iPad for adventures
 

Apple launches it's infamous Tablet device.

http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Basically a giant Ipod Touch it runs on the same software so all the current iPod adventure games will work either in a window or upscaled to full screen.

A 9.7 inch touchscreen, 1024x768 display, 16, 32 or 64GB of storage ($499,$599 or $699 for the wifi only - the 3G version is more expensive)

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/4...b12600x400.jpg

I wonder what the current games Myst, Broken Sword, MI etc will look like scaled up and how it play on it.

It is a perfect device for playing adventure games, but will anyone develop for it?

I don't see how this piece of hardware is any more perfect than anything else that has a touch screen. Or any of the million tablets or whatever you want to call them that are going to be released in the next couple of years.

Sorry, no Pen, no buy. I will not buy a tablet that doesn't take care of the most useful thing given to man. The ability to write. Its too big to be just used as a touch device. Its too small to feel like a decent laptop.

It is missing everything you need. Just a glorified ebook.

It doesn't have flash, it doesn't have a pen, it doesn't have hdmi capabilities, it doesn't have bluetooth (keyboard, mouse), it fails as an artist platform.....this fails as a decent device. Just stick to your kindle.

Wow, I thought this was going to be like an actual Mac computer with OSX for people who actually like touch screens kinda thing. But 64GB HD for $700? I knew it would be overpriced (cuz yknow... Apple) but this looks like it's literally a giant (non-portable) iPod touch... what the hell is it for that anyone would want this for that price?

Double wow. I don't know what kind of person will actually buy this.

Echoing my post at Just Adventure:

Everybody said the same thing about the iPhone when it was released - who the hell is going to need it? Today, the iPhone is an unstoppable force that has literally changed the perception of cellphones and competitors had to follow Apple's trail. Like I said, I believe the iPad will change perception of notebooks in general and people will start demanding this type of device. I see it everywhere, people taking their cumbersome laptops to cafés to read the news or login to Facebook... or carrying them around just to type some stuff. Some own a notebook for the sake of watching movies alone and you know it's true. This is all already a thing of the past, there's no question in my mind. For the average user, tablets are bound to replace notebooks, and it's going to be eerily quick.

When the iPhone came out, it was the best Smartphone out. iPad isn't the best Tablet out, and that is what people one. Big difference.

Not to mention, the first iPhone wasn't so great either. It was until the second generation came then did it actually become a quality product. Same thing will happen for the iPad.

Why would someone one a device that's smaller than an average laptop but bigger than a iPhone? To read ebooks or to draw on. The iPad is only good for ebooks, and loses its artistic merits for failing to include a pen. The worst part about writing on a iPhone is writing with your finger. Its stupid and clumsy.

What else can the iPad be used for? Adventure games. It is quite a good platform for such a genre. Its small enough to be portable, but large enough to be enjoyable. Imagine playing Broken Sword on it? It would be great.

People want a simple fully functional OS for such a device, yet it has no multitasking either. That is an issue if you want to us it as a work device. The cool thing about my tablet pc was that it was made for work and play. It doesn't try to be overly simple where it limits the average to hardcore user.

I'll just wait for the second generation if it does well.

@Agustin: Actually the top users of Apple products are Artists. Not to mention, you can't even run flash on the tablet. So that alienates web users. No Hulu, no netflix. That also covers movie goers.

Apple just wants money. They are a money whore. You buy there movies, music, adapters, etc. It just is a horrible device that focuses on trends instead of community satisfaction.

Oh and if its a moviegoer tablet. It should include a DVD player. It doesn't. Therefore, its going to be expensive and inaccessible to a REAL and casual moviegoer.


I can make a better Tablet. But guess what? It won't do well, because Apple has such a family of idiots that will bash anything that isn't apple.

The success of the iPhone/iTouch was not because it was a great device, but because of the App Store. For the iPad to really succeed, it will need more than just the App Store.

The success of iPhone happened because when it debuted it was a huge jump ahead compared to competition. It was something new and something fresh. iPad on the other hand is just like every other tablet on the market, only far more limited.

It won't get popular enough for dev to start making games specificaly for it, so it will just be upscaled iPhone games.

And most of all, it completely fails at being the "Kindle killer" mac fans were hyping it to be. Ebook wise it's exactly like every other notebook or tablet out there and they all are just crap compared to any e-ink device.

So iPad so far looks more like new Apple TV than new iPhone

Thats an opinion and not a fact. The hardware is only as useful as the software on it. Without the APP store, the iPhone would have failed.

I'm not sure I agree with this. Writing with a finger might be just as quick as writing with a pen once you get used to it, if you have a big enough screen to write on. Drawing and doing other tasks that require precision are done much better with a pen, however.

