iPad. Whut of it?

[RandBlade]

No, it's really not.

Because, again, anything an iPad could conceivably be useful for would be done better by a tablet PC (or even a smartphone).

http://www.nokiausa.com/get-support-...port/nokia-e70

Holy fuck - an *actual* keyboard! What a novel concept! And yet another way that a fucking 4 year old phone is superior to Steve Jobs' latest shiny turd.

Except an "actual keyboard" isn't necessarily better.

[EyeKhan]

That is not even a real word

You jumped in here, on your 4th post ever, to say that?

[Nessus]

It's very important to hold our racism and race-baiting to the highest grammatical standards

[EyeKhan]

It's very important to hold our racism and race-baiting to the highest grammatical standards

You missed the period at the end of your sentence.

[Timbuk2]

You missed the period full stop at the end of your sentence.

[EyeKhan]

Is that something you foreigners say? Like going on "holiday." Fuckin' hippies.

[Timbuk2]

Top hole, pip pip. Bally Jerry pranged his kite right in the how's your father. Hairy blighter, dicky-birdied, feathered back on his Sammy, took a waspy, flipped over on his Betty Harper's and caught his can in the Bertie.

[Nessus]

You missed the period at the end of your sentence.

Say it ain't so

[EyeKhan]

Say it ain't so

It is not so.

[Nessus]

Ya'll puttin' a mighty strain on my equipoise, my I do believe I might have a mint julip on my veranda

[EyeKhan]

Ya'll puttin' a mighty strain on my equipoise, my I do believe I might have a mint julip on my veranda

Now you sound like Lilo.

[CitizenCain]

Except an "actual keyboard" isn't necessarily better.

Sure it is.

You can still use a no-tactile-feedback touchscreen if you want... but you get an option of using an input device which provides tactile feedback, should you find such a thing useful.

[RandBlade]

Under that logic you should throw in everything under the sun - why not a mouse, a joystick, a writing pad etc - and end up with a phone the size of a brick at least.

I'd rather if the on-screen keyboard works properly use it and have a slimmer phone/bigger battery etc

Adding a keyboard in would compromise something else to make space for the keyboard. Using the iphone as an example, what would you compromise on to make space for a physical keyboard and why would it be better?

[Unheard Of]

A local software house is offering a free iPad to anyone who attends a job interview before mid-May. I still can't be bothered to apply.

http://www.red-gate.com/careers/free_ipad.htm

[littlelolligagged]

A 99-year-old Lake Oswego woman has rediscovered her passion for reading and writing thanks to Apple's newest gadget, Portland TV station KPTV reported.

Writing was always a big part of Virginia Campbell's life, but glaucoma recently made it difficult for her to read.

"I found recently that I wasn't even able to read large-print library books because there wasn't enough contrast between the print and the page," she said. "I could write them all right, but I couldn't read what I wrote."

When penning her passion became too difficult, her family brought the near-centenarian into the 21st century by giving her an Apple iPad -- the tablet computer with a touch screen.

"The type jumps out at me," she said. "Now I can read again and it's just opened up the world."

On Wednesday, Campbell said the iPad is "kind of addictive." The device's oversized type and the contrast between the bright background and bold letters help bring stories into focus.

The iPad even inspired Campbell to write a poem:

To this technology-ninny it’s clear
In my compromised 100th year,
That to read and to write
Are again within sight
Of this Apple iPad pioneer.

As she approached her 100th birthday, Campbell could only marvel at her longevity.

"When I was born in 1910, they barely had an automobile in any use," she said. "I'm only 99, but I consider myself in my 100th year."

Since Campbell's rediscovery of reading and writing, her son-in-law posted a video of her using the iPad on YouTube. It has since received 37,900 hits.

Campbell said she isn't particularly interested in using the Internet on her iPad, but she doesn't plan to slow down when it comes her reading and writing.

"You're never too old to take advantage of something that will help you," she said.

Carry on.

[EyeKhan]

I'd rather if the on-screen keyboard works properly use it and have a slimmer phone/bigger battery etc

Adding a keyboard in would compromise something else to make space for the keyboard. Using the iphone as an example, what would you compromise on to make space for a physical keyboard and why would it be better?

I'm a blackberry user myself and I like the little qwerty keyboard. I tried to use an iPone's keyboard once and another touchscreen phone's keyboard and when I didn't immediately do very well with it, I said 'that's not for me.' That's why I don't play golf either, btw.

