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[NomarTyme]

I tried using the TWC app but it didn't work because I didn't have "authorized cable modem" freaking bs.

 

[kehs]

God knows Moto would probably show thousands of little Matrix bug like things invading your tablet with new news stories while you're sleeping to demonstrate it.

Graphic artist for pr firm confirmed.

 

[numble]

I tried using the TWC app but it didn't work because I didn't have "authorized cable modem" freaking bs.

Wow, but you have Time Warner internet? I thought they just need a Time Warner IP address.

 

[Tobor]

The question is, why do you constantly want to hop between apps when you don't always need to? Do you use a RSS reader?

I'll take my full screen RSS app over a widget, since I know that's where you're going with this.

I'm not anti-functionality, far from it. I just don't want functionality for the sake of matching a bullet point list, and I don't think certain functionality(i.e. widgets) is any where as important as you do.

That said, if Apple can design a compelling way to change the homescreen that doesn't obfuscate the experience for the average user, then that's great.

 

[Jasoco]

Cheap shot. I've seen this problem on iOS too. Friends asking me why their iPhone is dying so quickly and they've got a couple email accounts on their phone set to push, left bluetooth and the gps on, push notifications for all those services, wifi constantly searching in the background and then the screen brightness on the highest. *shrug* I point them to Apple's battery saving tips and call it a day. At least on android, there is a feature to tell you what's using up the battery life.

I withdraw my statement

The point for me still stands though. In my experience, both personal and by the experiences of friends who use both Android and iOS, iOS is just more reliable and better thought out. And, please don't take wrong and quote me out of context saying "Android sucks so much!" because that's not what I'm saying.

 

[hyp]

I strongly suspect that iOS 5 is going to be a very, very nice leap forward for the iPad.

i really hope so. way too much speculation at this point. let's cross our fingers that apple is listening.

 

[Soulscribe]

Does anyone have a good recommendation for an RPG/Strategy game I could look into? I wanna play something a bit meatier on my iPad but the app store is not very intuitive so I figure I'd ask you guys. I'd prefer a game that also looks relatively good/takes good advantage of the screen's real estate.

 

[NomarTyme]

Wow, but you have Time Warner internet? I thought they just need a Time Warner IP address.

Yeah I do, but for some reason the app gave me the "authorize cable modem BS"

 

[numble]

Last year they had their iOS event on April 8, 5 days after the iPad launch (iPad launched a month later than this year). So hopefully there should be an iOS event within the next 3 weeks.

 

[Jasoco]

i really hope so. way too much speculation at this point. let's cross our fingers that apple is listening.

All I actually want on the iPad, and iPhone, is weather and clock icons with updating icons.

It's not even a battery thing since both apps and the home screen springboard are controlled by Apple anyway. Plus, the statusbar updates every frame, so why not use a few more cycles to change the clock hands? As for weather, well, that can be retrieved every few hours. That would take no battery at all relatively.

I don't even want widgets, but I would like to have icons that change. The calendar does it. But not the clock or weather. And both of those are missing on the iPad. So I hope iOS 5 brings at least the clock. (I use Weather+ on the iPad now. But would love if Apple released an "icon update API" so developers could change their icons. And I don't mean just badges.

I hope iOS 5 is really really advanced from what we have. But it probably won't be.

 

[Burger]

Jasoco I like you, you are a cool guy. But I really hope that an updating weather icon is at the very bottom of the long list of potential iOS updates...

 

[mrkgoo]

All I actually want on the iPad, and iPhone, is weather and clock icons with updating icons.

It's not even a battery thing since both apps and the home screen springboard are controlled by Apple anyway. Plus, the statusbar updates every frame, so why not use a few more cycles to change the clock hands? As for weather, well, that can be retrieved every few hours. That would take no battery at all relatively.

I don't even want widgets, but I would like to have icons that change. The calendar does it. But not the clock or weather. And both of those are missing on the iPad. So I hope iOS 5 brings at least the clock. (I use Weather+ on the iPad now. But would love if Apple released an "icon update API" so developers could change their icons. And I don't mean just badges.

I hope iOS 5 is really really advanced from what we have. But it probably won't be.

Yeah, iv'e always wanted an icon update api. I'm sure developers could do some cool stuff. Make it part of the notification or multitasking api to not chew through too much battery.


