This is not exclusive to AT&T though. It is unlocked, which is nice. it is just a matter of what the data plans for your carrier are. I may be wrong but I think we pay Verizon $29.99 for unlimited data.
$500 isn’t a bad price. But what does the cheapest model have exactly? Anyway the markets seem pretty excited by it with the price climbing to 209 for a moment. Right now it’s at around 207 so up a bit for the day. So overall not a great leap of technology but perhaps a reasonably priced niche device.
Hmm … the keyboard dock is really interesting. Assuming the keyboard is under $100 (which sounds reasonable), it seems you could get a device that approximates a somewhat-overpriced netbook for about $600. However, the extra money gets you the ability to carry just the screen, if that’s all you need. Sort of an elegant device, in that regard.
As a netbook with a seriously locked-down OS, built to Apple manufacturing and design standards - it’s less crazy than I thought at first. But I’m still not that impressed.
Still, to me the lack of multi-tasking is almost shocking.
Well only if you decide to download a TV show over 3G. One really should use WiFi for such things.
As for the price, it seems pretty good. I think a 32GB iPod Touch is 299, so 300 more for a much bigger screen doesn’t seem too bad to me. Not terrific, but reasonable.
Seems pretty overpriced to me. Who is going to buy a model without 3G? With 3G it’s much more expensive. Plus a data plan… For what? No phone calls, so it doesn’t replace the iPhone. An ebook reader? Aren’t they $250 WITH 3G coverage? What am I supposed to do with a $650 tablet with no unique features?
Skype works on the iPhone. So the Skype app ought to work on the iPad just fine.
I think a slightly larger iPhone is exactly right - and I think there’s a real niche for that. The iPhone is a portable computer - the iPad just emphasizes the computer parts of the iPhone’s design. It’s sort of like the distillation of the Apple approach: limited hardware but so slick to use.
I have to say, I think bringing the app store approach to computer software makes a lot of sense. And I say that as someone who takes a lot of pleasure out of tinkering with the guts of my computer. It only works on tightly controlled hardware models like this. But I bet fifty years from now, computers will work more like this than the wild west hardware thing we have today.
Also, they totally ripped that iBook interface from the Classics app.
OK the 500 model has 16GB and no 3G. Not that exciting. And charging 130 extra for 3G seems a lot. The pricing scheme seems over complicated with a total of six prices.
Overall I would much prefer a netbook which gives you much greater capabilities for a lower price. I am hoping that this brings some excitement to the tablet segment though and hopefully brings forth a bunch of reasonably priced tablets running Windows 7.For anything over 10gb, I have to use wi-fi on my iPhone. I imagine the ipad will have similar brakes applied to 3g usage. Another reason for a USB port is so I can plug in my wireless aircard and always have access, like I do on my (PC) laptop. Thus 3g access becomes moot.
Not bad.
It would make a kick-ass portable photo viewer. Hopefully they’ll make it a cinch to hook it up to a camera.
I think the big issue is people who already have an iPhone have no reason to pay another 30 bucks a month for 3G access on the iPad. You’d essentially be paying twice for the same thing.
I think this was a home run. I came in really skeptical about the need for a tablet. But, the features and price make this thing killer. I won’t be buying one right away, but I’ll almost certainly own one eventually.
I expect version 2 will get a camera…surprised that it wasn’t included this time.
Not at all surprised about multitasking or Flash, which is way too crashy for Apple to put up with. Hopefully, the spread of iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads will hasten the demise of Flash.
Really pleased with the additions to the user interface to take advantage of the larger screen. Looked really, really slick. Also happy to see iWork apps…that could be a very useful feature and $10 is a good price for them.
I use my iPhone much more often than I ever thought I would for tasks that are really better suited to a desktop computer–surfing the web, reading and responding to email, etc. That tiny screen is fine on the go, but I use it way more than I expected when sitting on the couch watching a movie, even though the big computer is 10 feet away.
Having one of these sitting on the coffee table to pick up instead would be great. I could definitely see it becoming my go-to device, while using my desktop only for specific applications like burning cds, streaming media, etc.
It’s an interesting device, but I’m not sure it’s something that would fit into my digital world. I might consider it, maybe for development, but not yet.
Bingo. I’d want WiFi for wireless content when I’m at home, but I don’t really need to surf the web while I’m riding a train with it…I’ve already got an iPhone. Using it like an iPod, uploading movies, music, books, newspapers…with nifty apps, I see the appeal. I’d skip the 16 gig version though…that’s just too small.
In 2 months, when all the prices drop a bit, I’ll be very interested.
I wonder if Apple is going to remove the Kindle app from the App Store? It’s directly competing with their own ebook store now.
It looks nice and all, but I just don’t see the point. It’s too big to carry around in your pocket and it doesn’t have the features of a regular laptop.
I’m using this, with or without your permission! 
'Thanks for the line of the day.
I hope not. I love that thing!
It’s getting killed on the name. But then again, Nintendo got killed for the name Wii and we saw how that turned out.