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Tag: iPad

Android? Sorry no iPad Killer Here

I keep hearing from all the Apple haters/Android fanboys that SOME DAY – Android is going to kill the iPad.

Sure – just like the Zune was going to kill the iPod/iTunes.

Sorry – facts can be cruel – so if you’re one of those folks who’d rather stick to your ideology than know the truth, stop reading now.

According to NetMarketShare, browsing on the iPad has already stomped on Android.

NetMarketShare says browser usage share on the iPad has already surpassed usage share on both the Android platform and the iPod Touch.  Since Android and iPod Touch units sold vastly outnumber iPad units sold, this is an indication that the iPad is used much more frequently per user for browsing.

The iPad is brand new and already, it’s proving it’s going to be tough to dethrone. In its first iteration, it’s selling one every three seconds. If it’s like the iPhone, we can expect that each rev of the iPad will outsell the previous version, making the platform even stronger.

To those who tell me the Android/Pad will kill the iPad I say – bullpucky!

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

by admin on July 3, 2010
filed in Punditry
tagged ,

The iPad Bookstore – Fact or Fiction

By Scott Bourne

I’m very, very interested in the iPad book store. I think this is one of the most exciting things about the iPad. It provides a beautiful reading experience and an opportunity for lots of people to share beautiful books – including independent publishers and emerging authors.

While the bookstore is just getting built, it has more than 45,000 titles already. Some complain this isn’t a wide enough selection. That may be true, but I don’t think I have time to read any more books than that :)

The prices on these books tend to run anywhere from roughly $7.50 to $12.50, with a few rogue titles costing more and some being free. Is that too expensive? Probably. You might argue that electronic books should be a bunch cheaper since there’s no paper, shipping, storage, etc.

I did too – until I found out how the business model works. The book business has always been one of the most byzantine out there. Now with sorting out who gets electronic distribution rights thrown into the mix, it’s gotten worse.

As the author of five published books, with a sixth on the way, I can tell you the author always gets the smallest part of the paycheck. The publisher, distributor, retailer, etc., get as much as $0.95 cents on the dollar. Some authors sneak by with about a nickel out of each buck. If you’re a good negotiator, you may more towards a dime. But unless you’re John Grisham, you won’t get rich writing books.

So Apple is taking 30%. Programmers and publishers are getting most of the rest. So while I think the books should cost less, I see why they don’t.

As for types of books, it looks like more than two thirds of the titles are non-fiction. Politics, personal finance, history, memoirs and fitness are some of the most popular categories.

PadPundit will keep a close eye on developments in this space and report more information as it becomes available.

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

by admin on May 1, 2010
filed in Punditry
tagged ,

iPad Camera Connection Kit Mini Review

I’ve been testing the iPad Camera Connection Kit on my iPad for the last 24 hours. It works about as well as I hoped it would, and even offered a few surprises.

The kit costs $29 and includes two separate parts, both of which plug into the iPad dock connector: a USB adapter and an SD card reader. Because the kit connects to the standard connection port on the bottom of the iPad, you’ll have to lay the iPad down flat to use the kit, unless you have a dock, then you may be able to find another way.

One of the biggest, and happiest surprises was that the kit supports both JPEG and RAW formats. If you have a camera RAW format supported by Apple’s Camera Raw converter, then the iPad can see and convert your RAW images with no special tricks. At this point, I am unaware of any software that would allow you to “process” the RAW image. The Apple Raw Converter merely converts it as shot and shows you the image. You can’t manipulate it from there. Again, I expect a third-party app will become available to handle this, although personally, I don’t see myself using my iPad to correct my images. I’ll stick with my calibrated and beautiful 24″ Apple Cinema Display for that.

Once you get the photos onto the iPad you can email them, view them or upload them to several online photo services. It appears you can’t upload multiple images at one time without some third-party application. This is an obvious shortcoming, but easy to work around once you find a third-party app that handles multiple image uploads.

