Asus, MSI Showcase Apple iPad Rivals

[chrisk]

Originally Posted by belgolas

The iPad is a very good tablet and most of you are under estimating it. Everyday tons of software is coming out that make it better and better. I can only imagine what we will be able to do with it in the years to come.

We need to give tablet manufacturers a few product cycles to see how this market will really unfold. I suspect that if the iPad does actually last to be more than a fad, then some very serious development money (more than now) will be devoted to creating competing products. If Apple keeps trying to shut out big time players such as Adobe, then it will just increase the likelihood that competitors will be successful. People will try to use these things like home computers, and shutting out major companies and industry stalwarts will hurt them.

[ipaine]

Originally Posted by belgolas

So name things you would want to do on this tablet and I will see if you can do it on the iPad.

1. view flash and play flash games. (as others have said)
2. transfer files freely to and from the device
3. plug in usb devices
4. same flavor as above, SD card slot
5. proper email client (sorry but I have seen it and with our exchange server it works but the UI sucks)
6. add any program I want, not just something from an app store

I'm sure there are more but I just can't remember off hand. Now I have used the iPad at work and yes it does look nice, yes it does have good picture viewing, and yes it has some decent games but I just don't like being locked down like you are with Apple. Just the fact that I have to get things from the app store bugs me.

And again, using cydia is NOT a real option. The reason is that it does break the ToS and therefore is technically voiding warranty. I am not going to start jailbreaking ipads at work just so they can do things that they should be able to do right away when you purchase it.

[Zero82z]

Originally Posted by belgolas

No seriously besides flash what do people want to use a tablet for?
To draw the iPad is one of the best.
To write the iPad is one of the best.
To watch movies/photos/music the iPad is awesome. I have a media server and stream my videos to the iPad using air video. If I am on the road I use my phone to tether and can still steam 720P movies over 3G.
To play games the iPad is great.
To surf the internet the iPad is great (unless you want to go to a flash website)
To check email the iPad is great.
Reading books the iPad is awesome.
The iPad is great for VNC.
For comics or magazines the iPad is great.
The iPad is great for instant messaging.
It is getting some great music software for creating music.
It is awesome for checking the weather.
It is great for education and is getting better over time. Wish I had one back in school.
It is so awesome for medical students with the hundreds of great apps on it.

To draw, a Thinkpad tablet with a Wacom touch screen is vastly better than an iPad could ever hope to be, especially since the iPad has a capacitive touch screen.
To write, a tablet is also better, because you can use a stylus.
To watch movies, a tablet with a higher-res (and preferably 16:9 or 16:10) display is better.
To play games, a tablet running Windows is better due to the significantly larger games library.
To surf the internet, a tablet is great because you can use the internet to its fullest extent without having to sacrifice any features like Flash.
To check e-mail, a tablet is better because you can use full-featured e-mail clients like Outlook as well as access the standard versions of webmail services. Also, my Android phone has much better Gmail integration than iPhone OS, so even my phone does e-mail better than the iPad.
To read books, reading actual books is better. And if you really must have some kind of technology, then an e-ink based ebook reader like the Kindle, nook, or one of Sony's devices would be better.
For VNC, a real PC is much better than an iPad.
For comics and magazines, see the part about books above.
For instant messaging, see e-mail.
For creating music, again, Windows has a bigger selection and more powerful software for that.
For checking the weather, I have a gadget that gives me real-time weather reports, and there are plenty of websites and Windows programs that will give you weather information.
For education, there is a much larger library of useful software for Windows. Try running AutoCAD or MATLAB on your iPad.
Medical students? Are you kidding me? If I was ever on an operating table and saw the surgeon walk in carrying an iPad, I'd GTFO there as fast as humanly possible. Doctors need to be trained to rely on their brains, not a computer.

Please, name me something significant that an iPad can do but a Windows-based tablet cannot.

[belgolas]

Zero you fail to get the point. It can do a lot of things that people say it can't do. I never said it was the best or the best in any category.

You can also use a stylus with the iPad. I have seen some pretty awesome art made on the iPad. I know a few artists that either have one now or want one.
How the iPad is changing art and music ? Scobleizer
YouTube - iPad Painting Demo
A selection of art people have made on the iPad in the first three days - Neven Mrgan's tumbl

Also as far as music goes there is some pretty amazing stuff out now and in the works.
YouTube - Making Music with iPad
YouTube - miniSynth PRO Polyphony Demo

As far as mail I still think it is pretty good.
YouTube - Connecting iPad to Exchange

As far as instant messaging still pretty awesome
YouTube - iPad app review IM+

And as far as the medical field it is pretty impressive what people are making.
YouTube - iPad - Virtual Medical Office
YouTube - iPad App: Carters Encyclopaedia of Health and Medicine. Search for carters in the App Store!
YouTube - modalityBODY: Interactive Anatomy and Medical Imaging for iPad
YouTube - Advanced Visualization on iPad
YouTube - Prova: Brain 3D per iPad

The iPad has also been used in surgery rooms in Japan.

So there is some great stuff on the iPad.

[Zero82z]

Yeah, the iPad can do a few nifty things, but those things pale in comparison to the capabilities of a true tablet PC running Windows. And that's all I'm saying. If you look at the iPad by itself then it's a decent enough product, but if you compare it to other products that are out there and that are coming out in the near future, it is not nearly as attractive as you are making it out to be.

[Eldonko]

Yah so all you need is hacks, tweaks, adapters, and so on where other tablets need nothing. By photos I meant take photos not view them.. composite AV cable.. oh good lol

Originally Posted by belgolas

You could always get the USB add-on
Using VNC you can
Multitask with back grounder
No HDMI yet but you can get a composite AV cable for the iPad/iPhone.
Photos? Not sure what you are asking here but the iPad is great for viewing photos, and there are some cool photo editing apps.
The cydia store is a cool place to install apps that aren't in the app store. Anyone that wants a tablet do do more than what apple wants you too is obviously nerdy enough to know how to jailbreak (clicking one button)

[Eldonko]

I think that is everyone's point.

Originally Posted by Zero82z

Yeah, the iPad can do a few nifty things, but those things pale in comparison to the capabilities of a true tablet PC running Windows. And that's all I'm saying. If you look at the iPad by itself then it's a decent enough product, but if you compare it to other products that are out there and that are coming out in the near future, it is not nearly as attractive as you are making it out to be.

[belgolas]

Originally Posted by Zero82z

Yeah, the iPad can do a few nifty things, but those things pale in comparison to the capabilities of a true tablet PC running Windows. And that's all I'm saying. If you look at the iPad by itself then it's a decent enough product, but if you compare it to other products that are out there and that are coming out in the near future, it is not nearly as attractive as you are making it out to be.

You obviously didn't watch the videos I posted then. Its not just a few nifty things.

And for artists they have overcome the pressure sensitivity shown in this video.
YouTube - How @dnsf uses the iPad to draw

Also if you didn't click on the first link these videos were also in them.
YouTube - The iPad DJ: @ranajune
YouTube - lang lang playing flight of the bumblebee...on an iPad

[Zero82z]

Originally Posted by belgolas

You obviously didn't watch the videos I posted then. Its not just a few nifty things.

Yes, it is just a few nifty things. The iPad, just like the iPhone, is not much more than a toy, and to have some real productivity, you need a real PC running a real PC OS, like Windows.