Apple unveils $499 tablet with AT&T data plans

KMPH ^ | January 27, 2010 | Associated Press

[astyanax]

I realize it’s standard netbook resolution.
I guess I was just anticipating something with a little more “wow” factor.
(especially considering the price.)

[newfreep]

Thanks for the comment - I did not know Blackberrys or any cell phones have a USB connector. Is that a standard now for most cell phones?

[politicket]

That actually sounds cheap.

I could buy two netbooks for that price that are faster and do more things.

One for each hand.

[camerongood210]

A Blackberry has a USB connection, but it doesn't look like a typical USB connection. It looks like this: I'm not sure about other cell phones but I would imagine the majority of them do have USB connections considering how media-focused everything has become with cell phones. Here's a blog entry I found while doing a little research for you. http://thebogles.com/blog/2006/01/using-the-blackberry-as-a-tethered-modem/ It gives a basic overview and then has a few links detailing how it's done. The iPod's USB connection (which the iPad will use) looks like this: To my knowledge, there currently is no cable that could be used to connect the Blackberry and the 30-pin connection the iPad will use. However, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before something comes out. It probably wouldn't be too terribly difficult to do it on your own either.

[ctdonath2]

Yeah, I was expecting better too. At iPod Nano resolution, you can squeeze full-bore 1080p HD into a 10” screen - I thought we’d see that to hit “killer app” status for video.

[Vroomfondel]

That actually sounds cheap.

It's not much less than the low-end Macbook. Personally, I'd probably pony up the extra dough for the Macbook.

[Vroomfondel]

1024x768?! Is that a typo? It sounds awfully... 1980’s.

Quitcher complainin'. It's big enough to do a decent Tek 4010 emulation. Don't really need much more graphics than that, do you?

[giotto]

Too bad it uses AT&T. If it was Verizon, I’d get one.

[camerongood210]

It will probably be just a matter of time before some teenager hacks it so it can be used on other networks. For some reason I want to think I read an article shortly after the iPhone came out about the first kid to hack it making it usable on other networks. Some company out in CA gave the kid an insane amount of money and something like a Ferrari just for the phone. I guess the company was hoping they could use his phone as a prototype and then sell millions of hacked phones. Considering other networks still don’t cover iPhones (at least to my knowledge), that probably wasn’t too smart of an investment on the part of that company.

[astyanax]

"It's big enough to do a decent Tek 4010 emulation."
LOL! Hey, I said 80's not 70's!
(Actually, weren't they 1024x780?)

[TalonDJ]

So it’s a netbook except it’s made by Apple (which means underpowered and overpriced.)

Show me a netbook with a 10hour battery life, 3G wireless and that is a half inch thick.

[Vroomfondel]

(Actually, weren't they 1024x780?)

Nope. 1024x768; just checked the manual.

[papasmurf]

How come this isn’t in “Breaking News”? /?

[astyanax]

Show me a netbook with a 10hour battery life, 3G wireless and that is a half inch thick.
You need to get out more.
How about 12 hour battery life, 3G wireless, 10 inch screen, better resolution, faster, more memory and cheaper?
(Unfortunately it's 3/4 of an inch thick. Is that a deal breaker?)
Nokia Booklet 3g

[astyanax]

Don’t take that wrong.
If you like Apple, great!
But trying to pretend it’s some type of technological or engineering breakthrough is silly.

[TalonDJ]

Yes. Because the form factor makes the comparison apples and oranges. The utility of the pad is not about it’s raw numbers. Rewind a decade and look at the specs on the first ipod compared to it’s competition. It had fewer features. So why did it dominate? Because it was easier to use, easy to get music on, well coupled with a music player and LOOKED better. There are a lot of features this new thing brings that are hard to quantify. For example it is vastly easier to use while standing or walking. Also it is super easy to find, buy, download and use new software at any time anywhere. Anyone with an iphone knows how that can be handy. Many other people might not understand the utility. Also anyone with a nook or kindle can see how nifty it is to have something that form factor that is also g3 capable web device. Because those people already understand how that is a handy form factor. I own a netbook, several full size notebooks, iphone 3g, and have used a nook. If you don’t ‘get’ this thing that is fine. A lot of people do.