I PAD - WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ?

4/3/2010

Hi...


The I Pad just came out, I watched a demonstration,
My opinion is it's an expensive toy ( $499- $830-) I
don't think it'll take over the computer, it's great for
us authors because a lot of E books are going to be
on it. Personally I wouldn't buy it, I love my computer.
What is your opinion ?


Cheers..Joe..

"They" SAY it's going to open up this huge market for book apps, but is it? Its even more expensive than Kindle's and such. The comic book people are going nuts over it, and there's a greater liklihood of it being a comix platform than books.

What advantage does it offer readers over an eReader or a small netbook you can buy for like $250 and use for a lot of other stuff?
It's too small to work with (people will get tired of typing on the touch screen REALLY fast--but nobody has found that out yet) but too small to carry around. (Like a smart phone or Blackberry is..and can be used to make calls, take pictures, access Flash websites, run two programs at once, play music, etc. etc.)

It's a geek toy, and a lot of the geeks have already turned against it. Cory Doctorow just had an article on boingboing.com, a VERY influential site, saying he won't buy one and nobody else should, either.

People rhapsodizing this thing are just awed by newness, cuteness, and "otherness". They don't really come with any practical applications. It's going to be the first big Apple "iBomb"

Well Smashwords is signed up to it and I opted in for my books to be distributed to the Istore. So if it sells some of my books good. It also has colour which many dedicated ebook readers don't. But really only time will tell us if it will be the success that Apple want it to be.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/03/apple-ipad-review/

With some caviats, the reviewers at engadget seem impressed.

The one thing that bugs me with the ebook tech is it is not really suited to kids books. Make a pop up version and you're on to a winner I may even buy one then.
No child will be using one or taking an ebook device to school.
For me I don't see the likelyhood of childrens book sales increasing through the ipad or any other ebook reader.
Don't get me wrong the tech is a great idea.
The tech is great for young adults upwards though.

The printed book will be with us for a lot longer.

There is no point in reading gadget blog reviews of this thing. The only people who care about it are gizmo freaks. you see all this crap about pads replacing computers, etc.

It would actually be way better for kids books than the Kindle and such, obviously. And, of course, the comics.
But is it needed? Why not just get a little netbook and have a real computer?

You see all this visionary blab about libraries and schools having them for kids, but what good is that? And who is going to hand over an $800 thing to a kid?

The thing just doesn't serve any real need or demand.


BTW, there are several other "pads" on the way, many superior to the iPad in many ways and/or cheaper, new ereaders will have color Pixel Qi screens by the end of the year.

Well, I won't be buying one, but I never underestimate the desire of others to show off their disposable income with the latest toy.

About handing over an $800 thing to a kid -I used to think that about laptops. The schools buy insurance.

Lin,
I agree. Just another gadget for people who want the latest but don't need it.
A new Easter bonnet to wear one day and put on the shelf.

An extreme example of this was a proposed art/literatrure piece I saw for libraries: a whole wall covered with iPods. At $500 a pop. Of course, it could have been done for a fraction of that just using small monitors.
It's gonna be an Edsel. A "monokini". Quadraphonic stereo.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/03/ipad-line-watch-the-few-the-proud/

Scroll down -some pretty impressive lines.

My favorite comment: "the icattle are grazing, soon the feeding will start." lol

iBurgers coming up