iPad reviewed
MyBroadband was lucky enough to get its hands on an iPad recently. This is what we thought.
MyBroadband was lucky enough to get its hands on an iPad recently. This is what we thought.
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Apple iPad reviewed
- Thread starter rpm
- Start date
Lobesy
Well-Known Member
I'd just like to point out that you do get iPads with 3G connectivity.
assagai
Expert Member
wow, applestuff.co.za are expensive!
3G is an optional extra.
However, these use a MicroSim and those are not compatible in SA?
Secondly, those haven't launched yet, have they (in USA that is)?
Curtix2
Senior Member
IMO there are any number of netbooks I would have over an iPAD.
scuzzy
Well-Known Member
No 3g (yet), no camera, tiny storage space - epic fail!
Another awesome review of the iPad: http://www.blendtec.com/willitblend/videos.aspx?type=unsafe&video=ipad
nelwa
Expert Member
No thanks...
assagai
Expert Member
I want one, but not at those prices.
eltherza
Expert Member
So I take it that the iPad is great (just like it's price too)? :wtf:
OT but their gamestuff store has a SkyCrawlers video game. Didn't know we had anime spin off games in SA. Oh well...
iPad will be a fail for video games if Japanese video game makers won't jump aboard and judging by the nationalistic view of supporting Nintendo and Sony over MS XBOX that won't happen.
actually Japanese Video game makers can do what they want, The support from Popcap and EA that apple has got will probably launch the iTampon into competition with the PS and DS, I will get a link for you later
killadoob
Honorary Master
iTunes $100 Gift Card
R1,200.00
That is a rather high profit margin
.
R1,200.00
That is a rather high profit margin
.
jannievanzyl
Telecoms expert
I happened to be in the US on the launch date and ended up with the 64G WiFi model. Have been using it everyday for the last two weeks, as have the whole family.
There most definitely is a place for a tablet device and Apple's execution is for sure the most elegant I've seen so far. While it will not replace a Netbook or Notebook for many people, I see it slot in between a smart-phone and a netbook. The much larger screen clearly trumps a smart-phone while the much slimmer body makes it more portable than a netbook.
Over the last two weeks, I've watched not just myself, but my family to see how we use the device. (BTW, it's only been on the charger 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Battery life is very good.)
From a business perspective, I've stopped carrying my laptop in the car, on flights and around the house. The iPAD is more than adequate for e-mail and browsing stints of a few hours at a time. The main apps (mail, browsing, etc.) have been re-written to make use of the larger screen, so really works well. I've got a number of newspapers and books on the device and these update automatically, so if you have a gap you've got the latest news with you. My last local flight was the first time I did not buy any mags or newspapers but read a number of newspapers on the iPAD.
The on-screen keyboard is more than adequate to type longish e-mails and, just like the touch-screen phones, takes a bit of getting used to, but thereafter you're quite fast and accurate on the keyboard.
Two things are missing right now to make it a complete business tool, MS Office and 3G. As rpm said, you need 3G for full mobility and, let's face it, the business sector is stuck in Office. While 3G is on its way, no news yet for Office support (you can read Office docs, but can't create) although Apple's own productivity suite is available. Still need to load it though.
But I believe the biggest use (and impact) of the iPAD, and other tablets, will be in home use. It's probably the first device that will become a universal information and control tool for the whole family.
Again, watching the family (from 6 to 76) using the device over the last few weeks showed it's more deemed just a tool (much like a remote) than some fancy computing device. It mostly lies on the coffee table and everyone uses it, from going through holiday snaps to playing games to browsing the web (including checking TV schedules) and reading the occasional book. Home control (including DSTV) is already available.
Up to now there's been a number of drawbacks in the devices available for daily home usage. Battery life, clumsy user interfaces, lack of apps and cost being the biggest drawbacks. The iPAD managed to address most of these quite well.
The biggest drawback for home usage is the fact that you still need to plug it in to recharge. While it sounds trivial, it's actually quite a big problem with most of these devices in the home. No-one bothers to plug them in to recharge. I would like to see an inductive charger for these tablets so you can just leave them on the coffee table to charge.
I bought my first tablet device in the 90's and have used nearly every iteration since then in the search for this "converged device" that will replace many of the day-to-day gadgets we use in the home. But cost, screen issues (size, resolution and brightness), poor battery life, limited applications and crappy GUI's meant that most of these had limited or no success, especially as a whole-family device.
