After years of rumor and speculation, Apple's now taking orders for its
iPad tablet. And now that cash money is involved we'll finally see if Apple has a success on its hands by filling the void between smartphones and netbooks/laptops -- something Microsoft and its hoard of vendors just haven't been able to muster. Today's order is delivered on
April 3rd (in the US) for free and orders are limited to two per customer. But rather than wait for analysts and Apple's financial reports to tell the tale, let's get a jump on things with an informal poll: are you ordering the iPad?
Did you order the iPad?| Yes, I'm just like that. | 14349 (18.7%) |
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| Not yet, I want to see what OS 4.0 will offer first. | 21873 (28.5%) |
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| No, I'm waiting for HP's Slate or some other Win7 device. | 19168 (25.0%) |
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| No, I'm holding out for a Chrome OS tablet. | 8990 (11.7%) |
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| What's an iPad? | 12259 (16.0%) |
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posted March 12th 2010 8:30AM
The mindless Apple fans buy Apple products regardless of the limitations. I’m surprised how people even consider buying something WITHOUT EVEN DEMOING IT.
Try this: If you really think the iPad is going to give you a rich internet experience, turn OFF Flash within your browser for a week and surf around your favorite sites. Just try it. It SUCKS.
@Accidental Well if it's "a big iPod touch", then I guess we have demo'd it, right? And there have been plenty of videos showing the actual device being used. We pretty much know exactly how it's going to work and perform, at least with the included apps. It doesn't take a genius to interpolate from that how it will perform in general.
I have click2flash on now. I rarely click and when I do it's a YouTube Link. So from over here, IT'S FINE.
@Accidental
I do it all the time and it doesn't suck. It all depends on how addicted you are to internet video and clicking games.
@Accidental Don't say it sucks, because Apple well builded imagination to convince people even it is limited or overpriced. I love macbook I think intel macbook and iphone is their best creation(I hate my time capsule). I agree with you that iPad is not great product 'to me'. it does not offer best web experiences, but it does offer best App experiences (which cost you more).
However I cannot say "Do not buy it" or "it is sucks", I rather see what will be happen when courier comes out(I don't know when).
Wtf how about having just the answer 'no' in your poll. Im not buying the ipad because it looks like a complete waste of money and I have no idea about the other ones because basically all we know about them is their name.
is this device going to incorporate some sort of flash with a upgrade??in the near future??
Apples coming out with stuff that does stuff their other stuff already does.
i'm not gonna buy a bigger ipod, they can keep it. I'll stick to my nexus one for mobile internet.
@bL4Ck
Is that avatar whom I think she is? I've never known her to do her hair clip on the right side.
When it comes to form factor definitly the MS Courier, be it real or not.
Yes/No would have given a clearer picture but the outcome so far is clearly iPhad = FAIL
Why can't I vote for one of the many other tablets out there like the JooJoo or Notion Ink Adam?
Just to reiterate the general sentiment, but this is a stupid poll without a plain "no" option... Also, I just don't see the tablet as a viable form factor outside of an industry setting. Not unless it has MASSIVE battery life.
Where's the "No" option in the Poll?
Does Anybody know when the preorders will start at europe? And from where we can buy it. Till few days ago , Amazon.uk featured ipad preorders . Now they are gone. What Happened?
This MIGHT have been the perfect computer-replacement for someone like my mom - who has a hard time with any of those compu-thingies but loves her some photos and email. The problem is that the iPad is NOT A STAND-ALONE DEVICE. She can't just download photos onto it from her SD cards, there's no Flash so half the internet will be MISSING, and it doesn't multitask - so I'd be getting calls like "Why can't I read email and look at my photos at the same time?" Or "How do I print this photo?" Or "How do I download my photos off my camera?"
The devices core market - folks who want a very light COMPUTER - is completely left out in the dark by the iPad's inability to act autonomously. You need to sync it with another computer to get content onto it - including photos, music, etc. It doesn't bridge the gap between laptops and mobiles at all... it's just a giant mobile, with all the drawbacks and caveats that entails.
That's just... disappointing. If it were able to work autonomously - printing to a network printer, connecting directly with cameras or other USB devices, etc... this would be the perfect computer-thingie(TM) for the not-computer savvy. As it stands, it's not really useful to anyone.
@Veraxus I totally agree with you
@raiden8383
Almost everyone I know blocks Flash from their browser. What re these sites your are going to miss because of no flash support? Hulu isn't going to be smooth on any mobile device. None I have seen so far. In fact, a Hulu app may be the best mobile option in the future. Youtube, cnn, new york times, engadget....none require flash to view anything other than ads. So what is someone going to miss?
I totally agree with the SD card support. Perhaps a plug in accessory to support memory card transfer.
@jaffreywali Well it is not just about Flash, you can build Iphone Apps with AS3 code and Flash CS5. Flash is not for normal use like HTML. It is for special purpose like an interactive UI site, a flash game and banner.
I've never seen Flash hater this much. It is funny that become serious issue after Jobs said so.
I am not trying to say iPad is sucks, it just does not give best web experiences.
@jaffreywali also that ad pays developer to get food and house for their family. That is why you don't pay for their contents.
No thanks too much. Only people who would buy it is APPLE lovers and their fans. Just say CO$T way too much. You can buy three Wii's or PS3s with that price tag. And it will definitely sell LOTS. Get rid of the iPhone of AT&T and let someone else have fun and enjoy that. SO I can get some better phones or devices.
