iPad 2

[Lazy8s]

Autodesk/Scaleform showed off some nice handling of Flash in the framework of an attractive UI.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2dbwQM-bAE

It'd be a good enabler for iOS and provide at least some consolation for its Flash deficiency.

While I don't miss Flash too much on my iPhone and iPad and agree with Apple's viewpoint in principle, their stance hurts the customer in this particular instance for which consideration should take priority.

 

[tangey]

That Hardkernal Odriod result on GLbenchmark appears to be a samsung development platform board. So unlikely to have been optimised for power, and hence although indicative of the potential of Mali, is unlikely to be representative of real-world performance in an end product.

 

[Arwin]

While I don't miss Flash too much on my iPhone and iPad and agree with Apple's viewpoint in principle, their stance hurts the customer in this particular instance for which consideration should take priority.

It's an investment. iPad is very successul and if that continues at the current pace, more and more sites will shift to html5. Meanwhile, iPad gets to keep its battery last a lot longer. I think it may be worthwhile trying to keep this up, but of course we'll have to wait and see if it is successful, and yes, there are clear downsides.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Flash isn't the greatest thing ever, and I'd like to see it's use limited, but I think part of the decision is because Apple doesn't want to see a whole lot of free touch-screen flash games on the Internet.

 

[idsn6]

This is far off track, but Apple has been promoting HTML5 very hard, continually improving WebKit with speed and new features (canvas, audio/video, touch/accelerometer/sensor access) to rival Flash functionality. Remember, web apps were originally the only "API" for iPhone apps, and are still promoted by Apple as the open, uncurated platform alternative to the App Store. It doesn't make sense for them to fear competition from "touch-screen Flash games" when they're building top-class foundations for "touch-screen HTML5 games".

 

[Pressure]

Flash isn't the greatest thing ever, and I'd like to see it's use limited, but I think part of the decision is because Apple doesn't want to see a whole lot of free touch-screen flash games on the Internet.

Part of it has also to be with the weekly security flaws found in flash.

It would be like owning a PS3 . . . another week, another freakin' update

 

[Mize]

Stopped in at a best buy to see if I could find a sandy bridge asus laptop for my daughter (no luck), and asked if they were stocking ipad2s...they had 2 wifi/32mb units so, he'll, I bought one.

Very nice. Giant iPod, but much slicker than the rooted Nook Froyo I've been messing with.

HP Touchpad bring it on! I can give this one to my wife

 

[Entropy]

Stopped in at a best buy to see if I could find a sandy bridge asus laptop for my daughter (no luck), and asked if they were stocking ipad2s...they had 2 wifi/32mb units so, he'll, I bought one.

Very nice. Giant iPod, but much slicker than the rooted Nook Froyo I've been messing with.

HP Touchpad bring it on! I can give this one to my wife

Well, I stopped by this morning after yesterdays iPad shopping frenzy, and jokingly asked if they had any 16GB WiFI only black frames left. They had one! Seeing as this was obviously a sign from God, I promptly purchased it. Like you, I have no intention of keeping it for myself (*cough*) I intend to give it to my 80+ father, who has never understood computers in his life. Of course, it will have to spend a few weeks in our home as I set it up for him, so we'll see how hard it will be to part with. Personally, I want higher pixel density and resolution. I'm spoiled by the 324 dpi of my phone. Pixelly text is no longer acceptable.

 

[Mize]

This thing is so darned functional though. Jail broken with some better multitasking and an OpenVPN client it would cover most of my travel-computer needs. The geek in me wants Linux/android/ WebOS, but it's hard to argue the polish of the iPad2. aka iPod XL. LOL.

 

[ltcommander.data]

http://firemint.com/2011/watch-real-racing-2-hd-in-gorgeous-1080p-on-ipad-2/

Firemint's gotten the iPad 2 outputting Real Racing 2 in 1080p to a TV while also driving the iPad 2 display to show track information. Pretty impressive for a mobile device, especially if it's outputting native 1080p, considering console games generally aren't even native 720p.

Now if rumours of Apple licensing AirPlay video streaming to TV makers are true, this might even be possible wirelessly, although perhaps not at 1080p. Before licensing, Apple might want to set a spec for TV makers that support AirPlay to support 4 player split screen. It would be very cool to have 4 people, each with an iDevice around a TV, wirelessly outputting to a corner of the screen, and playing together. Having everyone in a household with an iDevice would also be very lucrative for Apple.

 

[Squilliam]

This thing is so darned functional though. Jail broken with some better multitasking and an OpenVPN client it would cover most of my travel-computer needs. The geek in me wants Linux/android/ WebOS, but it's hard to argue the polish of the iPad2. aka iPod XL. LOL.

