It was only a joke

I can't argue with any of that. Though I too think the screen will stay as it is but iPad 2.0 will be the thing to buy after all the Beta testing has been done on the 1.0 version. What may be of interest is what the next OS update brings and that will come very much sooner.

No product can be all things to all people but this device will fit certain lifestyles perfectly ..
e.g. i have a macbook and an imac at home.
If i want to do 'proper' things i turn on the imac, it has a decent screen size, mouse etc and it is easy to work on.
The macbook is mainly used for browsing the web, sending email, watching the odd movie on a train. I have occasionally used it for work but tbh it is rare.
The ipad will easily replace the macbook for me, it can do all of the above. + it is smaller, lighter, cheaper, more rugged etc.
It can also be used as an ebook reader so could replace a kindle (not that i have one + I accept the criticism re screen v e-ink) it can replace a digital photo frame, could be a great in-car device .. movies / sat nav etc, extra storage & display for photographers (with adapter .. ).
I also think my granny / kids would love this, it has a simple intuitive interface .. my 3 year old can easily operate my iphone but can't drive the macbook ..
I guess this is a bit of a wii V xbox issue - it will suit some people very very well .. despite it not being as powerful / fully featured as the competition .. i suspect i am one of them.

Didge

Given the fact that every other smart phone coming out now has quadruple the resolution of the iPhone I think they need to change it just to keep up.

A USB port would be useful.

The SD slot less so. It is useful to people who use SD cards, but is an extra expense and another hole in the device, where dust, moisture etc. can get in, which a lot of people will never need...

My Siemens PC has a 12 way card reader, it is disconnected, because I've never needed it. Why should users who don't need these interfaces be forced to pay extra for them? Having them as an additional adapter for those that need them is a good solution, you only buy the parts you need.

The lack of USB struck me as odd, considering you'll probably want to load a fair bit of media on to the thing. I know there's ways round it, but it seems an unnecessary faff at first glance

Not when theres a handy accessory to be purchased.

Of course the question is how soon and how easy will it be to jailbrake?

My iPod has USB, only it's part of the dock connector. It's handy, because it also charges the unit as well as connecting it to my PC or my hi-fi.

The vast majority of digital cameras available today use SD cards to be fair. And if Apple thought it wouldnt be useful then why would they make an external SD adapter? I dont see an MMC/CF/MS adapter. They must know how popular SD is.


Would it be such an additional expense? I cant imagine it adding that much to the device. And a simple rubber cover like on my Nokia would protect against dust.

Okay, here's how I think it'll work.

Punter already owns a PC or Mac. I know the last crop of MacBooks had an SD card slot, and I believe the iMacs have now, too. Punter will download their images to <insert fave photo editor/manager> and work on them.

Punter syncs the photos to their iPad to show people. The iPad is not really intended as a primary source machine, because someone already has to own a PC in order to set the thing up, like iPods and iPhones.

Tell you what, I've been round all this sort of discussion before when the iPhone came out. I think any further comment from me is pointless, partly because I'm relying on other people's reactions and a spec sheet from Apple to inform my judgement. I think it may be better to wait until real people have had a chance to use the object, developers have created new apps for it, and accessory makers have plugged all the missing features.

That is right, iPhoto, iCal, iTunes, Mail, Address Book, Safari bookmarks etc will all just sync each time you charge the device. No setting up needed just like when I bought my iPhone getting my data/photos/music/address book etc was just a "one click and wait for a bit" experience. I expect that iWork will sync across too, though I don't know that for sure yet. Dragging files one at a time from an SD card or over USB is a very Windows way to do stuff.

In other words it might well sell a few more Macs.

What do you think the chances of them being "free" on O2 are if you sign up for a data SIM?

I'd say certain.

Phone companies already bundle notebooks with their 3G services, don't they? I don't know what the value of those machines are, but they must be some-what comparable to the iPad.

It depends if O2 UK has a 12 month contract.

The AT&T deal is a rolling month by month thing.

i.e. no contract.

If that's the case here then you'll have to fork out the full whack for the iPad also.