But I'm quite comfortable to say that the iPAD is the first iteration that ticks most of the boxes.
There most definitely is a place for a tablet device and Apple's execution is for sure the most elegant I've seen so far. While it will not replace a Netbook or Notebook for many people, I see it slot in between a smart-phone and a netbook. The much larger screen clearly trumps a smart-phone while the much slimmer body makes it more portable than a netbook.
Over the last two weeks, I've watched not just myself, but my family to see how we use the device. (BTW, it's only been on the charger 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Battery life is very good.)
From a business perspective, I've stopped carrying my laptop in the car, on flights and around the house. The iPAD is more than adequate for e-mail and browsing stints of a few hours at a time. The main apps (mail, browsing, etc.) have been re-written to make use of the larger screen, so really works well. I've got a number of newspapers and books on the device and these update automatically, so if you have a gap you've got the latest news with you. My last local flight was the first time I did not buy any mags or newspapers but read a number of newspapers on the iPAD.
The on-screen keyboard is more than adequate to type longish e-mails and, just like the touch-screen phones, takes a bit of getting used to, but thereafter you're quite fast and accurate on the keyboard.
Two things are missing right now to make it a complete business tool, MS Office and 3G. As rpm said, you need 3G for full mobility and, let's face it, the business sector is stuck in Office. While 3G is on its way, no news yet for Office support (you can read Office docs, but can't create) although Apple's own productivity suite is available. Still need to load it though.
But I believe the biggest use (and impact) of the iPAD, and other tablets, will be in home use. It's probably the first device that will become a universal information and control tool for the whole family.
Again, watching the family (from 6 to 76) using the device over the last few weeks showed it's more deemed just a tool (much like a remote) than some fancy computing device. It mostly lies on the coffee table and everyone uses it, from going through holiday snaps to playing games to browsing the web (including checking TV schedules) and reading the occasional book. Home control (including DSTV) is already available.
Up to now there's been a number of drawbacks in the devices available for daily home usage. Battery life, clumsy user interfaces, lack of apps and cost being the biggest drawbacks. The iPAD managed to address most of these quite well.
The biggest drawback for home usage is the fact that you still need to plug it in to recharge. While it sounds trivial, it's actually quite a big problem with most of these devices in the home. No-one bothers to plug them in to recharge. I would like to see an inductive charger for these tablets so you can just leave them on the coffee table to charge.
I bought my first tablet device in the 90's and have used nearly every iteration since then in the search for this "converged device" that will replace many of the day-to-day gadgets we use in the home. But cost, screen issues (size, resolution and brightness), poor battery life, limited applications and crappy GUI's meant that most of these had limited or no success, especially as a whole-family device.
But I'm quite comfortable to say that the iPAD is the first iteration that ticks most of the boxes.
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Console and PC games overlap but many Japanese titles never make it to PC and vice versa. Also look at these Nintendo DS and PSP games. Most are Japanese in origin from studios like Game Arts not Electronic Arts. The XBOX360 still has great deficiencies in this regard and quite coincidentally the most popular portable consoles are both Japanese too.
Remember the NGage?
Then again if you're arguing casual gaming than any Tetris/Solitaire clone will do, but that's not competing against Nintendo DS and the PSP. For the iPad to compete with those games they can't churn out clones of EA games or Tetris look alikes. They'll need to get TriAce, GameArts and others aboard. That will be difficult as these studios and their primary customers support Japanese hardware.
The iPad is a jack of all trades but a master of none, except for maybe, content crippled especially to be meant for the iPhone/iPad only and then it will be a deal breaker whether this content is worthwhile. At present, I would say NO, since we don't get iTunes in SA and it's much easier to buy a DVD (even from overseas) and rip it to a higher spec'ed H.264 file than the iPad can play.
jannievanzyl
Telecoms expert
BTW, microsims should be in SA by the time the 3G model launches.
It will be interesting to see people walk around with an iPad and an iPhone. Will turtle neck sweaters also enjoy a revival?
Meanwhile Vodacom and MTN: "Thanks for the cash!" All those microsim subscriptions will fill their coffers. Instead of one cell phone account people will have 2, iPhone and iPad. LOL.
Meanwhile Vodacom and MTN: "Thanks for the cash!" All those microsim subscriptions will fill their coffers. Instead of one cell phone account people will have 2, iPhone and iPad. LOL.