We got written up! http://www.salon.com/technology/the...010/04/19/ipaddevcamp_the_future_of_ipad_apps The iPad DJ: http://theappleblog.com/2010/04/19/ipaddevcamp-the-future-of-ipad-apps/ My app: [wyt=Relay]oYpL6a2GDYA[/wyt]
Yep . I'm looking to push some updates this weekend. Can't wait for iPhone OS 4... we're looking to finagle one of the backgrounding hooks so you don't even have to be in Relay on the iPad for it to launch things. We could then also enable broadcast mode, where the dragged info is sent to every iPad running Relay on the local subnet. It's possible to do now, but you'd have to ensure that all the iPads you wanted to send to were in the app itself, which is kind of a PITA, and you don't really get a second chance. But this weekend I'm aiming to get iPad->Computer working properly, as well as selection of which iPad you want to relay to.
That assumes I have an iPad to work on in the first place. I'm doing the Mac side of things. Sending from iPads and computers we got working last weekend (along with receiving on iPads); I need to implement receiving on the computer side*, so I don't really need an iPad to test with, just another computer that can pretend to be one. *more precisely, the Mac side; someone else is doing Windows.
I did play with an iPad at Best Buy last weekend. It is more than a big iTouch, but not a whole lot more. It was cool but I have no use for it. The Microsoft Courier is going to blow it out of the water. I do like the idea of having a tablet for light web surfing and various other apps to control my electronics in my apartment, maybe be the tv remote, run the AC/Heater, open the blinds, arm the security, display the web-cam/home security cameras remotely, and catch the slings from my slingbox, but not so much that I would pay the current price for it. I definitely want a courier like pen as well for note taking when I'm in a meeting or something since there is no physical keyboard and the display keyboard is way too big to be used with thumbs proficiently. It also needs USB and SD compatibility. It would also be great if it could run on Sprint's 4G network in major markets so you get decent internet speeds.
Tex, I played with one at Best Buy today. Everything I was doing on it screamed "Just use a laptop!" Also, it seemed very heavy for its size. I think I'd rather have a Kindle and a laptop.
How's the security on all this? Using encryption on all those wireless signals shooting around? Or is it >>shudder<< bluetooth?
It's over WiFi, or Ethernet and WiFi (works as long as the computer and iPad can find each other using Bonjour (mDNSResponder). So you inherit whatever security is on that, but it's pretty much open within the network - we had to start out that way in order to get it working on Windows, since our Windows guy needed to reverse-engineer the MYNetwork over BLIP we were using - BLIP is available on Windows with Python*, but MYNetwork isn't. I guess we could encrypt the data, but it'd need to be something fast and available in the iPhone SDK. Really the only thing that makes sense to encrypt is the clipboard data... URLs would be sniffed anyway with WireShark, and I don't think iTunes track data is terribly sensitive. *on the Windows side, the sheer number of layers in the software stack is really impressive.
^The caption on that pic is both hilarious and horrible. The font for the top half isn't even courier, it's Bitstream Vera Sans Mono, or a variant thereof... except for the L, which is distinctive to Courier, and the comma, which I can't identify; I'm not even sure it's from a monospaced font. The bottom half I'm not sure about... the number shapes look like BVSM, but they look slightly squashed.
iPad type devices are a major part of the electronic future. Whether it be the iPad (current or future iteration) or a competing product. The possibilities are endless and as they become more powerful they will replace most laptops for portability, access, etc. For MS to dump it's entry (which on the surface had some nice things going for it) is kind of dumb. Somehow I think we'll see them rushing to try and "catch up" in a couple of years when Apple and a few others have already taken the vast majority of the market.
I see netbooks having more of a future due to their lower cost while having the same portability as an iPad and because iPads have no lids to close to protect their touch-sensitive screens.
Media, both video, streaming and text is much more practical on a TS device than a netbook type device. The interface is simply much much better. Netbooks are a fad that will vanish as prices in iPad type devices drop. For $100 more you can get a full laptop today. Their main advantage is size and that will vanish with better and cheaper iPad type devices.
Netbooks can stream video and allow you to text using any IM application you want. The best part is that it's a ton easier to write because they have an actual keyboard that is always there and doesn't take away from the screen at all. There will never be a cheap iPad device because of the touch screen and because of the types they are marketed towards.
Not being able to be closed was solved by the MS Courier. I think someone will copy that idea. There is no arguing that the lack of a keyboard will hurt it. I don't think laptops are going away. iPad like devices are to compliment laptops not replace them. Like I said earlier, it would be a nice little thing to have while sitting on the couch watching TV as long as it had apps to make it control everything around you. Basically making it a next level universal remote. It's sort of a pick it up and check the news/weather/bank statement/whatever kind of device but not the one you want to turn to if you're trying to type on a forum or do actual work (although it is capable of doing those things).
Eh, there are remotes that are 300-400 now... but a remote that does what an iPad is capable of for only 100 more? Sure why not. The iPad is still first generation garbage, the prices will fall, competition will come out, and 4-5 years down the road we'll see some really cool stuff.
I'm bumping this because it was really interesting to see people's predictions from just a few years ago. I too was in the "it's just four iPhones stuck together!" camp, but now I have one I love my iPad. Definitely does change Internet use from more of an interactive thing into more just being a consumer of content however.
Wow I've completely flipflopped on the iPad. It's an awesome device. Netbooks are pretty much dead now, and still no device similar in design to the MS Courier has been produced. I still think that is a great tablet design and I wish someone would produce it.
Good thread bump! Ha ha! I just sold my netbook on craigslist a few months ago. I'm liking my [non iPad] tablet right now for casual browsing, but when it comes to spreadsheets and all I still need something bigger and more reliably responsive.
My wife and my oldest daughter both love their iPads (full size for my wife, Mini for my daughter). I may be getting one issued at work within the next couple of months and I'm looking forward to it.
I'm pretty much in love with my Xperia Tablet Z. 10,1'', under 500 grams, thin, stylish and blazing fast. Apple? Never, ever again. That company pisses me off to no end with their arrogance and merciless all-year-round marketing/PR under the guise of 'rumors'. Since I have the Xperia Z smartphone too, I'm thinking of getting the Ultra to have the entire family together. OTOH, I had the Nexus 7 and didn't really know what to do with it. Nadine will probably want one rather sooner than later, but she'll get a €40 China import. However, what would make me change gadgets is if anyone came up with a. a plan to have no fingerprints on those things and/or b. a battery you can actually rely on. The running times are pathetic for mobile devices in general.
I was leaning towards a Surface Pro but my brother's got an Ideapad Yoga that is pretty rad. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IdeaPad_Yoga
