I picked up an iPad yesterday and I have to say it is really great for reading long magazine articles.
Although I think the conclusions he draws are fundamentally wrong, this TNR piece on trials for political leaders was fantastic overall. I often find with pieces like this that, while the historical analysis is thorough and even brilliant, the “lessons” for today are almost invariably heavy-handed and simplistic. Still, very much worth a read.
Update. I forgot to mention that this is an open thread.
Update. Michael Walzer, who wrote the TNR piece I linked to, certainly wrote some batshit crazy “lefties are fifth columnists” type stuff after 9/11. It’s amazing how little that kind of idiocy affects anyone’s reputation.
Cat Lady
This is an aspect to using the DOJ on ousted incumbents that I hadn’t considered, and find it compelling. I was worried about Bush declaring martial law on some pretense, even up to the minute his helicopter took off. Truth commissions are most likely to happen here, I think.
iPads I do not find compelling. No camera? No skyping? Who will think of the children studying abroad?
Derek
Apple is evil bla bla bla
And what Cat Lady said about iPads, also, too.
DougJ
@Cat Lady:
You can’s skype with it? I didn’t know that.
I actually got it for work — I need something light to take notes and read pdfs at meetings. I like it better than I thought I would so far.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I’ve been wavering between a Kindle and an iPad. Don’t know if I’ll have any use for the extra features $300 would buy me.
I’ve been thinking about subscribing to TNR, electronically, then just now I was reading Chait’s blog and made the mistake of clicking on Marty Peretz’s blog. That is one crazy motherfucker over there.
dmsilev
@Cat Lady: Audio-only Skype works fine; the thing comes with a microphone and a reasonable (for its size) speaker.
It’s not a panacea or the coming of the Messiah, but it’s great for reading, pretty good for the web and email, not too bad for taking notes, has some nice games, etc.
dms
DougJ
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
You know, though, Chait is very smart. I thought he won his argument with Beinart, even though Beinart is probably actually right.
Zifnab
I sweet baby jesus, they got you too.
Darn you Steve Jobs! Darn you to heck!
liberal
Walzer is repugant. See also here.
Sentient Puddle
@Cat Lady: The iPad has a microphone. As for lack of camera, why the hell would you want to add video to Skyping on an iPad? The view angle would be extremely awkward unless you held it at face level (you’re not going to).
Cat Lady
@Sentient Puddle:
I sit at my face level monitor to Skype – what do you do?
Martin
@Cat Lady: My information is that Apple was faced with a trade-off on the iPad – if there was a camera as originally planned (the case still has the cavity to accommodate it) either Apple would have to ban Skype or accept a much higher monthly 3G data plan from AT&T.
Apple felt that a cheap data plan was critical to public acceptance of the device (I agree – the cheap and flexible data plan is the biggest draw for me personally) and rather than face a backlash of arbitrarily banning apps in order to keep their agreement with AT&T, they decided to omit the camera altogether for now.
I think the plan is to reintroduce it once the 4G networks are up and running and can better absorb the significant increase in bandwidth. That’ll probably be the replacement model next year.
And it’s hard to really appreciate the iPad until you’ve spent time with one. It’s easy to think of it as a big iPod Touch (which I agree would be less than compelling) but the screen size and speed of it really make it something more. It’s very difficult to quantify.
sherifffruitfly
lol @ kindle, ipad, and other useless expensive gadgets that you don’t control the content on.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I had a subscription to TNR Digital back when Peretz didn’t have his own section. That was truly painful.
Karen S.
So this is the open thread, huh? Well, I’ll post this here: I got a job! After a year of unemployment/under-employment and then another year of studying to become a paralegal, I was offered a job at a small downtown Chicago law firm yesterday. Yea! I’m quite pleased, especially with the prospect of leaving behind daytime TV. This is going to be a great weekend!
WereBear
@Martin: I’ve been thinking of it as a big iPod Touch, frankly.
Which, knowing how I feel about mine, is pretty darn awesome.
