One potentially fatal problem for those thinking of waiting for the Wifi + 3G model, is the micro-SIM slot. IIANM, none of the telcos in Malaysia adopts micro-SIM sizes for their telephony or data customers. Micro-SIMs are generally used in location-aware devices like child locators or parking meter personnel, or power-meter inspectors to transmit their data to HQ after punching in your bill after inspecting the meter.



Now what? Surgically mutilate your SIM card?

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jan 29 2010, 04:00 PM

This whole uproar is partially Apple's doing, IMO. The tablet is Apple's unicorn, something that is long seen overdue, but Apple presumably have moved its introduction back since 1983. That is 27 long years! Can you blame the pent-up anticipation for this, and the utter disdain when this is revealed instead of a proper tablet? The iPad is akin more towards the Apple TV, than any computing device, and Steve bringing up that presentation slide about "the tablet and the ten commandments in it" does make it look like the unicorn has finally arrived. Instead, we get this. Even without personally being at the Keynote venue itself, you can sort of sense the excitement at first, and the increasing silence as more was revealed about the iPad.

Now Apple have always stuck to their guns and do things their way, but consumer wants and needs should form part of the basis on what should be and what should not be included in their "latest creation". "Sticking completely to their guns" is the antithesis of the very spirit of which Ives reiterated when he introduces the iPad, and I quote "I don't have to change myself to fit the product, it fits me". Now, how is this possible when I have to change myself to fit this product when I choose to use it, instead of Apple listening more closely to what the consumer wants, and "fits them"? Kinda ironic, isnt it?

Now I can easily "choose" not to use this, a.k.a not buying it at all, but since this is the only product made available by them, is there a choice first to begin with? Those who yearns for an Apple-based computing tablet, will continue to wait, or pare down expectations and work within the restrictions placed by Apple in this product. Others, for example like me, choose other products like the Viliv, but still yearns that Apple experience and tailor our choice to mimic as closely as what we imagine an Apple computing tablet is. This very same argument is also the very reason why I have yet to adopt a Macbook Pro into my family of Apple products, because of Job's insistence that BD is a "bag of hurt", even when people are clamoring for it. First that, and now this? I'll continue to wait, or if I can't, tone done my expectations, sadly, to an experience that could have been better than THIS.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jan 29 2010, 05:12 PM

Have a cow. Should be "lembu" instead of "kerbau" but eh. *shrugs*

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jan 29 2010, 05:20 PM

Yup, and the comment following that post, perfectly summarize what I feel about it:-



Quite apropos I may say so myself.

Another good response:-



And the rebuttal for this article, regarding the "wants" and "needs" for the iPad:-

http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/what-we...pad-not-an-ipad

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jan 29 2010, 07:29 PM

The functionality of a computer is what makes an Apple tablet enticing, not wrapping a closed system of the iPod Touch/iPhone onto a larger screen. The finesse of such apps approaching Apple's own iWork suite will take a while to make the user forget they're using a larger screen iPod Touch and make this somewhat mirrors a portable computer experience.

I've read his article about simplifying mobile computing. I would agree to a certain extent because on some device that demands this, it is prudent to have it in place. Allowing open environment to such devices will only tax it to such extent that it will render the device useless or erratically unstable. Case in point: shoving Linux into an iPod or jailbreaking the current iPod Touch/iPhone.

On the other end of the spectrum, MacBooks and the likes are relatively open to tinkering and modifications because of the nature of the activities performed on them. They are versatile creatures and to become that, you need the architecture to be open. These devices are also relatively powerful, enough to withstand any serious modifications that may or may not slow it down.

Now, I believe that almost every rabid Apple fanatics waiting for Apple's unicorn, the tablet, wanted it to be powerful enough to operate within the realm of the Macbook, in terms of power and tinkering as well. What did Steve dropped on our laps? A big iPod Touch. You can imagine the utter disappointment.

Again, all this goes back to the point I've iterated before: Apple is stubborn, they do it their way. I had firsthand experience with that the last time I waited for the MBP unibody refresh, expecting BD as CTO. Instead I get a "bag of hurt" from Steve.

Until the development of apps on the iPad improves to the point that Im convinced that they are truly the satisfactory mobile counterpart of their big brothers on the Mac OS X, the iPad will remain, in my opinion, a Frankenstein of an iPod Touch.

