Apple posts up iPad Guided Tours | Hacker News Reader

Apple posts up iPad Guided Tours

engadget.com

21 pointstomerico15 comments

It's striking how they don't use an article before the word "iPad". For example, they say "reading on iPad" instead of "reading on the iPad". Are they trying to make it sound alive?

I like how the link below the guided tours is "Watch the iPad video." That "the" must kill Steve.

That's because it's "the video", so also "the iPad video". When speaking proper Steve the noun iPad isn't used with an article, but that's the only exception.

So, "you watch a movie on iPad", but you "go to the store and buy an iPad". "iPad has over 50.000 applications", but "The iPad firmware is buggy". It's oddly consistent.

I doubt it, since the "the" in that is referring to the object "iPad video", not just the (hah!) iPad.

I think it's because they want to think of it as a system, not "just" a device. You never use the definite article before an operating system, for example, or a piece of software. "Download music on iTunes", "manage your photos with Mac OS X", "read the morning news on iPad".

It does sound damn weird though.

"I watched the news on TV."

That could be what they're aiming for?

They do the same for iPhone and iPod.

It's a signature linguistic quirk that Apple has used in hardware documentation as far back as I can recall. Anyone know when it dates to? It's got to be pretty old if it was used concurrently with the "Welcome to Macintosh" onscreen message in pre-OSX operating systems.

Here's the direct link if you want to wget it or "Save As...".

529 MB, about 30 min

> http://movies.apple.com/media/us/ipad/2010/tours/apple-ipad-...

Is it this series on youtube? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT2bD0-OqBM

Yes. "Originally" from http://www.apple.com/ipad/guided-tours/.

I am really considering buying one for my father's 50th. He's a professional programmer at an Israeli Startup and not the biggest Apple fan but I did convince him to buy a couple shares back pre-iPhone. What do you guys think?

Every video features someone with their legs propped up on a desk or ottoman. I predict Apple will release iOttoman - a portable piece of furniture to prop your feet up no matter where you use the iPad.

This struck me:

> Numbers has a special formula keyboard.

Can any app have a custom keyboard widget (that retains all the standard features)? I'd like to try building an iPad APL IDE...

Yes, but you're responsible for creating all of the graphics for it. Including the keys, and the background of the keys.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com