Citizen_X
@DougJ (and dsmilev):
Do you take notes by typing or by writing on it? And if the latter, how is its character recognition? Do you need a special stylus or something?
Dan
See American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer and his stance on DADT:
http://tinyurl.com/3xgt3ne
This is a national scandal. Think of how many “patriotic” Americans have given aid and comfort to our enemies by refusing to unleash teh gay.
tripletee
lol at people who don’t know you can put your own, DRM-free content on Kindles, iPads and other useless expensive gadgets.
DougJ
@Citizen_X:
I got the keyboard for it. Even with the keyboard, it’s only like two lbs.
So to clarify, I have two types of meetings, ones where I just need to read pdfs and another where I take notes. I’ll just always have the iPad in my bag anyway and then I’ll just have to remember to throw in the keyboard when I have note-taking meeting.
It seems like a great solution for me, better than getting a MacBook air or a netbook.
tripletee
It doesn’t have handwriting recognition. You either type on the onscreen keyboard (which is way better than I expected, at least in landscape), use a Bluetooth keyboard, or buy something like the Pogo stylus for specialized notetaking/drawing apps.
Rosalita
@Karen S.:
Great news Karen! What a relief this must be.
Martin
@DougJ: It works with many BT headsets as well for audio skype.
clark
You know what’s really good for reading magazines? Magazines.
Alice Blue
Just saw pictures of the fence that Todd and the Mooseburger are building to protect themselves from “the Wasilla stalker” a/k/a Joe McGinniss. Love the huge gap at the bottom! Really fine construction work.
Bill Section 147
@Karen S.: Celebrate! What ever you do don’t follow John down the Mojito Trail. It would be bad to phone work with a bad excuse before your first day. And Congratulations. I don’t know you but that somebody found work is a good thing.
Sentient Puddle
@Cat Lady: But that’s the point. You’d have to hold the iPad face level to get the same view angle. For the entire call. It just doesn’t work ergonomically.
Martin
@sherifffruitfly: You completely control the content on it. You can put on unDRM ePub books, MP3s, video, etc. How do you not control it? Nobody is forcing you to buy from Apple’s stores.
jibeaux
Doesn’t the iPad, um, not support flash? I’m sure it’s got great potential, but I don’t know why you’d be an early adopter of that sort of thing unless you just have disposable income to burn.
If you DO have disposable income to burn, I’m just going to pitch a good cause again. I mentioned it once before, but the response was, erm, muted, and also there wasn’t an easy way to figure out how to help so I’ve included a better link this time.
One of my son’s afterschool teachers is, with her family, trying to adopt a little girl with Down’s syndrome from Eastern Europe. Apparently at about age four these children are moved from orphanages to mental institutions, where the conditions are awful and the children often don’t make it. But the cost for the adoption runs about $24k, if you can believe that. I’m just in awe of what you would have to have in your soul to take on such a task; first raising a lot of money and jump through hoops and let people inspect the dust in your home, just for the chance to tackle an even bigger challenge and expense. I think about everyone whose mission in life it is to, say, get on a reality show, or to be the mistress of some athlete, or to be a Republican member of the House of Representatives, and I just want to reward good behavior where I find it. So go give them a few bucks if you can, and if you tell me that you did I promise I will be nice to you until I forget, at which point you can remind me. It’s win-win-win.
Martin
@Karen S.: Congrats! That’s very exciting!
Comrade Colette Collaboratrice
I had my first chance to manhandle/fondle/have hot girl-on-tech action with an iPad last weekend. I damn near left my husband and ran away from home with it. It is SO MUCH BETTER in the hand than it looks on TV or in any other advertising medium. Now I know what I want for my 50th birthday (which is just far enough away that I should be able to get a 2nd gen version). I am in love, baby.
Bill Section 147
@Dan: Is it a wide stance?
I didn’t consider joining up but the thought of someone blowing reveille almost makes it worth visiting my local recruiter.