That said, the weather app doesn't need to update every hour. Who checks the weather every hour? I think most people just check it once or twice a day - people aren't checking what weather conditions are, they,re typically checking the forecast.

 

[Takamura-San]

Last year they had their iOS event on April 8, 5 days after the iPad launch (iPad launched a month later than this year). So hopefully there should be an iOS event within the next 3 weeks.

They may be waiting until they have a good show off number of ipads sold to do the iOS5 conf.

That will be a great bullet point for them.

I really hope that the iPad 2 can handle iOS 5... i felt that the OG ipad wasn't as snappy with iOS4.

 

[LyleLanley]

All I actually want on the iPad, and iPhone, is weather and clock icons with updating icons.

Look up LiveClock and WeatherIcon if you have a jailbroken phone.

 

[mrkgoo]

Look up LiveClock and WeatherIcon if you have a jailbroken phone.

I think by this stage, it's safe to assume that any functionality that we can dream up and want for the stock OS, someone else has thought of and implemented for jail broken devices.

But wanting something to be part of the regular OS is still something different.

 

[LyleLanley]

I think by this stage, it's safe to assume that any functionality that we can dream up and want for the stock OS, someone else has thought of and implemented for jail broken devices.

But wanting something to be part of the regular OS is still something different.

All I want copied from jailbroken iphones is something along the lines of SBSettings and mobile notifier.

 

[Of All Trades]

basically, the difference in opinion is about what you, personally, find more exciting: a fun music creation tool or a homescreen calendar widget.

If we're going to play the "redefine each other" game then what I find exciting is something that inspires the imagination and curiosity instead of making the world look like a closed, dark box (unless you spend a lot of money in iTunes).

Frankly the fact that you see the only two options for a homescreen being Apple's and widgits says more about your lack of imagination than anything else. The fact that you even began to engage in this sort of arguing tactic means you aren't willing to learn.

 

[numble]

People with the personal hotspot feature, can you create a hotspot even if you don't have a connection?

If you have an offline GPS app, will you get a GPS location on the iPad with this dead network link?

 

[LCfiner]

If we're going to play the "redefine each other" game then what I find exciting is something that inspires the imagination and curiosity instead of making the world look like a closed, dark box (unless you spend a lot of money in iTunes).

Frankly the fact that you see the only two options for a homescreen being Apple's and widgits says more about your lack of imagination than anything else. The fact that you even began to engage in this sort of arguing tactic means you aren't willing to learn.

so you don't find any of the iPad applications or any of the information on the entire internet to be inspiring or interesting? that's really what you're saying?

and you're talking about the iPad as a closed, dark box? and you expect me to take you seriously?

By making everything easier to understand and less intimidating to people, the iPad is attempting to get more people excited about technology and the internet. and you somehow look down on this?

the most exciting thing to happen to technology in the past twenty years is happening right now with smartphones and tablets (which, really, is just the ipad right now till competitors start selling in mass quantities)

I feel you're the one lacking imagination to be unable to appreciate this.

 

[Blackhead]

I withdraw my statement

The point for me still stands though. In my experience, both personal and by the experiences of friends who use both Android and iOS, iOS is just more reliable and better thought out. And, please don't take wrong and quote me out of context saying "Android sucks so much!" because that's not what I'm saying.

Well I think Android sucks so much. However I don't think it sucks because Android allows many background processes, I think it sucks because it gives users little indication or control of what runs in the background. Those background processes are what most users say is the reason for poor battery life. *shrug* Android's multitasking UI is very poor imo. Apple has its own problems. Apple's top 5 suggestions are:

Minimize use of location services
Turn off push notifications
Fetch new data less frequently
Turn off push mail
Auto-check fewer email accounts

(etc)

Yet all of those options are buried in submenus in the Settings app and are a pain to toggle on and off in a bid to improve battery life while still using those services.

Neither Apple nor Google give the users great tools for combating the biggest sources of poor battery life on their platform, that's all I'm saying.

People with the personal hotspot feature, can you create a hotspot even if you don't have a connection?

If you have an offline GPS app, will you get a GPS location on the iPad with this dead network link?

Yes.

