Latest:

Quote :

"On a totally separate note, we also received a tip claiming to have some specs -- we can't verify any of this either, but we're told that the device will have a 10-inch screen and look like a larger iPhone with a MacBook-like aluminum back, and that pricing will run $800 on contract with Verizon and $1000 without when it arrives in March. "

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/is-this-the-apple-tablet/

Quote :

"I assume we will see a bunch of other book content and other media going in to this device. Gotta see if I have a use for it. I don't think the book prices will get low enough for me to stop just buying used books."

And the fact it's not going to be an e-book reader, meaning it won't use e-ink. No matter how cool new e-book readers are they will kill your eyes unless it's e-ink and not lcd.

[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 1:32 AM. Reason : g]

1/27/2010 1:30:38 AM

Quote :

"And the fact it's not going to be an e-book reader, meaning it won't use e-ink. No matter how cool new e-book readers are they will kill your eyes unless it's e-ink and not lcd."

Yep, all the e-ink sissies have been trotting this one out lockstep. I can't imagine a world where people read off of LCD screens all day....

1/27/2010 1:57:09 AM

I love that claim. That looking at LCDs all day will hurt your eyes.

Get some glare reducing eye glasses if they do, otherwise accept that most of the world spends the day staring at an LCD.

E-Ink displays are horrible. I have yet to see one that isn't slow as molasses on page turning or that actually feels crisp and clean to read. They always seem to feel kinda dirty.

Give me a nice LCD over that any day. Hell, I'd rather read book on my iPhone (and I do).

EDIT: So we're at announcement day, what time is the keynote?

[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 8:06 AM. Reason : .]

1/27/2010 7:53:02 AM

i do not agree w/ you about the e-ink displays. do you own one?

1/27/2010 8:58:34 AM

^^,^^^

Sure, I sit in front of an LCD screen all day at work, but there is no way I am going to use a device with an LCD screen as my main medium for reading actual books. Looking at images and small amounts of text is one thing, but reading an entire book? No thanks. (Plus, after 5 years of my prescription being the same, my first 3 years at work, my eyes have gotten a little worse each year. Coincidence? maybe, but I blame it on staring at a computer all day).

When/if you get huge documents to review at work, do you read them on the screen? Anything I get that I have to read/review that is over 10 pages or so gets printed and read in hard-copy form. It is just not comfortable to read line after line of nothing but text on an LCD screen. Why do you think most professional book editors still copy edit hard copy manuscripts by hand when they could be using something like Acrobat Pro and saving themselves and their authors money on shipping and paper etc.? Because given the choice between reading off a hard copy or an LCD screen all day, the hard copy wins hands down. The only reason I (and most people) sit in front of an LCD screen all day is because you have to as an Engineer these days to get stuff done in the time frame required. E-Ink isn't perfect but it is leaps and bounds more comfortable on the eyes than an LCD screen.

Yes, book content will be a nice feature for some people that don't care, but despite your cynicism, the lack of e-ink is a legitimate concern to those who actually read books a lot and aren't just Apple fans.

As far as reading novels goes, I have no doubt that 9/10 frequent readers who try all three would confirm this:

Hard Copy > E-book >>> Traditional LCD Screen

That doesn't mean you have to agree with it yourself; you may be fine using an LCD screen. That just means you are the 1/10, and I am pretty confident about that.

Quote :

"I can't imagine a world where people read off of LCD screens all day...."

I can't imagine a world where people sit on their butts all day void of physical activity...

Oh wait... But that doesn't mean it is healthy for you, and certainly doesn't mean you should settle for that once you are outside the office for the day.