I haven’t tested many devices, but so far, only a pair of USB headphones worked attached to the USB connector. It seems that the USB connector is designed exclusively for photo transfer. While the USB headphones work, don’t think of this connector as a USB port. It isn’t. I tried a USB drive and two different USB keyboards that didn’t work. I also tried to import images from a USB memory stick. Didn’t work.

Some gadget sites are reporting that they’ve been able to make a USB keyboard work, but I am not able to replicate that experience. Perhaps only certain brands of keyboard will work.

Back to what the kit is supposed to do….if you have a memory card or a camera, it does work. To import images via the kit, connect the appropriate adapter and then connect your memory card or camera as the case may be. The Photo App launches and a new CAMERA tab shows up with previews of the images.

Select the images to import with a tapping gesture. You can selectively import images or import all images.

You’ll eventually see an IMPORT COMPLETE message and that’s it.

The kit works well but it won’t solve the problem of adding a real USB port to your iPad. As long as you know and can accept it’s limitations, I think you’ll agree it’s a valuable addition to the iPad product/accessory line.

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

by admin on April 26, 2010
filed in Reviews
tagged ,

More Pre-Release iPad News

E-Readers – Barnes & Noble has stated that it is developing an e-reader application for the iPad. It will give iPad owners access to one million eBooks, magazines and newspapers in the Barnes & Noble library.

Will Amazon follow suit? You can bet the ranch they will.

3G – You will be able to order data on the go, with no contract or commitment, if you buy the 3G enabled iPad. Apple announced that you will be able to add the data feature directly from the iPad without having to call AT&T.

Sales – Valcent Financial Group estimates that Apple sold 50,000 pre-orders in the first two hours the iPad was available yesterday.

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

by admin on March 13, 2010
filed in News
tagged , ,

Apple Pushes Back iPad Shipping Date

Apple has announced a delay in the shipping date of the iPad. April 3, 2010 is the new target date. We do have a confirmed order date. Apple will start taking orders on March 12, 2010.
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by admin on March 6, 2010
filed in News
tagged

The iPad Will Change Photography – Part 3

In this series, I will start to lay out the case for how and why I think the iPad will change photography. Now before you get too excited, I’m not talking about major change, but IMPORTANT change.

Part 1
http://padpundit.com/archives/19
Part 2
http://padpundit.com/archives/50

The transportability of the iPad is perhaps it’s biggest asset to photographers. Back in the day, we used to lug around and ship big books full of photos we called portfolios. We’d get assignments and photo buyers would license our images based on the work we presented in our “book.”

The Internet hasn’t completely eliminated the need for a physical portfolio in some parts of the industry, but the Internet does get emerging photographers noticed so that they can show their book.

I doubt that will change in my lifetime. But I do see some variances. I see a device like the iPad being able to bridge the gap between full-fledged printed portfolio, and Internet web site.

Remember back to the iPad introduction. Steve Jobs sitting on a couch. That was a deliberate choice. Now think about a family or a newly-engaged young couple looking at photos. The act of sitting comfortably on the couch and passing around a digital portfolio that is lightweight, well-designed and attractive seems like a natural event.

The iPad is less than 10-inches wide, weights just 1.5 pounds and is one half inches thick. No heavy book to lift and pass. No worries about paying to print images over and over in order to show them. Just hand the iPad to the person you want to see your portfolio and sit back, relax and enjoy the experience. You can set up multiple portfolios, slide shows and more. Comparing that with a laptop which is heavier, more complex to use and difficult to navigate for computer novices and the iPad should win.

The iPad offers other advantages over traditional print-based portfolios. You can zoom in for detail on an iPad. A physical print however is just what it is. No digital zoom available. You won’t have to overnight anything via courier to your prospects. They’ll just download your iPad-formatted portfolio onto their own iPad and enjoy.

I believe that we’ll see some amazing third-party portfolio applications that make the experience beyond cool – it will be – well super cool :)

The iPad is perfectly-sized for passing around to the prospective bride or her parents or your kids or anyone whom you want to see your images. We’ll have to see how it works in real life, but I’m very excited about the possibilities.

