To iPad or not to iPad - that is the question?

The iPad is about to go on sale in Australia. Just looking at the shiny thing, I feel I want one and it is very competitively priced but it seems there are lots of reasons not to buy one! Some interesting reports. This from CNet ...

No multi-tasking. That's a big one for me.

Further insight in this video review in today's Sydney Morning Herald.

If I were you, I would wait for the next gen or 2... I will be gettin an iPad, but not until approx gen 3, and heres why.

Apple are very smart when it comes to testing and research, but many people think that the iPad, has been a let down... I think the oposite. Apple are so smart at testing and research, that they are getting us to pay them for it.

We have already seen that the hardware has room for extra, thats not been added, such as a camera, and the area for the camera, is already in the caseing.

as well, there are many software features that have been locked out, such as the "emergency call" feature... But hold on, iPad has no phone capability... Yes, not yet, because

Apple launches its Gen 1 iPad onto the market to get as much feedback as possible (all feedback is good feedback), such as your comment above re multi-tasking. Once they have all the market research they need, they then start to turn on the "locked-out" features, and add to the hardware all the things they had originally planned.

It's best to wait for the imminent announcement of the G-Pad. Google's android powered pad. With the now release of flash, it will do everything the iPad does BUT more importantly everything it doesn't too!!

Then they release it onto the market as gen 2, or even a "super" version iPad - "something".

I know Steve J said they wont be supporting flash... but I just heard that now they will be. Anyone know otherwise?

Highly unlikely. Apple's move to control the development process by blocked the likes of Adobe Air, Flash etc places a big block on the relationship

Thats what I thought

Here's a recent video of the Android Tablet. Great stuff. Flash means more than YouTube.

Flash allows you to view content on many many sites. Also with Adobe Air now moving to Android watch the app development surge for Google's offering

Yeah... preaching to the converted here... I"m a Multimedia Developer... and many developments that I have been involved with have used flash in one way or another, from interactives, games, vids, webcam chat ap, websites, flash based club membership system, database driven flash aps, etc. Flash is much more than just vid.

I'm looking forward to the Android tablet, to see how it puches the competative market.

Google's own tablet will probably have a lower price point given their core business is ads, apps and so on

One area where Apple always wins is design - navigation and the operation of their software is always a pleasure but more particularly I mean the physical hardware. One shouldn't underestimate the part that will play in driving sales.

I suspect like pseudyx I'll buy at Gen 2 or 3.

also I wouldn't be surprised if the ChromeOS doesn't get ditched in favour of Android Laptop/Netbook OS

What runs on Chrome OS presently?

nothing, set to launch later this year but I wouldn't be surprised if they just keep pushing android

it's certainly versatile enough

Apple have great design value but if you look back on the history of their renaissance starting with iPhone V1 there is plenty of evidence to show navigation/operation is very much a case of style over substance

now they have a valuable infrastructure to push their hardware forwards with. That's their major weapon

the problem with Apple claiming html5 is the future is that html5 still needs a codec attached to it

Apple would claim h.264 is the answer, but (and here's the kicker) it's not an open standard as Apple would have you believe

Go on?

apple's infrastructure is powerful given the app store and itunes. If they manage to pull off the long rumored iTunes subscription service, they may have the game ender in their hands

What will you get for your iTunes subscription?

the concept is "all you can eat"

most likely with a degradation effect. So unplayable out of iTunes and good for say 1 week.

What, you mean music you subscribe to can only be played for 1 week?! Surely not.

well if you can watch anything on subscription it would be mostly likely download then watch

rather than stream

so therefore 1wk or maybe longer to watch

anyway just a thought. But Google certainly, except YouTube which is fairly device agnostic, has no iTunes competitor.

Ahh OK, was thinking only of music where a subscription model plainly wouldn't work if the songs time expired.

Yes iTunes subscription would cover all their content movies, tv, music etc

I think I'm gonna go to sleep for the next 5-10 years and see where wearable tech is at then... We realy are just scratching the surface with iPad, Google Pad, Apple OS, Android, etc.

Check out this newish advancement from sony in display technology