No USB?

[Velin]

So if I don't have a universal serial bus, how in the hell am I supposed to connect stuff to this thing?

Files and data: so I can't connect a flash drive. No dice on portable hard drive. How in the hell am I supposed to get stuff onto and off of the iPad while on the move?

Peripherals: what if I want to plug in a printer for a fast print, or perhaps a portable cd or dvd drive? Can I even do it?

Keyboard: can you even plug one into this?

External displays: can you use an external display with this thing?

Finally, please don't tell me to "use the dock." Because if I have to carry around some stupid dock, to plug in the iPad, so I can then plug in a flash drive or portable media, cd drive, printer, keyboard, etc., then this iPad is even a bigger POS than I originally thought. I'll never ever buy one if I can't use portable media and devices without some stupid dock.

 

[blancoBronco]

Yes, you can plug a physical keyboard into this via the 30 pin connector.
Also using the 30 pin, there are adapters that allow you to plug in a USB cable or an SD card.

Search google for more answers

PS, I found the keyboard out from apple.com, probably a good place to start

 

[dougbrowne]

Ever hear of bluetooth? It requires no wires..

 

[flopticalcube]

Currently, the two optional connectors appear to be meant for importing photos from cameras. One uses a USB port, the other is an SD card slot. Actual file transfer appears to be through a host Mac/PC via a shared folder/directory.

 

[bossxii]

iPhone SDk 3.2 and I'm sure 4.0 will address this issue.

From MR front page news in fact. iPhone SDK 3.2

"- File Sharing. A shared file directory is provided that will mount on your Mac or PC. This is presumably how files such as iWork documents will be transferred to and from the iPad. iPad applications will be able to access this shared directory."

 

[Warbrain]

Suspicions are that there will be some sort of cloud storage for the device. I think we'll be seeing more when iPhone OS 4.0 is demoed.

 

[Drag'nGT]

Getting photos off my camera, plugging a USB drive in and being able to print from it were the only real issues I saw. Though HP and Canon have printing apps.

 

[MisterMe]

So if I don't have a universal serial bus, how in the hell am I supposed to connect stuff to this thing?

....

Where do you get this notion? The iPad uses a standard iPod communications/charging cable. It has the iPod's 30-pin plug on one end and a USB 2.0 plug on the other.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I agree completely. For something designed as a media device, how am I supposed to load photos on it off of my digital camera? For something designed to do work on (iWork), how am I supposed to load or unload documents off of it?

And if I'm going to need an iPad and a computer, why not just carry around a computer?

 

[flopticalcube]

I agree completely. For something designed as a media device, how am I supposed to load photos on it off of my digital camera? For something designed to do work on (iWork), how am I supposed to load or unload documents off of it?

And if I'm going to need an iPad and a computer, why not just carry around a computer?

Indeed. It also seems rather cheap not to have the SD card reader built in rather than an extra cost attachment.

As much as SJ wants to poo-poo netbooks, they currently offer better VFM than the iPad. What they don't have is a finger-lickin' good touch interface so they are lower on the gee-whiz-o-meter.

 

[meagain]

I agree completely. For something designed as a media device, how am I supposed to load photos on it off of my digital camera? For something designed to do work on (iWork), how am I supposed to load or unload documents off of it?

And if I'm going to need an iPad and a computer, why not just carry around a computer?

I swear I think no one here has either 1) watched the keynote 2) looked at the apple site for the information & specs.

There is an adaptor for USB and card. You plug your camera into the iPad via USB. You take the card out of the camera and put it in the slot.

 

[MagAustralia]

I agree completely. For something designed as a media device, how am I supposed to load photos on it off of my digital camera? For something designed to do work on (iWork), how am I supposed to load or unload documents off of it?

And if I'm going to need an iPad and a computer, why not just carry around a computer?

It is not a stand-alone product.

 

[Bossone]

Hmmm wonder if I can tether with my iphone via the USB port?

 

[bossxii]

I swear I think no one here has either 1) watched the keynote 2) looked at the apple site for the information & specs.

There is an adaptor for USB and card. You plug your camera into the iPad via USB. You take the card out of the camera and put it in the slot.

This would greatly cut into the "bitch" sessions about things already addressed by Apple. They are stuck crying on the forums vs doing any research for common sense answers.

 

[Matthew Yohe]

First, none of you "get it."

