> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-backst...@lists.bbc.co.uk
> [mailto:owner-backst...@lists.bbc.co.uk] On Behalf Of Mo McRoberts
> Sent: 27 January 2010 22:38
> To: backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk
> Subject: [backstage] iPad
>
> So, what does everyone think?
(disclaimer: I generally hate Apple stuff with a passion, but I can
appreciate good hardware design like the next nerd)
First impression: not a gamechanger or paradigm shifting device. A good
start, and a cohesive one (expect nothing less from the Fruit) but it needs
at least two revisions (cf. iPhone -> iPhone 3G -> 3GS) before it's
something I'd accept as a mature, well-rounded piece of hardware (walled
garden platform aside). Hardly an 'appliance' as Leo Laporte generously
called it earlier (think he was drinking the Kool-Aid inside the Moscone
Center RDF). In essence, it's a pretty iPod Touch XL with the latest OS
update...
Good points:
. best-in-class multitouch implementation
. iWork Lite (cue iLife Lite, GarageBand Lite, Logic Lite down the road)
. nice weight (1.5lb)
. range of sizes, for a massive memory jump the price hike isn't huge (but
once again they've been cheeky with the pricing tiers)
. rolling contract with AT&T (in the US) for data, $30 gets you 'unlimited'
and $15 gets you 250Mb (both 3G packages) - will be interesting to see if it
brings data plans down when it's released in the UK
. IT USES USIM/MICROSIMS! Europe-friendly for once OOTB.
. They've really nailed some of the UI issues I've had with other eBook
readers / handheld media devices, in the typical Apple way
Some technical shortcomings:
. The display (same size as the Kindle DX iirc) only has a resolution of
1024x768, so not even 720p. Epic fail.
. The composite out requires the Apple TRRS cable, which is helpfully wired
opposite to other TRRS composite cables
. NO MULTITASKING!
. No camera
. one HUGE bezel
. No Flash support OOTB ('missing plugin' when Jobs went to a web site
during techo demo... snicker)
. only windowed or up-ressing for iPhone apps? Urgh. (though this is largely
due to historical hardcoding of screen graphics I'd imagine)
The price will cannabalise eBook readers to an extent. (not as much as it'll
cannabalise their Air sales though!) It puts the publishers and
manufacturers at conflict immediately, particularly if you're a company with
both electronic book and hardware manufacture divisions. REALLY like that
you can just spin your bookshelf round to get to the store, a wonderful
little touch for encouraging impulse buys. (NB: I would never buy an eBook.
I'm dead tree media all the way, natch)
Was surprised at lack of announcement with major video content provider,
kinda expected something like that when one of the Disney execs was observed
in the audience. After the dust's settled, you'll have the usual
frustrations: unable to install third party apps without jailbreaking, no
Skype without attaching an external camera, the usual walled garden closed
loop approach Apple is renowned for. I find that intensely frustrating and
increasingly contradictory in an area where they're clearly angling
themselves to become the de facto hardware provider for 'casual' household
computing.
wrt <video>, unless Safari dramatically supports it in an update, we'll be
stuck at the start line because there's little change of Apple refreshing
their codec support when they have that lovely closed loop of iTunes /
iBookstore / App Store, never mind better HTML5 implementation. It'd take
the approval of a Firefox app to make that happen.
... That microlight had a rather porcine pilot, dontcha think?
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