Apple iPad

[mannypeters]

Jokes aside (I really hate the fuckin' name and the iName iEverything iThis iWay is iGetting iOld), has anyone checked out the video?



I think it's an interesting take on a niche market. It could even open the door to a comics renewal (at the chagrin of retailers, however) with Apple's iBookstore. 175 million potential customers who can sit down anywhere (with a 3G or WiFi connection), buy a comic and flip through the pages of classic and contemporary comic books.

Marvel has been jumping around trying to figure out how to make money on digital comics, and I think the very well could be it.

I love my iPod Touch... it's a great little device that really is a pocket computer. I can use the internet and surf/read e-mail as well as listen to music, or watch movies. There really isn't a lot it can't do. I'm not sure how the iPad fits into the technological equation, but it'll be interesting to see where this technology leads us.

And it looks like something from Star Trek: TNG.

Thoughts?

[Chronic Insomnia]

Well I don't care what it's called really, but yeah the ishit is getting a little old, but this product absolutely makes me drool. I think it's a fucking brilliant idea and I am a little upset I didn't know about it before buying this crappy HP laptop the other day. However I think it's in it's infancy so I am not jumping out of my chair to get a hold of it. That being said, I think it's going to take the world by storm and be a big huge hit.

It makes the Kindle look absolutely ridiculous as a price point. What are those things? $299, for a black and white screen? It can't do anything do but let you read books. This iPad thing is going to play movies, TV Shows, let you read books, picture books even, possibly let you read Comic Books (which would be fucking awesome).

Right now though, at $499, this is a fucking sweet ass deal and I will be picking one of these up at some point, probably after they get to the 2nd generation or something. As long as it's going to have more space than my iPhone or my iPod Touch, both of which are 32GB.

Michael

[droidofages]

This is another factor in the discussion on the future of comics HERE.

Looks cool. Like Michael, I'm wary of first and even second generation devices like this though, so it'll be a little while yet before I even consider shelling out for anything like it. I'm also wary of proprietary oriented interfaces, which Apple has stuck to for most (all?) of their devices. It's why I don't use an iPod any more. I've got an MP3 player that works/sounds great and has video capabilities and a built in microphone, which I can plug into any computer like an external HD and drag the files I want into it. It only cost me $40 too, so I can wait for a generic, (relatively) bug-free, cheaper version of this cool toy.

[mannypeters]

What do you mean by proprietary? DMR? Or...?

[droidofages]

If I wanted to load stuff onto my iPod Shuffle (which only lasted two years BTW) I had to go through iTunes and I was only able to do so on my computer. Maybe that latter part was just my own ineptitude, but I'm still not a big fan of having to use iTunes to load my MP3 player.

[Chronic Insomnia]

Apple is the king whore of Proprietary products. I agree totally, but they are also the kings of COOL. I mean there are other players out there besides the iPod and yeah they work just fine, but Apple has the coolness factor down pat. On top of that every copies Apple after they have stormed the world with their cool ass products.

I do agree that you need to wait to buy this product, because right now it's in its infancy. When the others COPY Apple and make products like this, the price will come down. This looks incredible, but right now it's not a trigger pull for me. I would say about two years from now, if this thing takes off, I will own one. Until then, I can look from afar and drool. It's basically a gigantic iPod Touch, so it really gives me oral mind sex.

Michael

[droidofages]

I should clarify that I never actually bought any music from iTunes, but I guess it was the DMR that kept me from giving a buddy music or to accept music in turn. Other than that, I only ever loaded MP3's which I made from my CD's/albums/tapes... yes tapes... and tracks downloaded for free by pirates, who then forced me to put them on my Shuffle at sword point against my will.
I know it's probably not accurate, but having to go through iTunes felt like I bought my music (except the evil pirate music that lead me to buy more CD's and albums) and I bought my player but I had to check in with the store every time I wanted to take something off or put something on MY device.

By the way, I just watched the video. I just want to preface that I still think the device is cool and all, but am I the only one who thought the first two and half minutes had a bit of an intense, cultish feeling? These guys really drank the Kool-Aid, eh? Heh heh. The dood at five minutes or so seemed a little more sensible.

OK, all joking aside, the idea behind this device is very cool indeed. It's actually more appealing to me than the iTouch despite it being less compact and all. It's another step closer to the 3D, holographic, gesture recognition interface we WILL see in our lifetimes too, right? It may not happen until some of us are in our golden years but gall-darnit, I paid my four bits to see the high divin' act, and I'ma GONNA see the high divin' act!

[Chronic Insomnia]

You do have to use iTunes to load your ipod, but the DMR has gone away and I have NEVER paid for a stitch of music for nearly five years and I work just fine with my five or so iPods, which have NEVER broken or acted up really. I think you might have gotten unlucky. They are far and away the best MP3 players out there, they might be costly, but they are built like tanks.

I have a story to tell about the first iPods that came out. I used to buy them from CompUSA and I would buy the 2 year replacement guarantees on them so I could get them replaced for any reason. The trick back in the day was if it wouldn't boot up from the main screen it would be replaced. So I put my iPod in the freezer the night before and when I woke up and thawed it out it wasn't working for some reason. So I head off to the store to get it replaced because the new version is out and I will get a $300 credit to buy a new iPod. I get to the store and it's working for some reason. The fucking thing was in the freezer for like ten hours the night before and I tried to boot it up with internal moisture in it and it was working just fine. I am pissed. I proceed to smash the iPod on the floor in the back seat of my huge Oldsmobile. I hold it in my hand and smash it on the carpeted floor flat on its back as hard as I can about ten times. IT'S STILL WORKING! I do it more and more in the backseat, until my hand hurts very badly. I mean I am smashing this thing hard against my carpet in order to leave no marks and the thing won't stop working. Finally after literally ten minutes of smashing it against the floor it FINALLY stops running and I was able to swap it out. Bottom line is those fucking things, at least in my mind, are indestructible. My new iPods have been no less durable.

Here is something I thought was pretty funny about the cool ass iPad. I think iPad is something that will replace the Kindle and something that will make surfing the web very cool again. I can imagine watching a movie on that thing in a tent someplace or while in a hotel room. It looks light enough to hold while masturbating and watching porn, so it gets an A in my book. The price is about what it's worth, which is amazing for Apple. Normally you have to pay an extra 20% just because it's an Apple. It's kind of like BMW.



"Have your period? We have an App for that!"

Michael