Again, dumb and clumsy.

What part of it makes it dumb or stupid, other than your general dislike of Apple or people who might find writing with a finger useful?

If a pen wasn't universally used and required to write on paper due to the preciseness and ease of use of a pen compared to finger paint, writing with your finger would seem much more logical and natural than using some artificial tube of lead/ink.

When did I say I disliked Apple. I have plenty of Apple devices. We aren't trained to write with our fingers, but a utensil. Dumb as in pointless, and clumsy as in trying to write with your left hand when you are a right handed person. IS IT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND?

How is writing down notes with your finger appropriate or useful? Call me crazy, but thats like building a house with a bulldozer.

Oh and a history lesson. Those that wrote things with fingers generally had cave walls to paint on. So I guess a limited space is even more useful? Welcome to the year 2010. We've come a long way.

I'm sure games will work a lot better on the iPad than the iPod because of the extra screen real estate. And it's going to be excellent for reading books on, as well a number of other activities. Unfortunately, it would need a pen for me to warrant spending money on it. It could have been an awesome digital sketch pad, but as it stands, it's just a cool piece of technology that isn't quite worth it's price tag, at least for me anyway.

I keep hearing this about other tablets and the iPad not even being the best. Would anyone care pointing me to a reasonably good tablet that already exists? I'm not saying others haven't tried but I can't think of any other tablet that has lasted enough to be relevant. We'll see what happens with the iPad but, so far, this has been the only device of this type with such exposure and presentation. Even if it doesn't sell as much as expected, Apple may have single-handedly kickstarted (for real) the tablet market and this quite a respectful achievement.

Also, I think the technocrats out there are grossly missing the point. They're complaining about things such as lack of multitasking, no USB port, a closed app environment… I can assure you that the average Joe couldn't care less about those things. We're not the actual market of this thing - none of the tech journalists out there and probably none of the people browsing this forum right now… It's the average people that are currently wondering why they need such a clumsy computer with this annoying thing called "an operative system" when they just need to browse the web and answer e-mails. Just think about it. To say the iPad has no artistic merits is moot. To say professionals won't be able to do their work either because there's no multitask, or pen, is also irrelevant.

Apple knows this and they knew how to approach this device. As a matter of fact, they may have been too cautious. It may have been the first time ever in the history of Apple keynotes when they weren't aggressive enough. Obviously, Apple can't say "you need the iPad instead of notebooks" because they would be slashing their own products. However, it's no coincidence that very recently they moved their low-end 13'' Macbook to the Pro line. I'm certain this has been a calculated move and it will work: the perception of notebooks will be that of devices for professionals and the iPad for general consumers. Again, it's difficult for us techies to note the difference.

Finally, if you have the time give this article at Daring Fireball a read: The iPad Big Picture. It's extremely insightful and mentions something that everybody is failing to point out: the hardware capabilities of the iPad and Apple's potential strategy for the market.

That is a very good point.

There's no way this can compete with a laptop etc. but for people who just want to browse/email/maybe play a couple of simple games on a "bigger" screen, and that's probably a lot of people, this could be a good fit. The price means nothing as Apple are able to set it wherever they want for any of their products and people will still buy.

I wouldn't get one myself because, to me, it looks poor and having something that size which is so clearly limited is a complete waste of my time and money, but as Agustin said a lot of people don't want or understand anything more complicated and for those people this is a realistic alternative to a laptop/tablet as they don't want to use it for much anyway.

All this guy talks about is how fast it is, based on 20 minutes he spent with it, without offering actual comparisons with other existing tablets. He assumes that it's the best CPU out there, and that only Apple could have pulled this off. "Web pages render so fast it was hard to believe" - he is comparing the iPad with the iPhone; of course it's gonna be faster, it's huge in comparison and offers more room for better hardware. The fact alone that he is comparing it to iPod touch/iPhone shows that the iPad offers nothing else but a bigger screen and a faster core.

ArsTechnica has a much better article on the iPad, if anyone's interested.

Oh, and iWork without multitasking is rather useless, I for one constantly switch between the browser, a PDF reader and Pages/Word when writing a paper, or creating a presentation. The 4:3 screen is ridiculous for watching movies, and as for eBooks - you can get a Kindle for 1/3 of the price of the iPad.

This article at Gizmodo illustrates my point even further: The iPad Is The Gadget We Never Knew We Needed

That said, I agree the ArsTechnica article was very good if a bit too close minded. They're analyzing this device from their technical point of view. We need psychologists talking about this thing. Remember, anyone who reads ArsTechnica, Gizmodo or any tech site is not the target of this product.

