all the goss on iPad

Despite some flaws, Apple's iPad sets a benchmark
STEPHEN HUTCHEON
May 26, 2010 - 9:31AM


iPad - to buy or not to buy?

You can finally buy an ipad in Australia. But are they any good? Technology Editors Stephen Hutcheon and Asher Moses investigate.


Apple must have surely smeared the iPad in a thick coat of Teflon because nothing that is being flung at it by the critics appears to be sticking.

Here is a device which has been pilloried, publicly eviscerated and subjected to death by blender, baseball bat and even microwave.
App developers are racing to build iPad games ahead of its launch next month.

App developers are racing to build iPad games ahead of its launch next month.

It has been attacked for being part of a hermetically sealed platform that is designed to keep its users trapped inside Apple's family-friendly content biosphere.

And its reputation has been tarnished by lists of hardware and software short-comings which have been plastered all over cyberspace.

Yet in spite of this, the mere mention of the name or sighting of its smooth glass facade can still set off a ripple of excitement.

Apple says demand has been "off the charts" and sales have exceeded all pre-launch expectations. Apple shipped a million plus in the US in the first month alone and on going stock shortages have resulted in a delay in the international release.

Even in Australia, the delivery date for pre-orders has been pushed back twice since Apple began taking orders on May 10. First it was May 28, then June 7. If you pre-order your iPad today, the delivery advice on Apple's online store just says "June".

And I would be gobsmacked if there weren't crowds gathering outside Apple Stores around the country on Thursday night ahead of Friday's launch.

Is the iPad really "magical and revolutionary", as Apple calls it? Or, are buyers locking themselves into a premium-priced, first generation model which will soon be outflanked by less expensive rivals offering the same touch-screen experience but without the platform constraints?

Here's my take after putting the top-of-the-range 64GB Wi-Fi plus 3G iPad (on the Telstra network) through its paces over the past few days. (See pricing details below).

First, some credit where credit is due. Having conquered the portable music device market and become the world's most profitable mobile phone company inside three years, Apple has once again set the benchmark.

Tablet computers are going to be the next big. Research firm IDC says that Apple's entry into this market segment will lead to a sixfold increase in worldwide shipments of tablet computers by 2014.

The iPad is yet another triumph from the hit-making team led by Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs and his humble design czar, Jonathan Ive, who does amazing things with glass and aluminum.

Weighing 680 grams, the iPad feels heavier than I expected but not so that it becomes a dead weight in a briefcase or (over-sized) handbag.

Using a modified version of the iPhone operating system, the iPad boots up in second. There's no wait, no delay. It's instant-on. And its 1 GHz A4 processor keeps the iPad purring along at a very decent clip.

The 25 cm screen (measured diagonally) displays everything in brilliant resolution, including fingerprints. Apple has used the same oleophobic (oil resistant) coating used on the iPhone 3GS, but for some reason it doesn't seem to work as well on the larger screen. It pays to keep a wiping cloth handy.

No complaints about the battery life either. Apple rates it at ten hours using just Wi-Fi and slightly less when it uses a 3G connection. Either way, the iPad still had ample charge left in the tank even after constant use during a wet Saturday spent mostly indoors.

As you'd expect, it's great for web browsing and using the email functions. The virtual keyboard is not to everyone's taste, but I found it adequate for typing in search terms and rattling off the odd email.

I have more reservation when it comes to any serious word processing. The iPad is not something I'd take out on a reporting assignment, unless it's a quickie.

The iPad really shines when it comes to using it to play games and watch videos. If only videos sold through the iTunes store were cheaper.

The iPad's other big selling point is as an e-book reader. While Apple's iBookstore will be available at launch, it only contains out-of-copyright books. That's fine if you want to catch up some Charles Dickens, but disappointing if you're after something by Stieg Larsson.

Apple is still negotiating rights with local publishers. However, recently-published e-books can still be purchased and read using the Kindle and Borders apps.

