Apple iPad

Does anyone know of a legit place to order these now? They were released in the states last week I believe, so some company must ship them over here now?

Does it have a USB port ?

What if someone wants to give you a document to view on it, how do you do that without the ability to plug-in some kind of external storage device ?

you need to put into the special dock that has a USB / SD card reader in it. Then I guess you can open the file in iWork?

otherwise it would have to go in through an itunes sync or emailed and opened on the device?

It is just for viewing, a portable screen and nice, safe UI.

You dont want any old files coming down onto it (or applications!) and general user cant manage that too risky!

Using a file system, are you crazy, thats obsolete and unecessary.

Nice and safe, pictures, videos and music all coming from a secure source, trusted (itunes, appstore and your own camera), why would you want anymore?

Good post. I use my iPad for movies/internet/fucking about with apps

It's called 'Cloud' computing. No tethering to devices or other computers, all is done over the air. It's a paradigm shift away from the old skool of how we are supposed to work and play and relate to each other. I know you have to sync via iTunes while attached to your computer, which is a pain so it isn't perfect.

I believe these devices are almost like a beta of what will possibly happen in a few years. Google with it's impending Chrome OS and it's Google docs want us to run our devices and use applications that are in the 'Cloud', if that is the case something like the iPad will be perfect, ok maybe not in it's present incarnation.

The UI is also a move from being tied to the computer with a mouse and keyboard and using our devices in a more natural way and what is more natural than using your finger.

I've decided iPad is for cunts.

This is pretty sweet

I do too worry about the cloud model I do prefer to have my apps on my machine so I can use when and how I wish and not be tied to services that others provide. I can see it changing to a subscription model that you pay each month for all you can eat or and pay as you access to use an office suite or a graphics editing/creating package, none of which I like! Also you can't use a pirate version of Photoshop in the cloud

Plus you're at the behest of the telco's and softco's. O2 3G coverage even in cities is shit, I live in London and the coverage is so patchy. If you work using apps in the cloud and the server goes down you're fucked until it's fixed. Ok I'm sure they'll cover such things that when server goes down it'll switch to another one and you may not notice. But we have to take lessons from what happened when Crapberry servers went down, everyone went into a panic worldwide because they rely on it so much. Too me cloud computing is fine for the casual user but for work I'd err on the side of caution. There will be a bigger distinction between desktops and cloud devices.

I do like to physically own the product, once you stop paying do you own the movies, music, games that you paid for for and cached or will that be deleted once the direct debit has stopped. We will only be renting not owning which a lot of people argue about say music on a cd. Once we pay for a cd do we own it or are we just allowed to play a physical copy but not really allow to rip to a mp3?

Cloud computing does of course has it's benefits too; you can access your apps and docs on any device anywhere in the world using that particular device as if it's your own computer. With all the processing done server side devices can be cheaper, smaller, lighter and be able run all day. You don't have to worry about remembering to take that document for work or some photos of the kids to show your Mum or some tunes to listen to on the move, just a password to access all. If a device gets fucked because you 'accidentally' drop it in a bucket of soapy water, lose it, get robbed, house fire, etc, you don't lose your precious documents.

I'd say it is the future but something as consumers will have to more weary of and not be blinded by the lights until it's too late before we can shape it so it suits us and not big corp!

Installed this on the iPad and iPhone just now its sick. Playing NBA Jam, HES ON FIRE

I'm jealous Is it really that good?