MacJournal.org » iPad

Joe Wilcox: ‘I was wrong about Apple iPad’

matrix — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 06:51:22 +0000

“The world does need an Apple tablet — and perhaps others — contrary to what I asserted in late January,” Joe Wilcox writes for BetaNews. “Gloaters will circle my admission like vultures pecking a carcass, but that’s the penalty for being wrong. Yes, I was wrong. I admit it. Flail me in Betanews comments or other blogs. Surely Macheads will peck away even my bones. Go ahead. I won’t often give you such opportunity.”

“Some quick background: I bought an iPad on April 17th; earlier, I gave 12 reasons why I wouldn’t. One reason for buying outweighed the 12 for not: The need to test the tablet so I could write more authoritatively about it. Apple most assuredly wouldn’t send me a review unit; I don’t pucker up and kiss PR butt with loving soliloquies about how great are Apple products — although this post is about as close as there may be for a long time,” Wilcox reports. “On May 24th, I sold the 64GB iPad to a friend for a little less than what I paid for it. He since bought two more iPads (one 3G). But I missed the iPad and couldn’t quite say why at first. I didn’t need the device. Functionally, iPad overlapped with smartphone and laptop”

“I was wrong,” Wilcox admits. “On further reflection, I realized that iPad offers fresh functionality: Immersion. I find there are fewer reading distractions, and content is better presented than on a laptop and browser. I’m more focused and retain more of what I read. For reasons not easily explained, I find myself more thoroughly reading iBooks than defaulting to the skimming I sometimes do with physical books. Part of this immersive experience is the technology, but also how iPad is used. Apple’s tablet is a sit down and focus device, as much because of size and shape as screen and user interface. The totality — physical design and software benefits — is immersion.”

Wilcox reports, “On June 10, I bought another 64GB iPad.”

Full article here.

Morgan Stanley: Apple’s iPad browser share already greater than Blackberry, Android

matrix — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 06:48:58 +0000

Jay Yarrow reports for The Business Insider, “There’s only 2 million iPads in the market, but the iPad’s share of the global browser market is already bigger than Android, BlackBerry, and the iPod touch, according to this chart cited in a recent Morgan Stanley research report.”

Apple sells two million iPads in less than 60 days

matrix — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:05:05 +0000

Apple today announced that iPad sales have topped two million in less than 60 days since its launch on April 3. Apple began shipping iPad in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK this past weekend. iPad will be available in nine more countries in July and additional countries later this year.

“Customers around the world are experiencing the magic of iPad, and seem to be loving it as much as we do,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in the press release. “We appreciate their patience, and are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone.”

iPad allows users to connect with their apps, content and the Internet in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before. Users can browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ user interface. iPad is 0.5 inches thin and weighs just 1.5 pounds—thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook—and delivers up to 10 hours of battery life.

Developers have created over 5,000 exciting new apps for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch user interface, large screen and high-quality graphics. iPad will run almost all of the more than 200,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone or iPod touch.

Source: Apple Inc.

‘iPad mania’ hits Australia as long lines form in Sydney

matrix — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:02:57 +0000

“Delays of two weeks or more are expected before new orders of the Apple iPad are delivered to customers because of strong demand for the tablet computer,” Kylie Davis reports for The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Freight company TNT is reported to be struggling to deliver the 20,000 orders across the country, with buyers being told their purchases should arrive before June 7, while those placing new orders are being advised of two-week delays,” Davis reports.

“One million iPads were sold in just 28 days in the US, and that huge demand delayed the worldwide launch,” Davis reports. “In Australia 30,000 were sold on the first day, with 20,000 more expected to be sold over the weekend.”

Full article, with video report, here.

Source: MacDailyNews

‘iPad shock’ hits Japan as Apple’s revolutionary iPad rattles tech sector

matrix — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:00:48 +0000

“First came ‘iPod shock,’ which knocked Japan’s favorite gadget — the Walkman from Sony, and its line of successors — off its long-held perch at the top of the tech-savvy wish list. Then came ‘iPhone shock,’ which sent Japan’s cellphone companies — long used to scoffing at the clunky offerings from their overseas peers — scrambling to develop similar smartphones,” Hiroko Tabuchi reports for The New York Times. “On Friday, ‘iPad shock’ hit Japan, threatening to bring upheaval to an ever-widening slew of industries in a nation once proud of being on the cutting edge of technology.”

