iSlate/iPad/iTablet?

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Color me disappointed. I'd like to replace my 7 lb 2003 laptop, and I was hoping this would be a netbook-equivalent, minus keyboard but with large touchscreen. Instead, it's a big iPod Touch, and I've got one of those. Dealbreakers:

- No windowed/multi-tasking ... I live by browser tabs now.
- Closed OS. As nice as many apps are, I want some full-featured programs so, when coupled with a bluetooth keyboard, I can do things like docs, spreadsheets, and presentations. I don't see that any time soon with this OS design. Eventually, maybe.
- Storage. Flash memory is nice, but 64GB is ... insufficient as sole storage.
- Java/Flash support in broswer. Hopefully fixed soon, but one of the big letdowns with the iPod web experience for me is the number of sites that really need that capability.
- Peripheral support. C'mon, at least give us a USB port or two. Dongle: pbbbbbbbbbbbt.

I'm hoping the HP Slate might be closer to what I'm looking for -- or more likely, given Apple development history, a GEN 3 iPad.

 

[Felon]

OK, folks, I mentioned the upcoming IdeaPads before, but a picture's purtier than a thousand words, right?

Here's the Lenovo S10-3T:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycZUKTZczWI&feature=related]Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t[/ame]
So let's see here. For $499 you will get a capacitive multitouch screen tablet and notebook packing an accelerometer. The hard drive starts in at 250 GB. The 1.6 processor's the new Atom N450 Pine Trail. You'll have a keyboard when you want it, a battery you can remove, and you'll have some USB ports, which means you can plug in your 3G modem, tether it, or you can spring for the optional built-in 3G and go with the provider of your choice.

Oh, and you'll have Flash.

That's available right now, but I haven't found any reviews yet for it.

Now, hold on to your socks. Here's what I'm going to have an ulcer waiting to get my hands on:

[ame="hhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5DYuVN6nuY"]Lenovo IdeaPad U1[/ame]

Purty enough fer ya, Morrus?

 

[Aeolius]

I want some full-featured programs so, when coupled with a bluetooth keyboard, I can do things like docs, spreadsheets, and presentations.

There will be iPad-specific versions of Pages (docs), Numbers (spreadsheets), and Keynote (presentations): Apple - iPad - App Store - 140,000 apps at your fingertips.

If that's not sufficient, OmniGroup is considering the development of iPad-speciic apps based on their suite of products like OmniFocus and OmniGraffle.

( EDIT: OmniGroup info confirmed )

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Now, hold on to your socks. Here's what I'm going to have an ulcer waiting to get my hands on:

Lenovo IdeaPad U1

Purty enough fer ya, Morrus?

Neat. I am using a Acer 1420p "convertible" at the moment. Convertible has the disadvantage that you schlepp around the full notebook even if you really want to only use the tablet. This might solve the issue. And, unlike my 1420p, this one seems to have a special "tablet mode interface" which might improve usability a lot.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

There will be iPad-specific versions of Pages (docs), Numbers (spreadsheets), and Keynote (presentations): Apple - iPad - App Store - 140,000 apps at your fingertips.

If that's not sufficient, OmniGroup is considering the development of iPad-speciic apps based on their suite of products like OmniFocus and OmniGraffle.

Will there be an option to purchase and install software NOT through the App Store? I'm not a fan of platform-enforced monopoly.

 

[Aeolius]

Will there be an option to purchase and install software NOT through the App Store? I'm not a fan of platform-enforced monopoly.

platform-enforced monopoly... Windows?

Seriously, though, I doubt there will be another option, as this model works so well with the iPhone. Developers submit apps to Apple, Apple makes sure the apps don't blow things up (one reason Flash, being a resource hog, isn't available), and then they are put in the app store.

(edit: - File Sharing. A shared file directory is provided that will mount on your Mac or PC. This is presumably how files such as iWork documents will be transferred to and from the iPad. iPad applications will be able to access this shared directory. )

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Here's the Lenovo S10-3T:

That is the best idea I have seen. I would never have thought to have the convert-to-laptop ability and its BADARSE!

Once they get a model with a 8.5x11 display so I can read PDFs at full size i'm going to be an early adopter...even if I have to work 500 hours OT to afford one.

DS

 

[Alan Shutko]

It is pretty cool. Hopefully, they've set it up so any docs you have on the tablet are accessible on the Windows side, and aren't completely locked off. I have a feeling if I had one of those, I'd end up carrying the whole laptop around all the time, and never using the tablet. But if it's light enough, that's ok. (For instance, I have a Macbook Air right now, first laptop light enough that I can really carry it everywhere even anticipating I'm not going to use it.)

 

[Ebonyr]

iPad vs. a Rock

 

[Mercule]

I'd say I'm interested, but not excited, per se. I may be in the minority, but I've never really found Apple's interfaces to be all that -- they just don't click with me. I have yet to purchase an Apple product and I don't see that changing with this.

But... I am very interested because it may usher in a new breed of machine, which could be cool. I'm not sure what niche the machine occupies, though. Is it an ebook reader with color and some smart phone toys? I want a lower price point for that -- say $300, maybe slightly more.

Is it just a slate tablet running on OSX? Slates predate the convertables and there's a reason they died out quick. I've done the tablet thing, and it has its uses, but it ain't as cool as it sounds for reading PDFs. And, unless tech has changed significantly (which it may have) there are some trade-offs in terms of power, which means you're buying another computer-priced toy that occupies almost the same niche, but not quite. My tablet was great for taking notes, project planning, email, etc. but it sucked eggs for surfing the web, playing games, and programming. Some of those could be fixed because it was a convertable, but it just didn't have the horsepower for bigger games or programming.

I'll be really interested to see where the iPad goes, though. There may be a niche it fills that I'm not aware of. Mainly, though, I think it's going to be a dud in itself, but turn up the heat for other gadgets at a lower price. There's probably room for a personal electronic device that combines a color e-reader, PDA-like features, note-taking, and web-browsing. I think it needs to come from the e-reader, PDA, or smart phone side, though, rather than the desktop/laptop/tablet side. In other words, if this is a giant iPod Touch, it's probably the best thing they could put out, right now.

I think the Microsoft Courier looks much, much cooler, though.