 

[Meier]

A defect on some screens. Most noticeable when you're looking at black. The backlight is leaking out of the edges.

Whoa that's terrible! I thought it was showing on the back of the iPad from one shot I saw. Surely Apple are replacing people's who have that issue, right?

 

[numble]

Whoa that's terrible! I thought it was showing on the back of the iPad from one shot I saw. Surely Apple are replacing people's who have that issue, right?

Yep. And since some people don't know, I'll repeat it again... Apple will replace iPads bought at Best Buy/Target/where ever with new ones. At least one person in this thread returned his iPad to Best Buy and had to endure the problems of lines, etc. with buying another iPad.

 

[mrkgoo]

Well I think Android sucks so much. However I don't think it sucks because Android allows many background processes, I think it sucks because it gives users little indication or control of what runs in the background. Those background processes are what most users say is the reason for poor battery life. *shrug* Android's multitasking UI is very poor imo. Apple has its own problems. Apple's top 5 suggestions are:



Yet all of those options are buried in submenus in the Settings app and are a pain to toggle on and off in a bid to improve battery life while still using those services.

Neither Apple nor Google give the users great tools for combating the biggest sources of poor battery life on their platform, that's all I'm saying.




Yes.

Maybe they need a special toggle that changes the devices 'state', like a user configurable state including a bunch of OS settings (possibly defined by the user or maybe defined by apple) that puts a device in a super battery mode. Maybe the silent switch can have more toggles within it that allow you to also switch of notifications and push when you are in 'silent' mode.

 

[kehs]

Yet all of those options are buried in submenus in the Settings app and are a pain to toggle on and off in a bid to improve battery life while still using those services.

Neither Apple nor Google give the users great tools for combating the biggest sources of
poor battery life on their platform, that's all I'm saying.

One of the default widgets in android(since 1.6 I think) is the power control widget that gives you one click access to all those things.

With 3.0 they are added to the notification tray.

 

[NYR]

People with the personal hotspot feature, can you create a hotspot even if you don't have a connection?

If you have an offline GPS app, will you get a GPS location on the iPad with this dead network link?

Yep, if you wanted to buy a 3G iPad 2 because of the GPS option, but have an iPhone 4, you don't need the 3G.

If you tether your iPad using your iPhone 4, you gain the ability to use GPS on a WiFi only iPad!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbvMt0diVFU

 

[badcrumble]

Only problem with the tethering thing is that it requires you to have it on month-to-month, whereas the iPad data plans let you buy one month at a time, IIRC.

Spoiler

for the love of god, jailbreak your goddamn phone

 

[hyp]

here we go again about adding functionality to iOS...

take your functionality and shove it. i want shit like this on my iPad (oh WAIT, it's here already):

http://vimeo.com/19272580

pure, unadulterated, focused, full-screen applications. i don't need another calendar or clock widget to remind me i am a minute or day closer to death.

edit:

Spoiler

i could use better notifications though!

 

[Of All Trades]

so you don't find any of the iPad applications or any of the information on the entire internet to be inspiring or interesting? that's really what you're saying?

I find the iPad's approach to the internet, with having to pay for tabbed browsing/other interface issues, being redirected to mobile websites, and with random chunks of it sealed away (due either to flash or other content restrictions) to be anti-curiosity.

As for other content-based applications, outside of comic and book reading I've found the experience to be more restrictive and therefore less inspiring then applications elsewhere. I think Air Video is the only app I've run across where I haven't felt overly hampered and part of that I suspect is because I don't use XBMC so I don't really know any better. And really with the comics/books it's a case of the benefits outweighing the drawbacks.

and you're talking about the iPad as a closed, dark box? and you expect me to take you seriously?

I've seen "this content is not supported on your device" far too often to be excusable on a device that can cost as much as $900 after tax. Hell, my iPhone U-Verse app has more functionality than my iPad one.

Personally I don't find a device that tries to funnel everyone into iTunes for content acquisition to be a positive.

By making everything easier to understand and less intimidating to people, the iPad is attempting to get more people excited about technology and the internet. and you somehow look down on this?

I look down on the idea that making things easier to understand can only be done by stripping out options and functionality. And I fully dispute the idea that something like DropBox or FTP or using iTunes' app interface is easier to understand and less intimidating to people than having the iPad directly interface with an external HDD or USB drive (which are sold at Costco next to memory cards, right in the main walkway).