El Cid
Re:
It may be “amazing”, but it’s absolutely typical of what I’ve seen for my entire life — including people who believe such things which are now commonplace, such that it was an immoral crime and against international law for the Reaganites and cold warriors to hire terrorists and death squads to slaughter civilians in Central America.
Those who opposed our actual policy goals vs. just asking us to do it more nicely were pro-Soviet dupes. Except for now, when ‘everyone’ recognizes what nasty ‘erring’ policies such widespread slaughter of civilians were.
tripletee
You say that like it’s a bad thing.
Martin
@Alice Blue: That’s so Bristol can sneak out, get knocked up and not choose an abortion. It’s a feature, apparently.
Comrade Kevin
@jibeaux:
It does not. Flash is an abomination, which should be banished from the Web.
DougJ
@jibeaux:
My office computer doesn’t support flash (I don’t have admin privileges and it doesn’t get updated regularly, so I’m on an earlier version, which doesn’t work for most sites).
Martin
@tripletee: I know! Think of all the ads Dougj will not see! The horror!
The Other Chuck
I’ll be right on an Android pad when it comes out. I’d like to be allowed to at least plug an SD card into my tablet thankyaverahmuch.
frankdawg
@Zifnab:
“Darn you Steve Jobs! Darn you to heck! ”
Can we expect to see Phil, the Prince of Insufficient Light here soon?
robertdsc
@Comrade Colette Collaboratrice: Teh hawt! Pix nao! LOL.
I have too many Macs to fit in an iPad. I did some research last night on upgrading my video recording setup from composite to component. The results are promising.
I can do composite fine, but playing standard def games on a high def screen can get dull in a hurry. Still, this is what I record:
Modern Warfare 2 for PS3: Akimbo Model 1887 shotgun action
The Other Chuck
@Martin:
Unless you want an App of course.
Cat Lady
@Sentient Puddle:
I carry around my laptop while I’m skyping to show stuff, including my face sometimes, and think iPads would be awesome for that – much more mobile, except now it has no capability for that at all. If Apple provides a video camera with 4G service, I’ll rethink it then.
Karen S.
@Rosalita:
Yes, it’s definitely a relief, although my partner has said she enjoyed having a stay-at-home wife and has wondered (jokingly, I think) what she’ll do for dinner now. I enjoy cooking and I’m good at it, so I spoiled her the past couple of years. I’m confident she’ll manage. She’s wicked good with a can opener.
Butch
I dunno…I have a computer only because it allows me to telecommute, but rarely use it outside of work hours. No cell phone, no other electronic gadgets; I just can’t persuade myself to get interested.
jibeaux
Well, I don’t know how you’re supposed to watch the lovely YouTube montage of my daughter or my son’s piano recital without flash. I am sure that Steve Jobs and all of you have enlightened and informed opinions about the relative utility of flash, etc., but if the only way I can watch baby goats jumping on beds right now is through flash, then I am waiting until all the video gets transferred or until iPads have flash. It already makes me bonkers how many videos I can’t see on my iPhone. It’s my only complaint about it.
Now go give money to the orphan girl for being tech snobs.
frankdawg
@Karen S.:
Great congratulations! Went through 6 months of that myself about 2 years ago & it can get pretty dark at times. Enjoy the hell out of this weekend in another couple of months you can start bitching about your crappy job :)
Karen S.
@Bill Section 147:
Oh, I do intend on celebrating. But if booze is involved it won’t be mojitos. I’m more of a caipirinha girl. Love caipirinhas and it’s been a while since I’ve had one. I think it’s time.
tripletee
@Martin:
Or shitty, overdesigned portfolio sites he won’t be able to view. Or swooshy, needlessly baroque menus he won’t be able to click!
Xenos
@Alice Blue: Think they got a permit for that fence? I suppose they may not need one in Wasilla. It would also be amusing if that fence is on McGinnises side and he forces them to take it down. These are not people who like losing.
tripletee
YouTube has native h.264 streaming for iThings.
EDIT: missed the part about you having an iPhone. Are your Youtubes broken or something?
