The Competition: iPad + Mobile Hotspot on webOS = Awesome 244
Our pals over at TiPb are rocking all sorts of iPad coverage today, as you might expect. Our quick take from a webOS perspective: it looks like a pretty cool device, but not the revolution much of the pre-release hype made it out to be.
The one thought we can't get out of our heads: the iPad combined with Mobile Hotspot on webOS sounds like a match made in heaven, doesn't it?
Actually, the thought that's really in our head mirrors some of the twitter responses we're seeing, namely: the iPad doesn't look like it handles multitasking, which means a door has been left open for a webOS tablet that can do multiple apps, have non-annoying notifications, and generally fit the "next generation of user interface" that we know some people have been hoping for in a device of this kind. Heck, a webOS Tablet would even be able to do Flash someday - just saying.
Any webOS owners out there thinking about snapping one up?
244 Comments
"Maybe" the 3G/4G connection, subsidizations will make it tempting then.
just like they subsidized the iphone right??????
The iPad is a huge turd.
Pass.
Agreed!
+2
There is nothing exciting about the iPad. At least, the JooJoo pad plays flash.
I couldn't agree more. If I liked the iPhone, I would have an iPhone, but I don't like the iPhone so I have a Pre. Why in the world would I buy a GIANT iPhone? This is just an expensive and large iPod. If I'm going to carry anything that big, it had better be a full working computer that multi-tasks. It should at least run OS X, then we could have it running windows also.
This is a very nice looking multi-media machine, but it is not what I was expecting. I was hoping for something that is more than just a glorified toy.
BTW, I would buy the webOS equivalent if it came out, only for the multi-tasking experience. Once dataviz finishes their software on webOS, I will be able to get some real work done. However, I need a pre plus, the 3D games make multi-tasking virtually useless. I can't open the new NFL game unless I don't have any cards up
I can see an iphone fanboy carry it on his neck like a CLOCK showing it off.What an over glorified iphone!!
I am literally laughing my ass off
maybe it should be launched as i-turd :)
Dude that was a good one lmao
Maybe I expected more but they didn't wow me. It just seems like a large iPhone. Furthermore, if this is what their new iPhone interface looks like then I think it's safe to say that the new iPhone OS update will also not allow for multi-tasking which is a huge disappointment in my book.
I thought the same thing...only it's a large iPod Touch. It doesn't have a phone built in right? I guess it's a nice alternative to carrying around a Kindle & a netbook, but it'll be way overpriced.
Yeah no phone. I think I would rather buy a laptop... :-/
Not interested. You have to give Apple credit, though. They certainly know how to create hype. It will be interesting to see if how the masses react. Seems overrated to me.
I think the NYT bits section nailed it: the masses will purchase it based on Apple's brand alone.
@ romls: don't worry, they'll sell like hotcakes because it's apple.Iphone fanboys will be lining up,even if it's a picture.
They're going to hang over their neck like CLOCK to show it off!It's the best device since the FART app for the iphone fanboys.
no multitasking = FAIL
$500 = FAIL (using an aspire ONE, bought for $225)
no flash = FAIL
Sold by Apple = will be bought by millions.
I don't think so. Every fanboy I know is very underwhemled.
Yeah, all but one fanboy on my end was underwhelmed. We've appealed to every sense we could think of, yet this one won't relent.
We are now on to just kicking him in the crotch and calling him names... *glares at other unrelenters*
Yeah, suck it, Jobs.
@ananimus: give him an apple and let him choke on it,lol'
those are not iphone fanboy!lol'
@ apalemick
agree!even if it's not working!
@dpaus
i like apple stuff but i'm not carrying a giant ebook reader around. Palm better worrying about matching the media usability and app quality of an iphone before it worries about ebook readers. I stopped using the music player long ago so maybe they've fixed it but last i checked the stock player can't even hold you're place on a audiobook. And it struggled with tempermental video requirements. i think they need to worry that apple releases an iphone on sprint and verizon. with a redone interface that includes multitasking and less intrusive notifications. I just don't see the ipad as competition or special.
One word: HOMEBREW.
