js
Flashlight Enthusiast
Did you guys perhaps happen to notice that this thread has been derailed not once, but twice now with this Mac Book Wheel Onion article? Yes, it's funny. But we've already been there, done that.
I think I know what Apple is going to do!
- Thread starter js
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ElectronGuru
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At the risk of sounding like an analyst...
Netbook's achieve their dramatic price points by using commodity parts, reducing features (including software), and limiting specifications. Minimal RAM, minimal processor speed, and little (or no HD) are common. This all flys in the face of Apple design. Apple is quite happy with current price points (and margins) on current laptop machines. Were a new "tablet-pc" to offer the full Mac OS for $700, people would buy it instead of a MBP. This flys in the face of Apple marketing.
The new device will appear before Christmas, probably around back to school. It will run the Touch OS, and offer 1) bigger screen, 2) more processor, & 3) more storage than the current Touch. It will not run the full Mac OS and will not be meant or marketed as a full computer. If Apple wants it to be used as a text entry platform, they will include support for bluetooth keyboards. Any game changing by this device will not be hardware, but software. For example, the screen size, combined with an iTunes Store that sells books, will make one hell of an e-book platform.
Bonus info: Apple changes designs for three main reasons: New sells, weak builds cost $, and Steve says so. A key one for Unibody design is the second. Apple monitors their warranty program very closely. The physically stronger a design, the less it breaks, and the less they spend honoring fixit requests. Unibody designs are incredibly rigid, minimizing warping and breakage. I expect 80% of shipped unibody MBs to last 5 years without major physical problems (components inside will still die).
And while the latest designs have only one FW port, FW800 ports directly support FW400 devices with the right cable
Netbook's achieve their dramatic price points by using commodity parts, reducing features (including software), and limiting specifications. Minimal RAM, minimal processor speed, and little (or no HD) are common. This all flys in the face of Apple design. Apple is quite happy with current price points (and margins) on current laptop machines. Were a new "tablet-pc" to offer the full Mac OS for $700, people would buy it instead of a MBP. This flys in the face of Apple marketing.
The new device will appear before Christmas, probably around back to school. It will run the Touch OS, and offer 1) bigger screen, 2) more processor, & 3) more storage than the current Touch. It will not run the full Mac OS and will not be meant or marketed as a full computer. If Apple wants it to be used as a text entry platform, they will include support for bluetooth keyboards. Any game changing by this device will not be hardware, but software. For example, the screen size, combined with an iTunes Store that sells books, will make one hell of an e-book platform.
Bonus info: Apple changes designs for three main reasons: New sells, weak builds cost $, and Steve says so. A key one for Unibody design is the second. Apple monitors their warranty program very closely. The physically stronger a design, the less it breaks, and the less they spend honoring fixit requests. Unibody designs are incredibly rigid, minimizing warping and breakage. I expect 80% of shipped unibody MBs to last 5 years without major physical problems (components inside will still die).
And while the latest designs have only one FW port, FW800 ports directly support FW400 devices with the right cable
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js
Flashlight Enthusiast
So, if you look on MacRumors Forum new page you can see lots of suspicions and rumors of the new mac tablet(s), and one of the rumors is that there will be two sizes and the larger size will indeed run OS X. But of course, it's all just speculation. Still, it looks like a very good bet that Apple will indeed release a touch based "netbook" in the near future. Hehe. Cool.
So, now that that prediction is on much more solid ground, I'd like to offer another one that is TOTALLY WILD AND OUT TO LUNCH. My rational brain keeps telling me this, keeps coming up with reasons why I should forget it, but somehow another part of my brain won't let it go.
I think that all of the current unibody MBP laptops already have touch screens and that a firmware update / OS update will "unveil" this dormant feature.
Crazy, isn't it? Still, I note it here for the record. If it crashes and burns and is nonsense, well OK! But, if I'm right . . . how cool would that be?
And it's not totally without precedence. Apple is just crazy enough to pull something like this. Just as a small example, the fact that my 2nd Gen iPod touch has bluetooth was totally hidden until the iPhone OS 3.0 was released. Not the same thing, I know, because bluetooth and wi-fi are both wireless protocols and if a device has one . . . well, you get the picture.
Still . . . I can't shake the feeling that the newest generation of MBP's with the built in batteries have a touch screen already.
I'm sure it's impossible. Yet, even so . . .
LOL!