“The iPad tablet computer from Apple went on sale in Japan and eight other countries — Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland — after selling more than one million units in the United States,” Tabuchi reports. “A flood of orders in Japan for the iPad caused Softbank, the exclusive phone carrier of the iPad in Japan, to stop accepting them after three days. About 1,200 people lined up for the release of the iPad at an Apple Store in central Tokyo on Friday… Similar lines were seen at Apple stores in Europe.”

“The hype around the iPad in Tokyo highlights what has become a sobering reality for a country once considered the technological trend-setter. Japan now frequently looks overseas for innovation,” Tabuchi reports. “Other industries are being shaken up by Apple’s latest export. Once solely focused on creating video games for dedicated consoles like the Wii from Nintendo and more recently for cellphones, the Japanese game developer Konami Digital Entertainment released an iPad version of its popular Metal Gear Solid Touch this year. Another game maker, Capcom, says it will reformat its BioHazard 4 for the iPad.”

Can Apple make enough iPads?

matrix — Tue, 25 May 2010 07:11:36 +0000

Philip Elmer-DeWitt reports for Fortune,” Gene Munster’s team at Piper Jaffray called 50 Apple stores this week and found a ‘very limited’ supply of iPads”

Specifically:
• 37 (74%) of stores were completely sold out of all models
• All 50 (100%) were sold out of the 3G models
• 13 (26%) had only Wi-Fi models left to sell

Elmer-Dewitt reports, “With the international roll-out of the iPad scheduled to begin May 28 — a week from today — Munster believes that supply won’t catch up to demand until mid to late summer.”

Full article here.

Source: MacDailyNews

Google snubs Adobe with non-Flash Pac-Man tribute that’s playable on iPhone, iPad

matrix — Sun, 23 May 2010 08:19:34 +0000

“Google dealt a snub to Adobe on Friday with a tribute to the 30th anniversary of Pac-Man,” Electronista reports.

“Despite sharing stage time with Adobe just this week, a playable version of Pac-Man on the page works with both the iPad and iPhone – revealing that it’s not using Flash,” Electronista reports. “Apple’s phones and other touchscreen devices instead use swipe gestures to steer the classic arcade game.”

Electronista reports, “Although it goes without a plugin, it still includes most features of the Namco original.”

Full article here.

Netbook Killer: Apple’s revolutionary iPad destroying the netbook business

matrix — Fri, 07 May 2010 04:50:08 +0000

“There’s an interesting chart in a report to clients issued early Thursday morning by Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty,” Philip Elmer-DeWitt reports for Fortune.

“What caught my eye, however, was what her proprietary research shows about the impact of the iPad and other tablets on the broader gadget market, starting with netbooks. As her chart shows, sales growth of these low-cost, low-powered computing devices peaked last summer at an astonishing 641% year-over-year growth rate,” Elmer-DeWitt reports. “It fell off a cliff in January and shrank again in April — collateral damage, according to Huberty, from the January introduction and April launch of the iPad.”

Source: MacDailyNews

64GB Apple iPad 3G microwaved for 18 minutes (with video)

matrix — Thu, 06 May 2010 10:37:27 +0000

dOvetastic Microwave Theater thought it would be a good idea to microwave a brand new iPad Wi-Fi + 3G 64GB unit, vidoetape it, and post it on YouTube.

For your viewing pleasure:

Direct link to video via YouTube here.

Bill Gates on Apple iPad: ‘It’s okay’

matrix — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 03:41:57 +0000

Phil Bronstein sat down with Bill gates for an interview for The San Francisco Chronicle. One question and answer caught our attention:

Bronstein: You once said Steve Jobs could see the next big thing. Do you like the iPad?

Gates: It’s okay. The scenarios aren’t that clear. But it’s good looking. [Steve Jobs] does good design, and [the iPad] is absolutely a good example of that.

Full article, mainly about Facebook and Twitter, here.