My First iPad Shot
by Chris Hardwick on April 3, 2010
Personally I’m waiting for the 3G model because I travel so friggin much and don’t always have access to hotspots, but the wifi model I’m reviewing for Attack of the Show Monday is now in my grubby little hands!!!
Quick first impression…FiNgErPrInTs…Gorgeous machine, though. I didn’t really get to play with it much at the announcement a couple months back.



Big iPhone.
I bet this will get a high-ranking, only thing is price.
What a happy Nerd of a grin on your face!
Why is it that nobody ever learns… You never buy Apple first run hardware… NEVER.
Too bad it doesn’t support text book applications like Adobe Digital Editions. Then my only other gripe is the only other big text book app I use, Vitalsource is only the iphone app and you have to be online constantly for it to work, FAIL.
you look like ryan seacrest in that pic. that’s not a good thing…
What NeuroMan42 said.
Can I have an iPad, Jesus? Easter comes but once a year.
@NeuroMan42 heh, true that on nearly any new tech device
My sister got burned on the first iPhone. She loves her new one and continually tries to get me to get one. The iPad is a keen idea but it boards the FailBoat on the following… no SD slot, no camera, stupid location of the headphone jack, no Flash support when 98% of the web uses it, and most of all… NO MULTITASKING.
This may not be a giant ipod touch, and I admit that was my initial impression, but that still doesn’t change the fact that it lacks flash support…multitasking…USB port and any means of expanding memory…camera… and probably tons of other things I cant think of off of the top of my head. It can probably be the coolest thing in the world[conceptually it kinda is], but if apple made it, you’re bound to be screwed in some way, especially in the first generation. They can add a bunch of random things that seem cool but wont be used for longer than 3 days after its bought, but until they fix the issues and stop feeding us bullshit, I cant be on board. Concept is solid. Execution…not to much
I know you don’t get anything from Apple, they NEVER give anyone anything no matter what. I know someone that WORKS for Apple, in the higher positions and he doesn’t get shit from them either. You can suck them off, or have sex with the company itself and you’ll still get nothing from them.
I am glad that people I trust, review things for me, before I buy them. I am not getting the first generation of this iPad, but I will for sure get the 2nd or third, or whenever they fix the Flash media thing. I can’t wait for the review you give it on Monday. I will be looking forward to it.
Michael
You can have sex with the company itself?
hmmm…
I’m not telling anyone to buy anything. I’m not a normal person. I have to get/buy 1st EVERYTHING because it’s one of my jobs to do so.
No, it’s not perfect. Very few things are. It IS an interesting step, though. It’s very polarizing and people are REALLY emotional about it. I got flamed more for this on Twitter than anything I can remember! Fun stuff.
The things I like about it I LOVE and the things I don’t like I HATE. The real test is long term usage. Will it be a shiny toy that collects dust after 2 weeks? I dunno. The only way for me to find out is to have one.
I got it to create illustrations and storyboards (Autodesk Sketchbook Pro for iPad). Works great with Pogo Stylus.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dogzandglue/4487950486/
Chris Hardwick makes sense.
According to an article by Yahoo tech writer Ben Patterson, Steve Wozniak had to get in line with the public to buy one also. Apple must be hardcore on their policies.
Even though we hate on it we all still want it cmon, look how freakin SHINY it is! I blame the economy and not being an on air personality responsible for reviewing these things personally.
He’s like a SIF taking MySpace pics. I don’t really need an iPad, but I want one. I’d get the 3G version though.
I hate Apple so much and I don’t know why
I want an iPad but I’ll wait till the 2Nd gen. comes out
Yeah, it’s not like years ago when 2nd gen took a few years. I think early adopters need to get trade-in upgrades or some incentive to keep buying 1st gen gear.
@Hannabeth: Yeah, Woz waited in line and scooted through the mall on a Segway. There’s footage on engadget showing him low flying around the kiosks outside of the Apple store. On a side note, he may have the coolest business card ever. Ever.
apple didn’t gave u one,but they gave them early to colbert,daniel tosh and a cnn guy?NOW DAT SUCKS MAJOR ASS!btw,websoup pwns tosh 2.0 and dats a fact.
You didn’t say how well it stays put in your panties
Am I the first to notice you are in the bathroom while taking that picture? DON’T DENY IT!
From what I am hearing it looks like Darth Jobbs has done it again. Created a market where people did not know one existed. There is a dark side ladies and gentlemen.
From what I’ve read, Chris, lots of people agree with you. What’s good about it the love, and what’s bad about it they hate. It does open up this market to the mainstream though, and that’s a good thing.
I’m not going to bash the iPad, it is a cool toy, but that’s it.