Treating people like they are dumb only leads them to believing as such.

the most exciting thing to happen to technology in the past twenty years is happening right now with smartphones and tablets (which, really, is just the ipad right now till competitors start selling in mass quantities)

I feel you're the one lacking imagination to be unable to appreciate this.

So you think the iPad and smartphones are more exciting than the rise and spread of the internet.

 

[JonCha]

here we go again about adding functionality to iOS...

take your functionality and shove it. i want shit like this on my iPad (oh WAIT, it's here already):

http://vimeo.com/19272580

pure, unadulterated, focused, full-screen applications. i don't need another calendar or clock widget to remind me i am a minute or day closer to death.

edit:

Spoiler

i could use better notifications though!

Agreed. To me Android is ugly, and widgets don't actually provide that much functionality. It's simply an easy - and lazy - argument that can be made vs iOS. When I had a Nexus S for a couple of months, they got in the way.

I'm not sure what I wanted Apple to implement in iOS 5, apart from a better notification system. I literally have no idea.

 

[badcrumble]

Agreed. To me Android is ugly, and widgets don't actually provide that much functionality. It's simply an easy - and lazy - argument that can be made vs iOS. When I had a Nexus S for a couple of months, they got in the way.

I'm not sure what I wanted Apple to implement in iOS 5, apart from a better notification system. I literally have no idea.

Background downloads and a single shared file storage area would be just peachy, IMO (and would result in all sorts of cool new apps that could take advantage of these things and/or huge improvements to existing apps).

 

[Burger]

I've seen "this content is not supported on your device" far too often to be excusable on a device that can cost as much as $900 after tax. Hell, my iPhone U-Verse app has more functionality than my iPad one.

Talk to the content suppliers. Ask Google why nothing works on Google TV.

I look down on the idea that making things easier to understand can only be done by stripping out options and functionality. And I fully dispute the idea that something like DropBox or FTP or using iTunes' app interface is easier to understand and less intimidating to people than having the iPad directly interface with an external HDD or USB drive (which are sold at Costco next to memory cards, right in the main walkway).

I think people are resonating with a device that treats them like people, not Comp Sci majors. Why are people buying iPads? Because they are fucking complex and hard to learn?

Keep dreaming about USB functionality, there is a myriad of reasons why that's not happening.

 

[Gary Whitta]

The SiriusXM iOS player is now a universal app, the iPad version is pretty nice.

 

[Technosteve]

Can one of you ipad veteran make a top ten ipad apps. I liked the breakdown for comic reader apps, would like one for apps for sketching, rss feeds and news apps which one doesn't suck.

I'll hang up now and listen to your response.

 

[Marty Chinn]

other companies don't need to match Apple on pricing. Omnifocus is 40 bucks (you other guys want to talk about functionality and getting shit done? OF is the real deal. you don't need a PC app to complement it at all)

djay is 20 bucks. beatmaker is 20. most of the indepth art, music and todo apps are >5 bucks. a lot of them are over 10. the iPad, more than the iPhone, supports these higher pricepoints. companies don't need to drop down to Apple's lower prices.

Sure there are apps at higher price points; I see that, but how succcessful are they? Let's face it, there is a certain expected price point for iOS apps. By Apple making super high quality apps that are $5, that becomes the expected quality/price ratio. Look how games started higher and now a lot of them are between the 99 cent and 1.99 ratio. Most games are less than $5 and very few go between the $5 to $10 ratio. Normal games on any other platform will cost you $20 to $60 but we have yet to see any game like that because it wouldn't succeed. That doesn't just apply to games but iOS apps in general. So Apple setting a high quality bar with a low price makes it harder not easier for someone to produce a high quality app, especially in that price range. Nobody is saying it technically can't be done, but can it be feasibly done?

I'll take my full screen RSS app over a widget, since I know that's where you're going with this.

I'm not anti-functionality, far from it. I just don't want functionality for the sake of matching a bullet point list, and I don't think certain functionality(i.e. widgets) is any where as important as you do.

That said, if Apple can design a compelling way to change the homescreen that doesn't obfuscate the experience for the average user, then that's great.

