If possible, I'd actually like to have a discussion instead of pointless flaming of a product.

Given most of the flaming for Apple products here, recently the iPad (or rather the iPhone's..multi-tasking). Has anyone actually tried the iPad?

I had the chance to try it today, my professor's friend/colleague/former student brought his in and let us try it in the Human Factors class (we also had a discussion about it).

Most of us agreed that the iPad seems primarily for the consumption of content with a secondary function for the creation of content, and the person who brought it in was talking about the role of the iPad he saw. He sees himself ditching his laptop (that he uses only at home now) and going back to the desktop. So he will be utilizing the iPhone (phone, email mainly), iPad (email, and basic creation and use during lectures), and an iMac (desktop at home). Yeah... my professor, this guy, and my professor at the University I went too for my undergraduate are all Apple fans. Interestingly he said at home he said he's likely to use the iPad to watch movies, or read a book off of it.

Which I do similarly already on the N900 [granted things like reading a book aren't as polished since the iPad has nice animations pretty much simulating what you may do with a page when turning it]. I myself prefer just tapping to the next page.

So perhaps that's why I don't find a role for the iPad myself. Others may feel same, others may feel different (hence why some people compare its functionality to a netbook). Some might feel comfortable with reading a book from different screens (I've read books off of desktops, laptops, n800 and now N900). While others may want a device more dedicated (Kindle or iPad). For me, I think the N900 does nearly everything I could see using the iPad for (minus the games since the N900 seems to be lacking that). But even then I think instead of an iPad I rather carry a Nintendo handheld.

In the end I guess that's why an iPad appeals to some, and not others (surprise surprise). Much of the functionality he talked about I found that I could do on my N900, even down to using it for lectures. But others may find that the screen size too restricting. Personally my current setup is a desktop [home], laptop [sister's dorm], and the N900 [with me]. I can see myself getting rid of the laptop in the future (as I move away from being a migratory graduate student) and using something like the iPad at say a conference [for things like taking notes] but not at home. Mainly due to the difference in the ways he and I consume content. If I watch a movie, I do it on the computer or stream it to the N900, or say a PC hooked up to a TV, or a media extender like the XBOX 360).

Though it would have to have more functionality (for one multi-tasking). I say that not because the N900 doesn't have the functionality (as I already do use the N900 more as a computer than most users do here) but more because as I stated before. The problem with using the N900 like I did with the n800 as a computer is that if I use its computer aspects too much than I have no way to make phone calls without charging it. In a conference setting or say even lecturing, you don't want to use your own device necessarily due to battery life.

So anyone else try the iPad and wanna share their thoughts?

Oh, one interesting discussion was social politeness with using electronic devices, he brought up that since the iPad (and other tablets) resemble a notebook (not laptop) more it may be perceived as more socially polite than using a laptop or a portable device for say taking notes or writing an email in a social setting such as a classroom.

I cant say I've tried it. I'm kind of avoiding it to be honest though curiosity will get the better of me eventually..

I know on the first use it will probably seem fun and amazing and I would want to buy it, but deep down it means being locked into itunes....

Reason I stopped using my 2nd gen ipod like 8 years ago was the requirement to use ID3 tags to browse songs. its great when you rip a CD, but when you download random tracks, and realise that hundreds of mp3s in your collection are not visible on the device(although still there) because the creator of the song never bothered to add correct ID3 tags, or compilation cds have added 20 - 30 artists for every cd x 100 compliation cds....

Ever since then I have had a requirement that any device I own has a folder structure to dump songs into, and that folder structure is to be browsed to play songs

I used it today to make a point about its lack of features. When the browser could not load www.ocharleys.com, www.royalcaribbean.com and jibjab videos in the browser. My hands on time was over. The apple store rep said that they are able to sell so many iPads because people dont know that it doesnt support flash. The reps really upsold Apps Compatibility and Apple Brand power with the promise of future apps to fill any gaps.

The lack of flash killed it for me. That would force me to use my laptop and I rather leave that 15 inch monster at home.

I think the problem with Flash is that it's going be less of a problem as more content moves towards HTML5. Already you see certain apps that normally use Silverlight or Flash switch over.

I find that benefits the N900 too, since instead of waiting for Adobe or Nokia to get Flash 10 onto the N900 (whoever's hands it's in now) we can use HTML5 with Fennec/Firefox or maybe even MicroB.

i work in tech retail, and because of this will not be able to actually avoid the ipad even if i wanted to.

i think people have been unfair towards it in alot of ways, it does have its limitations in the lack of flash support etc, but for a device thats meant to be a simple and easy way of consuming media its actually fantastic.

i've worked with almost every product apple have to offer, and while they're not for me personally (gimmie the laptop, ps3 and my n900) i can see why people are interested in them for what fits their own lifestyle......which is more important than other peoples opinions anyway.

Yeah, that's a biggie. And it seems it's just that Steve has a chip on his shoulder about flash. There's no reason except that same old Apple god complex.

The unit is appealing... smooth, very responsive, and easy to use. But I'm not surprised at it's short comings. Maybe they should tweak the OS for the hardware, instead of putting the same spaced out iPhone icons on a bigger screen. I mean, use the real estate.

It also has a problem with seeing multiple WLANs broadcast from the same radio. At home, with one WAP, that's not a problem, but at work... My boss could not connect to our corporate WLAN because our "guest" network was overridding it. Known iPad bug... no fix.

Here's the coolest thing. Apple wants to sell you on THEIR bookstore right? Amazon made an app for the iPad. Whatever the Kindle can do, the iPad can do. Why buy books from Apple when you can buy them from Amazon cheaper. I'll bet Jobs is pissed about that one.

You're assuming we have some control over what our companies purchase or demand we support. We don't. When we're told that product "abc" is the best for the job, make it work. We can't say, let's wait until they convert to HTML5. Flash is a huge problem and it will not go away any time soon.

It doesn't matter if it's just one app. If you need Flash, you won't be using the iPad. Jobs is wrong on this one.

Historically, this site has never been enthusiastic about flash. It's interesting how the story has changed with the advent of the N900.

I think that in general, people like to DO things with their devices, not just consume media. The iPad attitude is similar to Jobs' former statement, "people don't read," or words to that effect. What is the iPad -- the ultimate couch-potato machine?

When I hear from slavish Apple drones such as CNET that the iPad is not something you want to type on for a long time, I say -- what good is it?

I haven't tried it, but it just seems too big and too inflexible to be USED for stuff, not just watched.

It's not so much that it doesn't have flash that bohers me, it is the fact that it could easily have flash and apple won't let you do it.

It seems that the iPad is the perfect device to realize the dream of 'paperless office' of yore ('90s?). It already has one of the best UI to view and interact with documents in small form factor thanks to the accelerated graphic function and multitouch control and plenty of wireless connectivity options.

What's missing?

- A 'scanner strip' behind it or a very decent camera with macro mode.
- (wireless) Printing capability, which is rumored to come with OS4.