[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEiUlf9BAYU]
The iPad, announced earlier this week, has been a massive media extravaganza. Some people were elated, and some let down. We’ve been asked over and over what our thoughts on the device are. Join us after the break to find out.
[Caleb]–My grandma would love this. I really think that she is their target. It is easy to use, portable, and has a custom interface that removes all of the windows style interface cruft. Personally, I don’t need one. I have an iPhone (yes, I know most of you hate them). The iPad offers me nothing that my iPhone doesn’t, except a larger screen.
I am excited though. I’m excited at the prospect of a mid level touch screen tablet with an appliance style interface becoming common. I can’t wait to see the knockoffs that can run Linux with a custom interface. The knockoffs that will actually have USB ports, and a non wobbly back. Those same knockoffs that will most likely have a front facing camera. I want one of those.
As far as hackability goes, this might actually be fairly hackable. The processor isn’t actually as proprietary as some would think. It is ARM based, and not too different from some other devices we’ve seen. It appears as though they planned for a camera. There might even be a spot on the motherboard for it. I fully expect to see it “jailbroken”, but what I WANT to see is the guts modified. I want to see home hackers add external storage (card slot), load a different operating system, up the storage. Then again, I thought the same thing about the iPhones and iPod touches, but haven’t seen hardware hacks at all really.
[Mike]–This is the first I’ve heard of the iPad. I got soooooo tired of all the apple tablet rumors that I quit paying attention. I run Linux only and unless this device will sync out of the box with my Linux systems I’m not interested. I also don’t usually do hardware hacks on anything that cost me more than $250 but buy so I’m not going to be cracking the case open on this thing anytime soon.
[James] — The iPad has the opportunity to be a great product, but probably not for me, and probably not for most of our readers. It markets itself to the casual internet user who wants to listen to music, browse Facebook, or watch Youtube on the couch rather than the hardcore photo editor, writer, or programmer. I am excited to see someone like Apple really push the market, and cant wait to see the responses, especially from people like MSI and Asus. Personally, I’m waiting for someone to make a really great convertible tablet netbook with native support for Linux.
[Jakob] — I hate Apple products, I mean almost with a passion. But I actually do own an iPhone – and I admit, it is one slick nice device. Small, powerful, convenient – all things the iPad is not. Its like Apple couldnt decide on making yet another iPhone revision or a full tablet PC and decided to give us a semi nerfed iPad instead. From what I’ve heard, there is no multitasking and several other features that – if can be included on the iPhone – why did they remove it from the iPad? Final note: being an apple product, its about $500 more then it should be.
(And it doesn’t even come with wings for extra absorption)
[Devlin] — Meh, I don’t think there is going to be much to do with hacking the iPad, I won’t buy one because I don’t see a reason for having it. If others have the same thought, not many people are going to be buying the iPad and therefore not many people are going to be hacking the iPad.
I hate the damn thing and its gonna fail.
http://blog.recklessphilosophers.com/2010/01/29/ipad–future-or-failure.aspx
The iPad lacks some basic functionality you would expect.
I expect this to be a “succes” like the Wii was a “succes”. By that i mean it will sell a lot but people will lay it aside after a few weeks and dust will be the only thing touching that screen.
I hope Apple mans up and rethinks the complete package.
Also another thing i notice is Apple segmenting their own market too much. Too much choice can be a bad thing, see Toyota’s latest.
Typical Apple, build crap and then overprice it because it “looks nice”. I’ll just stick to my laptop/zune combo instead of getting one of these over-sized ipod touches.
BUT HEY! You can fit it in a manila envelope at least…..
What a piece of shit.
“[Caleb]–My grandma would love this.”
Yep, that about sums it up! Might make a good hors d’oeuvre tray too.
I can’t believe that nobody has brought up the HP Slate yet. check it out. its a far better alternative to this novelty sized iPhone
Hopefully they learned how to code and their isn’t a injection vector like with other i-products. The ipt3 is only off by a address from being exploited/jailbroke.
Apple has vulnerabilities all through their firmware on everything to date. Expect a carrier unlock on the ipad too if they write more buggy code.
As I’m sure many people have alreday pointed out this thing fails, at everything. The lack of multitasking puts it behind even my NZD300 netbook.
Also the ‘ipod interface’ instead of osx is more that a little dissapointing, at least other tablets like the archos 9 have windows 7.
how is this “pushing the market” it’s not original in any sense, a bit like the original ipod, apple don’t invent new technology, they just copy and then act like it’s theirs and an ‘innovation’.