Their media app is very good and it holds your place. Try it, you'll like it. :-)
I have it. NOT the point. Most users don't. Telling most buyers to Homebrew is not a solution because most people will not. They'll just get a phone that does these things out of the box. Regardless i have it and it's still not as good as my ipod nor is as good with my podcasts, it is fickle with playing video formats, worse with playlists, doesn't search like an ipod by genre (just get a giant list of songs rather then artists), i think it lacks gapless playback (though not positive)and so i still use my ipod. Now personally i think the guy making that music remix has done a phenominal job, responding to requests etc and making a fine product. It's still not up to my ipod experience though. Palm however has not done a great job and most people won't know what homebrew is. Homebrew is fine. It's not a solution to the majority of Palm Pre users though.
Is there a greatest hits for comments here? Should be.
I'd also buy the WebOS tablet far before the big arsed iPad. Wow. This really should have had OSX. Seems like a selfish decision on Apple's part not to go that route, yeah?
@blackmagic01: that's one scary thought!
Apple had a chance to do something great today. All this hype for an oversized iPod Touch?
It's supposed to be between a smartphone and a laptop. Too bad that it's worse than both.
Haha...same thought! Technically, I guess it IS between a smartphone and a laptop (larger than a smartphone; smaller than a laptop)! Too bad you could just by both for less.
The MaxiPad is underwhelming. This is not new and revolutionary technology. At $500 I'll pass...
ding ding .. how juvinile LMAO
No No, MadTV predicted this years ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFNQE_TzQNI&feature=player_embedded
And for the record it's juvenile.
@donatom:thanks,that was good and funny!I sent to some of my hardcore iphone friends.
Yeah, MaxiPad should sue the vagina out of Apple for copyright infringement!
@dumb cat: he,he!
[X] + Mobile Hotspot = Awesome
It seems like a pretty neat gadget, but I'm not sure what kind of market it will find outside of the diehard iPhreaks.
I've heard they want to push textbook replacement, but anyone who has had to study out of more than one text at a time is going to quickly discover it to be more of a hindrance than a breakthrough. Plus there's the eye strain of reading from a computer screen even more than we already do, that's what makes the true eReaders like the Kindle so good.
This doesn't do anything an iPod touch doesn't do. Color me unimpressed, I prefer my EeePC.
I agree. There is no substitute for real books. Underlining, highlighting, looking at many pages at once and the deal breaker: being able to see multiple pages from multiple books at the same time.
ooo a kindletop that doesnt multi task the ihomos are going to be creaming in there pants.Seriously though who the fuck wants a big ass iphone with out the phone god i could get a pretty kick ass laptop for that price.God pepole are fucking dumb
This post hurt my eyes and melted my brain.
Its not an Iphone, its a giant Itouch. I dont get why anybody is excited by this. There is nothing ground breaking about it. If you are at home why would you watch TV on the Ipad vs on your nice big TV. For E-reading, the screen compared to electronic ink will be crap. Also if you are sitting at home reading online stuff, wouldnt you prefer reading on your nice big 21" monitor than a 10" tablet?
I just dont get this ipad at all. It doesnt even have a forward facing camera.
@dumb cat: not anybody!only the diehard iphone fanboy.
Its not an Iphone, its a giant Itouch. I dont get why anybody is excited by this. There is nothing ground breaking about it. If you are at home why would you watch TV on the Ipad vs on your nice big TV. For E-reading, the screen compared to electronic ink will be crap. Also if you are sitting at home reading online stuff, wouldnt you prefer reading on your nice big 21" monitor than a 10" tablet?
I just dont get this ipad at all. It doesnt even have a forward facing camera.
WebOS tablet in the same size would KILL ipad. Palm are you listening?????
I agree 100000000%
Let's think a PrePad with flash video, multitasking, webcam, notification system, wireless charger with touchstone! iPad K.O.!
Joe Rubenstein please do it before Xmas 2010!!! You have a home-run in your hands!
I think you mean John Rubenstein... not joe
I think you mean Jon Rubinstein not John Rubenstein.
@arthurthornton: you all are more funny than the madtv ipad youtube clip.
I wouldn't have commented, but I had to considering he wanted to correct somebody with an incorrect name.
@arthurthornton: understood!
I believe all webOS users can already reckon that a webOS pad is easily better than the ipad.
The problem is... palm can not enter in this war, is too much for them. Is all about marketing or having big groups on internet that supports you (google, press that is apple fan, microsoft). Palm has already shown that is too small for this market. I wish is not the case and someone supports them.