I can’t take it serious because it’s not, at least when comparing it to a Laptop or true Tablet computer.
What I consider to be a true Laptop or Tablet computer is that it must have a true operating system, i.e, an OS that is capable of accepting qualifying software like Photo Shop, Word Processing and even game programs.
Where the iPad comes in as a great tool is the fact you can download and read Books, excellent capability in my mind for students because it eliminates the clutter of Text Books.
Whatever course you’re taking either in grade School or College, all Text Books can be downloaded to your iPad and the teachers can electronically give out assignments as well as make changes to what they want their students working on in an instant, whether in or out of the classroom.
I can also see the potential for in class quizzes and tests via the iPad.
As far as a tool for teaching Students, it’s phenomenal.
Lessons can be downloaded and the student can keep their curriculum right at their finger tips.
Now for the fun stuff it can do.
It can play Movies and play all the goofy game Apps available from Apples App Store.
That’s great!
You can watch Movies from NetFlix which is really cool for someone on the go who needs the distraction.
You can check and send e-mail, chat, store and play your Music, etc…
Now for the down side.
If you’re a student and want to work an a mid term paper, print it and hand it in, forget it on the iPad.
There is no Word Processing software for the iPad, nor is there anyway to connect it to a printer because there are no USB Ports or ay other kind of port available.
You could send your document to the printer via wify, but there’s no Word Processor, nor is there one available through the App Store.
Because the iPad has a closed OS you can’t install any Word Processing software, for that matter, you can’t install any kind of software other than what you can buy at the App Store.
Another bad mark is the limited storage.
In order to get the best experience out of an iPad, you’ll have to spend $829.00, not $500.00 in order to get 3G as well as enough storage to make it work.
What you get for $500.00 is 16Gig of memory without the ability to ever upgrade nor ever have the ability to connect an external HDD to store anything more.
You also only get WiFy.
Why I won’t be buying one;
First off, I have an iPhone.
Second, I have a Laptop that plays NetFlix, store and play my Music as well as games, has an awesome Word Processor, has 3 USB Ports, has the ability to send print ques to my printer via WiFy, has a 3G card for when I’m on the road, has the ability to download Books to read, contains my various Photo Shop and Video editing programs so when I’m in the field I can upload Photos from my digital camera and fix them on the fly.
I can also upgrade my HDD as well as RAM if needed and I can replace the Battery in less than 5 Seconds.
It also has a 360Gig HDD plus the ability to connect and external HDD via one of my USB ports.
Also, it only cost me $700.00, including the 3G Card…
Ahahahaha… Just heard your review on ATOS. Well played sir…well played.
Good review on AOTS.
It’s a gadget. If you like gadgets get one if you don’t then don’t buy one.
If you shell out 40 bucks and get the IPAD case… It protects it fairly well is rubberized and doubles as a stand for photo displaying and forms a wedge so that the device is easier to type on. Great device to take on vacation or when you are on the road.
Check this out, it will deffinately be of interest to you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAl28d6tbko&feature=topvideos
ps: you might cry
Wager to the Author:
Your IPad will be used as a coaster, either purposefully or by accident, within two months.
If I win, I do a guest post on your site. If you win, I will buy you a coaster.
I love my iPad. It’s not a replacement for a computer as Chris already said on his review, but it’s a great in between device (particularly on an airplane). After years of crappy PC tablets, you would think people might smarten up a little. HP? Windows? Really? My God, the HP desktop machine with a touch screen was HORRIBLE. Apple engineers complete solutions, not a crappy interface on top of a desktop operating system.
Pages works great for drafting documents, and there are plenty of apps for everything you could want either available now or coming soon. I’m not sure what the whole closed system argument is supposed to mean, but there are apps that compete directly with Apple like Kindle and Netflix. Having an app rejected for distribution is the exception, not the norm.
Uhm yes there is a word processor…. Do you intentionally post reviews that are full of lies? =0
Just played with one over at the Apple Store. If I traveled as much as I did in the past couple years, it’d be the best toy ever. Since I don’t, I’ll stick with my iPhone for the time being — Netflix Streaming FTW!
Wonder if Chris will review the HP Slate or Microsft Courier?
You don’t need the 3G model Mr. Hardwick (hard wick..hehe). Just pick up an Overdrive 3g/4g hotspot and you’ll have 4g NOW in places like Seattle. Best Buy in Dallas gave a free Overdrive with every iPad and I happened to be there for release day. I have to say, Sprint’s 4G really kinda blew me away. Expected the usual “slower than they say” experience but that booyan is fast! Had iPad, mBook and 2 phones sharing 4g…I totally had a nerdgasm (clean up in aisle 9).