Three questions to ask before you pre-order an iPad | Hacker News Reader

Three questions to ask before you pre-order an iPad

xconomy.com

8 pointswaderoush11 comments

His complaints:

(1) You don't know how it will _feel_ (It's Apple so that's pretty much the one thing that is guaranteed to be fine)

(2) You don't know which iPhone apps will run correctly (get over it, the software will be buggy and under-featured for the first 6 months, but the web browser will work great and that's all that really matters. Remember iPhone OS 1.0?)

(3) How much will iPad-only apps cost? (A good question. My guess: another race to the bottom)

Based on the discussions I've had with other iPhone developers the one problem you won't have is a lack of "designed for iPad" apps.

There will be a lag as Apple isn't allowing "garden-variety" developers to submit iPad apps before they are tested on real hardware (and no we don't get our hands on any before anyone else) so expect there to be a couple of weeks before the flood hits the app store.

The other item I'll comment on is app cost. Given that the iPad version of "Pages" will be about $10 (and from what we've seen it's definitely at the high-end of the quality scale) I wouldn't expect a significant difference in price compared to existing (quality) iPhone apps. This may change with time however.

I wish, wish, WISH there would be a $5 price floor for "designed for iPad" apps! That would lead to a much more sustainable software ecosystem, and if someone wants to do a simple app they can design for iPhone, and there can be free "designed for iPad" for software that monetizes another way.

Too many developers are like NBA general managers and need someone to save them from themselves.

How about just 1 question: What are you gonna do with it?

I'm not buying it, because I can't think of a single thing I'd use it for. Microsoft's Courier, OTOH, has the potential to replace all my note-taking, diagramming etc.

Run noise.io. For me the iPad is the next generation ideal in synthesizer technology. It will change the landscape of synth plugins forever.

I can't even use it as a raw media consumption device since no flash = no youtube or hulu...and I'm sure as the sun is hot I can't play Blue Rays, divx, xvid files on it. Basically the only thing I could do with it is game and read books...and there are far better options for both.

Check out solutions like StreamToMe in the app store. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/streamtome/id325327899?mt=8

It pairs with a small server program that does on-the-fly transcoding and streaming. I've been using for months on my iPhone and I can't wait to move up to a larger screen.

YouTube is built in.

Here's what it may feel like: to big to replace your iPhone or iPod, no keyboard or mouse so it won't replace your laptop. A "three-handled family credenza" with no place in your life.

http://www.xconomy.com/national/2010/03/12/the-apple-ipad-th...

For those of you who don't feel like clicking to 3 separate pages just to read three questions...

I set my alarm and pre-ordered mine at 5:30 this morning.

I rationalized it by convincing myself that I need a second iPhone OS device for testing a game that I'm writing, one that has a compass and accelerometers. GPS would be nice, but for now I can just hard-code a static location across town for Player 2.

That leaves a choice between an entry-level iPad at $500 or buying a second 3GS for $800, so it was an easy decision.

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