the e-reader sales.

"There are about 6 million people who are gearing up this year to buy an e-reader. And they’re going to spend between $250 and $700 on it," said James McQuivey, Forrester Research principal analyst. "They are already people who care about media, and who are willing to spend money on media."

"So, if you can say to them, 'Gee you can spend $350 on a dedicated book reader, or you’re going to get this amazing Apple device at twice the price, but with the ability to do much more than read books,' " then Apple's tablet has a good chance of success, he said.

While many of the tablet's functions — Web surfing, movie watching, music listening — can be handled on netbooks, lighter and relatively inexpensive laptops, Apple isn't viewing its tablet as a laptop without a keyboard, McQuivey said. "Apple sees this as a personal media experience that they can create."

The tablet's "most revolutionary impact is on the way people consume media in the home," he said. "You take it from room to room, you dock it next to your bed, it becomes your alarm clock. You dock in the living room, it’s a photo frame and a video server for your TV; you dock it in the kitchen, and it displays your recipes for you."

Other major companies are coming out with their own tablets, with many of them announced at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month.

HTC and Google are reportedly jointly working on a tablet. HP and Dell are each planning their own tablets. Microsoft may be too, although during CEO Steve Ballmer's speech at the Consumer Electronics Show, he shared an HP slate prototype, not Microsoft's talked-about "Courier" tablet (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of NBC Universal and Microsoft.)

Pen-based tablet computers have been tried over the past decade with little consumer success, although they have made inroads in the business world.

Strong sales of Apple's device are not guaranteed, especially with a still-shaky economy and netbooks — with prices of between $300 and $400 — continuing to be popular.

What may help Apple, said McQuivey, is that the company "isn’t thinking" of tablets as "selling laptops without keyboards," as other manufacturers do; "Apple sees this as a personal media experience that they can create."

ChangeWave Research, which surveyed 3,314 consumers this month, said there is "strong consumer interest" in an Apple tablet, and that 75 percent of those who are interested say they'd be "willing to pay $500 or more," and 37 percent say they would pay more than $700.

Shopping site Retrevo.com's survey of 500 consumers found that 70 percent of them said they will not spend more than $700 for an Apple tablet. Also, 44 percent said they would not buy such a device if it requires a monthly data plan for Internet access.

And while the iPhone and iPod have been huge sellers for Apple, the company has had its share of product launches that went "thud."

Among them, the 1993 release of the Newton MessagePad, a pen-based tablet that cost around $800; the Power Mac G4 Cube in 2000, and Apple TV in 2007, a set-top box for streaming audio and video to a TV from a computer's iTunes program

Apple announces ?iPad? touchscreen tablet - Tech and gadgets- msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35085524/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/?GT1=43001)

fuzzytoad
01-27-2010, 06:39 PM
when does the iDouche come out?

MadMonk
01-27-2010, 11:09 PM
LOL
http://www.pvponline.com/comics/pvp20100127.png

rcjunkie
01-28-2010, 05:17 AM
when does the iDouche come out?

I thought you were already out!!

CuatrodeMayo
01-28-2010, 07:25 AM
No stylus and no multitasking (so far).

It's basically a big Iphone.

fuzzytoad
01-28-2010, 07:48 AM
I thought you were already out!!

If not pissing myself with glee over the announcement of a 10 inch Iphone makes me a douche, then so be it...

I'd rather have one of these:
http://photos.macnn.com/news/1001/asuswavefacelight-lg1.jpg

http://gadget-reviews.org/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/05093_ASUS_Waveface_Ultra.jpg

skyrick
01-28-2010, 04:40 PM
when does the iDouche come out?

Thank you! My wife asked, "Do they have any women in marketing at Apple?"

Advertisement: "Heavy flow this month? We have an app for it! The iPad!"

Rick

Dustin
01-28-2010, 05:09 PM
iPod on steroids

silvergrove
01-28-2010, 07:21 PM
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lsjU0K8QPhs&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lsjU0K8QPhs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Look at the upload date :)

MadMonk
01-28-2010, 07:24 PM
LMAO! That's great!

HewenttoJared
02-09-2010, 01:39 PM
Having an iphone without the screen size restrictions has some very nice implications for gaming and mobile internet/information apps. That price is a bad joke though.

fuzzytoad
02-09-2010, 08:17 PM
Having an iphone without the screen size restrictions has some very nice implications for gaming and mobile internet/information apps. That price is a bad joke though.

The price wouldn't be so bad if there were any improvements to the current technology...

with that said, The Ipad has zero improvements in multi-tasking, the removal of basics like camera functionality, and no true "portability" offerings that extend the use of Iphone/Ipod/Ibook usage..

People will basically be paying for a big Iphone with no camera and no promise of being able to transfer Apps they already paid for. Plus, they can't watch true HD films, nor can they run OSX apps.

IMHO, Apple made a huge mistake in going with a proprietary processor(1GHz Apple A4) instead of a tried-n-true Atom or Nvidia ION..

