iPad

[iCraig]

Multiple windows in Safari? Yeah it does, but they're one at a time obviously. If I want to check Facebook (via the app) I have to close Safari to view it. Then to view the websites again, close FB and open Safari and reload those pages.

Like I said though, not so bad on a mobile device because of the limited processing, screen size etc. Nobody expects windowed programs you can drag around and minimise etc, too messy. On a tablet though, isn't the whole point having a nice big multi-touch screen with "revolutionary design and experience" to do that sort of thing? Why can't you be browsing the web and bring up skype without losing what you were doing in Safari? On a 2010 tablet computer? Seriously? That's my point.

[Blighter]

I think they should have two buttons - the home button, then a new button which brings up an ALT-TAB style box which lets you switch between apps. Simples.

[LeperousDust]

Acidhell, whilst you're browsing round the internet on a brilliantly designed device with an amazing UI one web app at a time. I'll be doing the same on my year old netbook, faster (i still argue easier, you woulnd't be typing a reply half as fast as me right now) All whilst watching iplayer (or some other flash site) talking to my friends on msn, and organising my photos in picasa dirrectly from an sd card. Playing with GPS or DVB tv, using its multi-touch track pad, all for £208 ... I think you're being incredibly short0sighted, and you may say that about me, but i want to like the idea of a tablet, but in practice a netbook usually makes more sense. There is no doubt that using my netbook on my lap right now with my legs up, with a keyboard and the screen tilted to the right height, i dont even need to use any hands. Whereas you'd be holding or propping an iPad up. I can see theres absolutely no convicing you and i dont realy care whether you get one or not! I just (like many people) fail to see most of its "features"...

[divine]

Originally Posted by LeperousDust

Acidhell, whilst you're browsing round the internet on a brilliantly designed device with an amazing UI one web app at a time. I'll be doing the same on my year old netbook, faster (i still argue easier, you woulnd't be typing a reply half as fast as me right now) All whilst watching iplayer (or some other flash site) talking to my friends on msn, and organising my photos in picasa dirrectly from an sd card. Playing with GPS or DVB tv, using its multi-touch track pad, all for £208 ... I think you're being incredibly short0sighted, and you may say that about me, but i want to like the idea of a tablet, but in practice a netbook usually makes more sense. There is no doubt that using my netbook on my lap right now with my legs up, with a keyboard and the screen tilted to the right height, i dont even need to use any hands. Whereas you'd be holding or propping an iPad up. I can see theres absolutely no convicing you and i dont realy care whether you get one or not! I just (like many people) fail to see most of its "features"...

In all honesty a tablet can make sense, when it's done properly. There is no technical reason a tablet couldn't do all those things just like a netbook (bar the speed of typing obviously), the iPad however for whatever reasons Apple deemed appropriate is a very very restricted bit of kit in reality.

The point about having to hold it is quite pertinent though I think, people mention watching films and using it on the train a fair bit and i'm not convinced it betters a netbook for that. Pretty much every train i've been on has a fold down table on the backs of seats to put a laptop on. Sit netbook on there, watch film, job done, easy peasy. With an iPad, unless you buy an extra accessory for it to stand it up, you'll have to hold it the entire time which would be a bit annoying really.

[petemc]

Originally Posted by LeperousDust

Acidhell, whilst you're browsing round the internet on a brilliantly designed device with an amazing UI one web app at a time.

Web app?

Also how many times do I have to point out that my iPhone can multitask after jailbreaking. Surely the iPad will be simple to do as its the same OS.

Whilst you're multitasking on your netbook try running apps from the app store Its feeling very much like a Mac vs PC debate. I use a Mac mostly for the apps that either aren't as good or aren't available on Windows. I'll use the iPad partly for similar apps.

Its also feeling so much like debates when the iPhone came out. "Haha no MMS? My phone can do MMS. No copy/paste? What a joke!" and so on. 2 years later and everyone is copying Apple's approach.

[divine]

Originally Posted by petemc

Whilst you're multitasking on your netbook try running apps from the app store

How many apps do you use that you can't get equivalent functionality on PC?

Not having a go but looking at my iPod all the apps on it that I actually use are pretty much PC replacement apps like facebook, last.fm, iPlayer, GMail. I've not come across any app that isn't already done on a PC or Mac.

Point being, as good as the app store is, is there anything on it that is really 'killer' and couldn't be matched by a netbook running Windows or MacOSX (or a tablet running MacOSX)?

[petemc]

Flight Control!

[LeperousDust]

Originally Posted by petemc

Web app?

Also how many times do I have to point out that my iPhone can multitask after jailbreaking. Surely the iPad will be simple to do as its the same OS.

Whilst you're multitasking on your netbook try running apps from the app store Its feeling very much like a Mac vs PC debate. I use a Mac mostly for the apps that either aren't as good or aren't available on Windows. I'll use the iPad partly for similar apps.

Its also feeling so much like debates when the iPhone came out. "Haha no MMS? My phone can do MMS. No copy/paste? What a joke!" and so on. 2 years later and everyone is copying Apple's approach.

Webapp, app, whatever, application ecompassing doing "stuff" on a computer

What do you mean after jailbreaking? Thats not an argument! I can do taht before farting around with my netbook, and theres no saying apple wont pull a plug some time in the future on something they don't support... You can't use jailbreaking as an argument, although i agree it fixes MANY problems definitely.

I don't need to run any apps from the app store. The app store doesn't have anything i've seen on it revolutionary! Point me to something i've missed that you could do on an "app store" that i couldn't do on my netbook. And more to the point for every one app you find that might do something i can't i'll have an unlimited suppy of openly developed apps floating round the vast thing called the internet (even if we just consider soureforge and google code plex!) that will be able to do things the iPad/iPhone wishes it could!

Either way its a broken model with a lot of potential, but its terribly neutered in this case. I agree it has uses, you've pointed out one for yourself, but they're slim, and its still nothing you couldn't do with a well designed program UI on your macbook lets be blunt here. Essentially macbook and lovely slideshow would still be nice eyecandy to show customers and "easy" to use spacebar and left and right buttons... Job done and saved you a few hundred quid! Or grab a mini9 and put osx on it!? Bonus! It runs sweet as according to reports on tinternet and its way more powerful than the iPad!

[LeperousDust]

Originally Posted by petemc

Flight Control!

One game ? Is that worth the money

[petemc]

Originally Posted by LeperousDust

Webapp, app, whatever, application ecompassing doing "stuff" on a computer

What do you mean after jailbreaking? Thats not an argument!

Pish. I can and I will

Point me to something i've missed that you could do on an "app store" that i couldn't do on my netbook.

Any app using multitouch Flight Control!

and its still nothing you couldn't do with a well designed program UI on your macbook lets be blunt here.

Well technically the iPod fits there. I could carry a Macbook round with headphones in as a portable mp3 player but you would prefer something slimmer and easier to use