So, now that that prediction is on much more solid ground, I'd like to offer another one that is TOTALLY WILD AND OUT TO LUNCH. My rational brain keeps telling me this, keeps coming up with reasons why I should forget it, but somehow another part of my brain won't let it go.
I think that all of the current unibody MBP laptops already have touch screens and that a firmware update / OS update will "unveil" this dormant feature.
Crazy, isn't it? Still, I note it here for the record. If it crashes and burns and is nonsense, well OK! But, if I'm right . . . how cool would that be?
And it's not totally without precedence. Apple is just crazy enough to pull something like this. Just as a small example, the fact that my 2nd Gen iPod touch has bluetooth was totally hidden until the iPhone OS 3.0 was released. Not the same thing, I know, because bluetooth and wi-fi are both wireless protocols and if a device has one . . . well, you get the picture.
Still . . . I can't shake the feeling that the newest generation of MBP's with the built in batteries have a touch screen already.
I'm sure it's impossible. Yet, even so . . .
LOL!
LEDninja
Flashlight Enthusiast
Saw a couple of interesting things on the news lately.
An HP guy was demonstrating how the latest Windoze OS supports their touchscreen. Looks awful similar to how an ipod touch screen works. But the HP also have a keyboard.
Palm is releasing their newest PDA with a slide out keyboard in addition to a touchscreen.
LG is advertising the slide-in slide out keyboard on their cell phone very aggressively.
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Apple seem to think people do not type or enter numbers. Have you seen the latest full size Apple keyboards?
Small keyboards make sense back when monitors were 9" or 12". They do not save space when the 21" monitors are now common.
The now missing number pad is necessary for doing any financial or tax calculations or to use Excel. Oh I forgot. Excel is made by the opposition so is Apple trying to kill Excel by dropping the keypad. That will backfire big time as number crunchers will simply stop using Macs and go back to Windoze.
I can't even log onto CPF as I remember my password as a number of tic-tac-toe moves on the keypad, do not know the actual number.
An HP guy was demonstrating how the latest Windoze OS supports their touchscreen. Looks awful similar to how an ipod touch screen works. But the HP also have a keyboard.
Palm is releasing their newest PDA with a slide out keyboard in addition to a touchscreen.
LG is advertising the slide-in slide out keyboard on their cell phone very aggressively.
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Apple seem to think people do not type or enter numbers. Have you seen the latest full size Apple keyboards?
Small keyboards make sense back when monitors were 9" or 12". They do not save space when the 21" monitors are now common.
The now missing number pad is necessary for doing any financial or tax calculations or to use Excel. Oh I forgot. Excel is made by the opposition so is Apple trying to kill Excel by dropping the keypad. That will backfire big time as number crunchers will simply stop using Macs and go back to Windoze.
I can't even log onto CPF as I remember my password as a number of tic-tac-toe moves on the keypad, do not know the actual number.
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
Err, Apple still makes full-sized keyboards LEDninja! I know because I just saw them at the campus store and because the Apple store still sells them
Also, I just selected a mac mini to configure and scrolled down to the keyboard section, and here are my choices:
None
Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad & Mighty Mouse
Apple Wireless Keyboard & Wireless Mighty Mouse
Apple Keyboard & Mighty Mouse
So, Apple in no way thinks that people don't type! And, as you might remember from the The best computer keyboards ever made - still thread, I place high importance on keyboards, and had no problem saying that the apple keyboard that came with the G3 desktop in the control room where I work was the worst keyboard I have ever used. I'm a fan of Apple, but I'm not an Apple fan-boy who automatically loves everything they make!
The new keyboards that Apple is making are actually quite good. They are laptop-style in their design, with very little surround on the outside, and a very low throw on the action, but despite this, the keyboard is full sized and there IS a tactile feedback to the action, and once you get used to it, you can type quickly and accurately on it. The reviews on Amazon for any of this generation of Apple keyboards will tell the same story. People quite like them.
As for touch screens and keyboards, well, again, it's not that Apple thinks that people don't type, it's that Apple is weighing different design considerations and pros and cons off against each other. A virtual touch keyboard is in no way ever going to be more useable than a real keyboard, or even a small keypad type keyboard. I agree. So, if that's important to you, you would avoid the iPhone and iPod Touch and the new "netbooks" like the plague.
