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Apple iPad Reviewed
adeelarshad82 writes "Since the iPad's initial introduction back in January, many of us still wonder why we should drop hundreds of dollars for what is termed as a large iPod. Missing features like support for multitasking, a built-in camera for video chats, and Flash support in Safari only add to the dilemma. However, a recently published review of the iPad starts to clear up these doubts. To begin with, the iPad is packing some real quality gear under the hood. Even though the in-house-designed 1GHz A4 chip got little official comment from Apple, the touch screen's instantaneous responses prove that it is outstandingly fast. Furthermore, the iPad runs iPhone OS 3.2, and is currently the only device that runs this version of the operating system. iPad's graphics capabilities come from a PowerVR SGX GPU, similar to the one found in the iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch. It can render about 28 million polygons/second, which is more powerful than the Qualcomm Snapdragon found in devices like the HTC HD2. Also, iPad's extraordinary battery life is not just a myth. According to the lab tests, the battery netted a respectable 9 hours and 25 minutes, very close to Apple's claims of 10 hours."
Andy Ihnatko's Sun Times review + Unboxing
Xeni Jardin's Boing Boing review
Goatberg's WSJ review
Baig's USA Today review
and Pogue's awkward review for NYT
Ok, so this is what I got from reading that short: well, this doesn't really address any of the concerns people have mentioned, but it's super duper powerful.
Except, you know, the average netbook has a processor that's 50% faster, 150% more storage capacity, a screen about 10% larger, plus the option of using a keyboard if you'd rather not play with handwriting recognition. Oh, and most have cameras, and quite a few have longer battery life.
Hmm, I think this comparison of netbooks wants to disagree with your claims.
As listed in the table, most netbooks have substantially less than 10 hours of battery life, (indeed, only three entries out of 35 with published battery life estimates have an operational life of more than 10 hours), have a screen resolution of 1024x600 (which is *less* than the iPad's 1024x768), and, excluding the less-than-5" netbooks, weigh substantially more than the iPad's 1.5lb. Most are running 1.0 to 1.6GHz Intel Atoms, which aren't directly comparable with a 1 GHz ARM chip, so I can't comment on the "50% faster".
The iPad also doesn't use handwriting recognition for English (it's a standard QWERTY touchscreen keyboard), and you have the option of using a wireless Bluetooth (full) keyboard as well (this option doesn't even require any additional hardware beyond the keyboard).
So, I'd have to say that on several fronts, your argument about netbooks fails. Care to demonstrate what your "average" netbook looks like? Perhaps you'd also like to tell me how much it weighs, and what its actual battery life is like?
You don't understand - the iPad will act as a controller (I would say MIDI controller but a lot of those apps actually use the OSC protocol) and is not meant to run a DAW like Ableton. People will still run their DAWs the usual way - on laptop/desktop machines.
So it's the iPad not as a host, but a remote device for controlling software running in the host.
Come to Maemo-land!
The N900 is the (phone format) device you want. Run what you like, switch between the gps software, games, webapps, whatever you like. Hell, it even has a built in skype client that puts through skype calls just like mobile calls and integrates messenger services and SMS into a coherent single interface.
Is it perfect? no. Does it have the app selection of iPhone or Android? no.
But it is open and does multitasking properly. and tethering...
You are referring to one specific Android device (and a poorly designed one at that) while my phone (the Droid) is both extremely speedy (more so than my iPod Touch) and does multitasking with ease. And no where in that article that you linked to was there a mention that the Android Tablet could not multitask, only that it was sluggish. Try reading articles before you throw them up as links of evidence to FUD claims.
*cough* the N900 is awesome *cough*
yeah, I had an openmoko and it sucked arse. The N900 is an altogether different beast though, and is a joy to use.
Also far more open and easy to hack around with the 'droid.
Never have used an iPhone, but don't feel the need now I have this.
Several Apple sites broke the news yesterday that all devices running the iPhone OS will get support for multitasking third-party apps via an Expose-type interface when the 4.0 upgrade comes out. I guess since the story broke on 3/31 and not 4/1, it's not an April Fool's joke; and the idea of using an Expose-type system makes sense, given that these are Apple products.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/03/31/apples_iphone_4_0_to_support_multitasking_via_expose_like_interface.html
One less thing for the Apple haters to whine about.