Also, the Apple A4 seems to be the best mobile CPU out there, but we'll confirm this when the comparisons arrive. Apple may already have the edge on this market, and this is what the Daring Fireball article was mostly pointing out.

I agree, and I even think it's supposed to be an awful e-book reader. From what I could tell the screen is just as hard in the eyes as a common monitor but I can be wrong about it since I've yet to test it.

I think I'll just get a Kindle (international) for e-books since I've already own a DS Lite and PSP 3000 for gaming.

I was hoping it would be the next big thing for reading comic books, but since it doesn't even run flash, it probably won't be much more than a footnote in the digital comics movement.

Thanks to the App store and the fact that I could only get it with a T-Mobile abonnement (the 'one provider only and no SIM-lock free' prank is something Apple introduced here in NL) I didn't get an iPhone. Thanks to the App store and some other things I won't get the iPad either. I don't like to be totally locked in by Apple. If they ever start an App store for the Mac I'm back to Linux in a heartbeat.

Since most comics use cbz or pdf files not sure how Flash is even an issue. (Other than the Marvel digital service using flash)

This is a great device for comics. I have used comics on the touch for ages and it is awesome, but the screen is too small.



As for some of the other concerns.

You can get pens for the Ipod touch that work with those screens.

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pMZzQpiJ9c

I recently bought a 32GB iPod Touch. I love this little thing. At the time, I thought, "Only if the screen were bigger." Voila, the iPad. I agree that it is a little under featured at the moment, but add a pen and camera, and this thing could be killer. I fully expect Apple (or third parties) to add these features in time.

So I can't just hook up my iPod to the iPad without an adapter? I can't hook up a Passport Harddrive which stores relevant data needed for work, let alone a flashdrive? I can't hook up my wacom tablet so I can use it as an artistic device? Who is this audience you speak of? Last time I checked, Artists were the biggest audience for apple?

You seem to think that I'm looking at this as a gamer. No, I'm looking at this as common sense and logic. I can already say the average joe as it is hates the product. I've already hurt countless times how much of a waste of money it is from practically everyone I know that isn't a gamer or is just an office drone. They would prefer to buy a kindle in the cases of avid readers.

Sure, I agree its a good Comic Book reader. But from what I see coming from other companies making tablet readers. I can say that this will be the worst to come. The Microsoft Courier looks like it would be 100x better than this, mainly because they are making it for the community and not for their artistic ego.

In terms of better tablet devices? My HP TX2000 tablet pc for one. I love it. It has everything I need. Multitouch interface, a PEN, a Front Camera, etc. The only downsize is the thickness and lack of real design thought.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/sh...me=tm2t_series

That is why Apple could have cashed in if they included some "Decent" features that will drive tablet users over to apple. It is not happening now that a lot of the features that office employees would use is missing. (Mind you that White Collar Jobs take a big chunk of the population).

Again, this thing is for those apple pawns that will buy anything from Apple, and attack the competition no matter how much better it is. *cough*Zune HD*cough*Droid*cough*


Since you seem to be a buyer who would buy something without researching. Here is something that will be more useful than a giant iPhone.
http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-f...-secret-tablet

Seriously, why do people play games on the iPhone? Its small and convenient.... I can say people will rarely be playing games on the iPad.



Oh, and it also seems people are ignoring the fact that I said that the iPad will fail for the first gen and succeed as a second gen. Just like the iPhone.

Well then you certainly checked that a long time ago.

You seem to feel too much hatred towards Apple so I think it's futile to argue this with you. For the record, the first gen iPhone was certainly a success, it only got better with the App Store.

Hatred toward apple? I already stated that I only feel hatred for the iPad. Are you reading between the lines? Stop putting words in my mouth. The first gen was a success, duh, but was it the best it could be? No. Todays popularity came from the Second Generation. Apple's sales graphs show it. The first generation was only successful because of the great amount of early adopters.

Oh and the artist population is about 65% of the apple audience. That was the 2009 estimate. Its only early 2010, so I'm pretty sure it isn't your so called "Long Ago".



http://gizmodo.com/5458772/dont-touc...rniture-please
I like how Walt Mossberg questioned the iPad's "Office Compatibility" and Steve Job's got a bit pissed. Ego much? Did he miss that a tablet is mostly used in the Office Environment? Wait, this is a world changing device. Fuck the office, fuck the system.




Oh, and here is Stephen Fry's thoughts on the product. Describes what i'm talking about REALLY well.
http://gizmodo.com/5458592/stephen-f...80-words-of-it
I'm not into magical objects. I'm like my devices to be practical. Currently, the iPad is far from that. I'll just have to be the naysayers for the time being. That is why I love my iTouch 3g. Saves me money from being an Apple Zombie and buying generation after generation of products that will always miss one feature until its right.