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

by admin on March 3, 2010
filed in Articles
tagged ,

Apple’s A4 Chip and Why You Should Care About It

Apple uses software to sell hardware and in the case of the iPad it’s no different. The new A4 chip that powers the iPad is an important step for Apple and they needed something like the iPad (and the 140,000 apps it will run on day one) to make the A4 viable.

So what are the A4 specs? We don’t know much about it but we do know it’s a One GHz, high-performance, SOC, low-power chip.

According to comments by those who have used the iPad (including our own Andy Ihnatko) the iPad is bloody fast. You see instant results when doing things like using the iPad as a gaming interface or rotating from horizontal to portrait mode. These are places the iPhone OS shows its weaknesses. But not the iPad.

So why does this matter? Did you just notice I mentioned the iPhone? An A4 variant could very well power the next iPhone or other future Apple devices. Also, the ability to provide incredible processing power and speed while still offering long battery life has implications beyond the small mobile devices. How about a MacBook powered by the next generation A4?

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

by admin on February 22, 2010
filed in Articles, Punditry
tagged ,

10 Random Facts You Might Not Know About the iPad

1. It will pair with any Bluetooth keyboard
2. It’s smaller, lighter and cheaper than some Sony Vaio netbooks
3. People say the iPad won’t allow multi-tasking but it appears that it will – at least when you are using some Apple apps
4. A base model iPad will hold approximately 22,000 1024 pixel photos
5. You can indeed output the iPad video to an HDTV
6. You will be able to connect USB devices to the iPad through an adapter cable
7. You will be able to read SD/CF cards onto an iPad through an adapter cable
8. The iPad is similarly priced to the less powerful, mono-screened Kindle DX
9. Most (if not all) external batteries for iPods and iPhones will also power the iPad
10. The iPad is not supposed to replace a laptop or a net book – it’s a new class of device

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

by admin on February 17, 2010
filed in Articles
tagged

Apple Tablet Week: The Event Liveblog Hands-on, and Questions

EDITOR’S NOTE: This has been cleaned up a bit but was typed on an iPhone and a few typos remain as well as a few NSFW words so read at your own risk. But if you DON’T read it you’ll be sorry. It’s great! My pal (and partner in this site) Andy Ihnatko was actually AT the Apple invite-only press event launching the iPad. Andy ACTUALLY GOT TO USE an iPad. Here’s a republished version of his live blog of the event, the good the bad and the ugly. Enjoy…
———————————————————-

Screen resolution is 1024×768 at 132 dpi.

Reading books on it: text sure isn’t as crisp as a Kindle. But it’s illuminated and anti-aliased so on the whole, the lower resolution is in many ways more readable than e-ink.

Feels very light in the hand. I’m not as worried about Arm Fatigue as I was.

This thing is FAST. I stretch-zoom a webpage and it keeps up with me now matter how fast I zoom and scroll. When you turn a page in iBook, it’s not “an animation of a page turning”…you are TURNING a freaking PAGE.

iBook will let you read free previews in some fashion. But nobody could give ne specifics. Read a special preview, online only? Download the first couple of chapters to the device, like Kindle?

Keyboard easel accessory is $69. It doesn’t fold for travel. Has special iPad buttons to go Home, etc.

Keyboard can keep up with my 100 WPM easy.

Virtual keyboard is more “tappable” than “typeable.” you can easily type with all fingers, but you need to be slightly more deliberate than normal.

Same mechanical buttons on the iPad itself as on the iPhone.

Hold the lid of a small MacBook and you’ll get the general effect.

Steve is on the demo floor, being interviewed by Mossberg. I am trying to get a photo without compromising my “Steve doesn’t know my name” status.

OS and UI experience: it IS an iPhone. The OS will probably have to be renamed. Every time the UI confused me, it was because I expected it to work unlike an iPhone in some way.
Some of my early impressions, while the video plays

My first chance to breathe since the shows started. Very underwhelnmed by the lack of unexpected fresh new I. But then again, maybe a reinvention of the touch UI would have been gauche. This appears to be a statement that “We developed the iPhone to be a great touch OS that could scale to anything.”

