2010: the year of the iPad / iSlate / Apple tablet (Apple haters move on please...)

[Bozza]

£429 upwards.

 

[Mtoto]

I have to agree: Apple is far more closed, controlling and manipulative company than Microsoft, yet Jobs is perceived as a folk hero while Gates/Ballmer are seen as tyrants - Steve Jobs must be the brilliant marketer that ever lived.

This is a very important point. The same people who have spent 30 years complaining that Murdoch "controls the media" - when there have always been plenty of alternatives - seem to actively support Apple's attempt to dominate new media and how it is delivered and consumed.

A small example from my own world. When the Racing Post launched an App a few months ago, for the first few weeks the results section had the finishing order of races, descriptions of how each horse had fared and who had been riding it - but no mention at all of its starting price.

I ran into a senior exec at the Post a few weeks later and asked him why. The reason: Apple wouldn't let them. Jobs is anti-gambling, and so anything that suggests people might be betting on racing, like the odds, was expressly forbidden as a condition of the App being allowed into the store.

These days, they do carry the SPs. They got around it by submitting an update, and those, as a rule, are not scrutinised as closely as the original apps. They might get told to remove them at any moment, though.

If I want to live in a country with antiquated, proscriptive gambling laws, I'll move to Iran (or, for that matter, the United States). I've handed over good money for an iTouch, so what the hell gives a Californian hippy the right to tell me I can't receive perfectly legal information in the country of my birth and residence?

Jobs will not be around forever, but it seems possible his legacy will be a privately-owned company with immense control over what we do, see and think about.

 

[bhaexpress]

For what that costs you could buy a really good computer.

 

[bhaexpress]

Actually now that Apple have fallen out with Adobe I think there will be some serious consequences. Effectively there's no longer support for Flash and Shockwave as I understand it and taht could well be followed up by full Adobe products.

 

[Bozza]

For what that costs you could buy a really good computer.

But I don't want another computer. We're all computered-out.

Anyone who buys an iPad as a computer replacement is likely to be disappointed.

 

[Bozza]

Actually now that Apple have fallen out with Adobe I think there will be some serious consequences. Effectively there's no longer support for Flash and Shockwave as I understand it and taht could well be followed up by full Adobe products.

What are you talking about?

(The Apple/Adobe/Flash thing is well documented, of course. It's the bits in bold I don't understand.)

 

[bhaexpress]

What are you talking about?

(The Apple/Adobe/Flash thing is well documented, of course. It's the bits in bold I don't understand.)

Place I was at recently had a lot of Web Apps developed on PCs. They had a couple of Macs for legacy reasons. They are getting rid of the Macs now (and the people that use them). Place I am going to is doing the same, the situation with Adobe has made them go the same way.

 

[Bozza]

There is no way on earth Adobe will pull their apps away from the Mac O/S - it generates massive sums of profit for them.

And what does this have to do with iPads?

 

[Gwylan]

This is a very important point. The same people who have spent 30 years complaining that Murdoch "controls the media" - when there have always been plenty of alternatives - seem to actively support Apple's attempt to dominate new media and how it is delivered and consumed.

A small example from my own world. When the Racing Post launched an App a few months ago, for the first few weeks the results section had the finishing order of races, descriptions of how each horse had fared and who had been riding it - but no mention at all of its starting price.

I ran into a senior exec at the Post a few weeks later and asked him why. The reason: Apple wouldn't let them. Jobs is anti-gambling, and so anything that suggests people might be betting on racing, like the odds, was expressly forbidden as a condition of the App being allowed into the store.

These days, they do carry the SPs. They got around it by submitting an update, and those, as a rule, are not scrutinised as closely as the original apps. They might get told to remove them at any moment, though.

If I want to live in a country with antiquated, proscriptive gambling laws, I'll move to Iran (or, for that matter, the United States). I've handed over good money for an iTouch, so what the hell gives a Californian hippy the right to tell me I can't receive perfectly legal information in the country of my birth and residence?

Jobs will not be around forever, but it seems possible his legacy will be a privately-owned company with immense control over what we do, see and think about.

Yes, and Der Spiegel (a respected German news magazine) found that its app was rejected because one story had a topless woman in it, again perfectly acceptable in Germany but Jobs wouldn't allow it.

But it's not just the control over the apps - although that's bad enough. It's also the dependence on proprietary technology as the whole world is moving more open. I suspect that's why Android phone sales are overtaking iPhone sales in the US - people are beginning to wake up to the fact that it's not good news to have one company setting the rules.

 

[Easy 10]

Too big and bulky to carry around casually, looks like its for home use only really.
I'll stick to a little Touch in my pocket for my mobile entertainment. mmmm.