I will merely point out (to reinforce my comment) that artists may favor the iMac or Mac Pro line of computers, which are far from being the most profitable business for Apple. Young people, the kind of that got enamored with iPods, are Apple's biggest audience.

Also, you are the one who's putting words in my mouth - remember, you said "that the iPad will fail for the first gen and succeed as a second gen. Just like the iPhone." We can now all agree that the first iPhone wasn't a failure, if only for the early Apple adopters.

Yes, I guess. I don't know. I don't see the iPad working. I'll just say its Newton 2.0

The point you are completely missing is that this is a mass market device.

Designed to do certain things and to do them well. It was never designed to replace laptops.

The mass market don't give a hoot about laptops with touchscreens that swivel, they don't want to bother with installing firewalls or spyware cleaners and all that baggage that comes with a PC. They probably already have one.

This was built as an easy user friendly device that allows you to surf the web, read books, magazines etc, listen to music, watch movies etc etc.

It's a multimedia device not a computer, designed to use in the home not in the business.

Multitasking and Flash could easily be brought to the device with a software update. (if they felt the need for it)

Very true, but what people want is something to replace our current Tablets/laptops. That was the whole point. We are sick of poorly designed hardware!

Yeah this pretty much sums up my thoughts. I could go into more detail but I've already argued this subject to death with an Apple loving friend and am exhausted by it.

Even for the so called mass-market though, even on a basic level of appealing to just the internet browsers, I believe it still fails. Amongst all the problems it has, the worst is it's inability to multi-task. If people really just wanted this for browsing emails without the need for any other multi-tasking then what's wrong with doing that on an iPhone?

Apple is looking for some new piece of apple culture to sell and they've run out of useful ideas.

this is great for watching porn before you go to sleep,
twice as big, more details... awesome ;)

iPhone is still better. You can slip it under the mattress without breaking it. I'm pretty sure the iPad will be intrusive if placed somewhere. lol :P

http://i49.tinypic.com/33a99wz.jpg

Teh Interwebz have spoken.

Considering Teh Interwebz can't even spell and the comparison is idiotic I think that picture says waaay more about the internet than the iPad.

Maybe, but the point was that the iPad can't satisfy the very BASIC needs, which go beyond using the internet and reading books. The ability to write and multitask, which is greatly needed by office environments.

People keep banging on about Multitasking.

This is targetted at the Netbook which while it can mulltitask I would serioursly advise against it. Netbooks are shit at multitasking.

On the ipod touch it is much faster to just shut the app down, open the other one and then go back to the original. With the virtually instant loading times.

The Touch also can multitask between the music player and the other apps as you can have the music playing while you surf the web etc.

I don't see it as being a deal breaker in a device that can do so many other things in such a slim form with 10 hours of battery.

Besides all the rumours point to a UI revamp in 4.0 of the interface which includes multitasking.

This is all just another case of "We already hate your game". Same thing happened to the Iphone.

No it's actually apple trying to find the next piece of culture to sell to us, and this time they genuinely don't have anything new to offer. Anything this device provides can already be got elsewhere and often with better features and/or specs, and I think that's pretty much the bottom line on this.

EDIT: People were trying to pre-order this thing before actual information was released for it. This single handedly proves how obsessed everyone is with this apple technology craze. Like mindless moths caught in the light of Steve Jobs.

I'm gonna cross-post my rant about this over on the telltale forums...

You guys probably disagree with me :)

I have no idea how the iPad will be for adventures in particular, and I have no idea if the iPad itself will be anything special on day one, but the ideas behind it have a lot of promise, which people seem to be missing, or trying to angrily pave over with stupid internet jpegs comparing it to a piece of rock.

Jake - The idea of having a computer on your desk with a keyboard, from which one can just pick up the screen and walk around the house while continuing to use it uninterrupted, is crazy. (Quoted from Telltale)

Erm... isn't that what you do with a laptop? And besides, how can this be compared to a desktop when you look at each item's capabilities?

Seriously, what is it about this that's so great really? What's the defining point/s that exists solely for the iPad that isn't already available in formats that are more advanced or offer the same (if not more) features? I struggle to think of any. I would say that others don't have an apple logo, but even that's a false point - apple themselves have notebooks superior to this (point in case, my friend is already seeking to sell his apple laptop that was barely touched to order an iPad).

The rock pic, I also believe, wasn't exactly put up in "anger" either but probably more so as a humorous joke.

:D
The advantage to dedicated hardware is that compatability is improved. The main problem to many with PC gamming is - will it run? And with stores no longer taking them back that can be a problem.

Will we see lots of adventure games on the ipad? I'm sure we will. The iphone has quite a bit of them.

:P