I agree. My own opinion may change when I get to fondle it in person, but by the virtue of what's currently available as applications for the iPad, the image of a bigger iPod Touch is too eeriely similar and hard to shake off. After all, a portable device is what you feed it.

Apparently, someone Down Under share my concerns with the Apple's stupid adoption of the Micro Sim format:-

http://www.hydrapinion.com/index.php/play/...ers-get-screwed

For the TL;DR crowd, here's the gist of it: Apple's choice of using Micro SIM is just another way of providing ways for official telcos of their choice to control who gets to use the data connection on the iPad. Unless you're comfortable with hacking away at your current SIM to make it fit into the Micro SIM slot, you're at the mercy of your chosen provider to provide such a Micro SIM for you to use with the iPad, should you decide to get the Wifi+3G model.

This quoted paragraph from the article says it better:-



Pretty angry scathing words.

Then the dream of Kindle users of having a pervasive connected-everywhere eBook reader like Kindle in the States will be dashed. The idea of the iPad, especially when it comes to the iBookStore is to be able to buy it, download it and read it anywhere.

On a related note, see why I cry for open environment when it comes to portable mobile "computing" device like this? Locking down the OS, and further clenching that tight fist by employing this hardware-restriction further shows what Apple intended for the iPad: simply a larger locked-down OS iPod Touch.

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Added on January 29, 2010, 11:28 pmLooks like more bad news for those thinking of adopting the iPad as their eBook reader:-
iPad could be sold without iBook outside US.

Makes that US iPAd more valuable and/or necessary I guess? But but but, what about that Micro Sim slot debacle?

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jan 29 2010, 11:28 PM

The reason why Apple denies Flash and BD is because of competition. Flash-based websites like Hulu allows FREE watching of movies and TV shows, Apple wouldn't want that to compete with the iTunes ecosystem. BD's excuse, instead of the skimpy "bag of hurt" excuse, ties in with the fact that iTunes itself is pushing their own brand of HD movies, allowing BD movie playback will seriously put a dent in their own sales of HD videos from iTunes. All the nonsense on instability, proprietary or "bags of hurts" are just the reality distortion field playing tricks on your common sense.

It looks like Apple Malaysia has updated their website to include the iPad on the front page. Click it brings it to this link:-

http://www.apple.com/asia/ipad/features/

and surprise, surprise! No iBooks for Asian iPads! Open back this link:-

http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/

which leads to the US Apple homepage, see that little footnote at the bottom? It says "iBooks is available only in the U.S." So, one feature/function crippled. Add the Micro Sim woes, that's two. In the end, isn't all these crippling of features makes the iPad becomes more and more like a bigger iPod Touch?

Aaaand to add salt to the already gaping wound, Apple lied to you.

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/29/ipad-p...-flash-content/

The live demo Steve did displays gaping holes where Flash contents is supposed to be, but in their promotional video, everything looks complete, even where the Flash contents are supposed to be. Lies or Reality Distortion Field at its best?

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Added on January 30, 2010, 12:23 amI suspect it's gonna be a firmware-specific feature. iPads from the States will be loaded with firmwares with iBooks available in it, while the Asian iPads will have it removed. You wont even be able to download the iBook app, since it is part of the specific firmware tailored to specific regions. US only, folks!

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jan 30 2010, 12:24 AM

Apparently the iPad is more than just an eBook reader. It is supposed to be Apple's answer to the netbook in tablet form. Funny how netbooks can handle Flash contents on their hardware, while Apple surreptitiously kept themselves mum on that.

You shouldn't blame the Machines people on the failures of the iPad, they are just resellers. Should there be an actual Apple Store operated by Apple themselves here, then you can go ahead with the cynical jabs.

To everyone else, how's your pared-down expectations of the iPad now, now that Malaysian iPads have lost the eBook feature? And the cutting down of the sim card to size? Okay with that? Or are you just happy with using the iPad as the email reader, web browser, music player, video player, games/apps player that you plan it to be? But isn't there already a device in the market, made by Apple themselves, that already does these functions (iPod touch)? Or are you paying RM1.8k(iPad USD499 base price) for simply the larger screen? Is that single reason justifiable to spend on another overlapping product you either already have, or already made available now?