 

[Bozza]

I suspect that's why Android phone sales are overtaking iPhone sales in the US - people are beginning to wake up to the fact that it's not good news to have one company setting the rules.

You're giving Joe Public too much credit there. Most people either don't care or are simply unaware about such things.

HTC, Motorola et al along with Google, of course, have done a great job with the Android handsets which is why, finally, there is some much-needed competition to the iPhone. It's taken bloody long enough! Competition is good for everyone, of course, so it will be interesting to see the new iPhone in a month or so. Officially, at least, anyway.

 

[beorhthelm]

You're giving Joe Public too much credit there. Most people are either don't care or, are simply unaware about such things.

thats quite true, open systems is a rather nerdy issue that doesnt bother the masses (or rather they dont understand the implcations of it). It does bring much better quality in to the app market too. But mtoto's example above demostrates how Apple may well do themselves harm over the long term if they are too strict. But then, apple are a hardware company so probably dont much care.

 

[bhaexpress]

There is no way on earth Adobe will pull their apps away from the Mac O/S - it generates massive sums of profit for them.

And what does this have to do with iPads?

It has nothing to do with Ipads but it has with Apple as a whole. The plain fact is that Apple's restrictions are now starting to impact on their business. I cannot understand why somebody would want to buy what is a glorified Iphone and especially at such a price. There is now nothing that can be done on a Mac that can not be done on a PC and unless you consider Apple to be some kind of fashion statement why bother ?

The plain fact is that my reading of the Adobe situation is that they see Apple as the bad guys and even if they don't withdraw support it will become restricted.

 

[Mellotron]

it will be interesting to see the new iPhone in a month or so. Officially, at least, anyway.

I thought it was pretty much guaranteed we'll be seeing it in about a weeks' time? Or is that what your "officially" comment is regarding?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

There is now nothing that can be done on a Mac that can not be done on a PC.

You really dont get it do you?

 

[Bozza]

It has nothing to do with Ipads but it has with Apple as a whole. The plain fact is that Apple's restrictions are now starting to impact on their business.

Starting to impact their business? Great timing for such statements when Apple's continued surge has seen them rated as the most valuable technology company on the planet this week - Boom, Indeed: Apple Passes Microsoft In Market Cap .

I cannot understand why somebody would want to buy what is a glorified Iphone and especially at such a price. There is now nothing that can be done on a Mac that can not be done on a PC and unless you consider Apple to be some kind of fashion statement why bother ?

You've been peddling the same line for years Frank. It's tiresome. Move on.

The plain fact is that my reading of the Adobe situation is that they see Apple as the bad guys and even if they don't withdraw support it will become restricted.

Yet more laughable ill-informed nonsense from a technology dinosaur. Move on old man.

 

[Wozza]

Just posted this using my iPad. Damn it's sexy. Got mine last night, and couldn't put it down.

Touching is believing.

Do you use such platitudes when speaking IRL?

 

[beorhthelm]

Yet more laughable ill-informed nonsense from a technology dinosaur. Move on old man.

carefull now, starting to sound like the Apple fanbios who beleive Saint Jobs can do no wrong. i dont like Flash, but its ubiqitous throughout the internet. Its a bold move from Apple to stop its use unilaterally, though frankly i wouldnt be sad to see it go.

But Adobe might, and it has been suggested that Adobe might retaliate by ceasing support of its other tools on Mac - Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver. that wouldnt go too well in the design and media world where the Mac lives, and with out that base would the consumer market for a non-standard OS be viable (would MS drop the Mac too?).

no its not much to do with the ipad perse, but it is interesting. mind you iphone/ipod/ipad is proably bigger than Mac now anyway, so maybe its a calculated risk worth taking.

 

[Mellotron]

But Adobe might, and it has been suggested that Adobe might retaliate by ceasing support of its other tools on Mac - Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver.

That would be an insane thing for Adobe to do. They would lose millions of pounds.

 

[Easy 10]

Just got back from the Apple store, and having had a little fiddle with an iPad, I'm left with a feeling of 'meh'. Its slick, as you'd expect, but I wouldn't want to carry one around. Fine for web browsing or films, but then I've got my lappy for that (AND I can stick a DVD in the laptop to watch, which obviously isn't an option on an iPad). It'll sell in droves cos its Apple and it looks smart, but I honestly can't really see the point of it.

Incidentally, I went in to buy a 3-pin plug charger for my Touch (basically just a plug with a USB port in the back). Apple suggested I pay them £22 of my english pounds for it
Ebay - £2.49 (but it hasn't got a little apple logo on the back).

Honestly. Bandits.