iPad starts at $499

[prognos]

Lower than I expected.  It seems to be a multipronged attack at netbooks and eReaders.

At this price I will want to go see one.  But I vowed to not buy one this year-2010.

The entry level model is 16 GB and only WiFi, which is a tad pricey but comparable.  I guess it will do very well against netbook purchases, and it might erode some of their iPod Touch units, unless they plan to lower those prices.

[xsphat]

I am buying one of these. I'm thinking the 32 GB model.

I wrote a blog about it, like to hear it here it go:
On Broke American — Medicated iPad: http://wp.me/pCT0B-2t

[prognos]

Read your blog... So I gather you want one? 

Yeah this form factor is something I've been longing for, for quite a while, too.  But I just got the Sony Touch eReader a scant 4-5 weeks ago.  BTW, due to my ability to read more, since I could carry more books with me, and snatch a few minutes here and there, the purchase has paid for itself quite literally.

I borrowed a few ebooks on trading from the library and updated a couple of my trading strategies that has paid off well so far.  So "reading is fun", and profitable.

I don't know if I will be able to hold off getting an iPad this year, but I'm hoping to see what features I'd like, or want to wait for, and then possibly get one with the 3G service.  That involves a monthly ongoing cost, so I want to do due diligence with researching all this out.

After you get one I'd like to hear your comments, or as you are learning more about how you intend to use it. 

[Welly]

yea xs, let us know what you think of it. have you gotten it yet?
as always it looks great, but no camera/flash/usb ports would limit its usefulness for me i think. On the other hand, i could see my mum really liking it.

[xsphat]

This isn't coming out until late March, so no, I haven't one yet. I'm not large!

The iPad is going to work like a giant Touch so the no-USB thing isn't going to matter. No camera is a bummer, but I'm not too worried about Flash. My iPod died a ways back so I replaced it with an iPod Touch (the cheapest one in keeping with my Broke American thing) to get ready for the iPad which I am buying regardless. The Touch is a really cool device and the gaming on it is pretty good. The iPhone OS is super polished and fun to work on.

And I got the app Screenplay — give you one guess what that one does — and it will take a bit of getting used to. It simply is different than what I am used to. I have Final Draft which is THE pro screenwriting software. But the Screenplay app seems like it would be good at for editing my work. The interface for importing is a little clumsy so I don't trust it enough to use for serious work just yet.

One thing about the iPhone OS that particularly stands out for a text editor is the cursor movement. There's no arrow keys, so you touch and hold somewhere in a text field and a Monopoly Guy style monocle shows up with the cursor centered inside. You can move this around as you like, even scrolling up or down on the document. It's absfab if you ask me. Here is a screen cap I just took on my Touch and imported to iPhoto (say what you will, Apple stuff with Apple stuff just works):



So you can move the cursor wherever you need it for editing. It is really satisfying to use. That's the only way I can describe it. If the iPad adds a forward delete key to the keyboard I'll be overjoyed.

If you guys have any questions about the Touch, the iPad's little bro, or the iPhone OS ask away. I'd be happy to test it out for you.

[Welly]

definitely looks polished and pretty, as everything from apple does. 
So there's an article on gizmodo today saying the ipad is going to destroy the kindle, and apple will win the ebook race over amazon.
http://gizmodo.com/546532...pple-killed-the-999-ebook

I know color e-readers are going to dominate this year, too. But maybe i'm just being fuddy duddy, but i rather like the monochrome look of e-ink. I know its going to be replaced by color e-ink though.  I also like the super long battery life that comes with e-ink. Altho i'm sure battery life will keep improving on regular screens too.

So the ipad isnt out until march? thats a long time to wait!  Would you really be able to type screenplays on the touch screen? I havent tried the itouch touch screen yet. I tend to prefer physical keyboards but they have some kind of feedback system on the itouch, right?

[xsphat]

No, there is no tactile feedback on the Touch, nor on the iPad (at this time) and there is no way in hell I'm gonna type screenplays on it without the keyboard dock. This is my perspective work flow:

Compose on the IBM Wheelwriter 2500 typewriter
Rewrite on MacBook on the HHKB Pro2
Edit drafts on my huge chair comfy on the iPad

I used to type then rewrite and print off every draft for editing. That's 500 pages for a screenplay, 1400 pages for a book. I'm going to knock that down to nothing for the whole creative process. I'll save money in the long run and be "green" therefore trendy in one fell swoop.

[prognos]

I put in a bid on a 'used but like new' iPod touch and won. (during one of those snowstorms..- let me know if any of you want to know which ebay seller.  they sell quite a few everyday.)  it arrived nary a scratch, and I've been playing with it off and on for a few days.  Still haven't installed iTunes so only have the built in apps to play with.

I'd say the keyboard experience is equal or better than most other small, smartphone like sized devices (after a short learning curve).  I imagine being able to compose long messages, short notes, memos on the iPad later.  But if I knew i was typing for a while, I'd go to the best keyboard for me.

I started to resist printing out items, and reading stuff on my portable devices - so I'd like to think i was being green, but ultimately the side effect of those devices likely have a larger carbon footprint than the few documents I've read.  Still I think I've read more in the last few weeks than I have in quite a while. right now I'm thinking about getting an iPad and reselling it. The $30 a month for 3G data is compelling tho.  

-so getting one "early" and selling to highest bidder on Ebay
-getting one and using it for a while and selling it used later on...
-stand aside and wait for the next gen, or prices to drop?  (I doubt it will be soon)
which path to take?

[xsphat]

Ahh Grasshopper, which path indeed.

I think you should hold the phone on any purchase until you put some time in on Android. I'm so sold on Android being a better OS, since I now own an HTC Hero and an iPod Touch, but each one has advantages. The Hero is great for daily activities and general use and the keyboard is the best virtual I've used, but the Touch blows it away for games and bigger, uglier stuff.

So I have changed my mind about the iPad. I'm gonna wait it out for a bit and seriously look into similar products running Android.

And I agree with you on how much getting a device like this can change your daily routine. I got the Touch before the Hero, and the second I did I started using my computer a fraction of what I was before. I rarely have it on during the day anymore. It's crazy.

Anyway, my kid is really being a shithead about sleeping tonight so I guess this is all the computer time I get today.

[Welly]

really? You like android better than the os on the iphone? (what is that called, anyway. i-OS?)  interesting. One of my friends had an android phone, and she was gushing about it, but I didnt check it out. Maybe i will next time i see her. The phone itself tho seemed bigger/heavier/clunkier (i mean physically) than the iphone.

what do you like about the android OS over the iphone?

[prognos]

yeah, the prudent choice would be to wait for an (other) equivalent device(s) to the iPad.  But I'm not sure that it will be soon enough, I figure earliest would be late this year. 

What I've seen of the windows based phones, I can do without.  Freezes way too often.

haven't actually played with an android device at length.  but my current rule of thumb is if I can figure I use the device/thing/software such that the price works itself out to less than about a quarter an hour- its worth the investment.  Or the alternate way of thinking is how much wasted time it salvages for me.  That dead time, traveling, waiting on lines, between meetings, appointments, etc.

Right in this moment in time, I have a bit more disposable cash than I will in the near future.  So its tempting to see an iPad in my future.  I picked an iPad as a reward for getting a handful of projects done.  Also at work we may pick up the SDK or the software kit that let's you create apps.  There are a couple simple things I'd like to create. We'll see.

[xsphat]

My last phone had windows and it was horrible. The HTC Hero is a godsend in that after a week long learning curve, I feel I have most of the ins and outs worked out. I never got to this point on the Windows phone even after a year. And yes it did freeze up all the time. Totally annoying and all it took was getting a call while writing a text. Freeze up every time.

My one bitch about the Hero (just the phone) is it takes the OS FOREVER to start up. It is on par with my Snow Leopard MacBook with 4 GB RAM.

I still feel the same way about the iPad — it's cooler than a fan but I am not getting one. The biggest thing it has is gaming, since the iPhone games are pretty strong so the iPad is almost like a PSP with a ten inch screen. 

[prognos]

So the apple.com store still says it will ship April 3rd, and there are now about 2100 listings on ebay for "iPad".   that includes accessories etc., but there are quite a few iPads with the promise of a April 3rd ship date.

Interesting the number of bids etc., considering you can just go to apple and order it there still.

[prognos]

So in the end, Apple shows that it knows how to wrap a nice bow around some nifty tech.  So much for my vow not to order one this year.

I'm surprised that with 100K ordered in the first day that they are still promising the same ship date.  let's see what happens by the end of the week.   I'm sure they have models worked out that say for instance 500K units, is the magic number to create a sense of scarcity yet likely have millions of people know someone that ordered early.  Envy baiting.

anybody read into the iBook store stuff?  I wonder if the digital rights are similar to the other sellers, or if there are any quirks.  Come to think of it, if the reading experience is good, the iPad is cheaper and more versatile than the other large format readers.  Already we are seeing some backlash in the 'artificial pricing' of ebooks, but will competition spur lower prices, or is this the maturing of the young market?

Will ebook prices go up or down from here?   Will book buying be a major revenue source for Apple?  The battery replacement policy has some people irked.  (we do get so attached to objects)

[Welly]

i'm looking forward to trying out your ipad