Palm can't do it, but a partner company using Web OS could.
uh huh .. like the Pre killed the iPhone? LOL
A webOS tablet running 1.4 would be amazing for website designers. Being able to multitask, supporting flash, and being open to some sort of LAMP type setup would be critical for those applications. Heck, I'd just like it for business apps. When I'm creating documentation, you better believe I don't only have a word processor open. I've got lots of things going on that I'm copying things to and from. It would, however, have to support considerably more gestures than the build running on the Pre. It'd be nice, too, if it came with a capacitive-friendly stylus and/or motion sensing. It better come with a compass, though, as Palm really seems to be missing out on this year's "cool" thing, augmented reality.
not all websites are build with flash...
Majority are asp/.net, php, jsp
At the moment I am not aware of any SDKs you can run on webOS to develop on those....and a text editor does not count =)
I think about it as a laptop + kindle replacement. But an expensive one, that doesn't multitask. For the same price I can easily get a pretty potent laptop (not from apple). Of course, the ipad is certainly much more portable and apparently has much more battery life.
I certainly will consider this, however, probably only after the price comes down.
Edit: Hey, what'dya know? I got a first.
A lot of dumb consumers don't look at the cost. They look at the company.
People will buy this because it's Apple. They also won't realize that there are probably better/cheaper alternatives and that this device is not the best thing in the world. Even TIPB realizes its flaws.
You, sir, speaketh the truth.
It will have all the shortcomings of iphone OS, BUT it won't even be able to make a call OR take pictures/video.
Apple FAIL in my opinion. They don't fail often, but when they do its a pretty big fail at that.
@dumb cat:you too,sir,speaketh the truth!
@ dumb cat: because it was designed by a caveman,lol'
WOW!! No multitasking UI! I can't believe it doesn't even run Flash 10.1!! No camera/video/conferencing?!! I was thinking it was a real tablet/notebook Apple was creating, not just an uber iPodTouch. What a monumental disappointment. $499 is even overpriced for this!
No way is this a kindle replacement. The screen is a standard mac glossy laptop screen. You might as well just read books on your laptop. I was so hoping that apple would be one of Pixel Qi's first customers (Pixel Qi spun off tech from the OLPC program to create cheap screens that be either be full color LCD's, more limited transfletive screens (color viewable outdoors) or a reflective black and white screen (like the kindle).
Reading on the kindle screen (for more than an hour) is much, much more pleasant and easier on the eyes than reading on this abortion of a product. If the Notion Ink product (android tablet w/pixel qi screen) actually makes it to market, It'll blow the iPad out of the water.
I was hopeing for a real computer tablet. IPad is a joke. 64G of memory. That won't hold a month worth of my photos. This is the same as a netbook. A waste of money.
This thing is not a laptop replacement, not with 16 GB of RAM for $500.
But at $700 for 64 GB without multitasking, it is a hard pill to swallow. We will see what they have next year.
There is an awesome discussion happening on my company's internal Pre Users mailing list. Here are comments from one of my colleagues...
"It's being positioned as a Kindle-killer, but I think that's overconfident. It *might* give the Nook some trouble, but Nook was off to a disastrous start.
That said, I'm still gonna buy one and compare the experience. ;)
If it was under $200 for the base non-3G version, Amazon would be in trouble, but at $600+ for 3G plus extra cost for the network access (Kindle gives unlimited 3G as part of the purchase), Amazon can breathe easily.
I also don't quite understand why NYT and the publishers think the device will be their salvation. Shouldn't they be focused on delivering in the two most popular formats (PC and mobile) rather than hinging all their hopes on brisk sales of a pricey proprietary device?
The thing that made iPod take off back in 2002 ("iPod Christmas") was the Apple Music Store, which was a first. An Apple publication store is not a first, and I think the saturation of iPod Touches and iPhones out there makes an overlapping pricey touchscreen device that much less compelling.
I could be wrong and Apple may sell a ton of these to consumers, but my gut tells me the price point is too high, and the concept is not as disruptive as the other "iDevices."
Plus, webOS isn't sitting still. I *ahem* expect to see more devices on more carriers in June. :)"
I agree with every point made in that comment.
they should have called it the iFail (as a tablet). It is just an iphone with a bigger screen and nothing more. What a waste of time that was.
Nothing special about it, but because its new and shiny, apple sheep will run and buy one.
A webos tablet would kick that thing's @$$.