Still does not negate the fact that Apple may ship only US iPads with iBook app installed, and remove it from the Asian iPads with no options to download the iBook app anywhere. Any app installed as a built-in(Youtube, Maps, etc), you don't see it being redownloadable as a separate download. Unless somewhere along the road, jailbreaking the iPAd is made possible, and allows custom installation of singular apps irregardless of region.

Either way, it's a pain. And it diminishes the appeal of the already questionable reason of why one would get an iPad in the first place.

As for Edoras' case, PDF-to-epub conversion can be very messy. I've used an application called Calibre to do that, and almost all the time, the formatting on the PDF is removed during the conversion, resulting in epub articles with flawed paragraphing, or weird punctuations and spacing. Not to mention line sentences haywiredly rendered with no control over the article formatting. You can forget graph/table/diagram/picture heavy PDFs, these will be destroyed format-wise, during the conversion.

Now, with that in mind Edoras,.......now what?

Shouldn't stop Apple from providing it as a CTO. I agree that it is not a widely-accepted consensus, but seeing how Apple holds stake in the Blu-Ray Consortium, it's funny how they react towards their position in that board.

Of course, CTO it into the higher end MBP lah, no point having a paltry 13 incher playing BD movies. There are those who want to make use of their BD collections while moving away from home base. In fact, I've stopped buying DVDs and buying exclusively BDs these days, with getting SD content via iTunes if I deem it unnecessary to get the HD version. See, Apple's ecosystem of content distribution is still safe for folks like me, since I will still be buying stuff from their iTunes store, and even adding to their coffers with my BD purchase. Question is, what "bags of hurt" are we talking about here, to the consumer, or the coffers of Steve & Co.?

And the fact remains, it is a pain to those without the technical know-how to do so, if there is indeed anyway to get the iBook app into non-US iPad the unconventional way, if that is what you're implying.

Not likely. Scroll back to the post I made about iBook being made available to the US only(either permanently or for the time being). That alone shows that the app will only be made available in US iPAds. The webpage for the Asian iPads that I've linked made no mention whatsoever about the existence of the iBook app. Makes no sense making that available on the Asian iPads and posting a footnote saying it is only made available in the US only, doesn't it?

AS for the BD question, again, I do. If the option does made availlable, why not? Panasonic does not manufacture their DMP-BD15 portable BD player for stationary use. This also helps accelerated adoption of the BD format, instead of having to be content with DVDs or if I want a step up above that, the Apple's so-called HD movie. Like I said before, Apple's systematically eliminating competition to its business model by denying the alternative options itself.

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Added on January 30, 2010, 1:38 amWell, looks like the worry of Micro-Sim format being incompatible with current sim card sizes may be unfounded.

Don't worry about the iPad's Micro-Sim, just trim yours down.

Anyone's up for the mutilation of their own sim cards? Oh and do remember to have a backup plan on putting that very same sim card back into some form acceptable into the iPhone/your favourite 3G modem slot.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jan 30 2010, 01:38 AM

Click that link, and this is specifically being asterisked:-



Continuing on:-



It does point towards the app being made available for free from the AppStore, as an app, from the specific region, namely the US.

The BD question:-

Can't answer that, I'm not with AC Nielsen. Which is the reason again, I reiterate, CTO only, not a platform-wide adoption. They provided Matte/Clear screen option for their MBPs as a CTO, why not the BD? Pass the cost to the consumer, let them decide if the extra cost is worth it or not. IF it is a licensing issue, I guess being on the BD Consortium does not really curry any favours to Apple on helping them adopt the BD format faster. I thought that is the reason being on the board of directors on the said consortium?*shrugs*

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jan 30 2010, 01:53 AM

I guess on the supply chain issue, the screens are cheaper than the BD drives. *shrug*

No biggie, Apple's loss, Alienware's gain.

In that case, I need more screaming folks then, and to get people to split evenly between DVDs and BDs. Catch 22 though, you wont get people moving up to BD if they dont leave DVDs behind.

But funny though, Alienware's lineup is relatively clean as well, even simpler than Apple in fact, (2 laptops compared to 3 laptops on Apple's side), but they do provide CTOs for BD drives. And here I thought Apple demands a premium from its users, and gets first dibs at things. *more shrugs*

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jan 30 2010, 02:15 AM