Bought a 3G iPad today. I'll keep the forum posted on how I like it. It is going to be a laptop and Kindle replacement for me.
Didn't think I'd want one but my Mom sure did, so I grabbed one for her. Been playing with it for the past 3 days. In a word - wow. 'Slick' is the only word I can use to describe it. The interface is just so cool, and it's a very nice way to consume different types of media. The image quality is outstanding with the IPS screen. Battery life is amazing. Wi-Fi connectivity is all right although with the 3G version, you have to put a SIM card in it to get it to work, and then it sometimes gets confused about whether you're asking it to use 3G or Wi-Fi. I still hate the fact that I can't surf the web on it . Yes, yes, I know, this is a slight overstatement, but that's how I feel about it. There's plenty of streaming content that I want to see but can't access with this device. I'm waiting for a Linux (Meego?) based tablet, but something tells me it won't be as slick as this thing. Anyone who argues that the iPad isn't a strong indicator of where personal computing is going hasn't played with one.
This is cool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkG3AGtgnco I just realized that a very cool feature of these portable devices would be the capacity to have a built in projector so that I can use my iPad as a chess (or any other subject) demonstration board on any white wall. If I could dream, I would wish for a built in holographic projector that would display in mid air 3D images. Imagine what that would do for molecular sciences. That would be super cool and could revolutionize education.
http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=1463&news=tablet+pc+toshiba+dualscreen+windows+7 The TWS IB app is not really setup to work on the larger screen. They really don't use the extra real estate well. Plus it has so few of the Java based TWS. Dean
I used to try trading from my Blackberry then moved to iPhone for the larger screen. Neither platform had any decent software and neither does the iPad from what I can gather at the moment. However, I do use the iPad for remote-access to my regular trading desktop via VNC. Pretty convenient to sit out in the garden or at the beach and get to my system. I do have to flip through multiple screens one at a time though. But still much, much more useful than the BB or iPhone.
I am at an AAPL store waiting to go see "The Expendables" (sometimes a guy just wants to see stuff blow up) and it is amazing - wall to wall people. An older couple just sat next to me with a new iPad. These products appeal to the entire population. To round it off, AAPL is not a flimsy employer, there is an army of employees wearing blue t-shirts insanely dedicated to helping customers. It is funny, all these books get written about business this, business that. Just copy AAPL and forget the rest.
Apple really know about their niche market. They focus on and serve peoples who are "computer-illiterate" which are pretty much most people with the exception of business and computer peoples. They also brand themselves to be a cool company, which is an excellent marketing strategy that indirectly make the PC users "uncool". Apple also applied some good management/HR techniques in managing their staffs, making them "want to work" instead of "have to work". So far, I don't see any competitors for Apple in this niche market. Apple is the only one producing these entertainment devices, and I don't see any other company producing anything similar. PA