[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 9:07 AM. Reason : ]

1/27/2010 9:00:13 AM

Quote :

"Hard Copy > E-book >>> Traditional LCD Screen"

i do agree with this . i still think a hard copy is easier to read, but i like my kindle a lot. it's just more convenient and doesn't hurt my eyes. my job involves 8.5 hours a day staring at an lcd screen, but if i actually spent that long doing it i'd rip my eyes out. i have to stop and look out the window, walk around and do other stuff periodically. i never had to wear glasses before i started working full time (i'm nearsighted now).

i'm still very interested to see what the tablet will be like. i'm pretty sure i'd never buy one b/c it just doesn't fit any niche that i have, but i'd try it out in the store or something.

1/27/2010 9:20:54 AM

i swear, i keep reading this thread as "Applet"

1/27/2010 9:22:01 AM

^^ Correlation doesn't equal causation. You started working full time as you got older. Besides that, the eyes don't stop shifting around until roughly your mid thirties anyway.

Now, if your eyes get worse between 35-40 and you can eliminate all other causes (eye rubbing, straining, hits upside the head) then you can talk.

Quote :

"i do not agree w/ you about the e-ink displays. do you own one? "

Nope, but I was in the market for one for quite a while. Used pretty much every tester I found in stores and checked out a few friends ebook readers. Generally didn't feel like I was reading a crisp screen. That and the horridly slow page turning was what convinced me not to get one.

1/27/2010 9:26:04 AM

Quote :

"Correlation doesn't equal causation. You started working full time as you got older. Besides that, the eyes don't stop shifting around until roughly your mid thirties anyway."

right, and i didn't mean to imply that it did. i also have myasthenia gravis which my doctor says may have contributed. though, the lcd screen is the only thing now that i absolutely cannot look at without glasses b/c my head will explode with pain.

i wouldn't knock e-ink until you've spent quality time reading on one, and i mean 30 mins-1hr. the page turn is a little slow, but quicker than i can turn a page. it's less than a second. i'm very impatient, but so much so that that bothers me.


but this is not the thread to discuss these things.

[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 9:38 AM. Reason : ]

1/27/2010 9:38:07 AM

^^ I just can't imagine anyone who didn't think reading on an e-book was acceptable would argue that reading a book on an LCD screen is just fine, plus you didn't address anything I brought up . Oh well. Just know that I would put $ down that you would be in the minority in any study group among frequent readers who were forced to read in each medium for an extended period of time (say an entire book).

Again, I'm not saying you guys are wrong and that there aren't people out there who don't mind reading on an LCD screen, rather you just look silly criticizing people that prefer hard copies or E-books, as there is a very valid reason people who read a lot would prefer those over LCD screens. Plus, if your only complaint is page turning, I'd have to say you are being pretty nitpicky. If it is slower than turning an actual page in a book than it is fractions of a second different. I have also yet to see an LCD screen I would enjoy reading for long periods of time outside in the sun.

But I'll also back down as I don't want to clutter the thread with tangents come announcement time

[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 10:19 AM. Reason : ]

1/27/2010 10:00:44 AM

^^ MG can cause ocular degeneration? My wife has MG and she's only now (early 30's) started to have less than 20/20 vision. I hadn't heard of it affecting the eyesight before.

I'll have to mention it to her as something to watch for.

^ You're probably right, I would be in the minority. I've been using computer screens so long I swear my brain's adapted to them (the eyes aren't an issue, my eyesight was going to be crappy anyway and glare-reduction lenses are wonderful).

[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 10:16 AM. Reason : /]

1/27/2010 10:14:56 AM

http://www.showbizgossips.com/apple-event-live-apple-tablet-announcement-live/4618

1/27/2010 10:27:37 AM

Quote :

"MG can cause ocular degeneration? My wife has MG and she's only now (early 30's) started to have less than 20/20 vision. I hadn't heard of it affecting the eyesight before."

i hadn't heard it either. doc said it was a long shot but just a thought. since i started w/ significant MG symptoms when i was about 19-20 years old, i react really really weird to almost all medical treatment/drugs so who knows. PM sent

1/27/2010 10:44:22 AM

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/frantic_steve_jobs_stays_up

Quote :