The bad bits

The same, however, can't be said for reading magazines, books and iPad-ified versions of newspapers such as the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

It's often hard to work out when to scroll vertically and when to do it horizontally and I find the absence of a "back button" in these type of apps immensely frustrating.

I have yet to come across the type of jaw-dropping interactive magazine apps which have been bandied about in prototype. The result is a so-so experience which feels as if you're just reading a glorified PDF.

As was the case the iPhone, it's the apps which will make or break this device. So far there are about 5000 specifically made for the iPad plus another 200,000 iPhone/iPod touch apps which can be used on the new device.

My biggest gripe is with the iPad is the omission of built-in slots for SD camera cards and USB memory sticks. You can buy a camera connection kit ($39) but that doesn't excuse the fact that these are standard ports in any device and should have been included.

Moreover, when I did upload some video from a small Kodak video camera, I found that the iPad does not recognise .mov videos files. There no such problem when the same files are uploaded to a MacBook.

Another criticism I have is the decision to leave out a built-in webcam. That's just nuts. You can bet that any competitor is going to include one and that the next generation of the iPad will also sport one.

To date, Apple has the market to itself. Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard appear to have shelved their plans to enter the field. But that's not the case for the Taiwanese. And you won't have to wait long to see what companies such as ASUS and Acer up to.

Expect to see maybe a dozen tablet computers - some of them using Google's Android platform - go on show at next month Computex computer show in Taiwan. Only then will we get a true measure of the iPad.

In summary

This is not a substitute for a laptop or desktop computer. The iPad is a completely new class of product which sits between the laptop and the smartphone - a position which makes it a very discretionary purchase.

At first I thought this would be a purely at home device, something you hook up to your Wi-Fi and use when you multitask in front of the TV.

But the added 3G capability - and you will need to take up a separate data plan with one of the telcos because the iPad doesn't support USB modems - makes this a much more versatile device.

Of the peripherals that Apple is offering, the only one I would say is a must is the $49 microfibre case. It protects your iPad and doubles as a angled stand that allows you to type, browse or watch videos without having to prop it up.

Despite its short-comings, the iPad is indeed a trail blazer and I'm sure the second generation will be even better.
All the details

iPad models

Apple has announced the following prices for Wi-Fi only models in Australia:

* 16GB - $629
* 32GB - $759
* 64GB - $879

For the Wi-Fi plus 3G models, Apple has set these prices:

* 16GB- $799
* 32GB - $928
* 64GB - $1049

The Wi-Fi plus 3G models will require users to purchase data plans from mobile providers if they intend to use their iPads outside the range of Wi-Fi services.

Apps

The iPad's fate will rest on the supply and variety of applications (or apps). The iPhone took off on a wave of apps made by third-party developers and the same needs to happen if the iPad is to succeed.

Apple says the iPad will run most of the 200,000-plus iPhone/iPod touch apps on the App Store - although some reportedly don't look so good when they are scaled up for the bigger screen. And third-party developers have created more than 5000 new apps designed specifically for the new device.

Apple has three productivity apps for sale: Keynote, Pages and Numbers. Each is priced at $12.99.

Peripherals

iPad Keyboard dock - $89
iPad dock - $39
iPad 10W USB Power Adapter - $39
iPad case - $48
iPad Camera Connection kit - $39
iPad dock connector to VGA Adapter - $39


Data plans

Telstra is offering the following pre-paid plans:

* 1GB - $20
* 3GB - $30
* 6GB - $60
* 9GB - $80
* 12GB - $100

Telstra says all data plans will be available without a contract, on a month-by-month basis, meaning plans can be cancelled and reactivated at any time. The data allowance is valid for 30 days.

More details: http://www.telstra.com.au/latest_offers/ipad/index.html

Optus is offering both post-pad and pre-paid iPad data plans.

