Re: Cory Doctorow on iPad, Apple ][+

[Calibrator <calibrator@freenet.de>]

On Apr 6, 6:25 am, DaveSchmenk <dschm...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Apr 3, 11:09 pm, Calibrator <calibra...@freenet.de> wrote:
> > >
> > > Care to elaborate as I'm on still the fence?
>
> > If you do not mind I'll throw in my $0.02 US:
>
> > My 32GB iPad arrive in the mail on Sat.  IMHO, the iPhone is a great
> > communications (voice and text) device and audio device, but the
> > visual experience is lacking on such a small screen.  IMHO, the iPad
> > is primarily a device to consume visual media (games, books, video,
> > web).  Neither is well suited for content creation (e.g. lots of
> > email).  Both need a computer.  Both are great application platforms.
>
> > The three reasons I got the iPad:
>
> > 1.  Form factor.  I spend ~40 hours a month on planes and another
> > 20-40 in taxis.  I find that my 15" MBP just too large.  Unless I need
> > to type a lot of email or code I generally just read articles, web
> > (Delta has WiFi), catch up on TiVo shows, etc...  The smaller form
> > factor makes it ideal for that purpose.
>
> > 2.  Battery life.  Some have measured 11.5 hours.  I have to charge my
> > iPhone daily.  I often stop using my iPhone as a media/web device when
> > the battery starts to dip because I really need it to be a phone.  My
> > battery still has 47% and I've used it for hours over the last 2 days.
>
> > 3.  Media consolidation.  Most of my magazines and journals I read
> > have a digital option.  I travel with more than 1.5lb of paper.  The
> > iPad is 1.5lb.  I'd really like to be paper free.  I was also
> > considering a "nook" for e-books last year.  I am glad BN had delays
> > and that Apple announced in January.  I think the iPad is a better
> > eBook reader.
>
> > Things I do not like:
>
> > 1.  No flash.  At first I didn't think it'd be an issue since I never
> > visit flash-based site on my iPhone.  But I do visit flash-based sites
> > on my MBP and with the larger iPad screen I did hit a number of flash
> > sites (e.g. take-out menus) that I normally never considered
> > connecting to with my iPhone.  I do not think that sites that use
> > flash outside of video will be rushing to HTML 5.  The iPhone OS is
> > the number one mobile web browser, yet I still need my Mac to read
> > many sites that use flash for navigation.  The point is that with
> > millions of iPhones out there, many sites still use flash for basic
> > navigation--change is slow or nonexistent.  I predict the #1 JB app
> > for the iPad will be a browser with flash support.
>
> > 2.  Freedom to run any app I choose.  This really didn't bother me too
> > much with the iPhone, the gains outweighed the losses.  Plus I could
> > just jailbreak to run the one app that I really wanted.  With the
> > number of apps being built as universal then you are forced (unless
> > you want to put some effort into it) to have both platforms at the
> > correct OS versions.  I lost 7 apps on my last sync because they
> > required 3.1.3 and iTunes just deleted them from my iPhone (including
> > data) without asking.  I had to install 3.1.3 to get them back (I was
> > out of the office without access to time machine).  I see this as
> > being a reoccurring problem.
>
> > Summary:
>
> > I like it.  I see it increasing my overall life productivity.  I can
> > take it places where my MBP would just be in the way and quickly out
> > of power.  No more, "I'll have to wait until I get to my MBP because I
> > need a larger screen", e.g. VNC sessions, large memory web sites.
>
> > If you cannot find a use case for it, then I'd not get it.  I think as
> > apps release and the price drops that you may find your use case.
> > This was true for me.  All phones do text, voice, and audio.  But it
> > was an app that convinced me to get the iPhone 3G.
>
> I have to confess that I just picked up a 32GB iPad as well.  It is
> quite a bit more than an uber-iTouch, but much less than a laptop. The
> form factor sold me.  Very intimate and easy to use for the few things
> it does.  VNC is the killer app for me, along with mail and browser. I
> like to check on email and do a little browsing in bed before dozing -
> my iPhone is just a little too small and a laptop is just a little too
> big (even my 12" PowerBook).
>
> Typing on it feels much like the old Tandy Model 100.  If it only had
> AppleSoft.

Thanks for the input, guys!

bye
Marcus