Walker
You must buy Plants vs. Zombies on the iPad. The multitouch experience is very, very different than playing it on the PC.
Now, if I can only get my students to make more iPhone games.
dmsilev
@Citizen_X: Typing, with occasional sketching for graphs and the like. I use an app called PaperDesk (which has a free lite edition if you want to play with it) which allows for easy intermingling of the two modes.
dms
jibeaux
@tripletee:
Now you have to give MORE.
Jay B.
@jibeaux:
You can watch YouTube video on iPhones/iPads. That is not Flash.
Flash will never ben on iPhones or iPads. They are trying to kill Flash.
Alice Blue
@Xenos: Permits?? Snowgrifter don’t need no stinkin’ permits!!
I heard that McGinniss is renting his house from a woman who did some sort of work for the Palins and never got paid. What a surprise.
matoko_chan
im an early adopter….its geek culture cred….i love it.
i think that is a big problem for the right…geek culture is impenetrable to them.
Consider AOS….the site has reached TTC (total troll control) where the percent of content generated by trolls, mobies, and griefers has passed 50%.
The same thing happened to Michael Steeles site, where griefers (some of them juicers) used the auto-linking tool to pranklink the site to bondage, porn and sex toy sites.
This is the same reason NRO can’t have comments, and its impossible for the GOP to build a dailykos or huffpo style site.
The webmasters can’t protect the conservative commentariat from getting spoofed, because the commentariat is 99% batshit crazy.…..all they can build is the web analog of FOXnews and talkradio….Redstates and HotAirs and NROs….they have to vigorously screen comments or else not have comments at all, because of the low-information base.
The isolation of conservatives from mainstream american culture is how the TPM got blindsided by the teabagger meme.
The right are culture-luddites.
You can’t do web-based memetic engineering without geeks…the right needs geeks worse than they need hispanic conservative voters.
AOS is infested with engineer-moties at this point.
The only option is to nuke it from space.
Fergus Wooster
@DougJ:
Sully too. When he was bemoaning all the nasty emails about his nasty, overgrown beard a couple weeks ago, he asked, “What have I? What have I? What have I done to deserve this? “
Here’s hoping somebody responded with “coastal enclaves representing a fifth column”, “objectively pro-Saddam”, etc. Has he ever apologized for that crap?
jibeaux
@tripletee:
I can get YouTube on the iPhone, maybe that
s the native h.264 streaming, I dunno because talking to me about these things is like talking to a kitten about thermodynamics or a teabagger about what is and what is not actually in the Constitution. But I can’t get any damn other video anywhere on the World Wide Web. And I was under the impression that the iPad was the same, except without the YouTube. Which just really makes me want to wait until someone improves that.
Chat Noir
@Karen S.: Yay! Congrats. Good luck with your new job.
Martin
@The Other Chuck: Apple has a 2nd app system, you know. Doesn’t use the store – download straight from any website. This is how Google Voice is deployed – no App store approval required.
@jibeaux:
YouTube offerers straight H.264 – no Flash required. True for quite a few other sites and services like Vimeo, etc. They’re dropping Flash in a big hurry. YouTube has an opt-in service if people want to skip Flash on their desktops. Works in Safari and Chrome, but I don’t think it does in Firefox.
jacy
@Xenos:
Apparently the neighbor who owns the house specifically sought out McGinnis to rent to him, passing up other, more lucrative offers. Seems the Grifters had rented the house from her before and stiffed her for a fair amount of renovations that they requested she do.
She’s sees putting a journalist next door to them as her revenge.