The BYO month-to-month post-paid plans are:

* 2GB - $20
* 3GB - $30
* 8GB - $60

The pre-paid plans are:

Recharge | Included Data | Validity

* $30 SIM Starter Kit | 2GB | 30 Days
* $15 | 500MB | 15 Days
* $20 | 1GB | 15 Days
* $30 | 3GB | 30 Days
* $40 | 4GB | 30 Days
* $50 | 5GB | 30 Days
* $70 | 9GB | 60 Days
* $80 | 8GB | 186 Days
* $100 | 12GB | 60 Days
* $130 | 14GB | 60 Days

All pre-paid plans come with 1GB bonus data which is available until 30/9/10.

More details: http://optusbefirst.com.au/

Vodafone Pre-paid Plans for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G
Data | Fee

* 250MB | $9.95
* 1GB | $14.95
* 4GB | $29.95
* Unlimited | $49.95

More details at: http://www.vodafone.com.au/ipad


3 Mobile Pre-paid Plans for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G
Data | Fee

* 500MB (+ 1GB bonus data for iPad customers) | $15
* 2GB (+ 2GB bonus data for iPad customers) | $29
* 3 mobile pre-paid plans include a 200MB one-time bonus when activated online.

More details at: http://www.three.com.au/iPad

Source: smh.com.au

google tv

Google premieres web TV
May 21, 2010 - 11:35AM

Google TV concept launched

Google expands its kingdom into the living room with an ambitious new service that meshes television viewing with surfing the web.

Internet giant Google is out to expand its kingdom to the living room with an ambitious new service that lets people mesh television viewing with surfing the web.

Google TV, developed in partnership with technology titans Sony, Intel and Logitech and launched in the US overnight, fuses the freedom of the internet with television programming.

Google executives vowed their TV platform would succeed where offerings such as Apple TV have foundered and hopefully capture some of the $US70 billion ($85 billion) American TV advertising market.
Sony CEO Howard Stringer stands near a Google TV display. Photo: AP/Paul Sakuma

Sony CEO Howard Stringer stands near a Google TV display. Photo: AP/Paul Sakuma

"Google TV is a new platform that we believe will change the future of television," Google group product manager Rishi Chandra said after unveiling the new service at a software developers' conference in San Francisco.

"Users don't have to choose between TV and web; they can have both."

Google TV, which is powered by Google's Android software and Chrome web browser, can be accessed using upcoming web-enabled television sets from Sony or set-top boxes from Logitech that route web content to existing TV sets.

The set-top box is key to Google TV. It's a search box, just like on Google's web site. It looks through live programs, DVR recordings and the web, delivering a relatively compact list of results that can be accessed with a push of the button.

Web television has been a minefield for the world's most creative and deep-pocketed companies and, in a sign of the challenge, embarrassed Google engineers struggled initially to get their TV demonstration running, asking the audience to turn off their cellphones, which were interfering with TV remote controls.

Web surfers have never left their desktops for the living room, and television watchers have kept their remotes pointed toward familiar territory despite attempts by Microsoft and by Apple, which was the focus of frequent jokes.

Sony and Logitech said the sets and boxes would be available in the United States in time for Christmas and would be rolled out internationally next year.

"The transition from TV to web is totally seamless," he said during the demonstration for thousands of developers which featured a few technical glitches.

"To the user it doesn't matter where I get my content, whether it be live TV, DVR, or the web. They just want access to it," Chandra said.

Initially, advertising served on Google TV will be the same as seen now by television viewers or web surfers but the internet firm said it was pondering ways to tailor advertising to the platform.

"Millions" of channels

Google TV product manager Salahuddin Choudhary said in a blog post that Google TV would allow TV viewers to get "all the [TV] channels and shows you normally watch and all of the websites you browse all day".

"This opens up your TV from a few hundred channels to millions of channels of entertainment across TV and the web," Choudhary said. "With the entire internet in your living room, your TV becomes more than a TV - it can be a photo slide-show viewer, a gaming console, a music player and much more."