What about "No, i don't feel like i need a tablet device of any kind."?
Could we get an option that clearly states "No Thank You." I'd rather have something else or wait for the need to reveal itself if there really is one for such a device and that we couldn't think of it before. Instead of trying rip open our wallets with the first generation of laptops/tablets hardware upgrade. Thanks.
Pre-Ordered mine for in-store pickup. Really excited.
Wanted to buy 2 since my girlfriend's birthday is approaching, but decided to wait instead. I'm sure Apple will meet the demand by May 5th if this thing sells like crazy. Still have time to evaluate it and decide which capacity to go for.
I got the 32gb wifi version.
anyone international looking for the iPad substantially cheaper email me at maseratibundles@gmail.com
The publishing world as we know it will be changed forever. And it's not soon enough. C'mon Apple, sell a million of those iPads in a month.
There should be a "No, I don't really need or want any tablet." option to this poll.
@Hellomojo
This is true. The poll seems to assume that everybody is planning to buy a tablet...
I'll order the 16gb 3G as soon as I can justify the $630 + $39 flip case. I'm selling my Mac Mini for this purpose.
This poll says of tablet buyers, most are going to buy a win 7 device. I doubt that will be the case. The ipad pre orders already sold 100K in around a day (according to the washington post)
@jaffreywali
100k for the opening day of pre-orders in the US alone, on a device that's shooting for an entirely new market?
Wow, that's impressive indeed.
@GmanC How many actually know what they're getting though, and more importantly what they are not getting (i.e. Flash). I guess we'll have to see though cause those numbers do look good.
Well, 12,798 just from Engadget readers in one day. Wonder what the real pre-order numbers are?
My guess is that Apple doesn't really care what the likes of us think about the iPad, because we're not the target audience. The iPhone/iPod touch showed Apple that nontechies would buy loads of gadgets that were cute and simple. The iPad is that, much as some of us may loathe the "simple" part.
I like my iPad touch (a neutered iPhone 3G), because it does enough good stuff to make me tolerate its unnecessary Jobsian limitations. Most of those limitations affect a few applications each, but the small screen hurts almost all of them. So, the iPad is appealing, but I'm going to wait a generation or two to see if Jobs relents on some of the worst omissions.
It's possible that another good tablet will come along before then and I'll get that instead.
It almost certainly won't be from Microsoft, because they've left a long, long trail of corpses of failed/abandoned products behind them and I've been burned by far too many of those already—I was a Microsoft fanboy (and developer) long before I stopped sneering at Apple, but after years of relentless effort on their part they've completely killed my faith in them.
Maybe Android, but so far I haven't seen anything that I think will have any staying power—that platform is a fragmented mess, which is going to kill almost all of the manufacturers that get involved with it.
Sigh... It's probably going to be an iPad, though the inevitability of that pisses me off. I really hate feeding Steve Jobs' ego. His products are half-assed, but unfortunately everyone else's are quarter... well, you get the idea.
I have a very nice, lightweight Vaio laptop. I rarely carry it, though, because the form factor is too clunky to use unless I'm sitting, and most of the time I just want to read, not type. It amazes me that the "just get a laptop!" crowd can't understand this. I can quickly pull out and use an iPad-size tablet just about anywhere, so that's what I want.
I hate it, because Steve Jobs is an asshole and has unnecessarily crippled it.
I want it, because no one does it better.
@Zhuzhu
Yah but buying it just feeds the beast. Id rather deal with a clunky capable laptop, then buy a pos because thats all that is on the market at the moment. I dealt with out an iphone and now there is an alternative.
Buying garbage , fills the market with more garbage. Consumer buying power is betraying the consumer.
Hell fucking no.
I'd buy it. If it had about 200 more Gb of standard storage. $499 for 16 gb? Who are they kidding?
where's the "no, i don't want a tablet" option? :p
I'd buy one if it started at $300 --- I just can't justify $500 or more for a larger, less portable iPod touch.
I like the concept, but as usual Apple has priced it with an Apple tax. I switched from Mac to PC in 2009 for the same reason. Why deal with the extra cost of their hardware when it does LESS than a cheaper competitor? They make good stuff, but it's not THAT good.
When the inevitably drop the price, I'll consider the iPad.
No Flash, No thanks.
I hate options like this: "What's an iPad?", even if it's just trying to be funny.
I don't fit into the other categories, so I just want a simple "No" or maybe "No, I just don't want one". Of course I freaking know what an iPad is, JEEZ!!
Im with the rest of the people here. Forget ipad, its huge no keyboard, slow 3g connection (if you pay more then a good laptop costs) And most of all apple is trying to enforce an "only run our code" clause in the warranty info. It has infinitesimal storage even if you pay for the top end model. Kindle reads books just fine if thats what you want, Laptops are more functional and cost less. No one even considers the fact that this thing has a ten inch screen absolutely open to out side sources of damage, warranty ending damage.
I really want one, but know it's just the hype around it. wait till second generation to see how the apps market pick it up.
Absolutely will NOT be buying one. What's the point of a 10" screen without flash (and Macro and Apple won't be getting along anytime soon!). I'll wait for a more legit tablet to get all my Hulu and Netflix delight. My Itouch is good enough, until then.
Just had a thought...Does anyone know if these things might be pro-rated if you sign on to a 3G contract with a carrier? I would be interested to see those numbers, if so.