Actually, you completely misguessed where I was going with that. How do you use an RSS feeder? To pull different sources of info together to one central location. Why don't you just bookmark a bunch of places and just visit each individual website in a browser? Why do you need an RSS reader if you can do that all with a browser? Now extrapolate why you would want to open each app instead of having widgets centralize all that informaton so you don't need to go hitting each thing one at a time.

That's one example of an advantage of widgets, and I can't understand how someone who uses an RSS reader to avoid going to a bunch of sites but yet not understand why it would be great to use widgets for apps for the same purpose. It's the same principle.

They weren't going to show iOS 5 to be released after an x month beta cycle in the same event as new hardware being released in the next week. "Here's this awesome new hardware, and this awesome new software! (but the software won't be out for a while so just ignore that for now)."

Right, I understand why they didn't do that, but that still stresses my point. The iPad is held back by the iPhone. If the iPhone didn't exist, you would have those updates at the launch of the iPad. Think of it from the iPhone perspective Every launch of the iPhone comes a new iOS that has new functionality. The same doesn't appear to hold true with the iPad given there wasn't a major update to the OS (yes, I know 4.3 came out but that's really minor at best given what was there). If Apple really does make significant changes that benefit the iPad more when iOS5 is revealed, that just further proves the point that the iPad is held back because of the iPhone. Certainly understandable since the iPhone is a much bigger seller at the moment, but that doesn't make it untrue or any better for the iPad.

 

[Ephemeris]

Agreed. To me Android is ugly, and widgets don't actually provide that much functionality. It's simply an easy - and lazy - argument that can be made vs iOS. When I had a Nexus S for a couple of months, they got in the way.

I'm not sure what I wanted Apple to implement in iOS 5, apart from a better notification system. I literally have no idea.

To each his own, but wow. What were you doing with your Nexus S?

 

[dskillzhtown]

Only problem with the tethering thing is that it requires you to have it on month-to-month, whereas the iPad data plans let you buy one month at a time, IIRC.

Spoiler

for the love of god, jailbreak your goddamn phone

What do you mean? You could just get the iPad tethering plan for $45 with 4GB of bandwidth.

 

[Of All Trades]

Talk to the content suppliers. Ask Google why nothing works on Google TV.

Why should I? I thought the iPad was revolutionary and magical. It should just work.

I think people are resonating with a device that treats them like people, not Comp Sci majors. Why are people buying iPads? Because they are fucking complex and hard to learn?

Again with this false dichotomy.

Keep dreaming about USB functionality, there is a myriad of reasons why that's not happening.

Are any of the reasons good for an iPad owner?

 

[kehs]

Talk to the content suppliers. Ask Google why nothing works on Google TV.

Are you really lumping file type support with licensing schemes?

Awesome.

 

[jon bones]

i don't understand why we can't love a product but still acknowledge its shortcomings...

 

[krypt0nian]

Why should I? I thought the iPad was revolutionary and magical. It should just work.

AH so you are trolling. K.

 

[Blackhead]

Can one of you ipad veteran make a top ten ipad apps. I liked the breakdown for comic reader apps, would like one for apps for sketching, rss feeds and news apps which one doesn't suck.

I'll hang up now and listen to your response.

Honestly there are just so many apps in those categories it's hard to do a comprehensive write up. Do you want a top ten list or a "breakdown"?

Edit: Appadvice is a good source for those breakdowns http://appadvice.com/appguides

 

[Marty Chinn]

Why should I? I thought the iPad was revolutionary and magical. It should just work.


Again with this false dichotomy.


Are any of the reasons good for an iPad owner?

Ya, speaking of content, it still annoys me how I go to a link on GAF and it turns out it's not iOS compatible. Just today I clicked on a 3DS video advert which was on I think Nintendo's own website and it didn't work. It's not like I can write and complain and Nintendo will actually do something about it. Complaining to the content provider shouldn't always be the solution.

Also it impresses me how many people are willing to bend over to help Apple line their pockets. "I don't want an SD card slot because Apple makes more money by selling different capacities and wouldn't make as much if they offered one." "I don't want an HDMI port because it makes it look ugly full of ports plus it helps Apple when I buy their $39 ugly adapter" "I don't want a USB port because it makes it look ugly and you can just pay Apple $39 to have one in an ugly adapter" Everyone talks about Apple's low price point, but man what's the cost after you add up all the extras?

