Awaiting the iPad

Saw a woman (non-Japanese) on the train yesterday with an iPad. She appeared to be reading a book. Made me think that I hope it does NOT catch on here. It is bad enough on trains/subways, even walking down the street, with everyone here focused on their mobile-phone screen. Imagine if those screens become this size.

Yeah. Just imagine... but then I guess it wouldn't catch on too quickly because of the lack of books in Japanese.

I also would like to buy iPad=)

I had 4 shipped to me here from the U.S. to sell to people who couldn't stand waiting which resulted in 100,000円 profit for me!

warallthetime: did you declare your profit?

Why did they even bother making room on their shelves? Those iPads won't even make it to the shelves before they are sold out and backordered until the next round ships into Japan.

I guess it's really all about whether or not 50,000 yen (and up) is worth the status of being able to show one off.

I am an avid Mac fan (laptop, two desktops) in our household along with various ipods and iphones. But this thing is a waste of plastic and circuits. Just an overgrown iphone/ipod touch.

My prediction, the trendy crowd in Japan will buy them up right away, realize they are too hefty to lug around on trains and abandon them once the new wears off.

Well they have a better battery life than any compact DVD player on the market (10 hours advertised, field testing says 11 and a bit), and they do a hang of a lot more than a DVD player, and people pay 40 000yen (and up) for a compact DVD player, so the iPad seems like a good buy to me. I'll be picking one up at some point, but I won't be queuing for one, that's for sure.

Frungy, but they don't play anything but mp4 video and mp3 audio. Anything else you have to convert once.

For audio mp3 is low quality, say goodbye to both highs and lows. For video you can rule out the most common formats of content unless you like spending time converting things or buying only from Itunes.

Try the Cowon series if you really want to watch or listen to anything. That small Korean company's units play almost anything including lossless files for audio. And it will put you out a lot less. And you can add sd cards to take more content with you. And long battery life.

This thing is huge, imagine holding the handhold on the train and trying to balance this thing in rushhour commute time. The Cowon's are small and lite and easy to hang onto with a screen that is certainly enough. Afterall do you want a dozen people around you watching or reading whatever you are watching or reading?

the only ones I see sporting em are foreigners....

I'm with tkoind2 - I am a big apple fan and will always promote MacBook, iMac etc but I really do not see the point in the iPad.

Even if I had the money, which I don't, I would not buy one.

Deepair, I have the money, and I won't.

I've always wanted an iPhone that cannot make phone calls, and is too big to fit in my pocket.

And where the SAME Appli costs much more.

Can't move appli's from Iphone to Ipad, they need to be purchased new.

Looks like Apple is more into Itunes than the devices themselves.

Somehow the word "pad" seems to go along so much better with "maxi"

TumbleDry at 03:56 PM JST - 26th May

warallthetime: did you declare your profit?

You fit right in over here don't you mate.

I refuse to buy something whit such a sexist name!!

tkoind2 - My prediction, the trendy crowd in Japan will buy them up right away, realize they are too hefty to lug around on trains and abandon them once the new wears off.

I hope you are right. I'll look forward to picking one up S/H on the cheap in 6 months or so. - The iPad is not for everyone. Many people can see no need for one. The first generation of iPads do have some limitations, but Apple has used their iPod Touch evolution to get this thing going. I dare say, the next generations will be much improved. But, by crikey! I want one!

Yodibashi Camera???

Apple plays the dumb consumers everywhere a treat - wish I was a shareholder! Rest assured - they have already designed and built the prototypes for the next few versions (smaller, thinner, longer battery life) of the iPad - to be released over the next 2-3 years. They will just get lighter, smaller and more memory - until they are the compact size of the iPhone.

hahahah !!!!! It will be interactive hentai mangas with sound effects and what not !!! Think of the apps for that ???

it's stupid & awkward !!!!

You guys saying it's a waste of money, you don't have imagination. I have a friend who is using Ipad as a movie-catalog of his products - he works for a company that sells online English lessons and all the blings one needs to get connected - instead of his old magazine-catalog. He says it's working wonderfully for him, now he can show his clients how a lesson really is and is selling more. Another friend is selling his French Bulldogs puppies using her Ipad. A lot of people will use Ipad's big screen as a tool to improve sales and only as a mp-x player.

Can't move appli's from Iphone to Ipad, they need to be purchased new.

as far as i'm aware this is not true if the application supports both the iphone and the ipad

Went with Android because Apple has become more Stalinesque on its iphones/ipad. Apple is great with ergonomics, truly the best.

For instance, the multiple touch screen is not present on Android and is a great feature. As a 10 hour movie machine, the Ipad also sounds great.

But I prefer that the operating system is more open and less subject to a big brother atmosphere. Android is catching up and will be more prolific than Apple in two years. Android can be used by more than one phone company and more companies are making phones. Dell even entered the market with their own line of tablets running Android.

I also expect that Apple's lead in the app store will also diminish. Qualitatively, the stores are basically the same. Although on the itunes, you can get a number of varieties of fart apps (paid for and free). I haven't noticed any fart apps on the Android's store. So, I don't take a lot of stock on Apple's app numbers.

griff,

The point is that you must buy the app for both the iphone and ipad if you own both. Some apps work for one and not the other. Some apps work on both. However, you must pay for you favorite iphone app when you decide to use it on your ipad.

Who cares. I'm not interested in these frivolous newfangled gadgets. Whens the Canon 5D Mark 111 coming out.Lol.

viking68 at 06:18 AM JST - 27th May Went with Android because Apple has become more Stalinesque on its iphones/ipad. Apple is great with ergonomics, truly the best. For instance, the multiple touch screen is not present on Android and is a great feature.

Android devices can to multitouch, either from a downloadable app (for free) or from the newsest version 2.1+

LostinNagoya at 04:57 AM JST - 27th May You guys saying it's a waste of money, you don't have imagination. I have a friend who is using Ipad as a movie-catalog of his products

Like a laptop, iphone, etc already do for less money...

Griff.

Sorry was not specific. Iphone & Upad use different OS versions and hardware, so an Applu would need to be written supporting both.

Said that I spoke to people that bought their fav Iphone applets for the Ipad but found out that the Ipad licence is likely around 4~5+ times the cost of the Iphone one.

And many people will not have ported their applets yet.

Was planning to buy an iPad, but after reading about the Foxconn factory in the city of Shenzhen of China about how much a worker make about $130 per month that does not give an incentive to buy an iPad. It's on hold.

Foxconn Suicides: iPhone and iPad Factory Under Scrutiny @http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100526/wl_time/08599199162000

societymike at 06:56 AM JST - 27th May

Android devices can to multitouch, either from a downloadable app (for free) or from the newsest version 2.1+

Progress, aka Android. Just need Sony to update to 2.1 or 2.2 on my Experia.

@TumbleDry Did I declare my profit? What are you on about? If you mean taxes well then yes I will do that when I file my taxes like any other business but thanks for your concern......don't hate.

@my2sense "the only ones I see sporting em are foreigners...."

Could that be because THEY HAVEN'T BEEN RELEASED HERE YET????????

societymike

Like a laptop, iphone, etc already do for less money...

Right, until you get one...