"Frantic Steve Jobs Stays Up All Night Designing Apple Tablet January 27, 2010 | Issue 46-04 CUPERTINO, CA—Claiming that he completely forgot about the much-hyped electronic device until the last minute, a frantic Steve Jobs reportedly stayed up all night Tuesday in a desperate effort to design Apple's new tablet computer. "Come on, Steve, just think—think, dammit—you're running out of time," the exhausted CEO said as he glued nine separate iPhones to the back of a plastic cafeteria tray. "Okay, yeah, this will work. This will definitely work. Just need to write 'tablet' on this little strip of masking tape here and I'm golden. Oh, come on, you piece of shit! Just stick already!" Middle-of-the-night sources reported that Jobs then began work on double-spacing his Keynote presentation and increasing the font size to make it appear longer."

1/27/2010 12:05:20 PM

What does this thing offer to the buyer other than the ability to say you own it?

1/27/2010 12:11:32 PM

just a ridiculously easy to use laptop/netbook, that's about it, (i assume) with bulit-in 3G/4G capability so you can game online, read news online, etc wherever you are.

bigger screen than a phone so easier to game/read...more catered to gaming & news reader device

people don't want to carry around a laptop to just game, and likewise to read a book on PDF, etc.

1/27/2010 12:22:26 PM

I mean, $1000 for a niche device is pretty steep. I wouldn't even call it a laptop as it's not really as versatile.

1/27/2010 12:30:25 PM

i guess we'll actually find out in about an hour

1/27/2010 12:36:06 PM

I can't wait! Omfg

1/27/2010 12:53:33 PM

http://video.forbes.com/fvn/tech/lenovos-hybrid-pc

1/27/2010 12:56:55 PM

^i think i'd actually want that over the Apple tablet, if it's indeed under $1k

[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 1:01 PM. Reason : .]

1/27/2010 1:01:11 PM

as predicted:

Quote :

"10:09AM "If there's gonna be a third category, it has to be better at these tasks -- otherwise it has no reason for being." 10:09AM "What kind of tasks? Browsing the web. Doing email. Enjoying and sharing pics. Watching videos. Enjoying music. Playing games. Reading ebooks.""

called the iPad

[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 1:10 PM. Reason : .]

1/27/2010 1:10:06 PM

"The problem is, netbooks aren't better than laptops at anything."

1/27/2010 1:10:29 PM

1/27/2010 1:12:10 PM

i don't really like the name, but okay

live streaming audio, video isn't great. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/apple-tablet-event it's a little buggy/jumpy but you can hear fine

wtf is up with the keyboard layout?! i would hope that that's changeable...

[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 1:14 PM. Reason : ]

1/27/2010 1:12:32 PM

Does the iPad come with wings?

1/27/2010 1:14:25 PM

really is a disgusting name

1/27/2010 1:15:28 PM

i liked iSlate better, but they didn't ask me and i'm not an apple consumer

1/27/2010 1:15:47 PM

Quote :

"10:15AM No flash here... the missing plugin icon is on screen."

this is such a joke, Apple needs to get over it and start supporting flash.

1/27/2010 1:16:24 PM

Quote :

"Jason Chen: Jobs clicked a story and there is a missing plugin error (is this flash? Does this mean that the iPad won’t have flash?)"

wtf??

i can't believe that they would pick a site to demo that had flash and it wasn't supported. that's messed up. i'm crossing my fingers that the 4.0 update they may announce will fix that...

[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 1:18 PM. Reason : ]

1/27/2010 1:16:36 PM

1/27/2010 1:17:15 PM

^^^Apple or no Apple flash is dumb and bloated.

Its a terrible idea for website design, navigation etc.

Nobody cares about flash games

Flash video players suck.

[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 1:18 PM. Reason : ^]

1/27/2010 1:17:45 PM

No matter how hard I try I can't think of a reason for owning this thing

1/27/2010 1:19:07 PM

who cares if you think it sucks? if you go to a site that uses it, the site isn't functional. it doesn't matter what your opinion of it is...

