

Across the Country, Fans Gather for iPad - btipling
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/technology/04ipad.html?hp

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stcredzero
I'm going to use this with Dropbox to create compilations of Reference
materials. (PDFs of music and programming references.) I'm also going to use
this as an eReader and a test machine for iPad development. (EDIT: Correction,
I am using it as an eReader with the Kindle App.) I'm going to use it as an
electronic travel guide. (I can use the flap from the Apple case to help me
with daylight readability, if needed.) I have a 3G mobile WiFi hotspot, so I'm
also going to use it to research products while in the store -- far more
comfortably than on the iPhone's small screen.

Basically the iPad will be put to most of the tons of uses I've found with my
tc1100 Windows Tablet, but in a form factor that's half as light, much
brighter, a battery life of "don't worry," and unencumbered by a stylus.

Skype works great on this thing! Having a jailbroken iPhone 2G with the Google
Voice app on it as a companion is great. I'm notified of a call when my phone
rings, and I can just switch to Skype on the iPad in time to receive the call.
(Did this when my Dad just called.) Can't get my Plantronics 510 to sync with
it, though. This thing is going to save me prepaid T-Mobile minutes!

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weaksauce
I just purchased goodreader for 99 cents and it is better than dropbox alone.
(I love DropBox by the way) this lets you import data from multiple places in
your filesystem. Not just from the dropbox folder hierarchy. it will even let
you use the app to download stuff from the web into your iPad. Well worth a
buck.

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tptacek
Editorialize the title much? Can you just switch this back to the NYT's title?

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btipling
The title is a summarized quote. I wanted to use the entire quote as the title
but there is an 80 character limit. Here is the quote:

"Many of the people waiting for the iPad had a vague sense that they were
involved in yet another big Apple moment, although they could not precisely
say how they would use the tablet computer"

So no I didn't really editorialize, because it's the quote that I thought was
significant.

I guess my objective was to spark a discussion about why people are buying
this thing if they don't know how they will use it. Because it's a big apple
moment?

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tptacek
You should write a blog post with your thoughts about the launch in it, and
submit that, instead of submitting other stories with a spin on it.

~~~
btipling
Spin implies misrepresentation. As the other comment noted I did not
misrepresent anything.

~~~
_pius
Sure you did. You presented one minor aspect of the article as if it were the
theme of the article. It wasn't.

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whalesalad
I _really_ want one too, but most of that is indeed from the fact that all my
buddies are picking them up, and it seems like a nice gadget. For someone like
my mom, grandparents, this is a perfect device. My grandpa has a shitty old
WebTV for his email, because it uses a familiar interface (his la-z-boy and tv
dinner table), but I could _easily_ see him picking this up, opening emails
with his finger, etc...

For me though... it's a novelty. I live in my Macbook Pro, so I don't need
another webkit device to play around with on weekends. Although.... it would
be really nice on plane trips. That 10hr (12hrs by David Pogue at the NYT)
battery life (playing video) is going to be a game changer for sure. Tie that
in with Netflix streaming, and you've got a pretty sick portable movie
machine! Hopefully they do some kind of client-side caching "offline" mode, so
you can get a streaming movie stored for a flight.

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blasdel
There's a NYT article from Thursday with better man-on-the-street sentiments:
_“Where am I supposed to use it? Am I supposed to use it on the bus — and get
robbed?”_
[http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/technology/personaltech/02...](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/technology/personaltech/02gadget.html)

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maukdaddy
People waiting for the first Mac didn't know how they would use it either.
Look how far we've come.

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3dFlatLander
Personally, I can't wait to use the iPad to research and write up my
speculations on Apples next device.

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37prime
Submitter must be working for Fox News.

