Apple Introduces the iPad

85 Replies to “Apple Introduces the iPad”

1. Data pricing is good, and I like the fact that it works with Bluetooth keyboards (at leas the Apple one, according to the site) as well as the keyboard dock. Still pondering if I will get one though have to decide if I’d use it enough in place of my MBPro.

   1. Jack,

      I agree that the data plans are amazing, especially since they are month-to-month. You mentioned using it in place of your MacBook Pro. Image using it for email and web while Lightroom or whatever is full screen on your main laptop. If you are a photographer, check out the blog post I did this morning titled “iPad, a photographer’s friend.” I’d love to get your input.

      http://thedailyflashkube.com/2010/01/28/apple-ipad-a-photographers-friend/

      And thanks Terry for the great post!

      Daniel

2. Hey Terry, for your “can do” bullet, did you mean Books, instead of Bookmarks?

   1. Nope, I meant bookmarks. iBooks are the Books. Bookmarks for site and iBooks was the reference.

3. I did not see anything about email support for Exchange servers. I sure hope they did not omit that feature.

   1. Since it’s already a part of the iPhone/iPod touch OS, it’s there!

      1. After reading this, I’m not so sure anymore: http://www.macnn.com/articles/10/01/28/e.mail.security.delivery.cited.as.problems/

4. Gosh Terry,

   When I guess I can now get on board, I guess I will find acceptance in the Apple brethren.

   Kindly
   Ken in KY

5. I just wish it would function more as a laptop in some respects. I wish it has USB connections, I wish it had some sort of file sorting system to hold projects on. Is there a video player outside of iTunes? Not every video is convenient to be inside iTunes, especially for showing it to others. The iWork features are nice though.

   Also, I wish it came in bigger sizes. With GPS inside and each app being scalable, car integration would be phenomenal.

6. I’m still bummed that there is no flash support. And the fact that you it doesn’t include USB and HDMI connections. Add the fact that Apple will still have limitations on the software that can be installed, like no Skype. I was hoping that it would run on OS X which would really have changed the game in my opinion. I love apple but I’m scratching my head on this one. And what is with that awful name?! =P

   1. I have Skype on my Touch. Why wouldn’t it work on the iPad?

   2. David,
      I use the Skype app on my iPod Touch and it works beautifully. Since there is a built-in mic, I can’t see why it wouldn’t work on the iPad. Of course there is no video for face-to-face, voice chatting with the app is great.

7. love the dock/keyboard combo.. reminds me of how I used my MP2100… external keyboard was ideal..

   Put me down for 1 as well!

   🙂

8. My 84 year old mom is getting into emailing and facebooking her children, grand children, and great grand children. Isn’t this so much easier than learning a laptop? Plus, I’ll get to play with it.

9. I haven’t seen anything that says the mic is built-in. It specifically says “built-in speaker” and microphone is only listed under Input/Output.

10. Disregard…last message. I do see it under “Design | Audio”.

    Odd, they don’t specifically mention built-in mic under Tech Specs

11. My only complaint is that it’s not available now.

12. Are you limited to ATT? Says unlocked but no mention of other plans. What about Mifi?

    1. Hardware wise you’re not limited since the device is unlocked. However, it would be up to other GSM providers (only other one in the US is T-mobile) to provide you with a SIM and data plan.

    2. Even though they only announced AT&T at the event, the specs online do say the 3G model has a
       GSM/EDGE (850, 900,1800, 1900 MHz) chip in it, so I guess thee is a chance it can run on non GSM, like Verizon???

13. @Ted Meade – I agree my Mom will be 75 this year and she thinks her MacBook is too much for her and too heavy. An iPad w/o 3G would be all she needs.

    @Terry – thanks for the facts, concise as always

    I hope to be at MacWorld 2010 to see one !

    Dave

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15. I am not sure. How will it be reading a book on this one? I sure would not read an entire book on a laptop. The screen have to be extremeley comfy. And “this is the best way to browste the internet. ever.” but no flash? That kind of ruins a lot of what the internet is these days.

    I guess it might be a good console for games, and a very neat device to check e-mail on the go. Watching videos while traveling is probably great, but still for me it doesnt seem to do very much that my iphone cant do. It is a bigger screen, but still to big to just put in your pocket, so you will need a bag, and if you need a bag anyway, why not just go with the MBP?

    bottom line is that this devise really depends on publishers. If the newspapers go for it, and make really good versions of their sites just for the iPad, then yeah, maybe i’ll go for it. Other than that… I have to figure out why on earth i would need one.

    1. Carston, I already read books on my iPhone and it’s totally fine. Lots of page turning, though. The iPad had got to be better than that.

16. Just so you know what’s available elsewhere with 3G: In Finland there’s data plan for unlimited data for 9 to 15 euros with every carrier. The trick is it’s limited to slow connection (0,5 Mbps usually and 15 euros for 1 Mbps) but it’s better to have data unlimited and 1 Mbps is quite ok anyway. You can have it faster of course for more money and I believe it still cheaper than AT&T even with full 3G power.

17. Sorry but Steve Jobs specifically states that it kills the netbook and it’s the WHOLE internet in your hands minus the FLASH support escaping through between your fingers. No Flash means no buy

    1. Steve never said that. He said netbooks didn’t offer anything new. Get your facts straight.

       I’m not getting one because it won’t make French Toast.

    2. I am all for anything that pushes flash out and stresses HTML5, google is onboard and flash is a closed proprietary tech that adobe has not felt the need to optimize. Just an example youtube video in HTML5 has less than half the processor load of flash and HTML5 is an open standard.

18. Im with you Terry. I’ll be buying at least 2, and maybe 3. This is the perfect device for my kids.

19. I think the key is the entry price. While some of the “wishes” aren’t there, I think what it does do is a pretty good leap forward in value.

    I have wifi at work at home, and even my daughter’s tae kwondo studio has it. There might be some folks like me who can go without the 3G and get a bargain.

    1. Keep in mind you then don’t get the GPS (and cellular triangle location function) either. If you would like to have it you must get WiFi + 3G version.

20. I am very anxious to buy one of these. I’ve been waiting a while for this and now its almost here! The price point is better than what I expected, so I can imagine these things will be selling like hot cakes!

21. I like it – there are many times that the iPhone screen is just to small for stuff and the MacBook Pro is too big – it fits that gap nicely.

    Not sure about wanting another data plan – it would be FANTASTIC if it could be tethered (bluetooth) of my iPhone 3G (I don’t go to many places without it)

22. “No Flash support” — I’m gradually beginning to see this as a good thing. Nothing crashes my browser more often than Flash, and now that YouTube and others are beginning to switch over to HTML5, I’m hoping that continued pressure from things like iPad bring solid replacements for the very unsolid Flash.

    1. I am thinking the same.

       1. An interesting discussion on Flash (good or bad). The comment about die Flash die had me ROTFL:

          http://forums.macworld.com/index.php?/topic/122123-adobe-we-want-flash-developers-on-the-ipad/

23. I will buy one as soon as Lightroom runs on it.

24. I wish that it would rest in the dock in a horizontal position as well as a vertical one. This would make it really cool as a photoframe while not in use. Although the picture slideshow they were running in the video looked pretty slick.

    1. I was just thinking that myself. A 2nd connector, or an extension cable.

25. Someone commented on the fact that with GPS, it’d be great for travel. The cellular version does include GPS. I quote the specs:

    Location
    Wi-Fi
    Digital compass
    Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
    Cellular (Wi-Fi + 3G model)

    Sounds identical to the more recent iPhones. Hopefully, GPS/Location-aware services for the iPhone will already work with it. Bigger maps would be nice.

    One thing I especially like. With the Kindle and iPad sharing what sounds like identical screen sizes (9.7-inches diagonal), maybe we can get digital books with legitimate, reproducible page numbering.

    AXE TO GRIND: With the iPad working with Apple’s Bluetooth keyboard, it’s time the iPhone/touch did too.

26. Maybe someone will develop an app that allows you to use your “iPad Camera Connection Kit” to get video chat going.

    I’m not a developer and I have no idea if that is technically possible…but it might be.

    1. Glenn,
       As far as I can tell, the camera connection kit doesn’t add a camera to the pad, it let’s you either load images from an SD card or hook into your camera with a USB cable. For now I don’t think there is any plan for video camera connectivity.

       1. Jeff,
          Thanks for the reply by the way 🙂

          As the new DSLR’s do stills & video would that not raise the possibility of a 3rd party app being able to use the link for Live View for instance which would then make it possible to put together a video chat?

          I am only asking questions because as I said in my original comment I have no idea if this is technically possible as things stand.

27. I in for a wifi+3g 32 mb. They didn’t mention anything on sync with mobile me? I am sure this will be there. Need to sync contacts and bookmarks along with emails.

    Really sad the camera wasn’t there, must be a battery issue?

28. wow it is like a bigger upgraded ipod touch. What a disappointment. It’s just a huge iPhone.

    1. I believe iPhone UI is from other planet compared to poor other touch screen phones. Why is A BIGGER TOUCH SCREEN with great iPhone UI a bad thing?

29. This is just about what I have been waiting for for over a year. I hope we can print from Pages, Numbers, Mail and Notes though, and maybe even pdf’s (which can be already viewed now). I see this as being wonderful for travel–much lighter than my PB 12″ but with more capability than my touch. With HTML 5 coming right along, I expect Flash to wither over time. The battery life on my Touch is great and this is even better.

30. Another thing that was not mentioned was connectivity to printing devices. I would have to think that there will be options simply due to the fact that you would want to be able to print from Pages app.

    1. Epson already has an iPhone app. Epson iPrint, that prints to the Epson Artisan 800 and 810 wirelessly. It is only a matter of time for other print vendors to add apps for their wireless products and Epson to expand the number of printers it supports.

       Ina

31. I like the iPad but I was expecting something more as well.

    I don’t understand why no flash support, I think they need to catch up here.

    Also no multi app supports stinks!

    I would like to see higher storage capacity but it’s a nice start.

    I would also love to see an iPad Lightroom version so I could adjust photos while I’m on the road!

    1. I don’t really see no flash support as something they need to catch up but more them being ahead of the curve pushing HTML5 forward and with google behind HTML5 it won’t be long

32. If Bluetooth handset will work with VoIP people could be able to keep iPad on the shoulder bag and use it as a mobile phone. True?

33. Hey Terry. Any idea if there will be a lightroom app for the ipad? Right now that’s the only thing that’s keeping me from one instead of a 13 inch mac book pro. Thanks

    1. I’m hoping 🙂

       1. Assuming there were a Lightroom or Photoshop light that could run on essentially an iPhone OS, just what do we do with all those huge Raw’s (Even compressed a bit to DNG, my 5DMII’s are 20-25mb each).

          I hear folks asking about tethering and such but I don’t know enough about the hardware to know if you can do this using external drives (Terry)? Otherwise I’m lost understanding what even a 64gig, iPhone OS provides for imaging. Showing portfolios? Great. Slideshows, wonderful. Can the device be mated with a Mac or Windows machine to use just as a preview screen? Short of dealing with either very low rez images or JPEGs, what’s the hardware provide for photographers or imaging professional?

          1. Rodney,
             There will always be groups of people that can’t take advantage of a particular gadget because it doesn’t fit their workflow. While you’re 5DMII RAW files are huge, mine aren’t. My typical studio shoot results in a folder of 2-6GBs of RAM .NEF files and therefore a 64GB iPad would be very useful to me. I could even do a few days of shooting without having to offload the shots. There are also sports shooters who shoot in JPEG and of course their files are smaller.
             With that said, I would very much welcome a LR Mobile for iPad and I’m sure there are other who would too.

             1. How do you get the 2-6GBs of RAM .NEF files on and off? With the iPod there’s Firewire.

          2. First off iPods haven’t had firewire connections in years. So it would have to be over the iPad’s USB 2 connection or over WiFi. Seeing how this works fine on the Epson P6000/7000 series as well as the HyperDrive color space. I don’t see an issue with transferring the shots via USB. Not as fast as Firewire, but again fast enough for most that already transferring via USB card readers.

             1. >So it would have to be over the iPad’s USB 2 connection

                Ah, I missed that, thanks. So what goes on the other end (what’s supported)? Can like a Macbook, it power a USB drive or would you have to use a drive that’s powered? And when you plug in a drive, does it show up like, well a drive, you drag and drop to copy? I know, you need to get one (me too).

