That's because neither Apple nor Jobs have to tell me what I do with the stuff I bought. The thing is powerful enough to replace a notebook but it doesn't deliver that because Apple deliberately crippled it. That's what's so disappointing about it for me.

So you bought the stuff intending to use it like a macbook (as you say, it is powerful enough), even though neither Apple nor Jobs say that it is supposed to replace their macbooks. I am not surprised that you are disappointed.

I do appreciate your review btw. Only that I consider it a bit biased because you were reviewing what you expected to be a laptop. Like if you were setting out to review a 4x4 Offroader, but got disappointed to find out that it is only a Porsche 911 and can't take it offroad.

not true - I most definitely did not buy the iPad with the intention of replacing my notebook. I merely tried yesterday if it could.

Peter

I've been waiting for the right bit of kit to introduce my mother to the benfits of computing (in her case emails & skype). Is ipad it?

Her issue is that she has only one working hand and won't sit at a computer terminal.

To those who have seen and used an ipad, do you believe it could work for an old lady in a wheelchair, or is it too fiddly.

I've set her house up with wif-fi etc, but she found laptops too cumbersome in the past and was put off by 'all the clicking'.

If you set it on a non-slippery surface, you can use it quite well with just one hand. It's very easy to use and has a long battery-life - I'd say for your mother's purposes it's a good choice

Peter

European pre-orders for the iPad open up on the 10th May.
Any seasoned Apple spotters like to hazard a guess what sort of mark-up Apple will charge compared to US prices?

Ipad @ Apple Store (USA)
Wifi 16GB = $499
Wifi 32GB = $599
Wifi 64GB = $699

Wifi + 3G 16GB = $629
Wifi + 3G 32GB = $729
Wifi + 3G 64GB = $829

A bit more expensive than 1 CHF - 1 USD

Do those Apple Store prices include sales tax in the US?

I reckon that the top end iPad with 3G with come in at around 1100 - 1150chf - that would be my gut feeling. Also remember that the prices in the Apple Store US are without sales tax.

Anything below 1200.- for the top model would be a surprise, considering that the SUISA will add its tax on top of Apple's sale-price. Might actually be cheaper to get one from Germany this time, with the Euro being at 1.45 right now.

Peter

wow..you guys are actually trully excited about this useless device...wow...God bless you all and Apple's marketing dept...

Apple and religion probably have the same effect on some people:

http://www.20min.ch/wissen/news/story/30263788

Turns their brains off (scientifically proven).

I mean ok...I gave in to the hype and got the iPhone 3gs (great deal no contract via work connections) and I can also appreciate MacBook Pro but iPad? if apple has their own toilet paper dispenser will you guys run and get it as well?

:-) agreed. I thought it'd actually be useful - right now it's just a Kindle replacement for my wife and me.

Peter

I mean you can also get this for $.80 at NextTag...



Pimp it with some paper there it is...you can smack someone around with it and I'm sure it will not crack....

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Don't take this the wrong way Jaro, but I think the iPad is only as limited as your imagination. I plan to jail break mine and perhaps even run a 3rd party operating system on it (once available) but what matters firstly and foremostly is the hardware, the software and Job's meglomania can be dealt with seperately.

ouch...you are mean

Where can one get this toilet paper dispenser?????

will tell ya at the 1st F1 watching party... yeah... I remember

i would not even try to use my unlimited imagination here...there is no point to it. The device is a poor attempt at being a ebook reader and a netbook (minus camera and various other essentials)

so what will you do with it? this 3rd party software?
you are going to whip out a oversized iphone/ipod touch, with poor battery life and no camera at a local Starbucks and read latest news or post on this forum? I bet typing is just so comfortable..
perhaps the most advanced thing you can do is to use it in a restaurant enronment to take orders from customers and show them pics of how their dish will look like

those purchasing this thing are Apple fan-boy/girl types who will buy any POS produced by them...perhaps future editions/variations will make sense however right now it is just en experiment funded by Apple lovers...

Cringe.

Cringe.

Those phrases shouldn't be heard outside marketing meetings. Nice, balanced review though.

Doesn't it learn from experience?

Maybe it'll become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Netbook sales shrivel in face of Apple iPad.

You should try one out in the shops. I imagine you'd need to mount it on the chair somehow. In my mind's eye I see something like a retort stand that can hold something iPad sized.

Here we go again. Another attempt to characterise it purely in terms of what already exists. This approach is not without its merits of course.

At the moment I won't be buying one. But I'd rather own one than a craptop or a smartphone. The price puts me off more than anything else. But I'm still open minded as I haven't yet got my hands on one.