Bean

So for a change it looks like Microsoft is gonna own Apple in the hardware field.

LINK

I wouldn't even call it the Ipad killer, as from the sounds of it, it's LEAGUES above the Ipad.

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"I haven't faced death. I've cheated death. I've tricked my way out of death and patted myself on the back for my ingenuity. I know nothing."

--James T. Kirk

Brikar

VERY intriguing. I'll keep my eye on this one. Key for me would be several things:

Firstly, PRICE. The iPad may not have blown me away with its initial presentation, but the price point is very attractive. This device looks like it would cost at least twice as much. And yet... if it turns out as awesome as this article makes it out to be, that's probably worth it.

Secondly, CAPABILITY. One thing I was hoping for from the iPad was the ability for me to, say, have Photoshop on there so I could draw and do some digital artwork with it from my couch in a way that my laptop just isn't good for (even though I've just purchased a Wacom Intuos4 tablet). I'd love to be able to sit and sketch right on a screen while watching TV or some such. The pictures with the article seem to indicate that I'll be able to do that, at least in some kind of limited capacity. So I really want to learn more about that. Now, the iPad may have some app in development that lets me do that, but it seems mostly geared toward being some kind of gaming/media device as opposed to having any kind of real productivity beyond word processing or presentation slides.

Thirdly, will it ALSO do things the iPad can do? One of the obvious draws for the iPad is its usefulness as a media device. That is, much like my iPod Touch or an iPhone, it is capable of controlling your iTunes library remotely (which, trust me, is awesome at parties to hook up your computer to the sound system and then carry the 'remote' around in your pocket). I also saw apps that would allow you to use it as a universal remote - it looked REALLY awesome to be able to browse cable listings and tap what you want to watch on the screen and boom, it's on your TV. So I wonder if similar things would be in development for this device, too.

I like what the video has to offer. The dual screens seemed odd to me at first, but then I saw how it was used for really awesome multi-tasking abilities. That right there already seems to put it above the iPad in terms of being a useful, productive device. With a 1ghz processor under the hood, disregarding multi-tasking on the iPad seems plain retarded. Even my Samsung phone can do multiple things at once.

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"A million monkeys typing until the end of time will produce the complete works of William Shakespeare. Ten thousand monkeys typing for ten thousand years will write a Hemingway. Ten monkeys typing over Columbus Day weekend will give you a Dan Brown."

Space Goat

Looks like this project is stillborn: iPhone Thief Revealed, Jobs Blasts Flash, Courier Killed - PCWorld

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Brikar

Unfortunate.

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"A million monkeys typing until the end of time will produce the complete works of William Shakespeare. Ten thousand monkeys typing for ten thousand years will write a Hemingway. Ten monkeys typing over Columbus Day weekend will give you a Dan Brown."

Closet Racist

While on the subject...

So this thing is just an iPhone for ham-fisted people?

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Brikar

When I was on a plane a couple weeks ago, a guy across the aisle had one and I desperately wanted it in place of my MacBook Pro...

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"A million monkeys typing until the end of time will produce the complete works of William Shakespeare. Ten thousand monkeys typing for ten thousand years will write a Hemingway. Ten monkeys typing over Columbus Day weekend will give you a Dan Brown."

Closet Racist

I checked out the iPad at BestBuy today. Like a big iPhone. Wonder if they'd let me transfer my phone service to it...?

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Space Goat

Nope. You have to get a separate monthly data plan from AT & T, either a 250 MB one for $15 per month or an unlimited one for $30 per month. You're not locked into a contract, though; you can purchase and cancel data plans as you need, on a monthly basis.

(I wish one could tether an iPhone's 3G connection to the iPad, though, or get a reduced package rate for both iPhone and iPad.)

I've tried out some iPads as well. I wouldn't call them just big iPhones; the screen real estate makes a difference, IMO. Whereas the iPhone sucks for reading long texts, for example, I could see the iPad serving that need admirably -- and that's entirely because of screen size.

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Closet Racist

I wish they'd just come up with a way to jack in and expand what's on your iPhone screen to a bigger one (past movie downloads and YouTube).

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Brikar

As a media consumption device, I feel like the iPad is excellent. But that doesn't change the fact that I still wish it was more of a replacement for a laptop.

__________________
"A million monkeys typing until the end of time will produce the complete works of William Shakespeare. Ten thousand monkeys typing for ten thousand years will write a Hemingway. Ten monkeys typing over Columbus Day weekend will give you a Dan Brown."