The iPad

News, trends, and the future of publishing
User avatar
Nathan Bransford
Posts: 1552
Joined: December 4th, 2009, 11:17 pm
Location: Pasadena, CA
Contact:

The iPad

Post by Nathan Bransford » January 27th, 2010, 2:54 pm

Want.

What do you guys think? Is this the game-changer we've been promised?

User avatar
kelly.morgan
Posts: 21
Joined: December 7th, 2009, 12:18 pm
Location: Washington
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by kelly.morgan » January 27th, 2010, 3:06 pm

I think this will kill the other e-book readers. The iPad starter is the same price as a Kindle DX, in color with 140k + apps to peruse and more.

Seeing $4.99 books on the list took my breath away but I guess I expected it.

Would've preferred a camera (video conferencing awesomeness), multitasking capabilities.

I love with the keyboard dock/picture frame holder, and color magazines/newspapers with inline video capabilities.

This is most definitely a want. 90 days is going to be a long wait.

ETA: Reserving judgment on how the iPad is going to affect pricing and the acquisition of debut authors to major publishing houses. I don't think the major pubs are knocking on the obsolete door by any means, but we will see more of an influx of self-pubbed titles for free/$.99.
Last edited by kelly.morgan on January 27th, 2010, 3:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Nathan Bransford
Posts: 1552
Joined: December 4th, 2009, 11:17 pm
Location: Pasadena, CA
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by Nathan Bransford » January 27th, 2010, 3:12 pm

I agree, they came in at an impressive price point for all that you get. From what I've gathered the e-book prices are actually in line with what Amazon has been charging - that closeup just happened to capture e-books that are priced at $5.00 at Amazon as well. I also really like the ability to change fonts, buy right from iTunes, the ePub format, and it looks like the right size. I'm ready.

User avatar
kelly.morgan
Posts: 21
Joined: December 7th, 2009, 12:18 pm
Location: Washington
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by kelly.morgan » January 27th, 2010, 3:17 pm

Nathan Bransford wrote:From what I've gathered the e-book prices are actually in line with what Amazon has been charging - that closeup just happened to capture e-books that are priced at $5.00 at Amazon as well. I also really like the ability to change fonts, buy right from iTunes, the ePub format, and it looks like the right size. I'm ready.
I went in and looked at the Amazon prices right after you tweeted that :) Serves me right for being in a rush and buying most of my Kindle books when they are brand new. Kindle might still have an edge in the price war if they keep all new releases at $9.99 since it looks like Apple has books priced up to $14.99 (the Ted Kennedy book was shown on the closeup).

bcomet
Posts: 588
Joined: January 23rd, 2010, 2:11 pm
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by bcomet » January 27th, 2010, 3:35 pm

I am totally wild about this!
I'm afraid the other ones didn't really pique my interest, but THIS one...
WOW!!!

bcomet
Posts: 588
Joined: January 23rd, 2010, 2:11 pm
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by bcomet » January 27th, 2010, 3:38 pm

Does anyone know if this has a moving part inside (like the earlier i-pods) or is one of those solid ones that doesn't need to be carried around in between cushioning?

lmjackson
Posts: 40
Joined: January 12th, 2010, 10:06 pm
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by lmjackson » January 27th, 2010, 3:47 pm

I have an iPhone, thus I'm a little confused as to why I would need an iPad.
Junior student studying at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Loves reading, writing, photography, dance, and long walks on the beach :P

User avatar
JustineDell
Posts: 293
Joined: January 15th, 2010, 11:38 am
Location: Indiana
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by JustineDell » January 27th, 2010, 3:51 pm

Bye bye Kindle...hello IPad. Crap...now I have no use for my Iphone or Ipod touch, aside from the fact I can atleast call from my phone. I. WANT. ONE.

http://www.justine-dell.blogspot.com/

"Three things in life that, once gone, never return; Time, Words, & Opportunity"

User avatar
Dankrubis
Posts: 99
Joined: December 11th, 2009, 3:48 pm
Location: Irvine, CA
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by Dankrubis » January 27th, 2010, 3:51 pm

Holy frakking frak it looks so beautiful. I can't wait. But is it a phone, too? It's a mesh between an iPhone and a netbook, att provides the internet, it has a microphone and a speaker, but I haven't read anything that specifically says it's smartphone compatible. And yes, I would totally use that huge thing as a phone :)

bcomet
Posts: 588
Joined: January 23rd, 2010, 2:11 pm
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by bcomet » January 27th, 2010, 4:16 pm

Yep. I would totally use that thing as a phone too!! And I want my i-pod video to work too. And Microsoft Word.
10 hours! Beautiful!
I WANT IT!
My only consideration is that I know it will get better and BETTER!
Should I wait or jump in on the first release?
I KNOW I am going to spend a fortune on books on this too!
This looks TOO TOO irresistible!!