[RandBlade]

Yes different needs for different people. Interestingly, my father who has rather fat fingers, finds the iPhones on-screen keyboard easier to use than fidgty qwerty keyboards with tiny physical keys.

I've never suggest all phones should come with an on-screen keyboard, but its interesting to see people like Cain rule-out the idea of them - seemingly as a matter of faith rather than for a reason.

[EyeKhan]

Yes different needs for different people. Interestingly, my father who has rather fat fingers, finds the iPhones on-screen keyboard easier to use than fidgty qwerty keyboards with tiny physical keys.

I've never suggest all phones should come with an on-screen keyboard, but its interesting to see people like Cain rule-out the idea of them - seemingly as a matter of faith rather than for a reason.

TBH there was a bit of a learning curve with the blackberry keys too.

[Ominous Gamer]

seeing the sense and down right better user experience of a keyboard with feedback is hardly "faith"

[Dreadnaught]

Carry on.

I can't imagine why the Kindle couldn't do the same for her. Though I suppose the Kindle has small buttons.

[EyeKhan]

I can't imagine why the Kindle couldn't do the same for her. Though I suppose the Kindle has small buttons.

It may not be able to produce the same contrast. IIRC the kindle doesn't have a lighted LCD, its electronic paper.

[littlelolligagged]

I can't imagine why the Kindle couldn't do the same for her. Though I suppose the Kindle has small buttons.

I think she both reads and writes...

I dunno. I like the idea of Apple products being the in thing for the elderly. Picture little old men wearing black socks, sandals, and knee length khaki shorts with a long-sleeved plaid button-down shirt rocking out to swing music on their ipods.

[CitizenCain]

Under that logic you should throw in everything under the sun - why not a mouse, a joystick, a writing pad etc - and end up with a phone the size of a brick at least.

Uh, no. A physical keyboard has been the standard computer input device since the 70's, when we did away with punch cards. Asking for something so incredibly... standard... is not the same as asking for every possible input device you could imagine. (Besides, that's what USB ports are for - so you can hook up any crazy thing you can conceive of to your computer.)

I'd rather if the on-screen keyboard works properly use it and have a slimmer phone/bigger battery etc

Why choose? Tablet PCs have had both for more than a decade, without compromising battery size or substantially impacting weight/size.

Adding a keyboard in would compromise something else to make space for the keyboard. Using the iphone as an example, what would you compromise on to make space for a physical keyboard and why would it be better?

Nothing. I'd attach it in the same way a keyboard has been attached to Tablet PCs for as long as there have been tablet PCs - a quarter of an inch thick keyboard that folds or rotates under the tablet part when not in use.

I've never suggest all phones should come with an on-screen keyboard, but its interesting to see people like Cain rule-out the idea of them - seemingly as a matter of faith rather than for a reason.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm not ruling them out (FFS, my Tower PCs have onscreen keyboards - built into Windows since XP and Linux for even longer) - I'm just pointing out that there's no reason to choose, so it's stupid to do away with the physical device, because of all the times and ways it's better than an onscreen version.

[RandBlade]

seeing the sense and down right better user experience of a keyboard with feedback is hardly "faith"

Personally I've used both for years. I prefer the on-screen keyboard.

If yours is a matter of "sense" and "down right better user experience", then please tell me exactly or approximately how much experience you have using the iPhone's on screen keyboard?

Uh, no. A physical keyboard has been the standard computer input device since the 70's, when we did away with punch cards. Asking for something so incredibly... standard... is not the same as asking for every possible input device you could imagine. (Besides, that's what USB ports are for - so you can hook up any crazy thing you can conceive of to your computer.)

Agreed - for a computer. Not proposing having a computer without a keyboard, I'm talking about for a phone though. I've not tried the iPad so can't comment, I could imagine it working quite easily though given how easy to use the iPhone keyboard is - one presumably 4 times its size should be quite simple.

Why choose? Tablet PCs have had both for more than a decade, without compromising battery size or substantially impacting weight/size.

I've never seen a single phone the size of the iPhone with the same battery, same capabilities and a keyboard as well - have you?

Nothing. I'd attach it in the same way a keyboard has been attached to Tablet PCs for as long as there have been tablet PCs - a quarter of an inch thick keyboard that folds or rotates under the tablet part when not in use.

That's making it thicker then. May be better to have that space used for a better battery or simply not there.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm not ruling them out (FFS, my Tower PCs have onscreen keyboards - built into Windows since XP and Linux for even longer) - I'm just pointing out that there's no reason to choose, so it's stupid to do away with the physical device, because of all the times and ways it's better than an onscreen version.

I'm not talking about the iPad (I know its the thread subject) - but disagree that its stupid to do away with something antiquidated that would make the object thicker, unless its necessary.

My computer doesn't have a 5 1/4" floppy drive, in fact it has no floppy drive. Am I losing out?

[Ominous Gamer]

Personally I've used both for years. I prefer the on-screen keyboard.

If yours is a matter of "sense" and "down right better user experience", then please tell me exactly or approximately how much experience you have using the iPhone's on screen keyboard?

You're barking up the wrong tree. We were discussing the experience between pecking at flat plastic/glass, and typing on a keyboard with compressing keys. The feedback of keys giving under your fingertips, the small click on typing, its been kept around for 30+ years for a reason. It provides a better experience, a more ergonomic experience. I don't know what exact device you're trying to compare the iphone to , but the iphone sure as hell wasn't innovative in the sense of having the first flat onscreen keyboard. Its such a known issue that Verizon has commercials that advertise only the tactile feedback of their offerings.

On behalf of technology, I would like to apologize if every tactile keyboard you've ever used was so cheap and pathetic that you would rather peck at glass.

[RandBlade]

Sorry if my writing was too complicated for you. Let me break it down simply:

How much experience do you personally have using an on-screen keyboard?

[Ominous Gamer]

Sorry if my writing was too complicated for you. Let me break it down simply:

How much experience do you personally have using an on-screen keyboard?

Don't see what was so complicated about catching your original post trying to make this Apple only; you did a much better job at attempting discussion with this post

I've used them for several years. Office Depot's stocking system used touch responsive machines, and HCPLC has several Origami based tablets for mobile catalog lookup.

[CitizenCain]

I've never seen a single phone the size of the iPhone with the same battery, same capabilities and a keyboard as well - have you?

What's wrong about the 4 year old Nokia I linked to? It has all the features of the iPhone (sans the crappy Apple OS), and a real keyboard. (It's also a lot smaller, FWIW - much closer to the size of a RAZR than the size of an iPhone.)

That's making it thicker then. May be better to have that space used for a better battery or simply not there.

Um, yeah, that's not really how batteries work. You can't just add cattery capacity in a 8"x6"x.25" form.

And, furthermore, with virtually all tablet PCs, if the extra quarter of an inch thickness bothers you, you can always detach the keyboard. Again, don't see why anyone in their right mind would... but it's an option.

I'm not talking about the iPad (I know its the thread subject) - but disagree that its stupid to do away with something antiquidated that would make the object thicker, unless its necessary.

My computer doesn't have a 5 1/4" floppy drive, in fact it has no floppy drive. Am I losing out?

Well, the difference there is that we've found a better way to add removable storage capacity than a floppy drive. That's why they're antiquated and generally not used. However, like OG said, that's not the case with keyboards. They're still in use 40+ years later because we haven't come up with a way to do it better. Tactile feedback is generally better than no tactile feedback, which is why on screen keyboards are generally inferior and not capable of completely supplanting physical ones.

[Dreadnaught]

Now that I think about it some more, I wonder if my grandma would be able to get/use an iPad. She has a MacBook which she was able to use for a while, but the keyboard and the fact that she had to sit at a desk to read things online made her lose interest. As she lost interest, she stopped using it and kinda forgot what I teach her. Now it sits unused.

But an iPad may actually be something she could potentially figure out and enjoy. Too bad we put all that money into the MacBook.

[Timbuk2]

iPad fans mob Apple stores for international launch

Thousands of gadget fans have mobbed shops around the world as Apple began the international launch of its iPad.

A 200m (656ft) queue formed outside Apple's flagship Sydney store in Australia, and there were similar scenes in Tokyo, Japan.



The 25cm (10in) device is also going on sale in the UK, Canada, and parts of Europe as part of a staggered global roll-out.

One million iPads were sold in 28 days after its launch in the US.

The international launch date was pushed back by a month after huge demand in the US where the product went on sale in early April.

In Sydney, security guards were on hand to deal with the crowds of shoppers.

Rahul Koduri, who queued for more than 24 hours, became the first to buy the touch-screen computer at Apple's George Street store.



"It's fantastic, it was so worth the wait," the 22-year-old, who bought two iPads, told the AFP news agency.

In Japan, more than 1,000 gadget enthusiasts lined up in front of Apple stores and major electrical shops in Tokyo.

Weak-minded, bandwagon-hailing, hysterical fools.



~

This a day or two after Apple is reported as overtaking Microsoft in total worth.