But to say that Apple thinks that people don't type is just not tenable. Apple made what is arguably one of the best keyboards ever made, and their current line of keyboards is a definite cut above the norm for keyboards. We recently got a Lenovo D20 workstation at work, and it came with a keyboard. And that keyboard is nowhere near as good as the Apple keyboards that ship with the new Apple computers.
And if you like that alpha numeric keypad, you can still get that. Don't know where you came up with the idea that Apple had discontinued it.
LEDninja
Flashlight Enthusiast
The problem is if you do not specify Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad you do not get the keypad. My local dealer got caught flat footed. I was in the Apple store downtown Toronto last week and there was no keypad in over a dozen demo units. A lot of students/first time buyers would not realize they have to order the keypad as an option. Even me if I had not been tipped off by my dealer.
Laptop manufacturers have successfully integrated keypads into their smaller keyboard layout since the days of 10.4" VGA screens. I do not see why Apple can not shrink the keyboard without losing the keypad.
Laptop manufacturers have successfully integrated keypads into their smaller keyboard layout since the days of 10.4" VGA screens. I do not see why Apple can not shrink the keyboard without losing the keypad.
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
Antime there is a change in the lineup of things, there will be hicups. That's just the way it is. But the problem is already probably resolved at this point in most if not all places. Or will be soon. And, when you order online, you MUST specify.
Anyway, still, yes, that must have been annoying if you were wanting to buy an Apple iMac or mini.
As for laptops, very very few people would want numberic keypads from what I can see. As for smaller keyobards, why bother? As you say, it's not a problem to have a longer keyboard these days, so if you want the keypad, buy the longer keyboard.
Anyway, still, yes, that must have been annoying if you were wanting to buy an Apple iMac or mini.
As for laptops, very very few people would want numberic keypads from what I can see. As for smaller keyobards, why bother? As you say, it's not a problem to have a longer keyboard these days, so if you want the keypad, buy the longer keyboard.
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
So, I was just reading a gizmodo article talking about the Apple Tablet. The speculation is that one of the aims of the tablet is digital print media, like books, newspapers, and magazines, and this makes perfect sense to me. I mean, the Kindle is very cool, and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have thousands of books on a device the size of just one book (my house is freaking over flowing with books at this point!), but the lack of color, and the single-functionality of the device, together with it's non-trivial price, have kept me from buying a kindle. Now, a color touch-screen tablet about 10" diagonally is another story! That would be perfect as an ebook type reader. And, it wouldn't be just that. It would be a netbook as well, with a web browser, email, games, and so on.
Now, for me, this puts the whole keyboard thing into perspective. Yes, a virtual keyboard is nowhere near as good as a real keyboard. No question. And I would NOT want to compose a term paper on something like the rumored Apple Tablet. No way, no how. But, (1) the tablet isn't aimed at that usage pattern, and (2) if you wanted to, you could interface with a bluetooth keyboard (you can already do this with the iPod Touch 2nd gen or 3rd gen, by the way), and (3) the lack of a real keyboard makes for a sleek, portable device that would be perfect as an e-reader. Add in optional 3G cellular connectivity, like the Kindle, so that you could browse and buy/download books and magazines and newspapers anywhere, anytime, and you have a potent and powerfully attractive device. Or at least that is my feeling.
At the start of this thread, back when I first posted it, I didn't actually see myself buying one of these things. I mean, what need would it fill that wasn't already filled by my Macbook Pro laptop or my Mac Pro desktop or my iPod Touch? It wouldn't be nearly as portable as an iPod, and it wouldn't have nearly the capabilities of a MBP, and with no real keyboard, would lose a lot of functionality. So, why would I buy one.
Now, however, I know EXACTLY why I would buy one. eBooks and eZines. Just like I have all of my music--thousands of CD's--on my laptop now, I could eventually have all of my books and magazines and even newspapers, on one small device, with me at all times, complete with all my electronic notes in the margins, with an auto-lookup of any words I don't know, and with the capability of zooming in on any picture or small font text. Now that would be so, so worth it. Not to mention textbooks, if or when I ever become a student again!
If this materializes this way, I WILL buy one. No question. I will wait until I see that there is indeed a great resource of books available to me--for example, I'm sure that Amazon will sell kindle type ebooks for this device, as that is where they make their money, and not on the Kindle itself, where they take a loss. So it may happen quickly. But I'll want to see it all there, ready and waiting, before I buy. And when and if that happens, I will buy, even if the price of entry is $700.
This is what Apple has planned for the Tablet, almost certainly. And how cool will that be?
