The Apple Tablet Event?

[thealtruismsociety]

If there was a Storyist app, I think one of these could be be only machine, with a mac mini as a headless iTunes server. If only ... lol

[thealtruismsociety]

Thanks. I'll look into it.

 

 

Edit my existing Photoshop stuff from my big comfy chair, or perhaps, in bed. Seriously, I'm still just exploring the potential of my new beast. To be candid, there isn't anything the iPad does that I can't (in one way or another) do on my desktop. But as you once said, "It's magical".

 

 

The key phrase here is "if I could be rid of Adobe stuff...". DRMs and ERMs** are my bread and butter. My clients (the unreasonable ones) want them as Photoshop files. "I'm just trying to keep my customers satisfied. Satisfied."*

 

Still playing with my iPad — hardly writing scripts at all.

- Thoth.

 

* © Simon & Garfunkel

** Data Requirements Model, Entity-Relationship Model

 

I used to be a big PS fan until I decided I wanted to pay for all my software and be legit 100%.

 

So that was the end of PS for me, it's too expensive.

 

Ah but Pixelmator fit the bill and I STILL love it, a WONDERFUL Mac Native image editing app.

 

http://www.pixelmator.com

 

Look into it, I LOVE it!

 

If only there was an iPad app ... lol. Let me go bug the Dev's lol!

[marguerite]

Now, to bring it back to topic... I did decided that I will probably order a 3G iPad in the near future in place of a mac mini/replacement desktop. I never used my desktop much and since I got a bigger laptop hard drive and my father and I want to develop apps (we're probably jumping in way over our heads. haha!) we figure it makes more sense... It will also preserve my laptop from wear and tear damage when all I need to do is browse the web etc. soooooo in the mean time, I'm hoping you guys will alert me to any major flaws.

Yes, I could justify the iPad not only by the unexpected check but also because instead of replacing my 2003 G4 Powerbook, I'll keep it running as long as I can for those rare moments when I want to work in Adobe products while traveling. The iPad can already do everything I would normally want to do on vacation (except run Storyist!) and even lets me edit Word documents, and since the G4 predates the closed-case days, I paid $50 for a new battery and it is good to go.

 

I must say I'm still frustrated with the App store.... there is no easy way to browse only iPad apps or only iPhone apps (that I can find).... everything is all mashed together. Then again.. the App store has never been the greatest for random browsing of Apps in my opinion.

When you go in through iTunes, now there is a separate section for iPad apps. A lot of apps have a + sign next to them, which means they adjust to work on either the iPad or the iPhone.

 

I'm also really frustrated that iBooks is iPad exclusive. Apple's making a lot of people mad with that one... Kindle is probably feeling better about themselves though. I was really looking forward to iBooks on my iPhone. Boo!

I'm sure this is only a matter of time. If the iBookstore takes off, Apple will find a way to let you access it through an iPhone or iPod Touch. Right now it's a selling point for the iPad.

I would love to see a Photoshop app of some sort, though with Apple's relations with Flash/Adobe ..... would it make it through to the App store?

 

I'm curious if apps that have both iPad and iPhone versions will be able to sync to each other at all, like a notes app or a money managing app or tracking type app.

- Jules

Ditto on Photoshop. If the iPad sells 7-10 million units as predicted by the end of the year, I expect Adobe will decide that it can compromise, at least on Photoshop Elements and Digital Editions.

 

On the syncing, I don't know, but each device will sync with iTunes, so functionally the result is the same.

 

Congratulations on the garter snakes. Not my idea of the perfect day, but whatever works for you.

 

So far, so good on the iPad. ** crosses fingers ** The only thing I've noticed is that my idea of tapping and the iPad's don't seem to be entirely the same, so like Thoth I'm having some trouble with the touch gestures. Typing is very smooth for me (and there is an audible click as you press each key). But I have quite small hands. I think David Pogue found it very awkward in portrait mode and barely tolerable in landscape.

Off to work on my script.

M

[orrenm]

BTW, if any of you haven't seen this comedy sketch from Second City Network yet spoofing the introductory video for the iPad, it's pretty amusing.

 

Orren

[hase]

I wonder how I could bribe anyone to buy one for me & send it over to my place...

I HATE waiting...

[Steve E]

BTW, if any of you haven't seen this comedy sketch from Second City Network yet spoofing the introductory video for the iPad, it's pretty amusing.

 

Orren

:P

Ah, but there is such truth in humor.

 

(I'm glad I got to see it before Steve takes it down. )

- Thoth

[Steve E]

I wonder how I could bribe anyone to buy one for me & send it over to my place...

This isn't a American exclusive, Hase. It should be around your part of the planet sometime this week. Right? (Or was your point that you wanted someone else to stand in line for you and pay for it for you?)

