Topic: iPad...meh

[NWR_insanolord]

It will be a software update for older hardware as well as for new hardware, but certain features, most notably multitasking, require at least a 3GS. The software update will be available for iPod Touch users, though it may require a small fee (previous versions have been $10 for the upgrade).

My dad has a second generation 16 GB iPod Touch.  He wants to upgrade to a 64 GB one.  Any significant reason why he should wait for the new model or should he just upgrade now?

The current model should support all the features of 4.0, but the new model will most likely go up to 128 GB, and even if he doesn't need the extra space that would mean the 64 GB model would be $100 cheaper. It's also likely that the new model will include a camera, if he'd be interested in that.

Apple is starting to annoy me, the can make crap and sell tons of it.

So far I didn't care, but it boogles the mind that some people think the iPad works as good book reader when the e-ink devices are far, FAR superior.

And I don't care all the people defending lcd screens, they are in denial and going blind when they reach old age, I've tried reading papers in my desktop computer and it only gives you a headache, even newspaper articles are painful. For browsing a forum and looking at video lcds are ok but anything longer than a couple of paragraphs is torture.

Don't assume that because you have problems with LCD screens that everyone else does; I spend the majority of my time looking at LCD screens, and I don't have any eye problems or headaches.

[D_Average]

You guys here the announcement today about Apple's online gaming network for the iphone and ipad?  Its sounds like a min xbox live as you get achievements, buddy invites, etc  Pretty bold move from a company thats forever ignored gaming.

[NWR_insanolord]

Yeah, Apple's turning a corner in terms of gaming; first Steam comes to OS X, now Apple creates a centralized service for the iPhone OS. It's a good thing too, as there were several companies trying to do this already, which was segmenting the market. Apple's solution should cover a far larger number of games, though I wonder how those other companies, particularly the people behind OpenFeint and ngmoco with the Plus system, feel about this.

[Stogi]

I hate how sexy iMacs are. The one I have here at work is just so damn pretty. Makes me feel like **** when I return to my Dell Laptop.

[DAaaMan64]

i'llPass

[Plugabugz]

future proofing.

This argument is wibbly when you have to buy a new one to be futureproofed.

None of these updates mentioned the original iPhone which is only 3 years old (shocking given people were leaving 24 month contracts last year from them?) and they get no updates at all.

[gbuell]

Apple is starting to annoy me, the can make crap and sell tons of it.

So far I didn't care, but it boogles the mind that some people think the iPad works as good book reader when the e-ink devices are far, FAR superior.

And I don't care all the people defending lcd screens, they are in denial and going blind when they reach old age, I've tried reading papers in my desktop computer and it only gives you a headache, even newspaper articles are painful. For browsing a forum and looking at video lcds are ok but anything longer than a couple of paragraphs is torture.

This is SO ridiculous. Most people here probably spend HOURS and HOURS every single day staring at LCD screens, either at work or at home. I know I'm one of them. Blogs and online news sources are hugely popular and many/most of those articles are several paragraphs long or longer. And still, I don't think I've heard a single report of someone's eyes burning out of their sockets because of how long they've been reading things on LCD screens. If you are seriously getting headaches from reading news articles on your computer, which millions of people do every day, I think there's something wrong with you. I really think all the "e-ink is the only way to read on a screen" stuff is so much marketing BS.

[mantidor]

I was being facetious...

Still, e-ink devices are awesome specially for reading outside in bright sunlight. There's no marketing ploy, reading for long periods does tire your eyes and theres no denying that. Doctors aren't lying when they say you should rest 5 minutes every hour or so. Just because you can do it doesn't mean is healthy. I mean, some WoW players con go 20 hours straight, that doesn't mean it's perfectly normal. And anyway, if you think reading forums and news on the internet can even compare to actually reading books you should reconsider how much of serious reader you are. Go and read the divine comedy in one sitting with an lcd screen to see how you feel after you finish.

[mac<censored>]

This is SO ridiculous. Most people here probably spend HOURS and HOURS every single day staring at LCD screens, either at work or at home. I know I'm one of them. Blogs and online news sources are hugely popular and many/most of those articles are several paragraphs long or longer. And still, I don't think I've heard a single report of someone's eyes burning out of their sockets because of how long they've been reading things on LCD screens. If you are seriously getting headaches from reading news articles on your computer, which millions of people do every day, I think there's something wrong with you. I really think all the "e-ink is the only way to read on a screen" stuff is so much marketing BS.

People read that way because they don't have much choice other than printing it all out, which really only makes sense for something you're going to spend quite a bit of time reading.

Nonetheless, many people find reading on paper far nicer than reading on a bright backlit LCD, and find the latter to be pretty annoying for any kind of lengthy reading (as opposed to frothy/short reading like blogs, forums, etc, where the dynamic nature of a computer display more than makes up for the display quality).

