iPad: Perfectly flawed
Summary: This Friday Apple begins taking pre-orders for the new iPad, which will be available April 3rd. While I really like the device, I'm very aware of the fact that the device is flawed ... perfectly flawed.
This Friday Apple begins taking pre-orders for the new iPad, which will be available April 3rd. While I really like the device, I'm very aware of the fact that the device is flawed ... perfectly flawed.
Nowadays $500 buys you a lot of hardware, and since I'm not obsessed by having a particular logo on my hardware, I try to make rational decisions when it comes to spending my cash.
I like the iPad, a lot. I like the screen, I like the form-factor, heck, I even like the broad base of apps already available for it from the App Store. But there are aspects of the device that I don't like, and which I find really hard to overlook.
- DRM, DRM, DRM Just because Apple's given up on DRM for music, don't think for one moment that it's given up on DRM. Expect audio books, movies and other stuff to be locked away nice and tight.
- The lock-in Basically, the device is one big lock into the Apple ecosystem. Sure, there'll be jailbreaks I'm sure, but that puts my device in the middle of a tug-of-war between Apple and the jailbreakers.
- No Flash support I hate Flash, but web minus Flash is a pretty poor web experience.
- No removable storage It would be really cool to be able to store files and on a removable media, such as an SD Card, and swap that data between other iPads and other devices. It would be a good way to bring photos from digital cameras onto the iPad without having to have a PC or Mac as a go-between. Alas, this is not possible.
- No USB support I know that Apple likes to have an iron grip over its hardware, and that it likes the revenue stream it gets from licensing the dock connector to third-parties, but I'd really like a USB port on the iPad because it would offer interoperability between my existing hardware and the iPad.
- Built-in battery Yes, I still hate the built-in battery.
I think I'll be holding onto my money for a little while ... maybe anothe rvendor will come out with a tablet that offers most of the upsides but without so many downsides.
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Talkback
No removable storage
connection kit accessory for import of pics and movies from a camera
directly through USB or an SD card. See
http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/
Yes but you still need to carry it around
Right. Because the case you are carrying your camera
Oh. Wait. It does.
Fail.
re: fail
Oh. Wait. It does.
Fail.[/i]
hmm, not completely. I mean to complain about the space it takes up to bring the adapter along... is a bit of a stretch. But his point about even needing a dongle type adapter just to plug in a Camera or SD card is valid. It's a ridiculous way for Apple to squeeze a bit more money for every iPad sold.
Proprietary 30 pin connector.
But by using the proprietary 30 pin connector on the iPad, not only do 3rd party companies need to pay Apple for the abilty to create products that'll interface with the iPad, like you said, Apple can just sell you add on items at their leisure.
what you leave out
The argument about lock-in and bypass is really getting silly. Anyone who has an iPhone or iPod touch quickly learns how to put almost anything they want on it. Andy Ihnatko even has a series of books teaching people how to do just that.
Someone doesn't want SD?
want an SD slot (or even microSD!).
Apple wants you to pay $100 more for $20 worth
of memory. And at the same time, not allow you
to bypass their DRM and ecosystem. Fine, more
power to them if they can pull it off (and
probably will, they're on a roll).
Myself, the lack of a camera, sd slot, usb,
forced to use iTunes are a deal killer to me.
Besides the fact that it's not really portable
(in the pocket sense) nor is it fully
functional.
@ stano360: Yah.. Hard core Sony fanbois locked into Memory Stick products.
You are missing the point.
If you want to be Jobs doormat go for it. I get resentful when I think I'm being disrespected.
You mean that by using a single 30-pin connector
of different types of connectivity that wouldn't be possible with a simple
SD card slot or USB connector?
No, that can't possibly be what you meant, because that would mean the
connector actually ADDS versatility to the product, and the resulting
confusion in your agenda-ridden mind would cause your head to
explode.
There's nothing USB couldn't do
Please enlighten us on this versatility?? nt
@John Zern
http://www.allpinouts.org/index.php/Apple_iPod_-_iPhone_dock
Err... what?
The point is that USB is a universal standard. That's the beauty of it.
Ever use a USB turntable?
@Sleeper and Lester
"My understanding is that USB works differently from Apple's dock connector. Comparing pin to pin isn't really a valid comparison."
Really? Then how do you explain how the iPod USB connector works on any USB equipped computer?
Lester Young
"USB does left and right channels just fine."
Yes, I know it does, I have a pair of USB headphones. However that still don't disprove what I said. The iPod has true Left and right channels. USB is serial, It has Transmit and Receive, power and ground lines, not left and right. That means the USB device that transmits audio must have extra hardware to convert the analog signal to digital or vise versa (aka ADC and why USB headphones are more expensive) and then multiplex the two channels together then transmit the data over a serial connection, and then decode the multiplexed data on the other end. Not that this is a bad thing, however whenever there is a conversion quality is lost albeit it's minimal.
@Axe
@Lester Young
Well since you brought up proprietary connector
scream and rant when the competition uses a proprietary connector, but
ignore when your favorite company does the same. What will you say if
the new Microsoft courier uses the same connector as the Zune? Before
you even say it, many here are bringing up the iPod/iPhone so the Zune
is relevant.
it still plugs into a usb port on a pc