 

I heard that The Woz, who now owns three iPads, actually showed up on Friday and waited on line all night with us common folk for the camaraderie (and perhaps to show off his Dancing With The Stars moves).

 

Best Buy (http://www.bestbuy.com/), the megastore, is not only selling the iPad, they seem to have more in stock that the Apple stores. I know this doesn't help you, Hase, but it might help others.

 

- Thoth

[Steve E]

Okay. I'm beginning to not like the iPad keyboard so much. I'm used to an nice ergonomic split keyboard and the iPad's virtual keyboard is beginning to feel cramped (yes, even in landscape view). I don't have M's dainty little girly hands. I have big, masculine man-paws and they are beginning to complain about their confinement.

 

I knew it would be something. I had just hoped it wouldn't be this soon.

Still a fun product, though.

- Thoth.

[Steve]

Okay. I'm beginning to not like the iPad keyboard so much. I'm used to an nice ergonomic split keyboard and the iPad's virtual keyboard is beginning to feel cramped (yes, even in landscape view). I don't have M's dainty little girly hands. I have big, masculine man-paws and they are beginning to complain about their confinement.

 

I knew it would be something. I had just hoped it wouldn't be this soon.

Still a fun product, though.

- Thoth.

 

You can pair with a Bluetooth keyboard if you have one. I know, why not have a laptop then.

 

The only downside at the moment is that you have to unpair to use the virtual keyboard, which is kind of a pain.

 

-Steve

[thealtruismsociety]

You can pair with a Bluetooth keyboard if you have one. I know, why not have a laptop then.

 

The only downside at the moment is that you have to unpair to use the virtual keyboard, which is kind of a pain.

 

-Steve

 

Actually you don't have to, the eject key will allow you to use the VK while docked.

 

http://gizmodo.com/5508399/10-essential-ip...ne=true&s=i

[Steve]

Actually you don't have to, the eject key will allow you to use the VK while docked.

 

http://gizmodo.com/5508399/10-essential-ip...ne=true&s=i

 

Good link.

 

The problem, though, is that you have to hit the eject button every time you want to use the virtual keyboard. If you want to pick up the iPad and move to the couch, you need to either unpair or walk out of Bluetooth range.

 

-Steve

[thealtruismsociety]

Good link.

 

The problem, though, is that you have to hit the eject button every time you want to use the virtual keyboard. If you want to pick up the iPad and move to the couch, you need to either unpair or walk out of Bluetooth range.

 

-Steve

 

Can't you just switch BT off in settings? Shouldn't need it in that situation anyway right?

[Steve E]

Actually you don't have to, the eject key will allow you to use the VK while docked.

 

http://gizmodo.com/5508399/10-essential-ip...ne=true&s=i

Thanks for the link!

I suspect that "force quit" is going to be useful to me.

Time to play.

 

Say, does anybody know how to make a precise placement of the cursor using the virtual keyboard? (For example, I'm in the middle of a paragraph and want to drop down vertically to the next line but in the same horizontal position.) I can't find the cursor keys.

 

-iThoth.

[Steve]

Can't you just switch BT off in settings? Shouldn't need it in that situation anyway right?

 

Yes--that or unpair. To do that you have to quit the app, go to Settings, make the change, and then go back to the app. A bit of a pain.

 

-Steve

[hase]

This isn't a American exclusive, Hase. It should be around your part of the planet sometime this week. Right? (Or was your point that you wanted someone else to stand in line for you and pay for it for you?)

 

- Thoth

 

More salt into my wounds...

And the 24th of April is NOT this week, last time I checked. Even worse, the 16g WiFi-only iPad will cost around US$ 673 here, while yours is what? $499?

 

 

Yes--that or unpair. To do that you have to quit the app, go to Settings, make the change, and then go back to the app. A bit of a pain.

 

Maybe its just me being naive, but couldn't you just switch the keyboard off?

[thealtruismsociety]

More salt into my wounds...

And the 24th of April is NOT this week, last time I checked. Even worse, the 16g WiFi-only iPad will cost around US$ 673 here, while yours is what? $499?

 

 

 

 

Maybe its just me being naive, but couldn't you just switch the keyboard off?

 

True just hit the power switch on the BT.

[Steve E]

More salt into my wounds...

And the 24th of April is NOT this week, last time I checked.

The 24th! Oh, how you must be suffering! Waiting for your iPad can cause such an exquisite agony.

I'll bake an overmuffin for you.

- Thoth.

[Steve]

Maybe its just me being naive, but couldn't you just switch the keyboard off?

 

You'd think...

 

Actually, yes, you can. Turns out that to turn off the new Apple Wireless Keyboard, you need to press and hold the On/Off button for 5 seconds. In previous experiments, I apparently didn't hold the button long enough.