Now, for me, this puts the whole keyboard thing into perspective. Yes, a virtual keyboard is nowhere near as good as a real keyboard. No question. And I would NOT want to compose a term paper on something like the rumored Apple Tablet. No way, no how. But, (1) the tablet isn't aimed at that usage pattern, and (2) if you wanted to, you could interface with a bluetooth keyboard (you can already do this with the iPod Touch 2nd gen or 3rd gen, by the way), and (3) the lack of a real keyboard makes for a sleek, portable device that would be perfect as an e-reader. Add in optional 3G cellular connectivity, like the Kindle, so that you could browse and buy/download books and magazines and newspapers anywhere, anytime, and you have a potent and powerfully attractive device. Or at least that is my feeling.
At the start of this thread, back when I first posted it, I didn't actually see myself buying one of these things. I mean, what need would it fill that wasn't already filled by my Macbook Pro laptop or my Mac Pro desktop or my iPod Touch? It wouldn't be nearly as portable as an iPod, and it wouldn't have nearly the capabilities of a MBP, and with no real keyboard, would lose a lot of functionality. So, why would I buy one.
Now, however, I know EXACTLY why I would buy one. eBooks and eZines. Just like I have all of my music--thousands of CD's--on my laptop now, I could eventually have all of my books and magazines and even newspapers, on one small device, with me at all times, complete with all my electronic notes in the margins, with an auto-lookup of any words I don't know, and with the capability of zooming in on any picture or small font text. Now that would be so, so worth it. Not to mention textbooks, if or when I ever become a student again!
If this materializes this way, I WILL buy one. No question. I will wait until I see that there is indeed a great resource of books available to me--for example, I'm sure that Amazon will sell kindle type ebooks for this device, as that is where they make their money, and not on the Kindle itself, where they take a loss. So it may happen quickly. But I'll want to see it all there, ready and waiting, before I buy. And when and if that happens, I will buy, even if the price of entry is $700.
This is what Apple has planned for the Tablet, almost certainly. And how cool will that be?
ElectronGuru
Flashaholic
Couple of thoughts:
Expect iTunes to have a print book section. There have been reports of truck loads of books rolling up to the docks in Cupertino. Automated scanners can make short work of a stack of a million of "out of copyright" publications.
The key limitation on the tablet won't be the keyboard, it will be battery life. The kindle is basically an electronic etch'a'sketch. Power is only needed to change the page. A full backlit LCD draws quite a bit more juice. Hopefully, most of the case (and weight) will be devoted to power.
Ideally, this thing will have bluetooth AND the ability to sync with a BT keyboard. If not, perhaps 3rd party's will step in.
Never mind books and email. I want this for CPF!! :rock:
Expect iTunes to have a print book section. There have been reports of truck loads of books rolling up to the docks in Cupertino. Automated scanners can make short work of a stack of a million of "out of copyright" publications.
The key limitation on the tablet won't be the keyboard, it will be battery life. The kindle is basically an electronic etch'a'sketch. Power is only needed to change the page. A full backlit LCD draws quite a bit more juice. Hopefully, most of the case (and weight) will be devoted to power.
Ideally, this thing will have bluetooth AND the ability to sync with a BT keyboard. If not, perhaps 3rd party's will step in.
Never mind books and email. I want this for CPF!! :rock:
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
CNN Money has an article with speculations from some that the new Apple Tablet will be "the gadget to end all gadgets.":
I'm very interested to see what this Tablet actually will turn out to be, in all the fine details, which after all, are what makes or breaks most things like this. It's also looking like a near certainty that there IS an Apple Tablet of some sort or another. Tee hee!
I'm very interested to see what this Tablet actually will turn out to be, in all the fine details, which after all, are what makes or breaks most things like this. It's also looking like a near certainty that there IS an Apple Tablet of some sort or another. Tee hee!
Justintoxicated
Flashlight Enthusiast
If I was going to buy a mac it would be a notebook, but I'm partial to Lenovo myself, I hate shiny computers and glossy notebook screens. I also don't care for their keyboards. give me something with a great modular design, Matt Finish on the outside and a functional keyboard and I am happy. I have not sceen the new Lenovo screens but thats the one reason I would look into a mac over a Lenovo in the past. However it would not make sense to have a Mac Amongst all my PCs. No WHS Backups, harder to transfer stuff back and fourth etc. I do prefer mat screens on the lenovos over glossy on the mac, but the quality of the screen itself on the mac used to b e noticeably better. Lenovo has those new LED screens so I'm not sure if they are still way ahead there.
