Apple unveils $499 tablet

More intimate than a laptop? What, does it come with special attachments and peripherals? For $500, it had better.

Is your iph0ne small and make ladies laugh?

Buy Ip@d tablet online without prescription!

www.partnerka.ru

Here's SF novelist and technogeek Charlie Stross' take on it.

http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/01/reality-check.html

It looks like a giant iPhone. Or maybe Jobs is actually a hobbit.

It's the plus-sized iPhone, and it'll still run you 30 bucks a month to connect to the internet on.

"better for games" Really? It can play iphone games, and they suck.

SPMiller said:

More intimate than a laptop? What, does it come with special attachments and peripherals? For $500, it had better.

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You mean like the one they made for the iPod?

NSFW!

http://www.ohmibod.com/ohmibod.html

I started a thread on this over in tech earlier,
Also, Publisher's Lunch, about 11:30 said that Apple has partnered with the Big Six, but apparently not Random House (the logos were on the stage as participating partners).

"far below $1000" isn't kind of relative. I think the number I saw was $8-900 for the loaded, 64gb version (not including apps costs).$499 gets you the base model. And, while you don't have to sign a data contract, it will cost you $20-$30 a month for the data connection, plus $130 bucks if you want 3G (that's a hardware upgrade). Does have wifi and bluetooth capabilities.

I should manage to get my hands on one sometime in February.

I'll be going to Macworld Expo in a couple weeks, though I srsly doubt I'll be able to get even SRO at the demo.

I'm not sure I'd name anything the iPad, and then talk about how intimate it is...really.

jennontheisland said:

You mean like the one they made for the iPod?

NSFW!

http://www.ohmibod.com/ohmibod.html

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Dunno who "they" are, but apparently "they" ain't Apple ...

astonwest said:

I'm not sure I'd name anything the iPad, and then talk about how intimate it is...really.

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I hesitated to "go there" but now the topic has been breached, iPad is NOT a trending topic on Twitter, but iTampon IS. Also, I saw a tweet containing a certain trademarked name, iKotex.

ETA:
And Apple does have an "interesting" history of model names. I recall the Mac II and the Mac SE and their immediate successors. An improved version of the Mac II, featuring the more powerful 68030 processor, was released as the model Mac IIx. Then an improved version of the Mac SE, also featuring the 68030 processor, was released with the model name Mac SE30. Why did they have to be so inconsistent with their model names...

Also ETA: found on Twitter, a pic of a certain 'pad' product:
http://twitpic.com/102c2t

benbradley said:

Also ETA: found on Twitter, a pic of a certain 'pad' product:
http://twitpic.com/102c2t

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I liked this one better...

benbradley said:

And Apple does have an "interesting" history of model names. I recall the Mac II and the Mac SE and their immediate successors.

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At some point over beer or really good coffee we will have to discuss the internal model tracking names. They were umm . . . . not always really socially aware, shall we say.

I draw your attention to the OS 9 System Beep known as sosumie.

Me, I'm still waiting for the iBrator to be released [cough]

Medievalist said:

Me, I'm still waiting for the iBrator to be released [cough]

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Um, did you click my link?

Medievalist said:

Me, I'm still waiting for the iBrator to be released [cough]

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You apparently haven't found that iPhone app in the store...

Does anybody think it'll take off? I just don't see it happening.

brokenfingers said:

Does anybody think it'll take off? I just don't see it happening.

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Well according to rugrat's link, they've got several major publishers onboard.

Me, I don't get it. It's too big to fit in my pocket and too small memory-wise to replace my laptop. So what good is it?

Shadow_Ferret said:

Well according to rugrat's link, they've got several major publishers onboard.

Me, I don't get it. It's too big to fit in my pocket and too small memory-wise to replace my laptop. So what good is it?

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Just cuz publisher's are agreeing to submit their iebooks or whatever, doesn't mean the buying public is going to buy the device.

Are you willing to buy a $500-$900 device just so you can read books?

jennontheisland said:

Um, did you click my link?

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Yeah, I did--but you gotta remember I'm an old-time Apple Cult Member.

See:


http://www.examiner.com/x-6683-Apple-Products-Examiner~y2009m4d1-The-iBrator

And, to my shame: [cough]

http://apple-talk.com/news/2009/04/15/apple-niche-aching-be-filled

brokenfingers said:

Just cuz publisher's are agreeing to submit their iebooks or whatever, doesn't mean the buying public is going to buy the device.

Are you willing to buy a $500-$900 device just so you can read books?

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It does a lot more than that; it has WiFi and a mic and headphones ship with it. It has a full browser and WiFI. There's a studly Word Processor/Presentation manager/Spread sheet that's designed to work with it. It plays HD movies and TV shows. Also has iTunes. It has studly email and voice recording, built in. It synchs. It supports 37 language/writing systems, natively.

I'd buy it now if I had the cash.

Shadow_Ferret said:

Well according to rugrat's link, they've got several major publishers onboard.

Me, I don't get it. It's too big to fit in my pocket and too small memory-wise to replace my laptop. So what good is it?

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Honestly, they're looking at the net book niche. The best way to "get it" is to watch the video--not the keynote one, but a short one:

http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Pfizer still charges more for it's tablets...

brokenfingers said:

Are you willing to buy a $500-$900 device just so you can read books?

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I'm not willing to pay the $250 for a Kindle!

Medievalist said:

Honestly, they're looking at the net book niche. The best way to "get it" is to watch the video--not the keynote one, but a short one:

http://www.apple.com/ipad/

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I watched a media demonstration video. I noticed that there were light reflections coming off the iPad. A huge negative in my mind.

And I still don't get it. I have my laptop. It does all that and much more, like actual WORK.

Medievalist said:

It does a lot more than that; it has WiFi and a mic and headphones ship with it. It has a full browser and WiFI. There's a studly Word Processor/Presentation manager/Spread sheet that's designed to work with it. It plays HD movies and TV shows. Also has iTunes. It has studly email and voice recording, built in. It synchs. It supports 37 language/writing systems, natively.

I'd buy it now if I had the cash.

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For all that I can buy a laptop for the same price. I can see if they market it as an alternative to a laptop for people who could use such a device, but if they market it as an e-reader, I think they'll fail.

Does it have some kind of kickstand on the back so it can stand upright? Otherwise, I don't get how it's easy to use -- especially with the exterior keyboard.

It kind of reminds me of my dad's old speech computer they rigged up to talk for him.