iPad hands-on: Not a full desktop replacement, but the keyboard works

Hello, All.....my first post here.

Just wanted to chime in regarding the printing. Given that the iPad and iPhone share the same OS (which is essentially a stripped down OS X), the two devices can utilize the same apps. I use an app by the name of "Print n Share" (from EuroSmartz) for printing from my iPhone. I can pull in docs from my iMac and print, print from my email, and also print over WiFi or 3G. Works great. I've spoken to the company following the announcement of the iPad and was told that they're already expanding the app to take full advantage of the iPad.

The downside of course is with this app you must install a print server on your desktop. Now this doesn't bother me at all because for my personal computing, I only print via the printer in my home office. Due to security reasons I'm unable to take my computing devices into my work building. I can't imagine any other situation where I'm on the go and need to print from my iPad. To be honest, when I do buy my iPad I see very few situations where I"ll need to take it out of the house....I'm not even sure I need the 3G.

At the end of the day I think the iPad is just a great multimedia device with limited productivity use...for the moment. Give it time and folks will be making great apps to take advantage of the large iPad screen. And of course expect the jailbroken crowd to get in on app development.

I've been ignoring ringing phones and email notices for years... Sometimes I think it's just because I've had email (1980)) and a cell phone (1990) longer than most and have learned to cope a long time ago but then I'm not alone in having been around tech that long and it does often seem it's just me that has devolped this amazing talent (sarcasim). When I hear a message ding while trying to fall asleep I have no problem ignorig it... when I'm mid conversation with someone and my phone rings and I use my super human powers to send it to voicemail without even losing eye contact.... Voicemail which I check hours later...

Just yesterday I observed a person sitting next to me at a cafe first stare at and listen to thier phone ring 5 times before sending a call to voice mail, then holding thier phone wait for the VM to show up. When it did they promptly dialEd in and listenEd to the message. Finally upon listening to the message they called the person back and begin yelling into there phone at ridculous volume.

I don't think I'd spend 500$ just because I'm sometimes too lazy/tired to reboot or use it as a bedside screen.

"Fox News, out of all the outlets out there..."

Let's keep the politics out if this, folks.

The best way to think of the iPad is as a terminal to the other computers in your house. I will be using it that way for any heavy lifting. I currently use Womote to control my Mac Mini media center. The larger iPad screen makes the many Remote Desktop apps already for the iPhone much easier to deal with. I think the my iPad will never leave my house - I have an iPhone for that.

All those lamenting the lack of a USB port, what do you think the 30-pin connector connects to your Mac or PC using? Just like all the other Apple 30-pin dock connectors the iPad will plug in to USB fine. It doesn't need another seperate USB port.

Uh... since Apple indicates it won't be involved in this or any future MacWorld Expos, I kind of doubt you'll be getting your hands on an iPad there.

Frankly, without Apple, I'm not sure why they even bother to hold it anymore.

Why do you shut off your mbp? Just close the lid and let it go to sleep. Mac OS X runs very well for several days without restart...

"Fox says that an SD slot or a USB port is a much bigger exception,"

Why would apple want to build in an SD slot.?

It makes much more sense to have a SD adaptor. Which is what they have done.
The hope I guess is that third party manufactures can make other Adaptors

Just get a solid state disk. I'd recommend one in the 200MB/sec range for both read and write. That will solve long boots and shutdowns.