I fail to understand why a mac tablet is so revolutionary, while other manufacturers have been making them for years?
The gadget above looks neat but it's anything but a new concept. I hop it does well, as others will be sure to follow. Let me guess, the downside is the battery is not removable lol.
I fail to understand why a mac tablet is so revolutionary, while other manufacturers have been making them for years?
The gadget above looks neat but it's anything but a new concept. I hop it does well, as others will be sure to follow. Let me guess, the downside is the battery is not removable lol.
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js
Flashlight Enthusiast
The Macbook Pro's have had LED back lit S-IPS LCD screens for years now. I bought a MBP before the unibody macs came out, and I'm very glad I did because I prefer a matte screen and I like the keyboard on mine a lot better than the chichlet keyboard on the new ones.
However, other than the glossy aspect (and now you can special order a matte one), the screens on the MB and MBP's are equal or superior to the Lenovo's. I have a new Lenovo (two of them actually) at work for surveying, and a lot of people at work have the new MBP's, and it is far from obvious to me that the Lenovo's have better screens!
As for the Tablet, it's obviously not a new concept. No one has been saying it is. When the iPod came out, it wasn't a new concept. There had been MP3 players before that, as I recall. But they were lame.
The devil is in the details, and that's what Apple has a habit of getting right, and people are excited about the Tablet because it promises to combine a lot of stuff all into one device, and if it's done right--if the UI is good and the OS is good and the software is good and it has all sorts of cool capabilities, like built in cellular 3G, WiFi, accelerometer, touchscreen, etc. etc.--then it will be something special.
A touch screen of the size that is being speculated would be very functional and effective, and the UI that Apple has made for the iPod touch and iPhone is very impressive.
I for one am excited. Not because it is a new concept, but because it might be a very well designed and useful gadget. As I said above, I'd be thrilled to be able to condense all my books down into the space of about one book! I think the Kindle is neat, but the monochrome thing is a dealbreaker for me. So, we shall see.
However, other than the glossy aspect (and now you can special order a matte one), the screens on the MB and MBP's are equal or superior to the Lenovo's. I have a new Lenovo (two of them actually) at work for surveying, and a lot of people at work have the new MBP's, and it is far from obvious to me that the Lenovo's have better screens!
As for the Tablet, it's obviously not a new concept. No one has been saying it is. When the iPod came out, it wasn't a new concept. There had been MP3 players before that, as I recall. But they were lame.
The devil is in the details, and that's what Apple has a habit of getting right, and people are excited about the Tablet because it promises to combine a lot of stuff all into one device, and if it's done right--if the UI is good and the OS is good and the software is good and it has all sorts of cool capabilities, like built in cellular 3G, WiFi, accelerometer, touchscreen, etc. etc.--then it will be something special.
A touch screen of the size that is being speculated would be very functional and effective, and the UI that Apple has made for the iPod touch and iPhone is very impressive.
I for one am excited. Not because it is a new concept, but because it might be a very well designed and useful gadget. As I said above, I'd be thrilled to be able to condense all my books down into the space of about one book! I think the Kindle is neat, but the monochrome thing is a dealbreaker for me. So, we shall see.
LEDninja
Flashlight Enthusiast
businessweek: Apple Said to Plan Tablet PC Introduction This Month
http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...blet-pc-introduction-this-month-update2-.html
showbizgossips: New Consumer Electeronics Show 2010 will show Apple Tablet iSlate, Google Nexus One and Others
http://www.showbizgossips.com/new-c...ablet-islate-google-nexus-one-and-others/3667
The Wall Street Journal: Apple to Ship Tablet Device in March
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703580904574638630584151614.html
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OTOH
mashable: Can Apple's Tablet Succeed with a $1000 Price Tag?
http://mashable.com/2010/01/04/tablet-1000-price/
pcworld: An Affordable $199 Tablet for Everyone -- And It's Not From Apple
http://www.pcworld.com/article/185764/A_199_Tablet_for_Everyone_And_Its_Not_From_Apple.html
http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...blet-pc-introduction-this-month-update2-.html
showbizgossips: New Consumer Electeronics Show 2010 will show Apple Tablet iSlate, Google Nexus One and Others
http://www.showbizgossips.com/new-c...ablet-islate-google-nexus-one-and-others/3667
The Wall Street Journal: Apple to Ship Tablet Device in March
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703580904574638630584151614.html
-----
OTOH
mashable: Can Apple's Tablet Succeed with a $1000 Price Tag?