Cause Palm has such a storied history of building consumer computers outside of PDAs and Phones? Hardly
Who cares if they're diversified or not? They do PDAs and Phones. The name "Palm" kinda says what they do. Besides, there's very little difference between the basic concept of an iPad and a big PDA. A tablet has more in common with a PDA than a desktop or laptop. The term "consumer computer" is pretty freaking broad, but the gist is that because Palm doesn't make desktops and laptops, that they can't make a tablet. Right? Who says they can't, when no-name Taiwanese companies can make tablets that aren't all that different than what Apple is pounding their chests over?
Nokia does not make desktops and the such,a nd they created a netbook (for wifi and 3G networks) and it ran Windows7 if im not mistaken
If WebOS supported bluetooth keyboard _and_ supported a variety of keyboard shortcuts for navigating among apps, it would do great as a multitouch tablet.
Can it get pr0n on there? Might be on a future wishlist if it can get some "good 'ol nasty" on there.
Bro you serious...Keep your day day job on the DL...not something you should be happy to share with all.
the headline should read:
NO MULTI TASKING = EPIC FAIL
I like it. But is true that is just an iphone macro.
The iphone already had things that feels a little bit clunky regarding usability (the no multitasking thing is the greatest one) so coming from a webOS perspective, this device rather than evolutionary is a bit involucionary in some areas, or evolucionary just in the apple sense.
Also for an ebook reader, the whole point is the e-ink screen or similar. Kindle-like. So the ipad not having at least an hybrid solution is again not so good. For once there are companies that are being more evolucionary than apple.
But I completly understand that for those who really wanted a device like the crunchpad and derivatives; of course the iPad is probably the only quality way to go. So props to them.
A webOs device like this would rock, but no one would notice it unfortunately.
No multi-tasking
No Flash support
Closed Apple development environment (iPhone SDK, Apple Store as sole source of apps)
Safari browser with limited HTML5
No USB connectivity (sealed box similar to the original Mac 128K)
No removable battery
A4 coretex processor (similar to other portable media players)
No expandable storage
No word yet on cloud-based storage (I suspect MobileMe would be supported in some form)
No physical keyboard (but arguably wouldn't expect one in a tablet)
C'mon, my Dell Mini can do better than this. As for an eBook reader, I prefer the Kindle. The eInk is so much easier on the eyes and it doesn't weigh so much.
How in hell do you know what it's going to do to your eyes when you haven't even touched/used one .. your type is worse than fanbois
Are you kidding me?
I own many devices with LCD/backlit-based screen technologies.
I own a Kindle DX, which is eInk based.
For reading books hours on end, there is no comparison. Nobody, absolutely nobody disputes this.
Have you ever touched/seen/used an eInk based display for a long period of time?
Huh? Maybe because it's scientific fact that backlit displays cause more strain on your eyes than reflective (ie: paper and eInk) displays? Unless Apple has done something to change the laws of physics and biology in this announcement, that is.
Nevermind what that Apple fanboy troll is saying...when I saw this iPad, coffee flew out my nostrils and right onto my monitor. I am darn sure that I saw this as an April Fools prank a year or two ago. Just an enlarged iPhone. The first thing that went through my head after that were serious looking people in business suits back in the 1980's rocking gigantic mobile briefcase phones. I know it's not a phone, but for pete's sake, Apple, there's a limit to how far you can beat a popular form factor into the ground. This went over the limit. They could try making it more ergonomic. After all, people want to hold this thing in one hand and flip pages with the other while reading. Make people want to use it, and people will...and other people will see those people using it and want one. Even if it doesn't look like an iPhone or an iPod.
@zullnero: totally agree!
No the screen will suck for your eyes. It's the same one used on any modern macbook. The glossy screens, while nice looking and having good color, will do a number on your eyes if you read on it a long time. The iPad will be great for checking blogs/online newspapers, reading a novel, not so much. Here is hoping the Notion Ink Adam actually comes out. If it ends up being less than the iPad, I can see it completely dominating it.
Seriously... It's a huge Iphone that doesn't make calls. You can't stick it in your pocket, and yet you'd still need a real laptop to do any work. It's a cool looking version of the free netbook you can get from the cable company for signing a contract.
@rlopin : but come in a beautiful MAXI-pad box.
This looks like an opportunity for Palm to get into the game and take Apple head-on with a better product. I can guarantee that Google will jump into the game as well. Both companies can do it better than Apple. iPhone OS just won't cut it for a tablet.
I would buy one for going to class and taking notes and other word processing if it could do WebOS-style multitasking. Portable/thin full-size keyboard is also a must, but another solid idea would be Bluetooth tethering to a Palm or Pixi for video conferencing, wireless data, and other ideas not yet thought of.
Did they just use a rolling pin on the iPhone to make this thing?
That's what it looks like at first glance ;)
@rlopin: looks like they did,didn't they?
It has the specs I would have expected in the next iPhone, not the next tablet notebook.
Honestly the only revolutionary thing that came of this was getting a mobile phone carrier to unlock it's network for $30/mo, but like many pointed out, the Plus will be able to tether 5 of these for the same price.
I would buy a webOS tablet if it had the iPad specs and $500. Atleast I wouldn't be buying a gimp single task machine.
I guess I just don't find the iPad all that cool. It feels too much like a device trying to be a little of a bunch of things, but nothing really specifically all that strong. I think its hype might force Amazon and others to drop the prices of their e-readers and possibly look at adding 3g and a data plan to subsidize the price down. I'd probably get an iPod Touch if it packed better hardware to read books before I were to consider an iPad. If the Pre were packing a 802.11n wifi chip, maybe I'd be more excited for a iPad/Pre combo. In any case, there are tablets all over the place. It's a crowded market, and while Apple's bringing a little extra, it really doesn't stand that far above the competition. It certainly doesn't make me want to give up my 300 dollar MSi Wind netbook.
I think part of the reason it's not doing the multitasking is because iPhoneOS 4 isn't as ready as we all thought it would be. Either that, or they've got such a grudge against Palm that they would delay the release of iPhoneOS 4 until Palm releases webOS 1.4 just to trump headlines, even if it hurts their iPad. I don't buy that, though. That would take a special kind of thinking, the kind that secretly thinks the iPad will be a flop.
The best thing about the iPad is that when Apple gets into a segment, it's legitimized and Apple's products are considered a benchmark for design and function.
Moreover by legtimizing the segment, competitors will feel safe in developing thier own devices and eventually outperforming the benchmark in price, performance and features....Apple is pretty much the king in desgin though.
Were you even paying attention to CES a couple weeks ago? There are a zillion tablets out there. The only thing Apple brings into a segment are the stupid people who still struggle with concepts like copying files. I suppose you can call that "legitimizing" a segment by bringing in more potential customers than gadget geeks, but still. I've seen better tablets out there already. Apple's design is getting stale, everyone and their mom has ripped it off and improved on it. Just do a search on "Android+Tablet" and you'll see what I mean.
The problm is that I get his point.
Who from the mass media really remember any tablet or ebook that was presented at CES? all of them are souless. No matter if they might be objectively better than ipad in some areas; is unfair, but no body cares. for everyone that is not a geek, Apple has just created the market as we know it. Props to them cos they know their game.
Is -probably unfortunately- a matter of perception. The same perception that is making webOS devices not selling at all in any place.
That sort of reasoning is Lemming thinking. Here's why: "Uh...well, I know this new product from Apple isn't all that much better than anything else, but they do market it really well, so I'll pay more for the marketing because I'm afraid that it will monopolize the market and if I don't, I'll end up with a technically superior product that no one else has."
Everyone knows marketing is important. But you don't have to nod your head and go along with that if you want something better. And just because the mass media tells you something is good, doesn't mean it IS good. Most of them are being paid to tell you it's good. Following along with that is being a Lemming. If you don't know what that is, it's a rodent that, every few years, gets together in a big pack and throws itself off a cliff into the ocean in an act of mass suicide. Why? They just do it because they're programmed to do it. Just like people who follow the media and nod their heads blindly because they're afraid to call it as they see it.
I agree with you. Im just pessimistic based on webOS phone numbers compared to Android and Iphone. But yes, I decided to have a webOS phone anyway, so I assume there is still hope for people supporting better things rather than just being lemmings.
Good. If you like something better than something else, but you're afraid that it will be beaten down by a marketing machine, going along with the marketing machine is just spreading the FUD. Too many people do that already. It's a self-perpetuating system. I'd rather have lots of hungry competitors out there, than one big shark swooping up any player that gets too big...we've all seen that before.
@MilenkoD: and this one showed? like an iphone on STEROID!!