So its all one universe. You learned to use the iPhone…good so you now know how to use an iPad. You shop at the iTunes Store? Good, thats how you buy things for the iPad.

“We were right all along,” I think is their statement with the iPad.

Pricing is KILLER. This thing will mop the floor with just about anything. Its so easy to talk yourself into spending another $100 to get an iPad instead of a netbook or even $240 more for this instead of an ebook reader.

And the “pay as you go” is another key to this thing’s success’ I think Apple has worked hard to erase obstacles to purchasing this.

Accessories

A nice little easel.

A dock easel…WITH A KEYBOARD?! Okay, Im an idiot. I was certain that it wouldn’t have any sort of keyboard option.

Also a little leather book cover.

Inspirational little video with Mr. Ive. Read the full post »

by admin on February 15, 2010
filed in Reviews
tagged ,

The iPad Will Change Photography – Part 2

EDITOR’S NOTE: Cross-Posted at Photofocus.com

Last week I wrote the first in a series of posts about the iPad’s impact on photography.

In this series, I will start to lay out the case for how and why I think the iPad will change photography. Now before you get too excited, I’m not talking about major change, but IMPORTANT change.

Last week I mentioned that the iPad is a CONTENT machine – aimed at consuming it not creating it. Today, I want to talk about the interface.

The iPad doesn’t come with a pointer, a trackpad, a trackball or a mouse. It relies on multi-touch technology. If you’ve seen the Tom Cruise movie where Cruise uses his hand to interact with a computer while hunting for a criminal you understand multi-touch. If you have an Apple iPhone or laptop you probably use multi-touch right now. And that is one very crucial factor in the iPad’s ability to share photographs.

Millions (and I do mean millions) of people are already familiar with Apple’s multi-touch technology. They use it every day. So that means the iPad will come to their door ready to use. No training required. Heck, you won’t even need to read the manual.

Laptops, tablet computers and such are much more complicated. Small children can use a mult-touch device right out of the box – as can elderly folks who think “learning” a computer is too big a task.

I’ve seen it with my own two eyes. When I first got the iPhone I put a portfolio of my wolf pics on the phone. I knew my neighbor’s five-year-old daughter loved wolves so I just handed her the phone and asked her if she wanted to look at some wolf photos. She got excited, literally grabbed the phone from me, turned it horizontally (since the first pic in the show was horizontal) and started enjoying the photo. Then I simply said, “Go on to the next one now.” She looked at me funny but then back at the iPhone and sure enough, she just organically knew to try swiping the image. When it worked she let out a little yelp of happiness. I then showed her (one time) how to pinch to zoom in and within a few minutes she had mastered the whole thing.

This is the stuff Apple does very, very well. And you can bet it’s going to make the iPad one of the most consumer-friendly pieces of technology we’ve ever seen.

Apple has worked to expand multi-touch on the iPad. There are numerous new “gestures” planned for the iPad.

Bundles (or piles or stacks) can be made by holding a finger on one picture and then tapping others to group together.

New Resize handle makes it easy to tap and grab one or more images and resize them.

New page navigation sidebar lets you see thumbnails of pages to select.

New context-based keyboards will automatically resize to fit the app you’re using.

There are many more like floating control panels, optimized views, more spread and pinch options, popovers, dragging to create lists, etc.

And this doesn’t even count all the new gestures we’ll see once the third-party developers get into writing new ones.

In short, I see the ability to interact with the iPad via multi-touch as a new opportunity to show off your photo portfolio with flair. Not only will you be able to show pictures, but if you become skilled at multi-touch gestures, you’ll be able to do it with style.

The ability to use the iPad as a portable portfolio is probably my main attraction to the device. And portability is the next thing I’ll cover in part 3 of the series.

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

by admin on February 13, 2010
filed in Punditry
tagged ,
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