iPad announced

[geoff332]

This is Apples first attempt to 'dumb down' the PC/computer.

What about the Mac? Or, a little less facetiously, the Newton.

The iPad is just that... a dumb PC. Why is this the right time for one you ask? Well, in one word - Content.

I'm not sure I agree that it's really a Dumb PC - mostly because it's missing too many features. If it had proper USB support, fully featured web browsing, and a lot more flexibility with applications, I'd be inclined to agree with you. Because they've missed some pretty important features, it's really just a big smart phone - without a phone.

Interesting the target is european, middle class, female's.

And they call it an iPad? Really? I wonder if they were going to call it iSlate, until HP announced the Slate at CES. It just seems like a rather dumb name if they're wanting to target the female customers.

One thing I've just noticed is that you can charge it off USB - which means no separate power brick to carry.

While an obvious thing for a netbook to support, and long overdue, I've yet to see a netbook do that.

Most of the new tablets do exactly that - most of the offering actual functionality rather than just a platform for content and apps. Simon's definitely right that there's a new class of device emerging (and I suspect that Netbooks will die out: the choice will be a tablet or a laptop).

Never has a truer word been said. I know Lee goes on about all the technical spec stuff that's missing, but I simply wouldn't buy it because it's far too big to fit in my bag!

The tablets will never be pocket-sized. I think the size is about right. It's designed to be tucked into a bag. For me, it'd fit perfectly in my camera bag. Unfortunately, it'll never go in there, because it doesn't offer any useful means to copy the photos off my camera. And I suspect, being Apple, the fact I shoot in RAW means it won't let me view the photos either.

HP's slate isn't much better: it'll probably have the flexibility I want, but it looks like it'll be a fairly standard version of Windows 7, with all the drawbacks of Windows. Google is likely to release Chrome OS into Netbooks (ASUS and Acer are likely as hardware partners); if they draw on what they know from Android, then they could do a pretty cool touchscreen OS. Nokia's got their Maemo OS they've just released on the N900. And I'd bet there are a few other Linux-based OS' for this sort of device. If any of them can marry functionality with usability, they'll have the best device out there.

[ducasi]

For me, it'd fit perfectly in my camera bag. Unfortunately, it'll never go in there, because it doesn't offer any useful means to copy the photos off my camera. And I suspect, being Apple, the fact I shoot in RAW means it won't let me view the photos either.

You can get connectors for it that gives you USB or SD transfers from your camera. No idea whether it'll cope with RAW, but as the Mac does, there's no real reason why the iPad shouldn't.


I quite like the look of the thing – ideal for web browsing in front of the telly. Might wait to see what the iPhone OS 4.0 brings though. One thing I can promise it won't, is Flash.

[geoff332]

You can get connectors for it that gives you USB or SD transfers from your camera.

Which means you have to carry an adaptor around as well. Which is just annoying when they could very easily put a USB on the device itself.

No idea whether it'll cope with RAW, but as the Mac does, there's no real reason why the iPad shouldn't.

Mac's also cope with Flash, but the iPhone and iPad don't. And that's precisely the point: it's a phone OS, not a PC OS.

[azande]

The issue with Apple and Flash is completely different:

http://www.zeldman.com/2010/02/01/flash-ipad-standards/

and

http://daringfireball.net/2010/01/blue_boxes

just as two examples

[Lee Bartholomew]

The issue with Apple and Flash is completely different:

http://www.zeldman.com/2010/02/01/flash-ipad-standards/

and

http://daringfireball.net/2010/01/blue_boxes

just as two examples

If I develop a web based app, or a website, why should I have to revert back to old tech just becuase of apple?

It's a bit like saying, "well if HTML doesn't work on this device, then print all your web content on paper instead of a website"
Something I do find interesting is that Apple are trying to encourage developers to use Microsofts .NET platform to develop on

[geoff332]

If I develop a web based app, or a website, why should I have to revert back to old tech just becuase of apple?

Flash is likely to vanish at some point and it will be replaced by HTML 5. Google are, unsurprisingly, leading the charge on this - see some examples here - although you'll most likely need the Chrome browser to process the javascript fast enough for them to work. The idea is to make web apps far more powerful, without having to revert to third-party plugins. The main stumbling block is video - HTML 5 supports embedded video, but no-one can agree on the codec to play that video. Apple, Google and Mozilla are all going in different directions. I only hope the agreed upon codec is open-source, rather than replacing one proprietary technology (flash) for another. MS are probably thinking about it too, but they're a few years behind leading edge technology.

Google is betting that app stores are a passing fad. Instead of downloading and installing apps, you will open an app in a web browser and it will run from there (you can, for example, set-up gmail as a web app using Chrome. From a user persepctive, it looks like a mail client).

It's a bit like saying, "well if HTML doesn't work on this device, then print all your web content on paper instead of a website"

Not quite: they're trying to introduce new technology. Unfortunately, they're trying to introduce Apple's way of doing new technology, which is very closed - you do things Apple's way, or you don't do them on their devices. This, more than anything else, is why I don't like Apple devices.

[straycat]

If I develop a web based app, or a website, why should I have to revert back to old tech just becuase of apple?

As far as I'm concerned, Flash is old tech. It's beyond time to move on...

[pmjd]

Interesting reading a summary article on the Register about the Adobe CTO's response to the exclusion of Flash from the iphone and ipad.

Especially when he admits that Flash on Macs is crap and always has been compared to Flash on Windows. It's meant to improve with Flash 10.1 and I'll be looking forward to that.

As for the ipad I'll be unlikely to get one as I'm quite happy with my macbook and prefer it for all the extra things it can do. Will be interesting to have a play with an ipad once they come out though....

[Lee Bartholomew]

As far as I'm concerned, Flash is old tech. It's beyond time to move on...

As a developer who uses flash all the time, it's far from dead. I have seen some great things to come from flash in the future including better intergration in to the LAMP environment and inclusion of Hip-HOP which will see sites like ebay/facebook appearing from 100% flash.

[straycat]

As a developer who uses flash all the time, it's far from dead. I have seen some great things to come from flash in the future including better intergration in to the LAMP environment and inclusion of Hip-HOP which will see sites like ebay/facebook appearing from 100% flash.

I said 'old', not 'dead'. PHP integration - well - that's been around a good long while. Considering what hiphop is, I'm a little unclear on the link between it and Flash, but I'm sure you'll enlighten me

[Lee Bartholomew]

As far as I'm concerned, Flash is old tech. It's beyond time to move on...

I said 'old', not 'dead'. PHP integration - well - that's been around a good long while. Considering what hiphop is, I'm a little unclear on the link between it and Flash, but I'm sure you'll enlighten me

Facebook ( who developed hip hop ) are looking at doing the same with flash. Obv more to it than that but I have a 6 hour workshop to write up for tomorrow so that is getting my time at the mo

[geoff332]

[Simon r]

http://www.slideshare.net/distimo/di...-state-of-play

this is interesting

[philsmove]

the question is will it blend