It's going to sell no matter what.
Haha I came here after reading engadget to find that PREcentral is ALSO posting iPad news.
I will personally withhold judgement -- but my opinion is that the masses will buy these like crazy, and developer's will develop like crazy.
Everyone is saying this is just an oversized iPhone/Touch, BUT what remains to be seen is what kind of unique apps will be developed specifically for the device (I'm thinking creative apps for music and art production).
Years ago I thought it was silly to purchase an iPod when similar mp3 players had better/more features. Then the iTouch came out with all its apps and suddenly that mp3 player also became a gaming device, a web browser, an email client, a productivity tool etc. etc.
Gotta hand it to Apple... they sure can make a GORGEOUS piece of tech
As someone who is a designer, I can tell you this is going to be useless to designers. This machine won't be able to run any of the software used by digital artists, a field which is known as hardcore Mac enthusiasts. I can't se Photoshop runing on this, nevermind Photshop AND Illustrator at the same time.
I was hoping for a gamechanger in this, something that would force other companies to step up like the iPhone did. The iPad isn't that kind of device though.
Yeah, I have to agree, though if they're doing what I think they're doing and hiding multitasking because they plan on releasing it along with iPhoneOS 4, then that might change slightly. Though it would still be painful to run a modern version of Photoshop on this device, never mind the fact that the memory/storage is basically the same as the iPhone. It'd need some USB ports for hooking up external drives for storing serious Photoshop/Illustrator type designs. And then there's the ridiculous spat over Flash as well, if you're a web designer and want to use this thing to design websites.
This ain't no gamechanger, that's for sure. Anyone who followed CES can attest to that. There are a gadzillion tablets out there already that can do everything this iPad can do and more.
Apple makes the game .. not necessarily change the game
@alhaqq: why don't you go and choke on an apple!idiot!!
Ha, he loves Apple, that's not a bad thing. No need to insult him. The best way to argue your point is to gently suggest things he may have overlooked. Someone said recently that Apple hold's its art department in higher esteem than its engineering department. Whatever the case, the art department no doubt took center stage with the iPad. And that is not necessarily a bad thing.
Yes it is nearly gorgeous, yet limited; but definitely not revolutionary. $500 is too expensive for no multitasking and 16 GB of memory. At the end of the day it looks like an expensive toy. Ask yourself the question, what one feature makes this device a standout? If you own an iPod Touch, this device is a bigger iPod Touch, which allows application developers to develop apps that look more like standard Windows or Mac applications.
If there is anything this device will do is to make full size multi-touch computers more attractive a target market for developers. And in that case, every company that comes out with such devices will benefit. So I agree with you on this point, Apple has legitimized the market, and for that I give them credit.
The data plan with AT&T is really the only quasi ervolutionary thing here, and I think it shows just how badly AT&T needs Apple. Not a good position to be in for AT&T.
With the release of a new quasi-cellular device, I wonder if the exclusivity on the iPad is the pacifier that Apple gives to AT&T before launching on another network as has been rumored. There seems to have been a fair amount of buzz for both Sprint and Verizon.
Would you people agree that apple seems to be the developers of technology but always gets beat by others grabbing their ideas and running with something better? I can thing of a few that turned out this way already...I'm just saying...
No, I wouldn't agree. Apple are the masters of failing miserably, then repeating that process until something works. When "something works", they take what worked for them and keep reusing it until it fails again, then they start over. It's part of why they keep their whole "ecosystem" so closed up. If they let everyone adopt their technology, they couldn't stay ahead of the curve. They sue everyone who even comes close to stealing "their" tech, even if they didn't develop it themselves.
@zullnero: right on!
Not at all. Apple steals/derives/is inspired by their competitors just as often as their competitors steal from them.
What Apple absoluetly does better than possibly anyone else on the planet is marketing.
@brendilon: and CONTROL!
@ brendilon: in this case is big "I-BACKLASH"
While your "sayin" .. go ahead and give us that list (where apple failed becz someone stole from it and ran with it)
Well first off i stated they steal ideas, concepts, etc..., I didn't directly say they still there products/software.
That being siad:
I can point to a few but everyone has their own opinions so I'll just leave it at that (Tip: Microsoft being a big one). But I'm sure their's a lot of people out there that agree.
I fail to see how the iPad is better then a netbook. It might look all sexy and everything but I can get a very nice (and much more useful) netbook for much less than $700.