They also (IMHO) continue to make a mistake in limiting customer-enabled expandability by refusing to let owners purchase their own memory expansions.. There's absolutely no reason why a portable product can't have a Micro SD slot for expanded storage, or the ability to change the sim card for expanded wireless support..

The iPad is "unlocked" as far as wireless carriers go.. but there's a catch...

The iPad will ship with a microSim 3g card. a card you can't change out.. AT&T is the only carrier that supports microSim..

So basically it's unlocked... but not really...

Waste of money.

BBatesokc
06-16-2010, 08:38 AM
I was a big skeptic when these were announced and eventually were released to much fanfare. I openly joked it was just a 'big print version of an ipod.'

That said, I actually bought one the other day when I found one posted on Craigslist at a really good price (64GB Wifi version with cradle for $525. almost $800 retail value). I figured I could play with it and if I didn't like it I could sell it for more than I paid.

Two weeks later and I love it! I knew I'd need a few days just to get over the 'wow factor' before I could give an honest opinion, but even then I found this device very useful. Is it just a large iPod Touch - yes. But being larger makes it much more functional for me.

Basically, if you are someone that regularly used your iPod Touch or Iphone apps then you might be a good candidate for the iPad.

I love the portability and instant access combined with a larger viewing area.

I actually play very few games on it and rely on many of the apps to get real work done.

Are there shortcomings? Absolutely. Is it overpriced for what it does? Unfortunately. But, does it do what it is supposed to do very well? Absolutely.

The iPad IMO is for techie people with money to spare, old folks wanting a simple way to get on the net and into social networking without fear of screwing up a real computer, and people who can use it in work in place of a larger laptop and can use the tax write-off (my category).

I suggest buying used. Unfortunately, my deal was not the norm and many people actually try and sell their iPad for more than retail due to them constantly being sold out at the Apple Store and online. Also, buy your accessories like cases online at Amazon. Apple wants $60 for a mediocre case. I bought a great one on Amazon with a screen protector for only $20. Also, buy the stylus and SD adapter!

Kerry
06-16-2010, 06:53 PM
If Apple came out with iRock (just a rock with the Apple logo on it) people would spend all night in line to buy it for $199. Then next year they woud come out with iRock in color and the same people would wait in line again to buy one.


Hmmm, maybe I should make an iRock and put it for sell on Ebay and see if anyone buys it.

BBatesokc
06-16-2010, 07:36 PM
While I find many Apple fans to be a bit ravenous, I'd have to disagree with your analogy Kerry.

When Apple has a hit it most often isn't just a fad but is instead revolutionary. Look what the iPod did to crush the Walkman and still nothing competes with it in sales, style or ease of use.

But Apple has had some big misses too. Call these their iRock if you will.... But they prove "if you put an Apple logo on it they still may not come."

1. No better place to start than the Newton. Need I say more? In case I do, heres a few more jewels with Apple logos that never perpetuated a line, a fad, a craze or even a mild success....
2. iTV now known as Apple TV. While virtually everyone I know owns a DVR, I don't know a single person who owns one of these less than revolutionary gadgets.
3. I bet you never heard of iTools. That's because they soon changed the name to .Mac. When that too failed they reworked the idea into MobileMe which has had huge hiccups and Apple is still trying to reinvent this monster and convince Mac fans to use it. Its a great idea, just terrible execution.
4. Apple has released an entire parade of disastrous computer mice (or is it mouses). Anyone remember the hockey puck mouse that came with the bubble iMac? And while the industry standard is a mouse with 2-6 buttons, an Apple mouse is most often a single button nightmare. Even as I type this on my 27" iMac I am utilizing a Microsoft mouse with no less than 4 buttons and a scroll wheel.
5. How about Ipod HiFi? Google it. Yep, it was that bad.
6. How about the 80's desktop by Apple dubbed Lisa? $10,000 for a computer that was absolutely terrible even by 80's standards.
7. How about the 20 pound $7,000 Apple laptop called Apple Portable from the 80's and early 90's.
8. How about the Anniversary Mac. Looks alot like today's iMac but was around $7,000 in the late 90's and was painfully slow and not expandable. They sold a few thousand and proclaimed the Anniversary a dud.
9. Remember when everyone was clamoring for a Sega Saturn or an N64? Well, there was a third product out there that apparently nobody bought.... the Apple Pippin. A game system like the Saturn and N64 but with zero following.

Most people and companies are remembered for their failures, but the genius of Apple is their failures are almost not even noticed by anyone.

Thunder
06-16-2010, 11:35 PM
Apple Pippin? Never heard of it. I know every game systems that were available while growing up and never once was there a mention of Apple Pippin....

Lord Helmet
06-17-2010, 08:28 AM
Apple Pippin? Never heard of it. I know every game systems that were available while growing up and never once was there a mention of Apple Pippin....

Apple Bandai Pippin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Bandai_Pippin)