That isn't to say that e-ink is as good as paper -- it isn't -- just that conventional backlit LCDs like the ipad uses really aren't the best for the sort of reading that other ebooks are aimed at, and e-ink is arguably a bit better.

[I also spend my whole day staring at an LCD display, and far prefer reading a paper book if I've got one handy.  I'm a bit meh about current ebooks -- e-ink is a nice idea, but the hype rather exceeds the reality -- but the ipad is a step backward for that usage as far as I can tell, and even more hypetastic than e-ink...]

[NWR_insanolord]

The eBook functionality isn't anywhere near the top of the list of reasons I want an iPad, but what I like about it is you can read eBooks from almost any source. The built-in iBooks app lets you read books from iTunes and unprotected files, the Kindle app lets you read books from the Kindle store, the Barnes & Noble app lets you read books made for the Nook, and Stanza supports several more formats. It's not as nice as having them all in one place, but it gives the freedom to buy from lots of different places.

[TJ Spyke]

You guys here the announcement today about Apple's online gaming network for the iphone and ipad?  Its sounds like a min xbox live as you get achievements, buddy invites, etc  Pretty bold move from a company thats forever ignored gaming.

Not just ignored, they actually discouraged gaming on Macs because they didn't want their computers to be known as gaming machines. They are still far from being competitive in computer gaming though.

[BranDonk Kong]

All of this "Xbox Live-esque" stuff being mentioned is going to be awesome...because no one will use it...because no one pays for games.

[gbuell]

Lots of people pay for games. And you don't think the Game Center stuff will be used in free games?

[gbuell]

Go and read the divine comedy in one sitting with an lcd screen to see how you feel after you finish.

I've read a couple ebooks on my iPod Touch using Stanza. I have no fear of going blind at any point in my life.

[NWR_insanolord]

All of this "Xbox Live-esque" stuff being mentioned is going to be awesome...because no one will use it...because no one pays for games.

That's just about the stupidest thing I've read in a while. There's a reason there are 150,000 apps on the App Store, and that's because there's money to be made there.

[BranDonk Kong]

It's not the stupidest thing you've read in a while. Look at all the "big" iPhone games, most of them have around a 90% to 10% pirated vs bought (don't know how they get those numbers though) ratio. Sure, there is money to be made, but I would think Apple would be smart enough to not let people take advantage of this Game Center stuff if they haven't actually bought the game, seeing as when you actually buy something, it has to be done through the App Store, so Apple has a history of your purchase.

[gbuell]

Look at all the "big" iPhone games, most of them have around a 90% to 10% pirated vs bought (don't know how they get those numbers though) ratio.

What's your source on that? I find that to be well nigh unbelievable.

[NWR_insanolord]

It may not be the stupidest, but it's pretty damn stupid to argue that no one buys iPhone games. Sure, there's piracy, but there's piracy on every platform, and gaming on the iPhone is succeeding despite it.

Game Center seems to just be a way of consolidating the various competing services like OpenFeint and Plus+ into one comprehensive service. I'm not sure if any of those services have any kind of anti-piracy features, so I don't know what Apple plans to include.

[BranDonk Kong]

I don't have a source, but I've read many times where a dev will say that there is a 90% piracy rate for their iPhone software. You don't have to believe me. Even if I had a source, there's really no way to confirm that it's true, as they really have no idea how many people are downloading their software illegal, there are just too many ways to do it. People do buy games, of course, but a lot more people steal them, or at least steal many more games that the person who actually buys them purchases.

[gbuell]

I've read it a few times too, but not for the "big" iPhone games. The small ones probably get pirated so much cause a lot fewer people are willing to pay for a game they've never heard of and aren't sure whether it's any good. I imagine the big titles (Scrabble, GTA, etc.) probably have enough exposure to mainstream iPhone users (non-jailbreakers) that the piracy rate is much lower.

[mac<censored>]

I expect a lot of people also just don't take those little games seriously.  The industry has worked so hard to to make "piracy" seem so grave and serious, that there's a real cognitive dissonance associating it with goofy little 5 second games from unknown companies....

[ThePerm]

the iPad is an incredible piece of machinery! PM me for a NSFW video that makes the iPad GOLD

[BlackNMild2k1]

PM

[stevey]

A step in the right direction: Israel bans imports/use of Apple iPad
Beside the apple logo I don't see why anyone who's sane would get one anyone. The ipad is too big and clunky to be a phone, hand-held game system, or PDA; too weak to be a viable laptop or even a netbook; and worst of all, tablet PCs can do everything and more for the same price without being locked into the only apple approved soft/hardware.

[NWR_insanolord]

I don't understand how people can not see the potential uses for this thing. I've been in several situations recently where I came to the realization that having an iPad would be an ideal solution. Having a second computer or a second monitor would have also worked, but neither would be as practical as the iPad. I can see how someone could argue that it's not worth the money for them, but the thing definitely has uses.