             2. Great article about the hardware here:
                http://www.macworld.com/article/146020/2010/01/ipad_faq.html

                Is there any way to get files off of the device? Can I access the filesystem when it’s docked?

                We don’t yet have all the details about how the iPad will differ from the iPhone in this respect. There is a file-sharing feature built into the iPad and used by Apple’s iWork apps; this suggests that the iPad will offer a space where apps can write data and that Macs or PCs will be able to mount and access like a shared folder. We’re not sure if this sharing will happen over Wi-Fi, when connected to a computer via USB, or both.

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35. I think people are trying to see this as a laptop replacement. It’s not. It’s an iPod Touch on steroids.

    It is a presentation device. I see it as an excellent way for a photographer to show his portfolio. It’s a great way to check e-mail without going to the desktop machine. It’s a relaxation device that allows you to focus on a single book, movie or game.

    I believe Steve Jobs knows what he’s doing. Would I love to have a camera on it to take stills and video? Certainly. Would I love for it to support Flash? Certainly. Would I love for it to support multi-tasking? No. That’s not it’s true purpose. If you are multi-tasking, then you are working. For that you need a laptop.

36. If the Camera connector allows for transfer from digital cameras, wouldn’t it stand to reason that you could use a video enabled digital camera as a chat cam?

    1. Apple controls what can and can’t be done with the 30 pin connector and their accessories. So while the physical properties are there to hookup a webcam Apple would have to support this in the SDK to allow 3rd parties to actually do it.

37. Ahhhh smack !! I’m part of your family right ? Come on… I could pass for a “whizzle” any day of the week ; )

    1. Me, too! I’m a ‘whizzle!’

       -Scott

38. Pingback: Apple iPad, a photographer’s friend at the daily flashkube

39. My question is…how does one publish for the iPad? Will self-publishers be allowed to put their ebooks on iTunes? I think that would be a lot better than PDF versions.

    1. Scott it remains to be seen how Apple will handle Independent iBook publishers.

       1. I’m hoping Apple does endorse it on the iPad like they did with podcasting for iPods and app developers for iPhone (and now iPad). Now to find a good program that creates .epub files. 🙂

40. Hi!

    I’m still not sure if iPad is a nice (maybe, wonderful) gadget or not.
    Nevertheless, I don’t understand how Apple says iPad is the best way to experience Web but it does not include flash support on it.
    Also, it is not multitask. Does this mean that I’m not able to surf the web or read an ebook while I’m listening my favorite albums?

    About the comparison with kindle, I think they are two different devices that cannot be compared (as you say to the ones that try to compare iPad with laptops). Kindle has a display (e-paper) that make the reading experience close to reading a real paper book.
    I still have my doubts about using iPad as a ebook reader, but we’ll see…

    Besides that, I hope this can be an interesting gadget and, maybe, a successful concept.

    Regards

41. After taking a day to digest the information, I’ve come to the conclusion that as a first generation tablet, it’s decent, and I suspect the next generation will be better. Will I get one? Nope. I’m currently using a Dell Mini 9 hacked with Mac OS X for a netbook. If I don’t need to do real work while traveling, I take that. I use it for Skype (showing Mom the baby – easier to do on a netbook), for web/email, offloading photos, things like that. It’s small, portable, lightweight, and is a real computer except in a netbook. The iPad isn’t a real computer – it’s a giant iPhone. It can do everything an iPhone can, but it also can’t do everything an iPhone can’t. This doesn’t replace my netbook at all, and it’s more expensive, so it’s a large pass for me.

42. I think the 2nd or 3rd gen version will probably have some of the missing necessities such as USB 3.0 and SD slot(s), and possibly a webcam.
    Also look at this device in a classroom environment; imagine a beefed up version memory wise that’s able to have all of a students text books on it, up to date no less. They have iWork (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) ready for it, so writing papers and creating pie charts is not a problem, and I’m sure there are developers all ready working on edu apps galore.

    While I was disappointed with the initial intro and in my mind it not living up to the hype that the media, the pundits, and Apple itself created, as the day went by I started thinking of how this would fit into the daily life of a student, a grandparent who doesn’t want or need a full blown laptop, or even a truck driver.

    I do believe whether it’s made by Apple or someone else, there is a place for this type of device.

    And it’s a kick butt digital portfolio!!

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    1. terry, sorry if this comment looks like referral spam; i guess wordpress automatically made it b/c of i linked to your blog? anyway, feel free to delete it.

       1. Nope, that’s normal. Thanks!

44. This thing looks great but it would be even better if Adobe would put Lightroom and Photoshop on it. If Lightroom was available I would get one. Right now I carry two computers with me when I travel. My work PC and my macbook. I would love to ditch the macbook and carry this but it would have to run lightroom in order for me to do that. I often take photos when I travel for work for my daily photo blog. Lightroom is a must to have with me.

45. Steve Job’s groovy iTablet will rapidly blow up after the first over-hype launch during it’s unveiling. The lack of keyboard and Apple’s potential to fix defections will start to make the iTablet a success in the time ahead.

46. Apple’s revolutionary innovation will eventually grow after this initial pumped up period during it’s unveiling. The touch screen and Job’s potential to fix some problems will definitly to make the iTablet a success story in the futuire.

47. There is no webcam on the IPad! And this is really an unforgivable mistake. Why? Here is why: when the first IPhone appeared, back in 2007, with his new multi touch interface, suddenly it was “the future in the present”. A kind of Star Trek device which would have been teleported to the 21st century. Of course, now we don’t have this feeling anymore but back three years ago this “future in the present” effect was one of the big reasons of the huge IPhone hype.

    Do we have this feeling with the IPad? No we don’t. And what enrages me is that it could have been the case. Think: you’re sit on a bench in a park, or in a remote place 10000 miles from your home and you want to call AND see your girl/boy friend or anyone you wish. Then, instead to take out of your bag a laptop that you need to unfold, etc… what you have is something that looks, virtually, like a piece of glass. And thanks to it – and Skype! – your girl/boy friend would magically appear even if you’re up in the mountain or lost in the jungle as long as there is a 3G connection. Wouldn’t it be great? Do you remember the sequence in Stanley kubrick’s “2001, a Space Odyssey” when the scientist on a space station use a videophone to call on Earth his little daughter for her birthday? In the movie they were in 2001 and we are in 2010! Okay, i’m kidding, but frankly what the hell was the problem to put a web cam on the top of the IPad? It would have changed everything.

    If Steve has to learn a lesson in all this, it’s this one: ALWAYS BRING THE FUTURE IN THE PRESENT, that the key of the success.

48. I guess my biggest question is regarding the memory capacity. I’m relatively new to the iPod Touch world (AT&T doesn’t work here so no iPhone) but if 8GB – 64GB can fit in the same sized housing, what’s up with the skimpy 64GB for the iPad??? At a bit more than 2x the iPod Touch size, certainly more memory could’ve been added. I really like my iPod and would really – really like to have a larger screen with at minimum 128GB memory but for now with what the iPad is spec’d at, I’m kind of left with that “Well isn’t that special” thought. I’ll be watching and waiting and hoping and thinking good thoughts…

    (BTW – no flashplayer??????? REALLY????? A minor ugh for my iPod but a major U G H!!! for the iPad.)

    1. the problem with going larger on flash memory is the cost of it. Same goes for solid state hard drives. Once those prices come down further we’ll probably see iPads with larger storage capacities.

49. We’ve come a long way from the C:\> prompt, haven’t we? Maybe we have finally moved on into the realm of real usability for real users. Like I’ve said before: Microsoft builds stuff for its stockholders, Apple builds stuff for its users…….

50. Pingback: Apple releases new iPad mobile device – ;prettyGeeky

51. The things you talked about that the iPad doesn’t have will probably come soon.

    No built-in camera so no video chats (Apple could open up the hardware so third parties could make a better camera to go into the dock connector).
    No Flash support, so web browsing will still be challenging for many sites (Adobe and Apple need to get it together).
    No multitasking improvements (running multiple 3rd party apps simultaneously) (Apple will surely open this up soon)

    You don’t have to cross your fingers to tight, “If you build it, them will come” and Apple has built it!!!

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