Apple Tablet: iPad

[Root Moose]

• Wifi HAS been spotty in my house even though my iPhone, Macbook and HP mini all work fine. Wifi seems to work great with my Verizon mifi and on other networks.

Maybe this is helpful?

http://gizmodo.com/5511075/how-to-fix-the-ipads-wi+fi-issues

 

[telwyn]

iPad wifi issues

Thanks - I've seen similar articles on the web this week. Given ALL other devices work great on my home wifi, I'm not going to tinker with any of the settings yet as I think there's a good chance this is an iPad software issue that they'll patch as soon as they admit there's a problem, but we'll see!

 

[Driver-Navigator]

I would love to see a little bluetooth GPS available, as that would allow it to be mounted for better coverage. We will see what they come out with.

Any reason you couldn't run any old bluetooth GPS, like a Holux 231? As long as there's an app that handles bluetooth & standard NMEA output.

 

[Driver-Navigator]

My 4 yr old daughter took about 2 minutes to figure the interface out completely and get games up and running without any of my help.

There was a video online last week of someone's 2-1/2yr old daughter using the iPad with very few issues. That's pretty sweet.

 

[Root Moose]

Thanks - I've seen similar articles on the web this week. Given ALL other devices work great on my home wifi, I'm not going to tinker with any of the settings yet as I think there's a good chance this is an iPad software issue that they'll patch as soon as they admit there's a problem, but we'll see!

Agree, likely a software issue.

 

[evldave]

There was a video online last week of someone's 2-1/2yr old daughter using the iPad with very few issues. That's pretty sweet.

Every time we go to our neighbors house, their 3yo daughter begs my wife for her iPhone to play games...I tried once to take over my touchscreen windows laptop and she wanted nothing to do with it. We don't have to do anything, just hand her the phone (and make sure her hands are clean!)

I'm a windows guy, probably always will be, but Apple really has nailed the iTouch/Phone/Pad interface. I think this is one of those 'will really pay off in 10 years' kind of things. I get begged every day from the kids...can I have an iPhone, can I have an iTouch, I want an iPad...blah blah blah...we've already given them leftover WinMo phones and they all agree they hate them...apple sucks the kids in on an iTouch or iPhone...then they get them into the iPad...and who knows, maybe they skin their Macs with an iPhone-like interface and you've suddenly created a generation of kids that want an Apple product..

I'm just glad there aren't any iPads in stock and I took the wife's credit cards away for the next couple weeks

 

[LIVEABOARD]

new tablet

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/German-tablet-PC-sets-out-to-apf-890973130.html?x=0&.v=7

 

[haven]

Here's a rundown of 99 iPad apps. About half are games or comics readers
(excuse me, graphic novel display applications). The remaining 45 or so are
useful for the rest of us.

http://gizmodo.com/5516217/99-ipad-apps-reviewed

 

[Root Moose]

The WePad is a bit of a joke. Their idea of a productivity app is OpenOffice... It sucks on a PC can't imagine how crappy it will be on a embedded hand-held device.

Non-zealot people use OpenOffice because they have to ($$$) not because they want to.

 

[dzzz]

Reading Kindle books on the iPad is much much better than on the Kindle I own.

Sounds like amazon is screwed. The kindle is simply too specialized. Like a PDA.

 

[redbeard]

I find openoffice tends to work better on a mac than ms office. For example, ms office (word) can't do plotter size pages, while open office can. MS office tends to crash a little more often than open office (they both fail, but open office is in alpha or beta).

I have both. I tend to use a simple text editor for most stuff and try to avoid the big stuff.

I wouldn't want to use either MS office or open office on a tablet. The UI just doesnt work with fingers and on screen keyboard. But I guess if anyone thinks the current tablet is an office productivity tool...they've failed to convince me. Tablets seem to be more of a consumption tool.

 

[6Pins]

Sounds like amazon is screwed. The kindle is simply too specialized. Like a PDA.

Yes the Kindle is specialized, but I'm not so sure that Amazon is screwed. The proved the viability of the e-book market, and they are probably making a higher margin off the e-book then the traditional book when you factor in inventory costs, labor costs, shipping costs, vs. digital delivery. As for it's longevity, it's probably limited in it's current form but I'm sure it will evolve into something more capable. I'd be curious to know if Apple gets a piece of any book sales purchased through the Kindle app on the ipad.

 

[Root Moose]

I'm not worried about Amazon. There is a Kindle app for the iP* devices so they will still have the revenue stream from the real product behind the Kindle (the media).

 

[Root Moose]

I find open office on Mac to be atrocious myself.

I have the latest MS Office for Mac (2008). Works fine once it is all patched up. I can't remember the last time it has crashed. Most of my work is 20-30 page technical documents in Word.

Oo (or even NeoOffice) on the Mac is like Office circa 1995. It has an annoying interface too. How do you change styles in Oo? I haven't been able to find it (admittedly haven't looked in about 6 months of so).

I agree regarding tablets being a consumption tool. That and something to make quick notes with.

 

[FlyNdrive]

I'm starting to get a little pissed at Apple. It is now the 14th of April and there is no release date for the 3G yet except for "Late April". There is no way to know if it is coming except for checking the bank account to see if your money is debited then you have a day or two notice to take off work and intercept the 'restricted signature' package or wait longer.

Most blogs anticipate it will be released on April 24th to coincide with the iPad worldwide release. It would suck if Great Brittian or Australia gets the 3G before us.

[/rant]

-Ben