Now now... the dark side beckons and you're talking about how good it is?! Anakin is that you?

 

[Teasy]

Had a go of one of these today, nice screen, responsive and great as a web browser, but I'm not sure what else I'd want it for. Going to stick with my netbook for now.

 

[wco81]

Initially, people were pointing out what the iPad (and other tablets) couldn't do compared to laptops and netbooks.

Now, with its growing success, there are growing entertainment options which won't be available on laptops and netbooks. You can use the latter with ereader software but it's not the same experience. iPad is starting to accumulate a number of games and other entertainment software which aren't available on computers.

If they finally deliver the Retina Display as speculated, it will be hard to beat as an entertainment medium.

 

[Ailuros]

Had a go of one of these today, nice screen, responsive and great as a web browser, but I'm not sure what else I'd want it for. Going to stick with my netbook for now.

My problem is similar. Web browsing for me also includes posting on fora and typing on a virtual keyboard isn't exactly as practical as any keyboard.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

Why does Apple want to enforce ISPs to gap the 3G internet connection with the Ipads?
In Finland one ISP didn't want to offer a gapped 3G connection and now Apple promotes only said ISPs competition in their web page. The unlimited connection is not more expensive.

 

[Lazy8s]

My phone and tablet both wake and switch to the browser so much faster and more conveniently than either my PC or iMac that I use the mobile devices a lot more for the web even at home.

A lot of my web usage is reading and posting to forums, and auto complete plus auto correct as well as cut/copy/paste on their on-screen keyboards has made typing surprisingly practical.

 

[Arwin]

My phone and tablet both wake and switch to the browser so much faster and more conveniently than either my PC or iMac that I use the mobile devices a lot more for the web even at home.

Actually, I noticed that starting up my PC with Ubuntu 10.01 and then starting up Chrome is sometimes/oftentimes faster. It is most certainly faster than using the iPhone browser for anything, in my experience. Of course the iPhone still often wins thanks to ForumRunner being a lot more efficient to use than the browser for Forum stuff.

A lot of my web usage is reading and posting to forums, and auto complete plus auto correct as well as cut/copy/paste on their on-screen keyboards has made typing surprisingly practical.

Same for me, although I disagree about auto-correct on iOS - I hate its guts and turn it off as soon as possible every time, even when I give it a chance. For some reason, not only does it too easily auto-correct into words I don't want, but it very easily also accidentally stores suggestions that I don't need and that can be very intrusive. I have to be able to delete entries manually before it will ever become useful to me.

Fortunately I can type really well on the on-screen keyboard, and the one on the iPad even better.

Case in point is that I do most of my posts here these days on my iPhone using ForumRunner (though not this one).

 

[Entropy]

Why does Apple want to enforce ISPs to gap the 3G internet connection with the Ipads?
In Finland one ISP didn't want to offer a gapped 3G connection and now Apple promotes only said ISPs competition in their web page. The unlimited connection is not more expensive.

This is bizarre. Apple "enforces" no such thing, in fact they promote internet connection sharing in software and marketing both. Put the blame where it belongs. You can choose carrier and plan. Do it.

ISP/Carriers want to milk their customers. This is understandable. There are basically only two viable approaches to consumer rights in this space, and it's either a healthy number of near equal competing ISPs, which I'm not aware exists anywhere, or government regulation. (Either by legislation or by outright owning the base stations and leasing it to the ISPs along with contractual rules.) Of course, consumers can throw Molotovs from the barricades. Sometimes this actually helps. If consumers have a choice, they should exercise it, but being clear on what is going on helps and blaming Apple when the ISP enforces rules goes nowhere.

Where I live, I don't know of any carrier that outright blocks internet sharing. Of course, traffic volume limitations and lousy available bandwidth serves as excellent deterrents for general sharing anyway, so why pointlessly antagonize the customers further?

 

[Mize]

Entropy: in the playbook thread you said you can Bluetooth tether your iPad via your iPhone. All of apple's docs say this is not possible - that neither device support BT modem profiles. I know my iPad 2 only supports audio.

 

[Joe DeFuria]

Fortunately I can type really well on the on-screen keyboard, and the one on the iPad even better.

Really?

I'm looking at different tablet form factors now, and one of my "issues" with 10 inch tablets is the awkwardness of typing. With (admitedly) limitied use, I've found "thumbing" messages is not comfortable on a 10 inch device, even in portrait. I would end up either lying the tablet flat on my lap or table (which defeats the purpose of the tablet, IMO), or hold the tablet with one arm and type with the other hand.

On the other hand, "thumbing" with a 7" tablet is much more natural.

Physically...how do you type on a 10" tablet? Are you using the stock keyboard or are there different layouts you can use which (for example) split the keyboard and put all the keys closer to the edges of the screen?