http://mashable.com/2010/01/04/tablet-1000-price/
pcworld: An Affordable $199 Tablet for Everyone -- And It's Not From Apple
http://www.pcworld.com/article/185764/A_199_Tablet_for_Everyone_And_Its_Not_From_Apple.html
ElectronGuru
Flashaholic
Depends on the OS. If its an iPod, $1000 is a lot to pay for what is essentially big screen access to the app store. OTOH, if its Mac OS, it would be a crazy thin laptop, capable of heavily subsidizing if not replacing a full computer. Double if they support BT keyboard linking.
I'm really pissed off that I didn't buy more Apple stock last January than I did.
blasterman
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
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Here's the rub on this and why it's such a unique dynamic in the history of technology:
PC sales are driven primarily by the fact Windows will run on any junky Taiwanese chipset and video card. This allows PC makers a lot of lattitude in making hardware and fighting with each other to produce cheap desktops for consumers and large corporate arenas. So, Windows needs cheap PCs, and the PC industry needs Windows. We then have the entire AMD vs Intel soap opera. Even Apple got the benefit of this when they dumped IBM and Motorola and went to an Intel platform.
So, a dedicated 'Windows' desktop is a bit of an oxymoron, although you see this in the server market where hardware is optimized for Windows and stability / compatibility dramatically increases.
Jobs is on the right track here. The handwriting is on the wall for the bulky desktop computer (PC and Mac), and the current clamshell laptop is really just a desktop with everything crammed into a smaller form factor. 10 years from now they will be as odd as seeing a full size tower and CRT on your desk.
Anyways, the new Mac product will likely be a bridge somewhere between the iPhone, netbook and MacBook. However, note that Apple tries to avoid making 'bridge' products, but products that also define their own niche'. Also note that the real reason that portable Apple laptops are so popular is not because they are so awesome, but because PC/Windows based laptops 'suck'. This is also a trend Apple has hinted at they are trying to get away from because it limits longterm product viability.
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
SO . . .
It's here: the iPad. 9.7" IPS touch-screen.
Cost is $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB), $699 (64GB), for an iPad with no 3G connectivity (Wi-Fi and bluetooth only). Add $130 for 3G capability, but you need to pay a monthly fee to AT&T (but no contract--pay as you go): $15/month gets you 250MB of 3G data, and $30 gets you unlimited.
The iPad will run all current iPhone/iPod Touch apps in the app store in either a small pixel-to-pixel mapped screen in the middle of the iPad's larger screen, or in a pixel doubling mode. Newer apps either written or re-written for the iPad's larger screen will obviously be able to take full advantage of all those extra pixels. But in the mean time, it's nice to be able to use any and all of the current apps. Any that people bought already can be downloaded to the iPad straightaway (i.e. when you own an app, it is good for all your devices, not just one).
As expected there will be ebooks, with five publishers currently on board at launch.
Also as expected the cogniscenti at MacRumours already hate the iPad, complaining about it in every possible way, but mainly that it's "just an overgrown iPod Touch or iPhone".
Well, DUH! Not sure why they were expecting something else. :thinking:
It's here: the iPad. 9.7" IPS touch-screen.
Cost is $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB), $699 (64GB), for an iPad with no 3G connectivity (Wi-Fi and bluetooth only). Add $130 for 3G capability, but you need to pay a monthly fee to AT&T (but no contract--pay as you go): $15/month gets you 250MB of 3G data, and $30 gets you unlimited.
The iPad will run all current iPhone/iPod Touch apps in the app store in either a small pixel-to-pixel mapped screen in the middle of the iPad's larger screen, or in a pixel doubling mode. Newer apps either written or re-written for the iPad's larger screen will obviously be able to take full advantage of all those extra pixels. But in the mean time, it's nice to be able to use any and all of the current apps. Any that people bought already can be downloaded to the iPad straightaway (i.e. when you own an app, it is good for all your devices, not just one).
As expected there will be ebooks, with five publishers currently on board at launch.
Also as expected the cogniscenti at MacRumours already hate the iPad, complaining about it in every possible way, but mainly that it's "just an overgrown iPod Touch or iPhone".
Well, DUH! Not sure why they were expecting something else. :thinking:
