Apple Jan. 27 launch event... what will it be?

[Uncle Ted]

It wouldn't surprise me to see Apple sue Gawker Media over this. This whole episode has been really interesting to watch. I read that Gizmodo was denied an iPad to review. I also read that there was an instance at Foxconn, the company that produces the iPhones, had an employee lose their phone (it never surfaced) within the confines of their Chinese campus and he committed suicide over the interogations after the incident. I don't know if that is true or not. Apple fanboys are fiercely loyal and they're all crying foul over this whole thing. Personally, I think it's awesome that someone has pulled the carpet out from under Jobs and stolen his thunder of what would have been another over-hyped, over-sensationalized market launch. He must be seething right now.

From my experience working with Apple letting prototype hardware wonder off campus in the hands of an engineer isn't like them. Apple has rooms on campus that they usually keep prototypes like this in that requires a whole other level of credentials to get into. When engineers are given iPhone prototypes to develop on it is usually a developer board the size of your typical desktop motherboard that has lots of probe connections and an iPhone touch screen mounted in the middle of it. Prototypes like what was found are usually not in the hands of engineers until Apple is close to launch. And even then they are not let off the campus.

I have to wonder if Apple didn't carefully plant this prototype to increase interest and to get new potential customers to hold off on buying a competitor's phone until they launch their new iPhone. It seems fairly unlikely if this iPhone was actually lost that it would so perfectly fall in the laps of Gizmodo (a perfect web site to make a leak to) like it did. A lot of other things don't add up. Like why wasn't the iphone prototype password protected and why did it take Apple so long to ask for their property back.

I guess when (or if) this engineer gets fired and talks to the media we will know the full story. So far it looks like that is not going to happen.

[Surfah]

From my experience working with Apple letting prototype hardware wonder off campus in the hands of an engineer isn't like them. Apple has rooms on campus that they usually keep prototypes like this in that requires a whole other level of credentials to get into. When engineers are given iPhone prototypes to develop on it is usually a developer board the size of your typical desktop motherboard that has lots of probe connections and an iPhone touch screen mounted in the middle of it. Prototypes like what was found are usually not in the hands of engineers until Apple is close to launch. And even then they are not let off the campus.

I have to wonder if Apple didn't carefully plant this prototype to increase interest and to get new potential customers to hold off on buying a competitor's phone until they launch their new iPhone. It seems fairly unlikely if this iPhone was actually lost that it would so perfectly fall in the laps of Gizmodo (a perfect web site to make a leak to) like it did. A lot of other things don't add up. Like why wasn't the iphone prototype password protected and why did it take Apple so long to ask for their property back.

I guess when (or if) this engineer gets fired and talks to the media we will know the full story. So far it looks like that is not going to happen.

Worthy points and something that others in the media have mentioned as well. Who knows. The cellphone market right now is unbelievable. There are so many phones coming out right now or due out this year that my head is spinning as a consumer with no particular allegiance. I have been holding out for the HTC Evo, but with the iPhone 4g and Dell's timely leaks today (the Dell Thunder looks sick) I don't know what to do.

[tooblue]

Worthy points and something that others in the media have mentioned as well. Who knows. The cellphone market right now is unbelievable. There are so many phones coming out right now or due out this year that my head is spinning as a consumer with no particular allegiance. I have been holding out for the HTC Evo, but with the iPhone 4g and Dell's timely leaks today (the Dell Thunder looks sick) I don't know what to do.

This is my first post on an iPad. A colleague wEnt to the states and picked one up -- it's awesome.

[Surfah]

This is my first post on an iPad. A colleague wEnt to the states and picked one up -- it's awesome.

Your world is already changing!

[tooblue]

Your world is already changing!

You will have one, everyone will have one in the next couple of years. Like I said earlier in this thread, I was firmly entrenched with the wait and see crowd, I still don't have an iphone and waited a while before I picked up a touch but I'm not so sure I will be waiting as long to purchase an ipad. It's a lovely little device, incredibly responsive and the display is amazing.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I think the iPad has a future. We have a portable DVD player that we have used repeatedly on road trips, etc. over the last 3-4 years. It is a fairly high-end unit and we have loved it. But it is about to wear out (screen hinges broken) and rather than replace it with another DVD player, I am thinking of replacing it with an iPad. Just download a few movies prior to the next road trip. Also, I have been interested in a Kindle for some time now. I have played with the iPad reader and it is very nice. Can kill at least two birds with one stone with this device.

One thing that bugs me about iTunes movie downloads is the rental policy. You have to finish viewing within 24 hours of starting the movie. That seems overly restrictive. Why not make it a week to mimic a traditional disc rental? Jerks.

[UteStar]

Honestly, I couldn't get an ipad if I wanted to because they have not yet been released in Canada.

Thats too bad. When do they release the first generation Iphone in Canada? People don't believe me but I really feel that Canada is really close to no longer being a developing country. Canada is really becoming a nice little country.

[Moliere]

I think the iPad has a future. We have a portable DVD player that we have used repeatedly on road trips, etc. over the last 3-4 years. It is a fairly high-end unit and we have loved it. But it is about to wear out (screen hinges broken) and rather than replace it with another DVD player, I am thinking of replacing it with an iPad. Just download a few movies prior to the next road trip. Also, I have been interested in a Kindle for some time now. I have played with the iPad reader and it is very nice. Can kill at least two birds with one stone with this device.

One thing that bugs me about iTunes movie downloads is the rental policy. You have to finish viewing within 24 hours of starting the movie. That seems overly restrictive. Why not make it a week to mimic a traditional disc rental? Jerks.

Interesting, I did not know this.

One thing we do is we rip our DVDs to our iMac and then turn them into movies compatible for the iPhone (I assume the same format would work on an iPad). There is some free software that will do this and it only takes about 20 minutes per movie, depending on what iMac you have.

I've been meaning to do this with Redbox rentals (hear me out) in that I'd rent them, rip them and then watch them once at my leisure and then delete them off my phone and mac. This probably isn't legal (although I haven't done it yet) but I prefer to watch movies on my ride into work and that usually takes 3 or 4 trips. I assume you could something similar, but I won't endorse it because it may not be legal.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Interesting, I did not know this.

One thing we do is we rip our DVDs to our iMac and then turn them into movies compatible for the iPhone (I assume the same format would work on an iPad). There is some free software that will do this and it only takes about 20 minutes per movie, depending on what iMac you have.

I've been meaning to do this with Redbox rentals (hear me out) in that I'd rent them, rip them and then watch them once at my leisure and then delete them off my phone and mac. This probably isn't legal (although I haven't done it yet) but I prefer to watch movies on my ride into work and that usually takes 3 or 4 trips. I assume you could something similar, but I won't endorse it because it may not be legal.

Yes. I may or may not know how to do this and I may or may not possess the software. But if I did, I certainly wouldn't admit to it on a public message board.

[Uncle Ted]

You will have one, everyone will have one in the next couple of years. Like I said earlier in this thread, I was firmly entrenched with the wait and see crowd, I still don't have an iphone and waited a while before I picked up a touch but I'm not so sure I will be waiting as long to purchase an ipad. It's a lovely little device, incredibly responsive and the display is amazing.

I have it from a good source that BYU is currently evaluating iPads for replacing many of the textbooks that most freshman students have to buy. These include things like the textbooks published and printed by BYU Press including american heritage, physical science 100, etc. The idea is to make the cost of the iPad about the same cost of what the students normally have to pay for all these books while still giving the authors their royalties. In the long run as other books catch on to this format it will save the students money. Also, it will save the university money since most all the papers that professors hand out could be electronic. Therefore, it may not be too long before all BYU freshman have one.

[Uncle Ted]

One thing that bugs me about iTunes movie downloads is the rental policy. You have to finish viewing within 24 hours of starting the movie. That seems overly restrictive. Why not make it a week to mimic a traditional disc rental? Jerks.

Did Apple not learn anything from DIVX (The failed DVD rental company and not the popular video format.)?

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIVX_%28Digital_Video_Express%29"]DIVX (Digital Video Express) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

[Uncle Ted]

I saw this demo a while back showing what magazines may look like on the iPad in the near future.

[beefytee]

Did Apple not learn anything from DIVX (The failed DVD rental company and not the popular video format.)?

DIVX (Digital Video Express) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

They've barely learned anything from Windows domination of Mac.

They seem to need a death grip on everything.

Steve Jobs is the ultimate control freak.

[tooblue]

I have it from a good source that BYU is currently evaluating iPads for replacing many of the textbooks that most freshman students have to buy. These include things like the textbooks published and printed by BYU Press including american heritage, physical science 100, etc. The idea is to make the cost of the iPad about the same cost of what the students normally have to pay for all these books while still giving the authors their royalties. In the long run as other books catch on to this format it will save the students money. Also, it will save the university money since most all the papers that professors hand out could be electronic. Therefore, it may not be too long before all BYU freshman have one.

I have had a teaching Web site for years and next fall I plan to have an iphone/ipad app -- I just don't know how much time I will have to develop it. I'm not a hard core coder and it's too bad I can't compile in Flash due to the new SDK guidelines. It won't be long before freshmen everywhere have one.

[chrisrenrut]

The price for this guys iPad was a little higher than most:

A thief's thirst for a brand new iPad cost a Colorado man not only a much-coveted device but also two-thirds of a pinky finger.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...u5IKAD9F706401