What apple did to the kindle is the what palm needs to do to iphone. Release a CLEARLY better, more feature filled, better looking, more powerful device. Palm is aiming too low in my opinion.
all that said i'm never buying an ebook reader or tablet pc.
I've been thinking about it, but haven't decided yet. Lots of factors to consider.
First of all, for those saying that your netbook can do the same things, well, yeah, kind of, but you have to unfold it and it isn't as convenient as a tablet. Sorry guys, but netbooks are so last generation. Tablets are the future. Keyboards are going to be less and less important with multi-touch and people writing for multi-touch. Yes, you'll always need to type, but a soft keyboard is just fine for the occasional use on a device like this.
Although Apple is getting a lot of hype over this, almost every major computer company is making a tablet. Archos has been for a while, Dell, HP, I think even Lenovo is. Asus, lots of lesser names as well are getting into the market. Until the iPad, it has pretty much been a choice of Windows 7 or Android for the better tablets. Both are great systems.
Personally, If I heard even a whisper of Palm making a tablet or someone else making a tablet with WebOS, I'd hold off on my purchase of a tablet until I could get one.
Since I haven't heard of any WebOS tablets coming out, I'll be buying one in the next couple months, but I just haven't decided which way to go. I agree that using my Pre as a wifi hotspot for my tablet is appealing and I've been thinking of that use for months as considering which way to go.
The iPad doesn't come out until March, so I've got at least a month to make up my mind.
The iPad will have an external (traditional) keyboard available as well. That will be nice for times with text input is heavy.
yeah. Webos Tablet at good price. Excellent. Are you listening Palm?
Wow, what a giant glorifed piece of crap. Starting at $500...just a reminder why Apple will never over take Microsoft.
What makes you think that they want to? Porsche might have wanted to own VW, but it doesn't aspire to produce as many cars.
Apple wants good product depth and strong profits, both of which it has. I don't think world domination in is there long-term business plan.
so this is like an itouch but bigger, right? back on the day all electronics would star big and then get smaller after a while, but apple is doing this backwards. i would've thought that apple would have release this back when the iphone came out, and after a couple of years the itouch and then the iphone.
At first blush it is an intriguing device because the native apps looks so good. But then you start to reach for your credit card and wonder how much you really are going to use it and my guess is "not much", though I can see it as a laptop replacement for home (i.e. if all you do is surf the web and do email then it would seem that size screen and the compactness of the device would be usable. But as far as using it as a media device.....I am definitely not sold on that. And forget gaming. Those gaming apps look cool on a Pre or an iPhone or iTouch but those same apps aren't as compelling on the iPad handheld. It really is just an engorged iTouch when you come right down to it. The iWorks stuff is pretty and all, but again...I think it may be OK for very occassional use but can't see it truly replacing a laptop.
In the end this is just Apple's response to the netbook craze.
I might think of getting one for my wife if she'd rather have that than a new notebook, though. But she NEVER uses her iTouch anymore except for music so not sure she;d need something like this.
The Competition: iPad + Mobile Hotspot on webOS = EPIC FAIL!!
This is palms opertunity to capitolize. I mean come on its huge ugly and really unneccessary. It does the sam as an ipod touch. as for bookreader.. even webos has a app for that. And no flash. wow palm pre will be the closest thing to a pc when flash beta is released!!!!!!!!!GO PALM
"opertunity"? "capitolize"? Really?? Really?!?
You do realize that there are many people on here that English is a second language? Palm Pre is all over the world. So yes, REALLY!
Wow Coasterer, I have looked at all of the comments you've made on this article and a clear trend is emerging. You like to insult people for poor spelling and/or grammar, make negative comments towards Palm, make positive comments towards Apple, and you like to accuse others of being 'fanbois'.
Why all the hostility?
@brendilon: because he thinks he's very smart and he can spell better than anyone else.Also because he owned an iphone and ready to purchase a Ipad to hang over his neck like a BIG clock to show off.
I think you got your posters mixed up.
I'm thinking IPAD hardware + WebOS = Awesome. Could you imagine what the press would be saying if something as slick, intuitive, and functional as WebOs was running on this bad boy? Imagine all of that beatifulness (Apple hater or not, you have to admit they make technology look good) with the ability to open up multiple cards and swipe through them. Imagine the possibilities of something like that? That would be something worth writing about.
