Thursday, January 28, 2010

PMN: iPad Me Now

I'm going to regret the title of this post.

Now, I know what you're thinking: enough with the e-readers, already. But this is no e-reader, folks. This is... how did Steve put it? Ah, yes. MAGICAL.



Suffice it to say: I want one.

Now, I'll leave you to discover the vital stats on your own (lest another commenter believe I am somehow receiving kickbacks for blogging about various e-readers), but it seems to be affordable, lightweight, and (most importantly) very, very shiny. I'm not going to buy one until the second generation of devices is available, since I prefer to allow people with more disposable income than me to figure out what features should be added/removed and where there are bugs (not to mention the nice price drop that comes with waiting). But what about you, gentle readers? Are you swayed in any way?

34 comments:

  1. I'm not a big fan of e-readers, but that thing is like the Hummer of digital devices: Black. Shiny. And beautifully square.

    I think this (and whatever other wonderful new things are on the horizon) is going to do great things for publishing in the future. But for the same reasons you mentioned, I'm not quite ready to jump on the wagon yet.

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  2. The video totally sold me (putty in marketers' hands apparently) - thinking of it more as a laptop than an e-reader though...

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  3. Nope. Not swayed at all.

    I'm just a rotten old dinosaur who wants to be contrary and remain with paper and ink.

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  4. It's an iPod Touch made for Andre the Giant. There's no innovation to this product. It's just bigger. (And it still doesn't run Flash.)

    While I appreciate that it uses epub as its primary book file format, nothing else about it makes me want it over a nook.

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  5. Oh yes, I want one. Joseph, you're right, it's a big iPod Touch, but for an iPhone owner like me that means that all my apps and iTunes stuff will work on it. I think it's a smart move by Apple NOT to be too innovative at this stage of the game. The product stays competitive because they won't have had to max out the development costs, and they can wait and see what the other contenders (especially Microsoft) bring to the table.

    Nevertheless, I pinned a big "Never buy Apple 1.0" reminder on my noticeboard to stop me from buying right now because now that Apple's thrown down the gauntlet, the market's going to go red hot and, like you Eric (and Lydia) I want to wait and watch. A huge question mark is how well the iPad's bookstore is going to perform, and let's wait to see how the app developers take advantage of the iPad format. The third question that's roaming around my brain is whether Apple will really pull off migrating iTunes to a "cloud" concept (so that you can access your content from anywhere) and perhaps even integrate it with MobileMe.

    Having said that, it's SO shiny... and my next stop is the Stuff Christians Like blog to enter their iPad giveaway (the catch is that you preorder Jon's book, but it's very funny and if you're not a Christian you can always find one to give it to, can't you?)

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  6. I might get one of these in the future...I'll wait to see what the developers realize this can do and we really start to see its capabilities. But I don't know that I'd use it as an e-reader. Definitely not for books. But for magazines, I think this has a lot of potential. Imagine a Rolling Stone subscription on this with embedded music, video, etc.

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  7. I will order one as soon as Apple e-mails me to say that they're in the store. :)

    Interestingly, I've read reviews from gadgeteer technophiles (of which I'd consider myself one) who think there's "nothing new" here. While I'd agree that the technology isn't exactly monumental, the iPad brings existing tech together into a new consumer product/paradigm.

    This isn't an attempt to invent the wheel, it's a product to reinvent the way typical consumers (not just technophiles) experience books, video, etc. I think it's an interesting harbinger of tech to come...

    *steps down off soapbox*

    Anywho, YEAH APPLE!! ;)

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  8. But can it multi-task? I've heard no. Thumbs down.

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  9. But it's backlit.

    The one thing that turned me on to ereaders was e-ink technology. I can't read off a computer screen for too long, and I really liked the idea of having a device where I could read manuscripts etc without having to stare at a lit screen.

    Our eyes tire much more quickly reading off of a computer, and that's why when the Kindle etc came along, people started to truly take notice and realise the standard book format finally had some competition.

    I don't understand how so many people don't see that as a fundamental difference between the products? Sure the iPad is all shiny new technology and will be great for gaming etc. But for reading? Aside from things like comic books and magazines, no thank you.

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  10. Chloe: I'll agree that it marries technology into a new product, but I don't think it merges it into a new paradigm, and paradigm shifts are what saved Apple from extinction.

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  11. Great work, Eric! I'm dropping one in the mail tomorrow. xoox steve j.

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  12. I like it. I want it.

    Like you, I'll wait a generation or two. But when we finally make the break for e-readers, I want this to be it.

    But I really want it to be a phone, too. I think.

    On one hand, I don't want to carry around ten different devices, with each performing a separate task. But OTOH, this thing is kind of big for carrying around everywhere, all the time, like you would a phone. I'm not sure where the compromise should be.

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  13. Like Joseph, my reaction is "it's a giant iPhone/iTouch." I know from my friends who have them that those products are the best thing ever created in the history of the world EVER, but I'm not swayed. If I want the features of an iPhone, I'll get an iPhone. Why would I then buy the same thing, twice as much, if I already have access to those features? I have an iPod, so having my music with me isn't an issue. I don't really care about having all my technologies merged into one product. I'll just buy a cheaper e-reader at some point in the future--one that's not backlit, as another commenter pointed out.

