What costs $500, has no innovative functions, has been seen by very few people and attracted orders for 120,000 units in the first day it was put on sale?
Well I know no one got that wrong.
My problem is: I want one.
Trouble is now, when I wake up and turn on my iPhone to read news and emails, instead of the satisfying feeling that everything I want to know for the next half hour is at my finger-tips, I think: This would be so much better on a ten inch screen.
Blast it. My pleasure in my iPhone has been subverted. And the only way to recapture the pleasure is to buy one of these new bloody things.
The Wifi-only version is the one for me. I can put it on my bedside table - where my iPhone used to be - and read news and mail in the morning; in the daytime, I will put it on the table by the sofa to pick up and read as needs be.
Carrying it around seems out of the question. But, it might be worth packing for trips to read stuff in hotel rooms.
Appallingly, I am quite excited about getting one. Am I going mad?
Be strong!
It usually takes the chaps at infinite loop 3 generations to get a new technology just right - q.v. iphone, ipod, mac mini.
Wish I'd waited for the fast iphone rather than rushing in at gen 2 for the 3G enabled version.
I've told my self I'm going to wait this time, but probably wont...
Thank you, Stooriefit, I know you're right, but I don't think I'm going to be able to resist.
I agree with Stooriefit - there are pictures knocking around the Web of the internal frame for the iPad with a gap in it which is exactly the same size as the gap that holds the camera in the lid of a Macbook. So a camera is coming in a future generation, which would make it a great Skype video terminal. Be strong David, be strong!
That's extremely interesting, Luke but, ever since Expo 67 in Montreal, the concept of the videophone has proved unpopular. Like, apparenlty, the majority of my fellow men, I do not particularly want to be seen when I'm on the phone. So the prospect of a nine inch Skype video terminal leaves me a little cold. On the general principle though, although I know you and Stooriefit are right, I expect I'll be weak.
David, you fashion victim you
(Never thought I'ld say that)
I never thought anyone would ever accuse me of being a fashion victim, Dick, but I see this thng very much as a domestic tool - I'm only going for the WiFi version not the 3G version - so can I be accused of flaunting it as a fashion accessory when I won't be swanking around in the street with it?
Can you stay your purchase at least until the first units have been received and vetted for a bit?
Being a vanguard purchaser of a gen 1 Apple product seems too risky to me. I guess it just depends on how much USD 500 is worth to you.
I still love my gen 1 iPhone, by the way. I know it's not the hottest hardware, but at the time it was so very far ahead of other phones that it was clearly worth it to me to take the plunge when I did. But I did it after it had been around the block a bit, and after the initial price drop (was that ever a slap in the face to early adopters!)
That too is excellent advice Steve, but what keeps spurring me on in this probable folly is that I'm visiting the USA next month where one can be bought for $500 whereas, if previous practice is followed, it's likely to be £500 in England.
Ack! That's outrageous! I'm pretty sure Apple doesn't do the same thing in countries with weaker exchange rates against USD.
Given that, I guess you don't have much choice.
Will you get hit with VAT when you get back? Is there such a thing as an Apple duty-free shop? I've not been on an international flight in quite some time...
That's globalisation I suppose, Steve, a lot of people seem to buy stuff in the USA because prices are generally cheaper there than here, and the exchange rate has been favourable, though getting less so.
Did you already think about the technological side of the story? E.g. no Flash support, no built-in USB, no multi-tasking?
Why not buy a decent netbook and run a nice Linux distro on it?
The sad thing is, Bas, that I already have a decent netbook (& a laptop and an iPhone) and I still have a hankering for this damn thing. It's not to do with the tech spec which, i agree, is lacking in many respects. I think it's something to do with the fact that this thing looks like it has charm.
David - the electronics industry thanks you for keeping it out of recession.
But get the 3G one - that's got more European parts in it !!!!!!!!!!!! :-)
Well, Mike, I'd like to help the European IC industry, but the European telecommunications industry is making it difficult for me because I haven't got 3G coverage where I live (14 miles from central London!) so having a 3G connection (on a tool which I see as purely for in-house use) is as useful as sex rehab for a footballer..
So, basically what you're saying is that most of the PR Christmas parties this year should give away an iPad or 2?
Chance would be a fine thing, Rob
I think you should get am Amazon Kindle. It's like reading a book rather than a computer screen and you can get your favourite newspaper delivered to it so that's it waiting for you when you wake up in the morning. On course, it doesn't have Flash, play videos or make the tea, but there are other things that do that (although it does play music and podcasts if you want).
Thanks for that, Pete, my initial reaction was that the Kindle's display is too small but, on checking, I see it has a 9.7 inch display the same as the the iPad. And the price is half. So that will do everything I want an iPad for.
I'm doing all this now from my little Atom powered 10". The Skype vid is great for international calls to friends and family, either to or from the rest of world, it looks beautiful and just drops into my rucksack for travelling.
3G mobile works just fine most places, if you are in the US pick up a local dongle for cheapest rates.
It's good enough to watch a film in bed, edit a piece of source and run my USB logic analyser (not at the same time... normally), what more could a techno-nerd ask.