Not the first

Google is not the first technology company to attempt to unite the TV set and the internet and a number of electronics manufacturers are already offering web-enabled televisions or digital set-top boxes.

Yahoo jumped into the internet television arena more than a year ago, teaming up with manufacturers including Sony, Samsung, VIZIO, and LG to embed software "widgets" that let viewers link directly to designated websites.

Google executives said previous efforts had failed because proponents of the technology had dumbed down the web for television, closed it to participation by others and made people choose between using the web or television.

"It's much harder to marry a 50-year-old technology and a brand new technology than those of us in the brand new technology industry thought," Google chief executive Eric Schmidt acknowledged to the audience of developers.

Yahoo responded to Google's announcement with word that it was expanding its service to new devices.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the next phase of the internet revolution will be televised," said Yahoo Connected TV chief architect Ronald Jacoby.

Choudhary said the internet-enabled televisions, Blu-ray players and companion boxes from Sony and Logitech, which are powered by Intel Atom computer chips, would be available in the American autumn through Best Buy stores.

Logitech boxes will feature computer keyboards that act as Google TV remote controls. On-screen home pages will let people search television programming as they do the internet.

Sony chief executive Howard Stringer described it as "a very big deal".

"I can't stress that enough," Stringer said on stage. "When you put all this, as we've done for the [autumn], into the world's first internet television, the opportunities are, in a sense, just mind-boggling."

Google did not announce pricing for the TV sets or the set-top boxes.

Sony is among the electronics companies that brought internet-capable televisions to market, but those sets have typically been limited to letting people access specific websites such as Yahoo or YouTube.

"This is a much broader platform," Stringer said of Google TV. "This is a much more robust platform, which is expandable and grows. It's going to be an eye opener."

Android as remote

Engineers showed off new versions of the Android mobile phone platform, which competes with Apple's iPhone. Android also will run Google TV, turning Android phones into controls that can be used in the same room as the television or remotely across the web.

AFP, Reuters

will u b the proud owner of an iPad

Apple sets local iPad launch date and prices
STEPHEN HUTCHEON
May 8, 2010 - 1:26AM


Apple says it will launch the iPad in Australlia on May 28.

Apple has announced that the iPad will go on sale in Australia on May 28 with the base model priced at $629.

The launch, which was delayed for almost two months, comes after Apple's announced earlier in the week that it had sold over one million of the tablet computers since they went on sale in the US on April 3.

In addition, iPad users in the US have downloaded over 12 million apps and over 1.5 million e-books.


The same six iPad models will be available in Australia, three Wi-Fi only and three that will also be able to access to high-speed 3G mobile phone network.

Apple has announced the following prices for Wi-Fi only models in Australia:

* 16GB - $629

* 32GB - $759

* 64GB - $879


For the Wi-Fi plus 3G models, Apple has set these prices:

* 16GB- $799

* 32GB - $928

* 64GB - $1049

The Wi-Fi plus 3G models will require users to purchase data plans from mobile providers if they intend to use their iPads outside the range of Wi-Fi services.

Apple's late night announcement also says that the iBookstore electronic book service will be operational at launch indicating that a range of e-books will be available for download from day one.

Local publishers have not yet announced e-book prices in the iBookstore, but in the US average prices range from $US9.99 to $US12.99. There are also many free book downloads available in the form of public-domain books and give-away books by authors hoping to be discovered.

May 28 is also iPad launch day in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK on the same day.

And Apple also announced plans tonight to begin the third stage of the global iPad roll-out in July when the device will go on sale in an additional nine countries including New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore.

"Apple has laid out a paradigm of the next 20 years of personal computing," respected analyst and Apple watcher Michael Gartenberg wrote in a blog post earlier this week.

"The rest of the market is not going to cede that to them without a fight. Expect to see weak challenges for the next 30-60 days but some very strong competition as we get into the second part of this year."

Source: smh.com.au