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  14. Didn't even bat an eye when it came out. For all intents and purposes, it looks like it has all the capabilities of the IPhone, except a larger viewing screen. It also seems like it would be awkward to hold for long. Odd size and no way to hold it comfortably.

    Then again, I'm still not impressed with E-readers. So in all likelihood I'm the wrong person to ask. (Hugs)Indigo

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  15. The page looks large enough to intrigue me, but it'll be awhile before I buy. I'm thinking we're at "286" here. So, there's a long way to go.

    Also, the thing is going to have to load fast. I get bored sitting and waiting for things to load.

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  16. Don't like it. I'm an Apple devotee. I'll never go back to Windows and I'm thinking seriously of forming a religion based on worship of the iPhone. But this iPad seems to be caught between two definitions. It's too big to be a viable e reader and it's too small and lacking in functions to be a laptop. Part of the whole appeal of the other e readers is that they're roughly the size of a book and can be easily carried, stashed, packed, etc. The size of the iPad is lovely during the time one is using it, but makes it a very bulky annoyance during every other minute of its life.

    And, of course, it's way too big to replace the iPhone. So I would need:
    (1) my iPhone
    (2) my laptop and
    (3) this iPad thing.

    How many devices am I expected to:
    (A) buy
    (B) maintain/charge and
    (C) not lose?

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  17. If I get one, it will definitely be after they realease a second version.

    People complain about the lack of flash but truly, flash is not the end all be all. I'm rather glad it doesn't load flash.

    As for being backlit, I don't have a problem with this at all. I get eyestrain on my iphone because it's tiny, not because of the display.

    I am rather enthused that they're going with ePub. I truly hope they continue in this vein as I think it will be a huge boost for the ebook industry and especially ebook authors.

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  18. I'm buying one. I don't have an ereader other than my computer, and I think it's a psychological thing as far as not wanting to read on it. I spend too much time working on the computer, I am not going to relax with it in my lap. The iPad on the other hand? I can already picture it.

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  19. Want one. Not gonna buy one. Yet.

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  20. No. It's still just reading on a computer screen, and I don't want to do that. I get enough of it at work, fer chrissakes.

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  21. Starting at $499? If I bought that, I'd have no money leftover for BOOKS! Or gas. Or food. Or electricity.

    SIGH.

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  22. I'm a Linux user so Teh Apple sways me none at all, although I will admit it looks quite pretty (but a little Hospital Antiseptic, like most of their products?). Will wait for the equivalent from Acer/Asus. Now that Taiwan have a fixed target, they should come out with something in the near future that's hackable, cheaper and almost as nice looking that's not DRM-ed to hell.

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  23. I'm with Keith. I am not carting around lap top, phone, and iPad, or paying another monthly service bill...even if I could afford it.

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  24. I was really excited by this, until I read all the features they've carefully removed from it in order to milk money from accessories and future generations. (See: www.theage.com.au/digital-life/computers/awe-and-shock-busting-through-the-ipad-hype-20100128-n0z0.html )

    Now it's a resounding 'meh'. It's a big iPod - and it's both too big, and not big enough. For magazine reading, note taking and browsing, I'd really want something closer to A4/letter size. For book reading, I'd want something book-sized. This is neither.

    Also, no iBooks for Australia (probably due to rights), probably for quite a while (if the iTunes store is anything to judge by).

    And the name just makes me cringe.

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  25. I need something taht will replace my laptop. This is not quite there yet. need a USB port and more applications

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  26. It sort of makes me think of the portable screens in Minority Report. I'm not sure if that's a bad thing or a good thing.

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  27. Never bought Apple. Never will. Wait a while and something just as good will be available for a lot less money from someone else -- and it'll support open standards.

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  28. Want one, want one, want one. But mostly I popped in to say how much I love the labels you used on this post.

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  29. Couldn't they have come up with a better name? Seems like something you would find in the feminine hygiene aisle.

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  30. It's an e-reader on speed. I can not wait to fondle my very own.

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  31. Not interested. Because this was supposed to be Apple's answer to the netbooks, then changed their minds. And like everything else with Apple, you have to have their service (okay, but it gets annoying) to get your files. I am not impressed with the specs.
    Sorry apple fans. Since you can get netbooks with touchscreens, for less than this thing. Guess what I am going to buy.

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  32. I'll pass. We're an Apple family, but this is too big, and too expensive for me.

    I just bought the now-discontinued Sony PRS-505 (I didn't want to spend a fortune) and I'm happy with it. Lightweight, memory expansion slots, and works with the opensource Calibre e-library management software. Frankly, I can't see any reason to get anything else.

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  33. I definitely wouldn't call it, at this point in time, a "must have" device for functional living. iPhones are great--and most folks want to have a phone. Not everyone wants a screen they can use in bed to watch a movie, or an e-reader, etc., especially not at this cost (and if they already have a laptop). But I can't wait to watch movies in bed with it.

    I'm also really weird about calendars--I can never find a calendaring system that I love. I use a PC at work, and I'm really excited about the possibility of losing my paper calendar and propping an iPad on my desk on its dock, and using that as my daily calendar. And then, when I return to Appleworld in the evenings, it becomes my media machine...even if it's only one media (medium?) at a time.

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