Second, there are accessories that allow you to connect your SD, or USB cable from a camera to directly import your photos.

Lastly, in case you haven't noticed, Apple isn't going after the netbook market with just a shrunken version of OS X, they have completely rethought how computing on such a device should work. It isn't about connecting it to a hard drive, and dumping files, or managing crap, it's about doing key things, and doing them well. (Better than other devices in the same league)

Apple has abstracted the interface from the file system, and what you knew before changes now. Documents will stay in the app they were created in, and probably in the future, synced OTA with a cloud service. Users shouldn't have to know how a file system, or hierarchy works, the product should just work.

This is not a replacement for everything you can do on a standard desktop/laptop computer, so please stop applying the same old ideas of how we should interact with our computers.

Apple is really preparing to make a dent with this OS, and the only thing out there that is like it is ChromeOS.

 

[djourd]

First, none of you "get it."

Second, there are accessories that allow you to connect your SD, or USB cable from a camera to directly import your photos.

Lastly, in case you haven't noticed, Apple isn't going after the netbook market with just a shrunken version of OS X, they have completely rethought how computing on such a device should work. It isn't about connecting it to a hard drive, and dumping files, or managing crap, it's about doing key things, and doing them well. (Better than other devices in the same league)

Apple has abstracted the interface from the file system, and what you knew before changes now. Documents will stay in the app they were created in, and probably in the future, synced OTA with a cloud service. Users shouldn't have to know how a file system, or hierarchy works, the product should just work.

This is not a replacement for everything you can do on a standard desktop/laptop computer, so please stop applying the same old ideas of how we should interact with our computers.

Apple is really preparing to make a dent with this OS, and the only thing out there that is like it is ChromeOS.

Thank you! The same thing I've been trying to explain to my roommates.

 

[Velin]

I swear I think no one here has either 1) watched the keynote 2) looked at the apple site for the information & specs.

There is an adaptor for USB and card. You plug your camera into the iPad via USB. You take the card out of the camera and put it in the slot.

Oh please. The website is totally unclear. Totally. In fact the website appears to contradict what you just said. Here's what it says about I/O.

So, I see dock connector. Nothing about how to hook up anything to the device. So, what, now I'm stuck carrying around a "dock" to connect anything to it?


Here's what the Apple site says about "connectivity."

Oh, so if I want to plug in a camera, I need *another* adaptor, plus I need a dock to hook up anything else?

Finally, here's the Apple website picture of the "connectivity."

So having gone through all that, I've still have no idea what I need to do to connect a printer, flash drive, usb camera, or any number of peripherals. Do I need this "camera" adaptor to connect a camera? Looks like I need a dock to connect anything else.

Anyway you slice it or dice it, (a) the description is totally unclear, and (b) if I have to carry around a dock or even more adaptors to do something as simple as transfer files or print, it's bad design. Period.

 

[alvse]

Well then, you have your answer, don't like it, don't buy it... simple

 

[Velin]

Well then, you have your answer, don't like it, don't buy it... simple

Indeed it is just that simple. And if lots of other people come to the same conclusion, this iPad is going down in flames.

 

[aaquib]

Indeed it is just that simple. And if lots of other people come to the same conclusion, this iPad is going down in flames.

I'm sure you said the same for the iPod.

 

[Artofilm]

I'm sure you said the same for the iPod.

He/she probably still thinks the iPod will go down in flames

 

[richpjr]

Here is a link to pictures of the accessories:

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/apple-reveals-new-ipad-accessories/

 

[Matthew Yohe]

So, I see dock connector. Nothing about how to hook up anything to the device. So, what, now I'm stuck carrying around a "dock" to connect anything to it?
...

if I have to carry around a dock or even more adaptors to do something as simple as transfer files or print, it's bad design. Period.

Well, a CABLE comes with the iPad. It's a 30 pin to USB. So there, you can connect to your computer.

When you say "to connect anything to it" do you mean like a hard drive or something? Because that's not the point.

For printing, there are already apps in the App Store that will do this.

Indeed it is just that simple. And if lots of other people come to the same conclusion, this iPad is going down in flames.

But only misguided people on mac forums are coming to this conclusion.

 

[Ragnar]

So it's a useful device for someone who is home every night and manages it with their desktop or also for someone who additionally lugs around a full-sized laptop to manage it on the road is that right?

 

[Velin]

That's what I'm saying.