Saturday, January 30, 2010

5 Reasons Not to Get an iPad Too Soon

1. Bugs happen. It is almost inevitable that there will be a slew of complaints once the first wave of iPads hits the streets. Some complaints are more trivial than others, but better to let other users play Guinea pig for you. If it works as described--awesome! Get one the second month, or even the second week after the dust settles.

2. iPhone OS 4.0. Remember the lack of 3G wireless, Exchange messaging support, or the ability to copy and paste text from the original iPhone? The iPhone has improved steadily with each release of the OS and rumors suggest that version 4.0 will have a number of improvements you will want for your iPad.

3. Missing Features. The iPad was expected by many to include a camera. Not so much so you can hold your 10-inch iPad up and snap a photo of your goldfish, but to provide a webcam and video conferencing capability for the device.

4.The entry level price of $499 seems quite reasonable, but things change and prices drop. Perhaps Apple will find that nobody is willing to pay extra for 3G connectivity, phase out the Wi-Fi only models and offer the Wi-Fi plus 3G iPads for the same low price, or maybe after the initial euphoria wears off Apple will cut prices to jumpstart sales as it did with the iPhone. It could happen.

5. Improved E-Reader, but it also lacks some of the annotating, bookmarking, and cross-platform syncing found on competing e-readers. Apple is bound to tweak and improve the e-reader functionality over time.

When it comes to some things that can be altered with a simple operating system update, early adopters have little to fear. However, if the iPad 2.0 ends up having a camera, faster processor, and expandable memory no amount of syncing with iTunes will fix that for the original iPad owners.

Keep that between us, though. We don't want everyone flooding Craigslist with iPads and driving prices down.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Apple iPad Pressure on AT&T

As AT&T prepares to provide high-speed connections for the new tablet-style computer, it's redoubling efforts to make its network more reliable.

ASteve Jobs unveiled the tablet-style iPad computer Jan. 27, many of his pronouncements were greeted with cheers. In contrast, his revelation that AT&T (T) would be the exclusive U.S. provider of high-speed wireless connections for the Internet-capable device was met with audible sighs.

The reaction reflects dismay with the performance of AT&T's wireless network and concern that adding the iPad will only add to the strain. AT&T is the exclusive U.S. carrier of Apple's iPhone, a device that already places heavy bandwidth demands on AT&T's equipment. Even executives of the phone company concede the network isn't up to snuff in New York and San Francisco. "Consumers may expect more from their iPad than the network can deliver at this point," says Shira Levine, an analyst with Infonetics, a telecommunications market research firm. "There's potential for more consumer dissatisfaction."