Persia
@Alice Blue: The comments on this are amazing. I thought part of the freedom of our great country was that you could live where you wanted to live, also, you betcha.
dmsilev
@jibeaux: The iPad comes with a YouTube app similar to the one on the iPhone. Further, the growing popularity of iThings and other Flashless web-browsing devices is leading other video sites (e.g. Vimeo) to support Not-Flash as an alternative.
dms
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Xenos: @Alice Blue:
Apparently, that’s true. Part of Her Quittership’s sensitivity about the homestead is that they are building a large outbuilding that they don’t want to explain, 6,000 sq ft, IIRC. From what I’ve read, it’s going to include a remote studio and apartments for the older kids (and according to one account, for Todd), and an office for Herself to facebook and scrapbook and watch HGTV in. Anyway, I’m assuming it’s hush-hush b/c subsidized by Uncle Rupert, and that could get messy if she decides to use a 2012 presidential run to shore up the old coffers.
In the meantime, we could have some fun predicting the decor on that TV studio. The usual fake library with some rugged frontierical touches: Dead animal heads, log furniture, giant fireplace, fake window that looks out on rivers and mountains instead of the Wasilla Wal-Mart and Suds’n’Duds laundro-bar.
Mark S.
Huh, I read a book by Michael Walzer a few years back and got the impression he was, if not a pacifist, strongly against most justifications of wars.
On to the snowbillies,
That doesn’t surprise me a bit. If there is one thing I got from reading about Troopergate, the Palins are about the pettiest people in the world. That’s why I’m positive that Levi has the goods on them, because all of the sudden they got really quiet.
jibeaux
@Jay B.:
Ah, so is it just the same as the iPhone? I have heard a little bit about why they don’t like flash, memory hog or whatever, and I know that when you’re Apple you can make people change to you instead of adapting to them, and that’s fine. I’m just going to wait until that happens. I hate not being able to watch videos.
It reminds me of my days teaching school 12 plus years ago, when schools were the only entities in America running Macs, and people were getting into emailing documents and other things, and the damn Mac was incompatible with every flipping thing anyone ever tried to send you. and vice versa. Instead of word, we had something called “AppleWorks”. A LOT of time spent opening things which then had all those alien characters in them. I like my iPhone, but there’s a lot of bad deja vu mojo there for me.
danimal
OT. I thought General Stuck would be back from his snit by now. Our loss.
Martin
Hmm. my last post landed in moderation. No idea why.
@jibeaux: There’s two conduits into YouTube that land in the same place but take different paths there – so one may work and the other not from time to time. The iPhone has a built-in app, but you can also make it ‘just work’ from the browser by following the link in post #60 which landed in moderation.
For other video, it’ll depend. Vimeo offers HTML5, but you need to click a separate link. Quite a few services are like this (such as Brightcove, which CNN and a lot of other media services use) as they shake out bugs. Where you run into the most trouble is embedded video as they don’t usually have the HTML5 controls. You need to click through to the home page of the video and then do it. It’s irritating, but the more users do it, the sooner these services will switch to HTML5 as default. It’s closer to being addressed than you might realize.
Derek
@clark:
Are there even any worth reading?
Martin
@danimal: Give him a month. He checked in the other day.
Cat Lady
@danimal:
I think that too. At least once a day he made me lol. :-(
tripletee
@jibeaux:
It’s getting better rapidly – I went to a local news site the other day and was surprised to discover they had HTML5 streaming I could view on the iPad.
This, too, has improved dramatically.
Karen S.
@Mark S.:
The more I read and hear about Mooseburger/Bible Spice the more she reminds me of some the really nasty girls I encountered in junior high and high school. They had huge chips on their shoulders for whatever reason and were petty and belligerent as all get out. Ugh.
Alice Blue
@Jim, Foolish LIteralist: Dont’t forget the rack of shotguns over the giant fireplace and the bearskin rug.
Karen S.
@frankdawg:
Thanks. Yeah, this is the sweet spot. I’ve got the glow of a new job without having started it yet. :D
Alice Blue
Why is General Stuck upset?
Cat Lady
@Karen S.:
Have you worked in a law firm before? They’re a world unto themselves.
Citizen_X
@Karen S.: Congratulations!
Less cheery news:
Census workers have been attacked or assaulted 113 times this month.
Sigh. Your teabagger movement at work.
James K. Polk, Esq.
Netbook = $200 if you are a smart shopper.