Bottom line, this thing sucks, un-original, less useful than a netbook or tablet and overpriced although I’m sure their are many apple fanboys ready to waste their money buying this piece of crap.
I’d totally prefer an Archos internet tablet to one of these.
Does anyone know a iHateApple group i can sign up to?
It’s not the overpriced underpowered hardware they’re trying to sell us which is what’s getting on my nerves, but the DRM Complex their forcing on us.
this is the primary reason why i don’t own anything from Apple.
so, does anyone know a iHateApple group i can sign up to?
Bigglesworth,
“Expect a carrier unlock on the ipad too if they write more buggy code.”
The iPad is already unlocked. It’s made that way.
Gramma won’t know what to do with it. The recent WSJ article on Lady Gaga notes she is all digital – YouTube, iTMS, etc. The nice old lady from that British talent show sold a few – but all CDs. Gramma was used to vinyl and might be able to handle the CD. Where is the slot on the iPad?
the only thing the MaxiTouch (maxiPad lol) does better than my iPhone is the bigger screen, and a 1 ghz processor. Other than that, my jailbroken/unlocked iPhone is SOO MUCH BETTER.
Steve Jobs needs to get his head out of his ass. He’s trying to screw as many people over as possible in as little time as possible.
don’t get me wrong, im writing this on a macbook pro (and love it like a child XD ), but this “tablet” is the last straw.
anyone got a mailing address for Apple Development? im trying to send them a picture of my middle fingers :D
Come on people… http://www.alwaysinnovating.com/touchbook/
about the touchbook…
Several people have brought it up. It is a good design, and a step in the right direction. However, the performance is visibly laggy in their videos. It’s a 600 or 650 Mhz proc if I recall correctly. Maybe version 2 will be up to snuff.
Also, the HP slate looks good, but will doubtfully be the same price range.
I think the iPad has great potential for the future. Not necessarily for hacking, but for AppStore programs and overall functionality.
Look at how limiting the iPhone was when it first came out in ’07. We couldn’t even develop native apps. When the AppStore opened 12 mths on, loads of apps appearing began to make it both attractive and very functional.
Not only that, but the iPhone OS has evolved, its amazing how quickly people forget this, remember it didn’t even have threaded SMS or copy and paste.
On the day of release the iPad will be lacking, but Apple have always added functionality over time, and given the widespread outspoken opinions about the lack of multitasking, I’m sure Apple will open this up in future – the iPhone and iPad operating systems are the same, but will head off in different directions with more functionality on the iPad.
Third party apps can also sort out a lot of the issues. Adobe Flash support, hopefuly will become irrelevant when HTML5 vector graphics support rightfuly stomps over the buggy and insecure Flash format.
Remember this people – the device is excellent, save for lack of connectivity and memory expandability maybe. The majority of issues people have are purely software based, and can all be sorted out over time.
For the time being though, its probably best to leave it for the total and utter fan-bois – I’ll hang around for Gen #2.
Apple’s desire to control the uPas and iPhone is nothing new. It’s been done for years now with game consoles. Game consoles are no longer only for playing games they can now be used to surf the websens email and play media files streamed from the Internet. The only thin I miss about flash is the ocasional game, but as there are lots of free games available on the AppStore I don’t miss flash that much. If it (flash) can use up a whole CPU worth of resources on my Core 2 Duo mac mini causing the system to lock up even if only temporarily I would hate to think how long it could the up the CPU in a portable device and what that coil do to battery life.
Apples primary concern is not the power users who understand this type of thing. They are more worried about providing a consistant experience no matter what the user is doing. Having a 3rd party app waste battery power or causing the system to lock up generates Helpdesk calls and raises the price they have to ask in order to maintain thier profit margins for thier investors. It’s for this same reason that i believe mutlitasking is not allowed and that Apple has the approval process in place for the app store.
“It is a good design, and a step in the right direction. However, the performance is visibly laggy in their videos. It’s a 600 or 650 Mhz proc if I recall correctly. Maybe version 2 will be up to snuff.”
It’s 1Ghz, and every tech journo that I’ve read who got their hands on it stated how surprisingly snappy it was.
Caleb, sorry, missed the Touchbook reference :/
$500 for something that can store 16GB of data. Definitely not worth it.