 

[captive]

yeesh, this makes me cringe to read

I completely agree with LCfiner. I am certainly not an apple fanboy. I don't particularly care for a lot of things they do and for ways they handle lots of things, but iOS is simply about the apps.

It's not minor. My wife noticed it on her own as a problem as soon as she turned it on with no knowledge at all that is was common.

yea, I noticed it on my own as well as evidenced by my first post after getting the ipad. I hadn't read anything about it since I was playing softball friday night came back and synched my ipad and started using it and noticed it when i was watching a video. Then noticed it again when apps that go to a black screen when loading. Just the other night i had turned the brightness all the way down and there was bleeding all around my screen. So i'll be taking it back shortly.



Any word on cases? I want something to protect this thing. I hope someone is smart enough to make their own smart cover and then produce a matching back for it.

 

[Burger]

Why should I? I thought the iPad was revolutionary and magical. It should just work.

Why can't I redownload my music from iTunes? Apple sucks!

Again with this false dichotomy.

Why else are people buying the iPad in droves?

Are any of the reasons good for an iPad owner?

What exactly do you want USB storage for anyway?

 

[Of All Trades]

AH so you are trolling. K.

This coming from someone who bumped the Xoom thread to post a two-word troll? Really?

The point is that if I want to watch tonight's Survivor on my iPad I have to pay money for it, unless there's some other method I haven't figured out yet. I guess that counts as revolutionary since it is completely at odds with how television is currently handled on the internet but I don't think anyone really wants that kind of revolution (except maybe AT&T).

 

[numble]

Everyone talks about Apple's low price point, but man what's the cost after you add up all the extras?

I think Apple's strategy of concentrating it's money on things that are experienced by everyone (IPS display, unibody aluminum structure, thinness, weight and battery life), while keeping a lower price point is better than putting it all there and having a higher entry price point (while still having clunky displays or heavier, thicker plastic bodies). If you never use the adapters, you save money, but you can't buy a dongle to add an IPS display to your device, or make your device thinner or lighter.

 

[Tobor]

Actually, you completely misguessed where I was going with that. How do you use an RSS feeder? To pull different sources of info together to one central location. Why don't you just bookmark a bunch of places and just visit each individual website in a browser? Why do you need an RSS reader if you can do that all with a browser? Now extrapolate why you would want to open each app instead of having widgets centralize all that informaton so you don't need to go hitting each thing one at a time.

That's one example of an advantage of widgets, and I can't understand how someone who uses an RSS reader to avoid going to a bunch of sites but yet not understand why it would be great to use widgets for apps for the same purpose. It's the same principle.

Simple. I care about reading RSS feeds. I don't care about the weather often enough to need a widget. I can press one button and check it. The stuff I do want to know, like how many emails I have waiting, I already get. I'm less averse to the idea on the iPhone, bite sized data makes more sense to me there. It's just not how I use my iPad, and if they do add them, I'd hope they're optional or hidden, just like in OS X.

The key to the RSS reader is that it turns on when when I want it, takes up the full screen, then disappears until I need it again. That's how I want to use my device.

 

[Burger]

Are you really lumping file type support with licensing schemes?

Awesome.

We are talking about file type support? I thought we were talking about why content providers aren't supporting mobile devices...

What files don't work on iPad?

 

[numble]

Are you really lumping file type support with licensing schemes?

Awesome.

He was complaining about why some content would display on the iPhone, but on the iPad, the content provider will block it by saying iPads are not supported.

 

[krypt0nian]

This coming from someone who bumped the Xoom thread to post a two-word troll? Really?

The point is that if I want to watch tonight's Survivor on my iPad I have to pay money for it, unless there's some other method I haven't figured out yet. I guess that counts as revolutionary since it is completely at odds with how television is currently handled on the internet but I don't think anyone really wants that kind of revolution (except maybe AT&T).

It wasn't a troll as I answered the question posed.

When you troll out the magical line, how can anyone take you seriously? Especially when your experiences of usage aren't matching the general user's?

Why can't I watch today's BBC content on the Netflix site? Because of content providers. It's that simple.