And I can actually read the newspaper like a newspaper? Wow!
Last edited by bcomet on January 28th, 2010, 12:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

TawnyTaylor
Posts: 1
Joined: January 27th, 2010, 5:43 pm
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by TawnyTaylor » January 27th, 2010, 5:44 pm

Am I the only one who doesn’t see the iPad as a potential Kindle-killer? I’ve tried reading books on a backlit screen. No deal. The $499 price is very good, compared to other laptops/tablet PC’s, but it’s still high for an e-reader. Battery life: 10 hours versus 10 days?

I just bought a Nook. LOVElovelove it.

I’m all about ebooks and I am an electronic gadget collector, but I already own two laptops. I don’t need what would be basically a third. However, when it comes time to replace one of them, then I’d consider buying an iPad.

Nick
Posts: 236
Joined: December 10th, 2009, 5:59 pm
Location: Pennsylvania
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by Nick » January 27th, 2010, 6:42 pm

The Nick finds iPad to be a lacklustre name on ordinary occasion or just plain wrong on other occasions. Aside from this, Nick has no idea how he feels about the thing. It's basically HUMONGOSAUR iTouch (iPhone?) with built-in e-reader? Fact that it's HUMONGOSAUR thing is offputting. Might be difficult to transport places. Even if they call it slender, Nick only wears cargo pants to school. Such excess storage space is not needed for his civvies, and it seems a bit large for jean pockets. Biggest offput is space. Apple site says 64GB is max. Nick's currently kind-of maybe not quite sorta broken iPod is 80GB and though he only has like 12GB full atm that's cause he like never updates. Plus movies/TV shows eat up a loooooooooooooooooot of space on the iPod, so Nick assumes the same is true of the iBrick. Also, it seems like something as thin as the iBrick will be very easy to drop, and probably won't withstand even a single drop. 80G iPod has been dropped many times and withstood strong. 'twas snowstorms what killed it. Plus Nick just dislikes this whole iBrick/iTouch/iPhone shizbaz people be doing. It's like Keepin' Up With the Joneses of Venus from the year Fifty Kajillion. Friend spent insane monies on first EVAR generation iPhone only to turn around buy all new models and have difficulty selling last one. Also it shares the problem of Nick's dislike of things like HDTV. Is nothing extra special awesome, especially for prices being asked, and why spend five grand on big TV that makes things all nice and real-y when he can enjoy perfectly good TV on old TV that cost $400 back in '06? So Nick doesn't know. Nick might buy iBrick eventually, after a few generations. Or Nick might just stick with iPod, if it ain't broke. Time shall see all and tell no one.

And pardon the insanity of Nick's post. It's one of those nights.

User avatar
marilyn peake
Posts: 304
Joined: December 7th, 2009, 4:29 pm
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by marilyn peake » January 27th, 2010, 8:41 pm

I wouldn't be interested in the current iPad for the reasons described in the following article: http://mashable.com/2010/01/27/apple-ipad-downsides. I might be interested in a later version if those problems are solved. For eBooks in particular, I wouldn't want the backlit screen.
Marilyn Peake

Novels: THE FISHERMAN’S SON TRILOGY and GODS IN THE MACHINE. Numerous short stories. Contributor to BOOK: THE SEQUEL. Editor of several additional books. Awards include Silver Award, 2007 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards.

User avatar
Nathan Bransford
Posts: 1552
Joined: December 4th, 2009, 11:17 pm
Location: Pasadena, CA
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by Nathan Bransford » January 28th, 2010, 1:01 am

Now that I read books mainly on my iPhone the backlighting issue has ceased to be an issue for me. I actually like that it automatically adjusts to ambient light and so you're never squinting in a dark room with a book (great for reading in bars before your friends arrive! Um. Who me?)

I am disappointed that there are no note-taking capabilities in the iBooks store, but hey - I'm sure Amazon will have a Kindle app ready to go and I'm happy to keep reading Kindle books until Apple gets it right.

I still think this is the device for me, but only because I spend so much time reading and I prefer color iPhone-like screens to the delay and grayscale of e-ink.

User avatar
marilyn peake
Posts: 304
Joined: December 7th, 2009, 4:29 pm
Contact:

Re: The iPad

Post by marilyn peake » January 28th, 2010, 1:16 am

Nathan,

I’m thinking the same thing – I’d want to wait until Apple makes improvements. Also, I received a Kindle for Christmas and feel that I should use that for quite a while before even thinking about getting anything else, and I’m trying to read stacks of paperbacks and hard covers I purchased before getting the Kindle. With all the manuscripts you read, I could see why an iPad would be very appealing, especially if the backlighting doesn’t bother you. I love that the iPad shows color, especially since I enjoy reading graphic novels. I read WATCHMEN in paperback, and imagine that would look very cool if it was made available for the iPad or some similar device.
Marilyn Peake

Novels: THE FISHERMAN’S SON TRILOGY and GODS IN THE MACHINE. Numerous short stories. Contributor to BOOK: THE SEQUEL. Editor of several additional books. Awards include Silver Award, 2007 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests