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How the iPad won over an unbeliever

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By Peter Svensson

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Even Apple failed with its first attempt, the Newton, back in the 1990s.

In what way was the Newton a failure?

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The iPad is not too heavy if I support it on a bag when standing.

Ummm. In other words, it IS too heavy. Typical Mac apologist.

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Ok. Did Apple pay for this article? Because it fails to address most of the real issues.

For 50,000yen you can get a fully functioning, fast ebook computer that will run processor and function circles around the ipad.

It has only the computing power of the iphone, which means it still does not do much. Multi-tasking etc... is 1990's quality. And there is no real processing power here. If you do anything other than read email and ebooks, there isn't much here.

Apple still fails the format test, only mp4 and mp3 files are friendly. While much of the world is using other file formats for better quality.

As a Mac fan (1 powerbook, 2 desktops and an iphone) I still can't get behind this device. My powerbook was a much better investment and allows me to do actual work on the train or anywhere else for that matter.

Bottom line, until Apple make an iPad with Powerbook processing capability, this is just a big iphone.

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I've had my iPad since the first day it came out and I love it. The other critics here are either missing the point or what is important to me is not to them and vice versa. I can use it standing on a train which I cannot do with a laptop. It does have multitasking with iOS 4 (which I'm running). It runs fast and smooth and is not weighed down by the overheads of Windows or even MacOS so you get better response for your processing power. And it has one thing I've never seen in any laptop, PC, or other tablet: true "instant on". I press a button and it's on immediately. Laptops have a sleep mode but that is not as fast to turn on and uses too much power.

That is not to say they don't have improvements to make. They do and I hope that google, samsung, Microsoft and others all keep on the pressure.

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I expect next year's version of the iPad will have a camera, improved display etc etc. I don't really like the closed nature of the device where Apple decide what programs you can and can't run on it.

As for which is best at the pool/beach: I imagine that anyone taking an expensive gadget to the beach won't have to worry about bringing it back again. It's like leaving a pile of cash on your towel whilst you go for a swim.

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tokorobam.

Ok reading books. Good. But for email, do you really want everyone next to you reading your screen? Same applies to watching media. It is bad enough with others straining to see your Cowon or other player.

Typing with one hand on the ipad while holding onto the hand hold is funny to watch and looks pretty painful for the users.

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The iPad's been such a phenomenal success that it must be doing a lot of things right. For me, I'm waiting for version 2, which should be faster and have a camera for Skype calls. If you find yourself saying how bad the iPad is and want something else, please go ahead and buy something else, but stop complaining about the iPad. Seems reasonable to me.

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I understand the greatnesss of iPad, but iphone is enough for me. I can keep my iphone in my pocket, but I don't wanna carry iPad everyday.

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I disagree that the iPad beats the Kindle "at its own game." The Kindle is a dedicated eBook reader. And e-ink makes the display looks very much like printed paper. And it has a very long battery life too. Also much smaller and easier to hold on one hand. The iPad is a multipurpose device - multipurpose being the keyword. It's backlight causes much faster eye strain compared to reading a book (or using the Kindle) with a lamp. I've tried. I admit that the iPad is very Star Trek but as the saying goes, jack of all trades, master of none.

If you're a bookworm you'll love the Kindle. The iPad is for a different crowd altogether.

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The iPad is an amazing piece of technology despite the current model being only the first. It's going to be much better second generation, and with all the apps you can get for it I find it baffling that people say it's 'limited'.

I agree, though, that it's somewhat gratuitous to have both it AND an iPhone, but if you can afford both why not? It's certainly better for viewing pics and movies, reading ebooks, etc.

tkoind2: "Ok reading books. Good. But for email, do you really want everyone next to you reading your screen? Same applies to watching media. It is bad enough with others straining to see your Cowon or other player."

You just finished talking about how you can 'get work done' on the train using your laptop, so wouldn't the same problem apply?

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"If you find yourself saying how bad the iPad is and want something else, please go ahead and buy something else, but stop complaining about the iPad. Seems reasonable to me."

If you are a real Mac user, then you should know better than to take this stance. It is exactly because of negative customer feedback that Mac improves their products mate!

The iPad is a toy, but could be a wonderfully powerful machine that would gain a lot more users and bury the competition. It purely needs a real processor, at least the same as the ibook and more functions like Skype capability and the capacity to allow people to do real work on it as well as killing time on the commute.

If they develop a high end version, it will open up even more sales. And that is good for Apple.

So if you don't like negative feedback, don't read it! But Mac needs to hear these things to make a better product.

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The iPad is a toy, but could be a wonderfully powerful machine that would gain a lot more users and bury the competition. It purely needs a real processor, at least the same as the ibook and more functions like Skype capability and the capacity to allow people to do real work on it as well as killing time on the commute. If they develop a high end version, it will open up even more sales. And that is good for Apple. So if you don't like negative feedback, don't read it! But Mac needs to hear these things to make a better product.

It's always funny to me that you have these Mac haters complaining about how much Mac products need to have a more powerful this and that but when they go out and buy their Mac alternatives they buy the cheapest configuration because all of a sudden price is the deciding factor. Like the bloke above is saying how the iPad needs to be more powerful but being an iPad owner (which he is probably not) I would have to ask what for? The iPad does everything it's supposed to very well with the processor it has. I've never once wished the iPad was more powerful because it wasn't meeting a certain need. I surf the web, make presentations, read email, edit content, read books, magazines, documents etc..., edit scripts for work, play games, listen to music, watch movies, podcasts etc..., stream content from my home server and have it converted on the fly so the format and/or storage argument is a moot point and so much more, all with a device that fits in one hand and is light enough and thin enough to be carried around in a small bag. Honestly, what more do you need from a portable device that is NOT meant to be a laptop. If you need laptop power then darnit buy a laptop. The iPad is not meant to replace it and it's stupid to compare the two.

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I disagree that the iPad beats the Kindle "at its own game." The Kindle is a dedicated eBook reader. And e-ink makes the display looks very much like printed paper...

Which is fine, until you have to start making sense of a schematic that has been rendered into greyscale by amazon. That's where the iPad beats the kindle. Perhaps in a few years, colour e-ink will be possible, but until then the iPad is the only game in town for an e-reader, as far as my needs go.

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Apple addicts are people who prefer form over function, and there's nothing really wrong with that. But I notice that they tend to never accept or tolerate any criticism of an Apple product. And even when the products go wrong (as they do quite often- my MacMini's sound has never worked reliabably) they will blame anything other than the Apple product itself. And they're quite happy to put up with lower performance, high prices, and Jobs-instigated drawbacks (such as the lack of Flash support) because basically the product is stylish, natty and fun.

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Apple products are not "hack friendly", and if they are, Apple issues a firmware to block it. Sounds a bit like Big Brother to me.

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Apple addicts are people who prefer form over function, and there's nothing really wrong with that. But I notice that they tend to never accept or tolerate any criticism of an Apple product. And even when the products go wrong (as they do quite often- my MacMini's sound has never worked reliabably) they will blame anything other than the Apple product itself. And they're quite happy to put up with lower performance, high prices, and Jobs-instigated drawbacks (such as the lack of Flash support) because basically the product is stylish, natty and fun.

And Windows addicts seem to think that every single Mac user must be a fanatic or an addict. Yes I use Apple products because they give me the best user experience for the work and needs that I have as a creative professional, but in no way am I an addict. At the same time however, I think it is utterly stupid for someone to complain about products they don't and/or have never used. I don't go on Windows forums complaining about the GUI of Windows although I think it's fugly and gets in the way, nor do I complain about the constant pop-ups telling me to install or upgrade something. Honestly I think Windows users spend more time maintaining the OS than actually getting real work done and that's from my own personal experience of ACTUALLY using Windows. As a matter a fact I have it installed on all seven of my Macs and dread booting it up. In any case, it is idiotic the complain about the iPad or any other Mac product unless you actually own and use the product you are complaining about. Just for the record, I have had numerous complaints over the years about Mac products that are legitimate complains, not stupid crap like the iPad doesn't have a fast enough processor.

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By the way I'm on the train now typing this on my iPad and couldn't be happier with it.

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The iPod has taken over 50% of the consumer laptop/netbook sales at retailers than sell them. That is to say the under $600 and sold in retail stores. In particular the $499 price point. The most interesting thing is the iPad isn't cutting into Mac/MacBook/MacBook Pro sales. As more retailers start selling them I think Netbooks are going to be in trouble.

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If I could find one with skies of glory on it to test it, I might get one.

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DarkKnightNine "It's always funny to me that you have these Mac haters complaining about how much Mac products..."

Let me correct you my friend. I am not a Mac hater. I have an ipod, iphone, powerbook, imac and a second desk top. My internet is managed via MacAir. I am a Mac fan if anything.

And yet I still think the iPad is a toy with too little power for its size and potential market.

So what will you say now that you have lost your "mac hater" argument?????

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The only thing that has made me want one is that video with that guy's cat playing the piano app on it. I feel bad about that somehow. It sure looks slick though.

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I love how all the Mac fanboys try to legitimise their purchase by comparing their products to offerings from Microsoft, as if that is the only alternative. Shows the distinct lack of awareness of free alternatives that would lead to a person parting with hard earned cash for an Apple product.

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I didn't know techie stuff was all elitist!!! Oh wait that's exactly how it is...

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I was holding out for a second gen iPad but my parents came visit and bought one for their grandkids. I call it the family computer. A 5, heck, a 2 year old can pick it up and use it pretty much right away. I'm not gonna get into a Mac vs. Win debate here, but to those that's saying the iPad doesn't pack enough power in there and how you can get a full win7 home os on a net book, well, I hope you're happy with yer net book. Anyways, my fave apps so far: VLC Player, PvZ(buy something else if you value your free time), Xe currency converter, goskywatch(it's free, get it and be blown away even if you're not into astronomy), airvideo(you do need a pretty powerful computer for this one but it's great for those with 16g ipads), vnc lite(will upgrade to the full version, it's cheap and does what I need) and Bookman for my books and comics(PDF, cbr, cbz, rar files). There's tons of apps out there and while a lot of them are total time wasters, there are also lots that'll make your life easier and make waiting in line/traffic more bearable. But don't get one now, wait for the second gen, I promise you it'll be better in a lot of ways, ok, maybe you won't be able to jailbreak it right away......

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imomofo. I think you are right. 2nd or 3rd generation will get it right. More real processing power and not just a big iphone. More memory. And hopefully more compatibility for file types. Then a pad form unit would be wonderful.

If I were running Apple I would make the current one a little better by adding memory stick, greater file type players and a little more power. But I would offer a high end model that is essentially a Mac air in pad format. Then you can do anything on the go that you could on a full laptop. Now that would be worth the money.

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i bought my wife an iPod touch for her birthday last year. so i thought she'd like an iPad for her birthday this year. i was wrong. because it has no USB ports, has no ability to printout from it's desktop and doesn't come equipped with any kind of word processing/spreadsheet/presentation suite; she would prefer that i returned it (ASAP) and got an equivallently priced/cheaper notebook PC.

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I'd like to see an iPad vs. ePad (the Google, made-in-China one) battle.

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I prefer to use the ipad as an internet reader device. Sony came out with the AirBoard several years earlier - but like all sony innovation - it was too expensive - great idea - poor pricing strategy (it was USD 1-2k). At sub USD 500 - the ipad is a competitive internet and 3g enabled reader - perfect for PDFs, user manuals, and light reading (technical or entertainment) - plus - you can watch movies on the darn thing. Although not the last word on AirBoards - it is simply way cool - and useful until digital paper with internet comes along...

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Re: onewrldoneppl

Don't take the iPad back just yet. It's true that iWork is not bundled, but it's not that expensive. As for printing, at present, you can save your spreadsheet, or whatever, then sync to your computer and then print. Yes, it's a tad clumsy, but only for a while. Apple announced a week ago that "AirPrint" is coming soon to the iPad and it will make it possible to print directly from the iPad.

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I will wait for the 5th version of the ipad or any version that can print a file wirelessly with out USB cords and etc. Print pictures,Resumes, CV's record videos, watch live television shows from American, no restrictions, blah blah blah and whatnot !!!!

I hope one day tablets will replace laptops and home computers !!!!

In Japan, old people like reading the newspapers just this evening I seen 3 old ( as dirt ) office worker/ business men reading a newspaper around 7pm ? I don't know why ? Maybe it's a late edition or what. But I hope Japan will be " green " and reducethe consu prion of paper and recycled paper.

I hope one day we will stop using paper

I'm all for it!!!!

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For anyone who likes mediocrre and uncessary techonology, I can thoroughly recommend it. I even some saw idiot 'DJ'ing' with two of them on Youtube.

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I have an iPad and I am gonna trade it for something else. I guess it's ok but to be honest I have an iphone4. I tried all the web surfing biz at the coffee shop and on the train but at the end I just want to read a real book or newspaper. If I need to read any job related reports etc, I can use my iPhone for that and a lot more. I find that my clients would also rather read off a print out or from their PC than the iPad. I guess its the feeling of having something tangible. I am not the type who enjoys games. I don't need to watch movies when I am on the train. I would rather read a book and watch the cinema in my head. I think that I would keep the iPad if I did not already have an iphone4.

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Not sure about newspapers, but I did see a guy on the train reading manga on his iPad. Wave of the future!

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People always want more. It's a never ending cycle. 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation iPads and people will still be complaining and saying they want more or that it doesn't have blah, blah, blah.

Let me correct you my friend. I am not a Mac hater. I have an ipod, iphone, powerbook, imac and a second desk top. My internet is managed via MacAir. I am a Mac fan if anything. And yet I still think the iPad is a toy with too little power for its size and potential market. So what will you say now that you have lost your "mac hater" argument?????

@tkoind2 Quite frankly you sound like an idiot to me. First the fact that you had to justify yourself by telling me all the Mac products you have tells me you're probably lying or living in denial. It's like Chris Rock once said, 'if you can count how many black friends you have, you're probably a racist'. Secondly if you do have all of those products, then you have no need of an iPad and it doesn't matter how fast or slow the processor is, it will never be for you. You're just complaining just to complain. Like I said, people always want more no matter how good the product they already have is. If they put a faster processor and graphics card in it, then you'd be complaining that it was too heavy or the battery life was too short or it gets too hot or that it was too expensive. For people like you, the iPad will never be good enough and that's fine with Apple. Like Steve J. said to people whining about the iPhone 4, if you don't like it, don't buy it. Now quit your whining.

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Don't take the iPad back just yet. It's true that iWork is not bundled, but it's not that expensive. As for printing, at present, you can save your spreadsheet, or whatever, then sync to your computer and then print. Yes, it's a tad clumsy, but only for a while. Apple announced a week ago that "AirPrint" is coming soon to the iPad and it will make it possible to print directly from the iPad.

If you have a recent Epson printer, you can already print anything wirelessly directly from your iPad using Epson's free software "Epson iPrint".

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I was once a great Apple lover but got burned by Apple once to often and now despite the convenience of such a gadget I am reluctant to trust them anymore.

My kids have I-pod nanos they got as a gift from their GPs but they have been nothing but trouble seeing that they need i-tunes to load and that means only form one particular computer, I have a Trancend just drag and drop form any computer had it twice as long as the kids i-pods and never a days trouble but the i-pods have been in the shop a few times.

I did see some real garbage in Akika cheap Chinese fakes with names like e-pad, i-pode i-pady now if had to chose and my choices were these c fakes or the real thing then it would be the i-pad.

But for now I will stay with my Panasonic "Let's Note" (toughbook) with touch screen it has never let me down.

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"At first glance, the iPad looked like a heavy, overgrown iPod Touch"

We'll that is probably the case because that's all it is.

Our daughter has used Macs since elementary school (district got a great big technology grant form Apple, right in Microsoft's backyard!). She prefers Macs to PC. However, and contrary to a what a couple Apple partisans contend, Macs are more expensive than most laptops and desk top computers of similar power. That being said, they probably perform better as well, particularly for their long-time lead for graphic work.

However, the iPad, like the iTouch, is very much a toy and instead of making one's digital life easier, it's really just one more thing to have but that really no one needs. It's not filling a technological void. Rather, it's the perfect intersection of Apple's marketing skills and self-reinforcing Mac-oriented consumers. Do you really need a device that large that doesn't do much more than an iPhone (which isn't even the best 4G option available) and not nearly as much as an laptop? Of course not.

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@Jeffery, @chotto, and others:

What is most dismaying about this dialog is there is surprise to the point of anger being expressed at those of us who like our iPads from those who do not. Relax folks. No one is forcing you to buy one.

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OK here's a legitimate gripe. Apple has advertised for years that their superiority over other OS/Hardware combinations is that because of their closed ecosystem, 'Stuff just works'. That is no longer the case as Apple has spread itself waaay too thin. My iPad doesn't just work. I'm a professional Director/Photographer and I recently used the the iPad with camera connector to take RAW images off of my Canon 1D Mark IV to show to a client on location because (according to Apple) that's a great use for the iPad. It's also supposed to be easy to sync those pictures back onto your main computer once you get back to your studio/home office or wherever. Therein lies the problem, after 3 attempts to sync with Aperture 3 (each just leaving my iPad connected for many hours), I have not been able to successfully get those pictures off of my iPad. Since RAW files from a Canon 1D Mark IV are quite large (15 ~ 30MB each), they eat up a lot of space on my iPad. Aperture 3 has also been a complete dog on my system constantly crashing so I'm not sure if the problem is Aperture 3 or my iPad. One thing is for sure, things are definitely NOT 'just working'. Before any of you ask YES, I am using a modern Mac (the latest iMac with Core i7 Intel Processors and 16GB of Ram) which should be plenty powerful for the task mentioned above. The point here is that Apple is not always perfect and the iPad is by no means the perfect machine but what company or machine is? For what the iPad does do, it is a great companion to have with me when I don't want to lug around a laptop and want to surf the web and keep in touch with clients while out on the road as well as provide a good source of entertainment when stuck in small hotel rooms which a creative professional/road warrior like myself often finds himself.

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UPDATE Just out of curiosity, I tried using iPhoto for the above mentioned problem and the photos downloaded without a hitch, so the problem must be Aperture 3 and how it communicates with the iPad. It's a workaround but it doesn't solve the problem as it introduces an extra step to my workflow. Aperture is a professional RAW image editing tool. Having to first use iPhoto to import images from my iPad is cumbersome. As I stated before things should just work especially since they are all Apple products and 'ease of use' is what Apple has built it's reputation on.

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tokorobam at 07:17 AM JST - 28th September @Jeffery, @chotto, and others: What is most dismaying about this dialog is there is surprise to the point of anger being expressed at those of us who like our iPads from those who do not. Relax folks. No one is forcing you to buy one.

I'm not angry. People are free to waste their money if they want to. But like everything else Apple has ever created, the iPad is hyped beyond what it actually does as a computing device, which is, again not much more than the iPhone and not nearly as much as a laptop. And since it's not much smaller or lighter than a smaller laptop, what's the point? Again, as I wrote before, what glaring technological gap does it fill?

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Again, as I wrote before, what glaring technological gap does it fill?

I used to have an iPhone 3G since the release year until I had to end the contract first half of this year due to things out of my control. Now I'm just using a prepaid phone. I seriously considered getting an iPhone 4 or iPad but in the end, I realized I really don't need them. So the money I saved ended up on my custom bicycle and I'm biking instead of sitting on my bum using either of those devices. I also had a PSP and DS but don't have them anymore as well. My sister loaned me her Kindle because the rest of her booklist is on hardcover. I use it to read occasionally.

Basically people who want those devices will find ways to justify its existence in their lives. Those who need it for any specialized application already justified it from the start.

The iPad is nice to play with (I did so in the electronics shops that display them when I pass by) but I can live without it. And yes, it is still very much an iPod Touch with a big screen.

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tokorobam

What is most dismaying about this dialog is there is surprise to the point of anger being expressed at those of us who like our iPads from those who do not. Relax folks. No one is forcing you to buy one.

So the fact that people can't think for themselves and buy something useless based on a logo isn't a dismaying fact? Speaks volumes for peoples' intelligence.

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@chotto

So the fact that people can't think for themselves and buy something useless based on a logo isn't a dismaying fact? Speaks volumes for peoples' intelligence.

So since I like my iPad, you question my intelligence? You have no idea what I use it for and why it's suitable for me but you take an insulting tone anyway. Not that I'm particularly concerned about what you think, but looking at your other posts, you pretty much take a negative and often insulting tone in general. So at least you are consistent.

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Apple make wonderful gadgets for real, but what annoys me is the deliberate trickling of new features to justify a new model. You mean to tell me that Apple wasn't able to put a USB port on the first model? No camera on the former iTouch? Another case of corporate greedy, pure and simple.

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So the fact that people can't think for themselves and buy something useless based on a logo isn't a dismaying fact? Speaks volumes for peoples' intelligence.

@chotto no, your lack of intelligence and blatant ignorance is shown when you assume that every Apple user buys Apple products because of marketing hype or in your own words 'a logo'. I buy Apple products because they serve my needs; well. Apparently I'm not alone since a large part the creative community also uses Apple products. For the most part, Apple products do what they're supposed to do which is make my creative process easier so that I can focus on the art rather than the machine. If I have to pay a little extra to get that piece of mind so be it, but that argument has been made and disproved so many times that you just sound like a troll. Apple products are no more expensive than alternatives when you install everything you need to achieve the exact same results. You get what you pay for in the long run so your argument holds no water. Now go troll someplace else.

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Apple make wonderful gadgets for real, but what annoys me is the deliberate trickling of new features to justify a new model. You mean to tell me that Apple wasn't able to put a USB port on the first model? No camera on the former iTouch? Another case of corporate greedy, pure and simple.

@DamoSuzuki Not that is a legitimate argument and one I'm inclined to agree with.

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I want one...I dont know why..but the otaku in me says "buy one"! Unfortunately the wife asks "why?" Mmm if you have an ipad, you surely want the 3g option, which means yet another contract with softbank...or you overpay for a simm free version. Do I want a nagging wife, do I like softbank so much that Ill be willing to give away my money to them? Do I have to shed tears as next year an ipad appears with those dreadful needed usb ports? Mmm the otaku says "yes of course you should get one, who cares if Mr Jobs is turning into a Mr Gates, and all above reasons.. get get get and when you`re at it get also one of those overpriced fan-less fans from Dyson!" So I eventually will throw all common sense out the window and get one....I just hope that against time I have found a valid reason to buy one..

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