It does everything an iPad does… and everything a PC does. Oh, right, it’s considerably less clunky than iPad + keyboard.
It’s just missing that little $300 Apple logo.
tripletee
@James K. Polk, Esq.:
And a tablet form factor, a useable multitouch interface, and fantastic battery life – you know, all the things that make the iPad (and presumably forthcoming Android and webOS tablets) compelling.
Mary G
@danimal: I kinda miss him a little, too, and the pictures of Charlie a lot. That dog has spirit and spunk.
I just bought a Kindle for my 86-year-old mother, who had to give up her subscriptions to the LA Times and Orange Co. Register (boo hiss) after almost 70 years. She can’t see well enough to read them anymore, even after a number of surgeries.
She loves the Kindle and can read the largest type it supports, (don’t know how many points it is). I even subscribe to Balloon Juice for her on it at the incredibly high price of 99 cents a month.
I still feel kinda guilty, though, the iPad is probably better with the color and the pictures and all. I primarily decided due to price, because I’m on Social Security disability. Due to a very bad experience in an Apple Store two hours and 15 minutes with an appointment, I’m a PC person. Never had any problems with them. Also I didn’t want to pay the AT&T fees; the Kindle is free.
Does the iPad allow you to up the font size on magazine & newspaper articles? She needs probably 20 points.
James K. Polk, Esq.
Battery life is non-issue at ~10hrs of wifi use.
Multitouch Interface < Physical Interface
Tablet form factor? Not if you buy a keyboard.
Now, let's see, advantages of Netbook over iPad:
SD Card slot
Full OS
Runs nearly every piece of software made
USB inputs
Video outputs
Easily upgradeable parts
Physical keyboard
Durability
Replaceable Battery
etc…
Mark S.
I was curious about Walzer’s views on the Iraq War and found this:
Why even bother with just war theory then?
Mark S.
@Alice Blue:
See here.
tripletee
@James K. Polk, Esq.:
A netbook is too limited to run the kind of software I need for productivity purposes – I use my laptop for that – and the form factor is too clunky (imo) for reading, couch surfing, and other places where a tablet comes in handy.
They’re different kinds of devices for different kinds of purposes. If I wanted a netbook I’d, you know, buy a netbook. But I don’t.
The Moar You Know
@Alice Blue: He acquired a terminal case of butthurt, complicated by an infection of drama queen, and has left us for greener pastures.
Fuck that guy. I’m sick of people asking that their every belief be catered to as though is was either important or right.
Oftentimes it’s neither. In his case, it was most of the time.
James K. Polk, Esq.
@tripletee
Fixed that for the Appholes.
Apple didn’t make a netbook because it would eat Macbook’s lunch.
tripletee
@James K. Polk, Esq.:
Did you type that douchebaggery on your netbook? Wow, they really are useful! Dick.
dmsilev
@James K. Polk, Esq.: You know, reflexive Apple hatred is every bit as annoying as reflexive Apple worship.
dms
Walker
I was going to respond some comments to James K Polk, but he has demonstrated that he is not worth engaging.
asiangrrlMN
Aw, I’m sorry to see General Stuck leave. That was during my week away from BJ, and I missed the kerfluffle.
@Karen S.: Congrats to you! There’s always the deli at your coop/grocery store. That’s what I do. Let us know how it goes.
slag
After seeing the iPad at the Apple store, this was the only reason I could think of to get one. So I didn’t.
burnspbesq
@DougJ:
There is an app called TakeNotes that you can use to take handwritten notes using a finger or stylus, and export them as PDF attachments to an email. I don’t love it because I am left handed and tend to drag my hand across the screen, but it might work for you.
DougJ
@burnspbesq:
Thanks. I will check it out.
burnspbesq
@The Other Chuck:
“I’ll be right on an Android pad when it comes out. I’d like to be allowed to at least plug an SD card into my tablet thankyaverahmuch.”
Camera connection kit.
burnspbesq
@James K. Polk, Esq.:
“Now, let’s see, advantages of Netbook over iPad:”
None.
Ty Lookwell
I’m thinking about getting an iPad for my mom’s birthday (which is rapidly approaching). iPad users – which version did you get and, if you got the Wi-Fi only version, do you regret not having the 3G access?
dmsilev
@Ty Lookwell: I bought the 3G version, because I want to be able to use it for things like email while traveling (and hence frequently out of range of convenient hot-spots). If the main use will be at home (or in places like coffeeshops that offer WiFi), save some money and get the WiFi version.
dms
Sentient Puddle
@Ty Lookwell: Wi-Fi version here. Sort of regret not going 3G, but I have a Droid, and when the Android 2.2 feature set was announced (specifically, wireless access point), I ceased regretting.
The Raven
I am utterly convinced by the iPad as reader.
Not convinced by it iPad as an applications platform, though…
dmsilev
@The Raven: On the subject of book reading, it should be noted that Amazon’s Kindle client for iPad is pretty good. The book-buying experience isn’t quite as seamless as on Kindle hardware or when using iBooks (the application launches the web browser and points you at Amazon’s store, so when you’re done with buying stuff, you have to relaunch the app), but the reading experience is very nice.
dms
JCT
Karen S. — awesome news, my brother is the director of a school for paralegals in LA and he’s been commenting on what a tough time his graduates are having with their job searches, I think after years of nearly explosive growth they thought they were recession proof..
I have the 32GB 3G, only got the 3G because I travel so much and don’t like having to hunt for WiFi.
I will never understand this Apple vs PC crap, it’s an object for heaven’s sake. We use both in my lab and all I can say is the overall upkeep for me on the Apple side is less.
Dougj do you use “Papers” for PDFs? It’s stellar. I’m working on a review and had all 200 of the pdfs I needed on the iPad, a real pleasure.
The real “killer app” in many ways is the battery life. It is great for long plane trips, had to fly from NYC to Tokyo a couple of weeks ago, loaded it up with a few movies, a couple of games and my pdfs — after an overnight charge didn’t have to even think about battery life. Made that 14-hour plane ride in coach bearable. Highly recommended as a traveling companion.
James K. Polk, Esq.
Obligatory Onion link.
angler
but lefties ARE a fifth column! At least those f-ing d-ing-s-ing p-ing firebaggers!
Steve
but lefties ARE a fifth column! At least those f-ing d-ing-s-ing p-ing firebaggers!
DougJ
@Ty Lookwell:
I got the 3G version, mostly for the GPS. I probably won’t use the data plan that often, but I may need it sometimes when I am on the road.
DougJ
@JCT:
Yes, Papers is one of the big reasons I got it. One complaint about papers — you can’t search within a document yet the way you can with Good Reader.
techno
I have a few high-def YouTube posts. So when I finally got to try the iPad, the first thing I wanted to see was how my movies showed up. I uploaded in h264 so I wasn’t so surprised that they looked very nice on the iPad. YouTube’s Flash encoder used to just trash your video–so its nice to see your footage in its original form.
YouTube videos looking better on iPads than virtually any computer is just one of those tiny, unsung details that will make the iPad the industry standard. Apple just set the bar very, VERY high.
JCT
@DougJ:
Agree, I wouldn’t mind being able to annotate either.
My guess is both of those functions will come eventually, they’ve been updating pretty quickly.
Given my new bad habit of forgetting important papers when I travel having them all with me has been a big help. Aging bites.
terry chay
Zinio.
As my gf just said an hour ago, “How can I not subscribe to (some fashion magazine that went in one ear and out the other), when it’s only $8?”
The nice thing is you can use the double press trick to screenshot any pictures.
burnspbesq
DougJ:
” It’s amazing how little that kind of idiocy affects anyone’s reputation.”
Umm, could it be that most rational and fair-minded folks understand that “once wrong, always wrong” is a fallacy?
Ty Lookwell
(hm, I think I’m going to go with a 3G 32GB… its just so unexpectedly spendy, though…)