[DeusEx]

Apple’s highest-end $729 iPad costs less than $300 to make - SlashGear

Again, Apple inflates their pricing. Not the least bit surprising...

 

[drclaw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dazzer1975 /img/forum/go_quote.gif thing is though, psp's, magazines and books dont weigh over a pound.

There are plenty of books and some magazines that weigh over a pound.

 

[marvin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by uofmtiger /img/forum/go_quote.gif People have held books, magazines, gaming devices (PSP/Gameboy?etc..) and now the Kindle without issue. Also, when laying down, sitting at a desk, using the arm of a chair/couch, it should be easy enough to handle. It is light, small, and thin. I am pretty sure most people will have no problems using it.

Kindle is 300 grams. iPad is over double that. The Kindle and gaming devices can also be held in two hands while in use, and have the controls readily at hand while in use. The iPad cannot and does not.

The closest mainstream device that approximates the iPad in mass is the Kindle DX, and more than one major review (see: WSJ, NYT reviews) has noted that the DX is too heavy for long term in hand use.

 

[TheAudioDude]

This just might be me, but even though I think an e-book reader would be very cool to have, I just can't see myself ever buying one. Sure it's nice having a collection of books on one device, but IMO nothing beats holding a paperback in your hands and being able to physically turn and bend the pages.

I totally can't see/justify paying over $10 for a digital version of a book when all of the books I buy are usually less than $10.

 

[Antony6555]

I don't understand the point in this thing at all. For $500 I can get a real computer. Why would I pay $800 for something with the less functionality than a netbook (and probably some smartphones)?

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Apple’s highest-end $729 iPad costs less than $300 to make - SlashGear Again, Apple inflates their pricing. Not the least bit surprising...

First, Apple is not registered as a charity. Second, Apple is publicly traded. I you think profits are out of line with other companies, I strongly recommend that you contact your broker. Third, there are costs involved with running a business above the cost of parts. If you're curious, take a cost accounting class. It'll go through the various overhead and tax issues, as well as make it clear that a return for shareholders and debtholders is vital to the production of goods.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antony6555 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't understand the point in this thing at all. For $500 I can get a real computer. Why would I pay $800 for something with the less functionality than a netbook (and probably some smartphones)?

You don't have to. You are free to buy any product you want or none at all.

The point of this is to begin to merge daily computing tasks into a multi-touch, tablet based form. Maybe that works for you and maybe not. What Apple is going for is moving into the next generation of computer interface. A typical GUI requires a cursor and other conventions that don't necessarily work well on a tablet. Using gestures and your fingers requires a different interface - one not in OS X. Apple has included some gestures on trackpacks and their new mouse, but this product is designed to start bringing it all together.

My guess is that OS XI is going to bridge the gap between the touch interface and OS X. There's still a lot of work to do and no one knows how this is going to work in the real world. But if it works, you'll see the phones, pads, laptops, and desktops begin to merge and work seamlessly together.

Again, you can buy and use whatever you want. Apple is trying to change the game with a completely new interface that - apparently - millions of people already use and like on a small scale. Rolling it out across the rest of their products seems like a smart move.

 

[Shike]

For those that want a real Apple tablet, there's always the modbook.

I think this is what people were expecting, and what they got ultimately let them down in comparison.

 

[thechungster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shike /img/forum/go_quote.gif For those that want a real Apple tablet, there's always the modbook. I think this is what people were expecting, and what they got ultimately let them down in comparison.

Agreed. I personally never wanted a tablet with a fully fledged Mac OS on it and I always thought the iPhone OS would have been ideal.

 

[grokit]

This thread is getting more than a bit repetitive; I almost re-introduced the "maxi-pad"

-unsubscribe-

 

[DeusEx]

Wait till you catch yourself almost re-introducing the rock.

 

[Zodduska]

Check out that wicked aspect ratio, 16:9 is so 2006.. in 2010 we are going back to 4:3!

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeusEx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Apple’s highest-end $729 iPad costs less than $300 to make - SlashGear Again, Apple inflates their pricing. Not the least bit surprising...

..and?
There sure is more to it than just part cost and labour cost putting them all together. R&D, administration, distribution network, marketing, and a lot more.
Apple is not the only company with such either...

 

[uofmtiger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drclaw /img/forum/go_quote.gif There are plenty of books and some magazines that weigh over a pound.

War and Peace in hard back weighs nearly 4 pounds and it is not unusual to see textbooks that weigh over 6 pounds. So, I agree. Even an average hard cover book like Andre Agassi's Autobiography weighs 1.6 pounds.

Quote:

Check out that wicked aspect ratio, 16:9 is so 2006.. in 2010 we are going back to 4:3!

I would bet they will show the aspect ratio in its original format with black bars or allow you to fill the display (your choice).

Quote:

The Kindle and gaming devices can also be held in two hands while in use, and have the controls readily at hand while in use. The iPad cannot and does not.

The iPad allows you to use both hands to hold it while in use. You have to select app first, but after that, depending on what you are doing, you may not need to touch another control. For example, many games uses the tilt features of the iPad for control. This means the control is always in hand. Reading a book using the Amazon Kindle app requires you to press the icon (probably can reach it with your thumb while holding the ipad in both hands), touch a book and start reading. Pretty easy to do before resting it in both hands. Also, it can be rested in you lap, on the arm of your chair, knees, on a pillow, etc... if you really have issues holding 1.5 pounds.

One of the main complaints about the size/weight of the Kindle DX is that it is top heavy. I have no idea whether the iPad is top heavy at this point, but I doubt it. Even with that being the case, the DX has a 4 star average review on Amazon, so people that are including it as a downside, do not consider it a major downside.

In short, the ergonomics will not be an issue for most users that want to use it for consumption. Personally, I prefer this form to all the wasted space of a physical keyboard when I don't intend to key in more than a few words. Think about it, for the same screen size, you would need to make the device double the size to include a folding keyboard...this is also why I prefer the iPhone to a Treo (which I also owned in the past).

 

[marvin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by uofmtiger /img/forum/go_quote.gif The iPad allows you to use both hands to hold it while in use. You have to select app first, but after that, depending on what you are doing, you may not need to touch another control.

Internet usage seems to be a primary focus given the "internet in your hand" tagline and the claims that it offers the best internet experience. Unless the user has absurdly long thumbs, any text input, link clicking, multi-touch, etc will require the user to routinely take a hand off of the device and interface with the device.

Quote:

Originally Posted by uofmtiger /img/forum/go_quote.gif One of the main complaints about the size/weight of the Kindle DX is that it is top heavy. I have no idea whether the iPad is top heavy at this point, but I doubt it. Even with that being the case, the DX has a 4 star average review on Amazon, so people that are including it as a downside, do not consider it a major downside.

The DX isn't top heavy from a mechanical standpoint. It's top heavy from an ergonomic standpoint because the user is holding the lower third of the device in their hands while the upper two thirds hangs off in space and induces some amount of torque in the user's wrists. From pictures of the iPad in use, it is likely that the issue with the DX will be present in the iPad.

 

[dazzer1975]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drclaw /img/forum/go_quote.gif There are plenty of books and some magazines that weigh over a pound.

I love it, apple fanboi's even have to quote out of context to try and win a point