1/27/2010 1:19:16 PM

lmao. Its a giant ipod. what a waste of time.

1/27/2010 1:21:50 PM

No flash support? Silly Apple.

And seriously, why did they make it look EXACTLY like an iPhone's hardware and software? Ugly. Especially as a bigger size like that.


[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 1:24 PM. Reason : .]

1/27/2010 1:22:15 PM

Quote :

"No matter how hard I try I can't think of a reason for owning this thing"

i think most people fit in this category. if you have a smartphone & a laptop, you don't need this. it's just an easy to use laptop like i said earlier, but without the same level of performance or features. it's a niche item aimed at the casual home user who will use this to surf, game, read on this device rather than using their laptop... and gives the user a larger screen than their cell phone so they can use it for longer periods of time.

1/27/2010 1:23:33 PM

Quote :

"who cares if you think it sucks? if you go to a site that uses it, the site isn't functional. it doesn't matter what your opinion of it is..."

There aren't any respectable sites that use flash for navigation or layout.

The ones that use it for video usually will support whatever browser plugin you have (quicktime) if you don't have flash. Not to mention flash players will no longer be needed with HTML5. Hell they aren't needed now either.

1/27/2010 1:23:33 PM

it would appear that the big innovation is that they have taken the iPod touch and made it not fit in your pocket

1/27/2010 1:23:46 PM

Well, it looks like a giant iPod Touch, just like everyone expected.

I mean, it looks nice and all, but I haven't seen anything really game changing yet.

Quote :

"^^^Apple or no Apple flash is dumb and bloated. Its a terrible idea for website design, navigation etc."

I know it's been said, but it doesn't matter that flash sucks, it's everywhere and if you don't have it you're missing a large chunk of functionality in your browser.

[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 1:25 PM. Reason : .]

1/27/2010 1:23:56 PM

lololol giant iphone

1/27/2010 1:25:37 PM

When I heard the rumor that it had a built in HDTV tuner, that got me thinking, but I figured it was bullshit...

1/27/2010 1:25:43 PM

Quote :

"There aren't any respectable sites that use flash for navigation or layout."

Really? Well I must browse a lot of unrespectable sites then because the lack of flash is a constant pain in the ass on my iphone

1/27/2010 1:26:17 PM

http://www.google.com/finance?q=AAPL

lol

1/27/2010 1:26:42 PM

Quote :

"There aren't any respectable sites that use flash for navigation or layout."

again, this is your opinion. the fact that a site that uses flash will not work on this device or the iphone or ipod is a fact.

1/27/2010 1:26:45 PM

Quote :

"I know it's been said, but it doesn't matter that flash sucks, it's everywhere and if you don't have it you're missing a large chunk of functionality in your browser."

But I'm not, like i said unless I'm viewing some designers portfolio who decided it was a good idea to use flash for his layout and navigation, I'm not missing anything. There are no sites that I frequent that use flash for essential functionality. Worst case is I don't see an ad or some promo video.

Quote :

"again, this is your opinion."

Its not really MY opinion, its the opinion of the vast majority of designers.

[Edited on January 27, 2010 at 1:28 PM. Reason : .]

1/27/2010 1:27:21 PM

Well, to be fair a lot of respectable porn sites use flash, and not having it is cutting out a huge chunk of the internet

1/27/2010 1:27:34 PM

^in response to the porn, several that I know of also support non-flash enabled browsers and will use quicktime instead.

1/27/2010 1:28:55 PM

GIANT
IPHONE
FAIL

1/27/2010 1:29:27 PM

Quote :

"iphone users make me roll my eyes. they remind me of kids who found themselves "fashionable" because they wore abercrombie and fitch clothes in highschool."

you're forgetting the segment of society that doesn't give a fuck there emo kid

1/27/2010 1:29:49 PM