 

-Steve

[Steve E]

Actually, yes, you can. Turns out that to turn off the new Apple Wireless Keyboard, you need to press and hold the On/Off button for 5 seconds. In previous experiments, I apparently didn't hold the button long enough.

Any chance you (or anyone) stumbled across the cursor control keys on the virtual keyboard (if they even exist).

- Thoth

[orrenm]

Even worse, the 16g WiFi-only iPad will cost around US$ 673 here, while yours is what? $499?

 

Hase, if you want that to change:

 

Just send Germany into a total economic meltdown like the one America suffered and still is trying to climb out of. That should bring the Euro down low enough that you'll pay a more equivalent amount to what we pay.

 

Not sure it's worth putting Europe through what we're going through just for a relatively lower iPad price, but just in case...

 

Orren "When I become king, we're nationalizing the banks, health care, and fully funding NASA" Merton

[orrenm]

Any chance you (or anyone) stumbled across the cursor control keys on the virtual keyboard (if they even exist).

 

As you may have seen by now, I'm big into giving links.

http://www.macintouch.com/reviews/ipad/faq.html

 

From the FAQ:

Does the keyboard include arrow keys, tab between fields, and similar keyboard shortcuts? 05 Apr.

The keyboard includes all the standard keys, but support for tabbing between fields varies from app to app. The email app supports tab and shift-tab to navigate between address and subject fields and the message body, but you cannot use the arrows to pick from the email address selection list that appears as you type. Most apps with text selection support Command+Arrows to move the cursor to the beginning and end of line (left/right) or document (up/down), and Command-X/C/V are nearly universal for cut, copy and paste.

 

FWIW, there is no way to control the iPhone cursor other than to use the touch screen to manually place the cursor. I'm imagining that while the iPad keyboard support will offer some additional options, the designers still expect most people to use the touchscreen method to position the cursor.

 

Orren

[Steve E]

As you may have seen by now, I'm big into giving links.

http://www.macintouch.com/reviews/ipad/faq.html

First, bless you for your link-hunting prowess. But I already found this one and....

 

From the FAQ:

Does the keyboard include arrow keys, tab between fields, and similar keyboard shortcuts? 05 Apr.

The keyboard includes all the standard keys, but support for tabbing between fields varies from app to app. The email app supports tab and shift-tab to navigate between address and subject fields and the message body, but you cannot use the arrows to pick from the email address selection list that appears as you type. Most apps with text selection support Command+Arrows to move the cursor to the beginning and end of line (left/right) or document (up/down), and Command-X/C/V are nearly universal for cut, copy and paste.

... they're referring to the physical (wireless) keyboard, not the virtual one.

 

FWIW, there is no way to control the iPhone cursor other than to use the touch screen to manually place the cursor. I'm imagining that while the iPad keyboard support will offer some additional options, the designers still expect most people to use the touchscreen method to position the cursor.

Yes. That seems to suggest that they left out arrow controls on purpose to be consistent with the iPhone OS. But I'm still hopeful that they're hidden in there somewhere. It is possible that they expect people to buy and use their dockable keyboard for any extended typing. A tablet is not a replacement for a laptop—but you've been saying that all along.

 

Disappointed.

- Thoth.

[Steve]

FWIW, there is no way to control the iPhone cursor other than to use the touch screen to manually place the cursor.

 

There aren't any hidden cursor keys on iPad's standard virtual keyboard.

 

And even when you're using the physical keyboard, some shortcuts you're familiar with from OS X (mostly the formatting ones) don't work. For instance, if you're using Pages with a physical keyboard, Command+B, Command+I, and Command+U don't add bold, italics, or underlining. You need to take your fingers off the keyboard and use the touch interface.

 

-Steve

[orrenm]

A tablet is not a replacement for a laptop—but you've been saying that all along.

 

Yup. Two things to think about:

• If the iPad really was a "laptop substitute," do you think Apple would sell it for half the price of their cheapest laptop?
  
• The HP Slate really is a laptop substitute, and it will cost "under $1500" not $499.
  

 

From everything I've read, the iPad looks to me like a really fantastic consumer internet device/reader/game machine, but I would not expect it to replace my MacBook Pro for real work on the go.

 

Disappointed.

 

Well, if you get really upset, you can always do this to your iPad:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/193388/appl...ress_tests.html

 

 

Orren

[Steve E]

From everything I've read, the iPad looks to me like a really fantastic consumer internet device/reader/game machine, but I would not expect it to replace my MacBook Pro for real work on the go.

But I can dream, can't I. Someday....

 

Well, if you get really upset, you can always do this to your iPad:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/193388/appl...ress_tests.html

A truly cringe-worthy video. And what have I learned from this: Never get them wet, and don't feed them (donuts) after midnight.

 

So much for using my iPad as a bat in a game of underwater baseball.

- Thoth.