The iPad is petty cool, but I think a WebOS powered 10" OLED tablet would be just awesome!
Multi-tasking and the UI to support it needs to be built into the OS from the ground-up, like it was for WebOS.
Bolt-on multi-tasking is never going to be as seemless or performant, no matter how many smoke and mirror tactics are introduced.
I don't know about that. It doesn't really get bolted on, the iPhoneOS was supposed to be based on Darwin, which is used and multitasks (and multithreads) just fine in OSX. Granted, my experience in the OS building arena is more along the lines of building custom WinCE and XPe builds for devices, but I'd gather that its more about what they need to put back into the build to make it multitask than it would be to develop what they need to multitask. Then again, I suspect it will bloat the iPhoneOS considerably either way, if they felt so compelled even in the face of a multitasking competitor (back then, Microsoft) to remove it all in the first place.
I think Palm is committed to making the mobile your ONLY computer, and that is the right attitude.
You just need a keyboard and screen dock for your device (and a re-jigged interface when you're working on a big screen) and then you can sell your laptop.
If Palm doesn't do this, someone else will very soon. Having two computers does not make sense, and as mobile devices become more akin to full-fledged machines, this will be the only option.
Just a thought: since the device doesn't have an e-ink display, wouldn't the screen create eye strain when reading books making it a crummy e-book reader? I wouldn't be able to read a book staring at a computer screen.
yep -- a few earlier posts mentioned the same thing
I read on my computer all day long. As long as the screen resolution is good enough I don't see why it would be a problem.
I do think the shiny screen could be an issue though.
The real issue will be (I think) the backlit display. Not going to work so good in the outdoors. Not like the reflective display on the kindle.
Well, I've read books on Palm devices for years now, and read books and the like on my Pre quite regularly. There is eye strain, of course, and the e-ink does reduce that and make it a bit more pleasurable to read...but it's not as bad as one might think. The only advantage of making the surface bigger is that you have less "page turning" motions going on.
Dunno .. Perhaps you should wait to try one to see if your eyes are strained .. Don't be a sheeple
Did they say if you can insert a flash drive into it? If they don't have that, then that would be a significant omission.
Disclaimer: I don't own or use any Apple products, but my wife does have an iPhone 3G and a macbook Pro (both of which I bought her).
I agree that a webOS competitor would be a great idea. I think webOS upscales to a larger device better than iPhone OS.
However, I am still impressed with the device. I would not be interested in a Kindle or Sony e-reader because they are too one-dimensional, no real web surfing and no color pictures from magazines and newspapers.
Netbooks have their appeal, but they are hard to use standing up with one hand, whereas the iPad and Kindle/Nook/eReader all work well for public transportation users (of which there are many many millions). The iPad offers a HUGE advantage over netbooks/Kindles et al, because of iTunes and the large library of music, TV and movies.
The $829 for the 64gb/3G assumes no subsidy from AT&T, which I assure you there will be. So figure a 2-year contract gets you a $200-$300 discount.
I think Apple will sell a ton of these, and I think that is a good thing, because by doing so they will encourage others (like Palm) to follow their lead. Hate Apple all you want, but without the iPhone there might not have been Android and webOS. Apple raised the bar and forced others to follow and I think they have done it again.
Do your research. Apple is selling these devices. There is no contract. Apple is simply renting 3G space from AT&T, so a subsidy is nonexistent. AT&T isn't the seller. They are doing Apple a favor of sorts is all.
You really think that AT&T won't end up offering this device through its website? You think it offered Apple this data deal out of the goodness of its heart?
Apple would be shooting itself in the foot to not allow AT&T to sell a subsidized version.
The pricepoint on the device is comparable to devices that perform the same tasks. It isn't expensive. And it isn't a phone. Apple will have no trouble selling this product. And considering AT&T has the iPhone, which has sold idk how many million units, I don't think they will mind offering up data for a price plan instead of the whole package for bigger prices only to subsidize them. They are still making a profit from renting out their data network.
In at down economy, at 500 dollars when you can go grab a pretty good netbook with better processors, more memory, and more hard disk space for 300? You better believe AT&T will be selling subsidized versions at some point, and purchasers will be paying more for that data plan, guaranteed. The idea that this device isn't going to be as taxing on their network as an iPhone will be laughable.
If you can provide a link to a netbook with better specs at $300, please feel free to do so...