Can I ask a silly question about the ipad? Say I was sitting on the train wanting to look at facebook. How does this connect to the internet? Someone said it doesn't have a usb thing so a dongle wouldn't work?

Same way as an iPhone does...3G via a SIM card.

Thanks

HP launch there equivalent sometime next month
I'll probably get one of them ...if only for the adobe function, I believe Apple will rue the day they had their little tiff

I didn't think that the first iPad's were 3G compatible - only Wi-Fi?


S

That might explain the lack of USB port, so you can't plug in your USB 3G modem.

I was consdering one of these as we needed something for travelling with but as it doesn't have a camera and therefore no Skype it will be a netbook instead. Shame as I really liked the book download that it offers.

I can see little point in becoming an early adopter of the iPad. It has barely the functionality of a netbook, and costs twice the price.

If you have your heart set on a tablet (which is a nice format), then I would have a look at the ICD Gemini:

ICD Gemini

it offers pretty much all that the iPad doesn't, plus Adobe have just announced [beta] Flash support for Android:

Flash for Android

The Gemini is slated for a July/August release, but remember that there are offerings due from Dell and Toshiba too.

Apple really did change the game with the iPhone, but I don't think that manufacturers are going to let them get such a head start a second time around.


S

Thanks. Will have a look at that too.

Have also been looking at netbooks which are quite expensive here. I can have one shipped from the UK much cheaper but I need to see if there would be duty on that first.

Thanks again. Not set on a tablet thing - just something small and lightweight for when I am travelling so I can skype and email easily.

I know what you mean about prices here. I bought my HP 1030NR in Staples on Hollywood Boulevard while visiting the US last July. It was on special at US$299 plus sales tax, including a 6 cell battery. The equivalent model here in JB Hi-Fi is still AU$563. It's time the Australian consumer woke up to global pricing.

I would recommend the HP Netbooks actually - they have a nice big keyboard, which makes them very useable. Some netbooks really suffer from tiny keys.

Remember also that only items over AU$1000 attract duty.


S

Now the HTC Desire is out the iPhone is pretty much a dead duck.

A lot of people are using something called MiFi - it basically turns your iPhone into a WiFi hotspot which you then tether your WiFi only iPad to.

I think the ney-sayers may be wrong on this taking off - sales don't suggest that yet. Apple are increasingly getting market share and clever gizmos like this well marketed opens the door to their computer products. I think it will take off and other accessories will come along. Not sure why anyone would want a camera though? A small compact is far better and easier. Video Skype wouldn't make a difference to me.

Symbian has had that for ages. Not a killer app. People like the cameras on their phone and use them. Not a killer feature but an important one and one the Inob is reputed to not have.

The key thing all the OS's want is a developer community. Apple has a head start however Google is more open and will probably overtake Apple in the number of apps. Nokia had better come up with something fast but its smartphone OS seems is dead in the water.

Blackberry have the corporate market sewn up until anyone else can match them for security and ease of adminstration. Government will not touch anything else at the moment. Microsoft maybe the ones who could attack that market with their position with Exchange.

On the Horizon MS has a new phone OS coming out.

Frankly I find Apple's reliance on the buggy ITunes and its overzealous controlling nature maybe the Achilles heal of the iphone. The iPad hype had better deliver otherwise it maybe viewed as a Vista. The bigger they get the more critiscism they attract. The market share obtained so far has been impressive.

Google's issue is its lack of experience with hardware although Apple have now outsourced that (along with everyone else) to Foxconn.

A brave prediction but I hear it is good. Telstra have it exclusively from April for 3 months. Not a way to get mass market.

For 3 months yes. Makes no difference because the specs of the 4th gen iPhone still doesn't come close to the HTC Desire. Every review is touting it as the best smart phone on the market. And apparently the HTC Sense UI is the dogs bollocks.

As for Nokia. They have the N900 which is running Maemo Linux and Maemo looks set to become the standard OS for Nokia phones. This will be a serious competitor to Android.