I think it’s sexy looking and I’m hoping it becomes fairly hackable because I don’t really need one I have an Iphone.
good point nyc. It’s gonna look funny when someone goes, “hold on” and puts away the iPhone and pulls out their iPad :) I can see skits on that already hitting the internet :)
Do want.
I have never owned an apple product (Unless my Airport Extreme I got from the second-hand store counts, I only use it to connect my PC’s though.)
I want a nice pad / browsing tablet / ebook reader.
As I read before, hate it or like it there will be competition, and that is GOOD.
[cant wait to see the responses, especially from people like MSI and Asus.]
Actually, Asus already responded, about a year ago, with the 9 inch T91. About the same price as an iPad, with twice the features and half the pretentious attitude.
Frankly, I was surprised when Apple actually announced a tablet, if you can call it that. Although once I looked into the details I found it was nothing but another slight modification on an existing product that they hail as “revolutionary.” Thats all Apple does, makes things shiny and pretends it was their idea, and the market and media just eat it up. Essentially it comes down to this: Apple is not a technology company, they’re a fashion company that sells electronics, not clothes.
We need the Wizard of Woz back.
This device is a joke, not worth hacking, and ridiculously expensive. It is literally an iPhone with a larger bezel, screen, and battery.
The only single thing I could think of this thing doing is controlling a home entertainment center. I heard it doesn’t even have the balls to play embedded video on web pages.
This was/is a sad sad attempt by Apple to saturate the market with monkey-simple devices. Apple has had there once in ten year lucky streak, there time is up. I don’t expect to see anything worth while from Apple for another ten years. New iPhone(s) will be eclipsed by Android in two years, and no one will want to pay the money it takes to buy one.
Good bye Apple, please don’t show ugly head again for another ten years.
This is one of those devices that i will actively laugh at users at coffee shops if i catch anyone using this “tech”. I cant support a device that lacks any innovation, its just a huge (xbox huge) iphone, minus the important ability to make phone calls and take pictures. I mark this in the “failed tech” category of devices.
> Asus already responded, about a year ago, with the 9 inch T91
I have one. Do you want it? It’s shit.
Buy a second-hand Compaq TC1100 and upgrade the HDD. You’ll get multitasking, Flash, USB, handwriting recognition, better storage space.
On the person saying there are no ads for linux, that’s true, obviously since it’s free, but perhaps someone should set up a site taking donations to put up some linux ads, someone reliable who doesn’t pocket the money, how about torvalds himself?
If the non-tech world and their moms know about linux that would give it more push and foothold.
the ad could for instance mention how much is based on linux, name common devices that run linux or linux derivations, but it should make it clear in very simple terms what an OS is too, since then it would get to the non-tech crowd, and you’d be surprised how many people still have no clue what a ‘program’ is let alone an OS, they use computers but have no idea what runs it and how that works, in fact I have a tough time understanding what many people imagine is happening, although they probably don’t imagine and just never think deeper than the GUI on the screen.
In all likelyhood this conversation took place:
Apple development team – “Steve, we think we have a great new product for you to market”
Steve Jobs – “IS IT SHINY!?”
Apple development team – “YES!”
Steve Jobs – “Oh, they’ll eat that right up.”
You want a netbook/Tablet combination with native linux support? Check out the one from Lenovo. The tablet runs Linux distribution and the netbook (once you snap it into place switches cpu’s to Intel and runs windows 7. That is a product that screams innovation but since it’s not apple you won’t hear about it on TV
@wisdomsprince,
We saw it at CES. It was kind of neat, but in tablet mode didn’t seem that smooth. I think it would be remedied in software. I actually think that one could appeal to me. The price point is the killer though.
the only hardware mods for the iphone/touch i have seen is called a Darthpod. they were only made for the first generation ipod touch. they were replacements for the scratched up silver backs on a stock device. they came in black and gold and are 100% scratch proof. however they didnt last long because they were only made for a short while by one guy in his basement and he was pretty much a jerk. i think his name was gold_finger. he wanted $60 for one back and wouldnt make them for the iphone or ipod touch 2nd gen. I was lucky to grab a gold one on ebay for $20. it looks really sweet using winterboard and putting a gold theme on the ipod.
Wow, I bet most apple fan boys gizzed when they saw this. Not me, but I really want a kindle now >_< how the fuck that works IDK. Anyway I agree with Caleb, it's another apple piece of shit, but the inevitable knock offs are bound to be awesome and hackable.
Just a rough summary
136 Posts by 4:24PM CET 1/31/2010
Posts about:
Nerd Rage/It’s a knockoff
28
Like/Should Succeed/Will buy one
24
Just a big iPhone/iPod touch/Can’t fit in my pocket
9
Doesn’t have Flash
6
Grandma/Caleb
4
HTML5
2
Not an Apple fan but I want more out of it
2
I can’t tell it’s functionally any different from an over-sized iPod Touch in any meaninful way…?? I don’t really want to pay 500 bucks to carry around a huge iPod Touch when, like 99-percent of its potential market, I have a rockin’ smartphone and a nice laptop already. And a home computer and a home media center. But it’ll make a better eBook reader than the iPod Touch, or the current readers, I guess…????
JonBowman:
In all likelyhood this other conversation took place:
Microsoft development team – “Steve, we think we have a great new product for you to market”
Steve Balmer – “DOES IT WORK!?”
Microsoft development team – “NO!”
Steve Balmer – “Oh, they’ll eat that right up.”
iGotUr$, iFools
iPad is a little bit like a tablet, except you can only install programs apple let you install. Oh and it can’t do that thing we all love about computers – more than one thing at the same time.
As almost everyone has said, the iPad is a gadget without a market. The only people who will buy it are the apple fanboys.
haha this thing doesnt’ even run osx,
the n900 (not a perfect device but runs linux so it rulez) can at least emulate it..
http://www.tuug.fi/~toni/serendipity/index.php?/archives/13-Mac-OS-X-10.3-running-on-the-N900!.html
too bad Stevie….
For the third time Apple create money sucking portal instead of computer, phone or mp3 player, locking down as much as they can so there is no way to get data in or out of device leaving only one gate on which Apple put a toll, such greed is just disgusting
Why is hackaday now doing articles of NEW products that are not even taken apart with pictures of the guts? This web site used to be all about the hacking of things, with comments that were not about a flame war. Very sad to see…
therian,
“For the third time Apple create money sucking portal instead of computer, phone or mp3 player, locking down as much as they can so there is no way to get data in or out of device leaving only one gate on which Apple put a toll, such greed is just disgusting.”
Bullshit. I can put any music or ebook or movie I want on my iPod Touch. Apps are a different story, but I haven’t come across an app I wanted that wasn’t in the appstore (yet).
“Final note: being an apple product, its about $500 more then it should be.”
It’s $499. So… Apple should be paying us a buck to use them? Of all the devices I’ve seen Apple put out over the years, this is the first that I can say without a doubt is *not* overpriced by any definition of the word.
I’m not going to buy one, but not because of the price. I just have no use for a 9.7″ iPod Touch. Put OS X on it, and that’s a whole different story.
“Of all the devices I’ve seen Apple put out over the years, this is the first that I can say without a doubt is *not* overpriced by any definition of the word.”
true from certain point of view, definitely not overpriced by apple standards but rest of the world for around 350$ expect something like
eee pc 1005HA-P which fit for much more than paperless toilet reading material replacement or photo-camera unfriendly picture frame
For limited capabilities it has it would be nice if just it had a front oriented camera for skyphone talks. Otherwise, I think netbooks pretty much cover and surpass this segment of market.
Will not bother myself with it
On every site with polls I’ve seen about 4 percent of people think it’s a good device they would consider buying and about 62% says it’s clearly a failure.
Isn’t that the general marketshare of apple 4%? I guess that’s the amount of apple fans then.
Here is my list of what might be cool to hack the ipad.
1. A hack that will make your ipad use your iPhone info on the cell towers. That way you don’t have to pay extra for it.
2. Thethering hack.
3. A mouse hack. Just becouse.
4. A hack to use your iPhones’ camera with the ipad for video chat over 3g.
5. Hack ipad only programs and put them on the iPhone.
6. Hack the non g3 ipad to use the iPhones g3s’ gps hardware by Bluetooth.
7. Hack the ipad to put windows me on. Just becouse.
That is it for now more to come.
The specs on the iPad are pretty decent over all. Its pretty much an iPod Touch on Steroids. Good battery life, and a very functional size (To large, and it kills the battery too fast, and it is harder to carry around. To small and it is hard to see/work on).
Its nice you can get iWork on there! I think this is WAY better than the Kindle my girlfriends mom just got. It would be nice to see it running some sort of operating system, but it really doesn’t have that fast of a processor to do that. Jezz ball would be interesting on it!
No it is not better than the Kindle. Have you tried anything on a LCD for a long period of time? It is absolute hell. Kindle has e-Ink for a reason you know.