[geeks] iPad - NOT a 'Miss' for me I'm afraid

[Michael Parson]

On Sat, 30 Jan 2010, gsm at mendelson.com wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 30, 2010 at 11:31:38AM -0600, Jon Gilbert wrote:
>
>> All I can say is that the iPad is going to end up in a lot of college
>> dorm rooms. Ultimate college tool... think about it.
>
> I think it will have a lot of competition with a netbook. It's got
> a nice in your hands form factor, but it's not a serious device
> for writing, web surfing (too underpowered), watching videos (too
> underpowered), watching TV (does anyone watch TV live anymore?) (too
> underpowered).
>
> It's more of an improved Kindle or more likely an answer to the
> "nook", than anything else.  Considering what you can get in the US
> for $200-$300 in a netbook, it's a tough sell to me.
>
>> The other thing it will be huge for is musicians.
>
> Not much more than an iPod or other MP3/MP4 player. It's too
> underpowered to run Garageband, can't play a music video in decent
> resolution, so it's just a big player.

Their claim is that it can play full HD video.  The screen on it can
'only' display up to 720p, but there is a VGA out cable available for
it.  Given that it uses the same connector as every other iPod out
there, it might even be able to make use of the component video-out
cable that you can get.  It would be ridiculous for them to sell a
device that can't even play the videos they sell/rent off the ITMS.

>> I think business people will use them for on-the-spot sales
>> presentations.
>
> It runs PowerPoint? It has a VGA or DVI output? Maybe it will do for
> the "I have have a better wrench" video from the snap-on guy, but
> again it's too underpowered for a fill screen video.

Like I mentioned above, it will have a VGA out adopter available at
launch, they did specifically mention that you would be able to plug it
into projectors for running presentations.  It doesn't run PowerPoint,
but it will run Apple's presentation software, Keynote.

>> It's a nice little computing device. It's not for everyone
>> though. I'll probably wait for the 3rd or 5th generation one, like I
>> did with iPod and iPhone.

I don't see myself getting on any time soon.  The biggest use I'd have
for one is to use as a portable movie player for my kiddo for long trips
in the car, but I can get a similar sized LCD screen with a built-in
DVD player and A/V inputs for much cheaper, which, when paired with the
iPod I've already got, gives me that functionality already.  Yes, I'm
skipping over all of the other features of the device, but none of those
features solve any problems that *I* have.

I might take another look when it gets jailbroken and/or someone manages
to get another OS loaded on it.

-- 
Michael Parson
mparson at bl.org