Only 2 days and Apple has "other" features for the iPad!

[bossxii]

So everyone in a knee jerk reaction condemns the iPad for lack of features. Yet not even 48 hours after it's "public showing" Apple is now confirming additional features they did not talk about.

From this article: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/01/29/apple_to_target_ipad_at_business_users_through_new_features_sources.html

"Sources who talked to Apple's business unit also say the company is working on some additional features that haven't been publicly announced yet. These include support for direct network printing from iPad apps, as well as support for accessing shared files from a local file server. "

I think the next 60 days will prove more and more things will show up as Apple has not told us all it's capabilities.

Continue to bash all you want, I think in the end it's going to be a very useful device.

 

[lionheartednyhc]

well until they decide to tell us, its still "officially" useless.

 

[ditzy]

well until they decide to tell us, its still "officially" useless.

In your opinion. For me it's very useful.

 

[bossxii]

well until they decide to tell us, its still "officially" useless.

Software wise things may and likely will change, so is all the speculation of "what it doesn't have" are in fact useless uninformed statements. This just goes to show that 60 days from now we could see many different additions vs what was shown at the Keynote. So people saying Apple will never have said feature via software because it's only the iPhone OS look pretty silly and their comments are useless.

Not to mention this information on flash: http://www.9to5mac.com/apple-flash-ipad-3954934055?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+9To5Mac-MacAllDay+%289+to+5+Mac+-+Apple+Intelligence%29

Check it out on your iPhone/iPod Touch if you have one, anything is possible it would seem.

 

[chwhale]

well until they decide to tell us, its still "officially" useless.

lol, you're right though. Everything is rumor until Steve gets on stage and demo's it.

 

[Sketh]

I agree.

And honestly, all of those people complaining should realize that it's merely a .1 update. Not a full OS Overhaul.

3.2 will offer a lot of new functionality, mostly for the tablet. 4.0 will offer the new features, probably for both iPhone and iPad.

 

[calderone]

"Sources who talked to Apple's business unit also say the company is working on some additional features that haven't been publicly announced yet. These include support for direct network printing from iPad apps, as well as support for accessing shared files from a local file server. "

Two things I wanted. Excellent.

 

[Epicurus]

The printer thing would be great, and frankly if there is a version of iWork on there, there had better be some sort of printing.

I couldn't find the link right away, but I seem to remember reading that the iPad has a sort of central file storage location that apps could use to share information. Given that the iPad is a bit more document centric than the iPhone has been up to this point (the iPad has iWork, after all), this makes sense. If that is the case, connecting to or syncing with a local file server is a logical extension.

I'd just like it to be possible for me to go to a website and download a PDF to the iPad for offline storage and then be able to read and markup that PDF, then either print that PDF or get that marked up file back to my Mac. That sort of workflow would be well worth the price of an iPad, even if it did nothing else.

 

[vassillios]

Lack of printing was my only real concern about the iPad. If it has printing ability to network attached printers....i'm get'n one!

 

[MikeyTree]

Both of those would make me a lot more likely to buy one.

Aside from multitaslking (yeah yeah, I know), the lack of ability to access shared files from a local server or portable media (usb stick or card) was my biggest sticking point.

 

[Jaro65]

If this product is as important to Apple as we're led to believe it is, the platform innovation will continue at a decent pace. Let us remember what an iPod looked like when it was initially announced, and where it is now. Same applies to iPhone. I'm pretty excited about being able to witness how iPad is going to develop over time.

 

[colmaclean]

Someone on the Mac Roundtable podcast claimed the iPad would work with any Bluetooth keyboard. Nice feature if true.

 

[mrgreen4242]

"Sources who talked to Apple's business unit also say the company is working on some additional features that haven't been publicly announced yet. These include support for direct network printing from iPad apps, as well as support for accessing shared files from a local file server. "

I think the next 60 days will prove more and more things will show up as Apple has not told us all it's capabilities.

Network printing is sort of a foregone conclusion considering iWork on the device, so not surprised about that. Access to network drives is a promising rumor though. That's one step closer to letting me stream movies from iTunes to an iPad ala an ATV or Front Row.

I still think they will announce OS 4.0 before the iPad is released, and ship it either in April with the 3G version or early June with the new iPhones/iPods as a free update. OS 4.0 wishlist:
* multitasking
* network printing
* dashboard
* Front Row like app
* Flash (just so people will shut up about it)
[/LIST]

 

[fishmd]

You know, here is a new thought. Maybe Apple made 3.2 as just sort of a bridge. People who were testing the device all seemed to say that it was very buggy. As the iPad is not shipping for 60 days (well 58 now), maybe it will actually ship with 4.0 with a whole lot of other features.

Probably not, but hey, who knows. 3.2 could be made similar enough to 4.0 so that developers who develop apps for it, could easily have it ported to 4.0. And Apple could have just not wanted everyone to see what 4.0 has to offer just yet, but wanted to wait till the time is closer to a new iPhone refresh.

 

[colmaclean]

Imagine the uproar when the early iPad adopters have to pay for the OS 4 upgrade.

 

[fishmd]

Imagine the uproar when the early iPad adopters have to pay for the OS 4 upgrade.

Hahaha. Yeah, that is the other reason why I am wondering if this will end up shipping with 4.0. I mean, if these go out in March (the non 3G ones), and we get an update in say June/July for a new iPhone with new OS 4.0, some iPad people could be pretty hot if they have to pay for an upgrade just after a few months of owning the device.

Of course Apple could allow them to upgrade for free, but then all the iTouch iPod people would be pretty upset. Hahaha.

 

[mrgreen4242]

You know, here is a new thought. Maybe Apple made 3.2 as just sort of a bridge. People who were testing the device all seemed to say that it was very buggy. As the iPad is not shipping for 60 days (well 58 now), maybe it will actually ship with 4.0 with a whole lot of other features.

Probably not, but hey, who knows. 3.2 could be made similar enough to 4.0 so that developers who develop apps for it, could easily have it ported to 4.0. And Apple could have just not wanted everyone to see what 4.0 has to offer just yet, but wanted to wait till the time is closer to a new iPhone refresh.

I've been saying this since about 5 minutes after the keynote ended. I think it's pretty likely, myself.

Imagine the uproar when the early iPad adopters have to pay for the OS 4 upgrade.

I was pissed about paying for the 2.0 upgrade for the touch, so, ya, I think I'd be pretty PO'd.

Hahaha. Yeah, that is the other reason why I am wondering if this will end up shipping with 4.0. I mean, if these go out in March (the non 3G ones), and we get an update in say June/July for a new iPhone with new OS 4.0, some iPad people could be pretty hot if they have to pay for an upgrade just after a few months of owning the device.

Of course Apple could allow them to upgrade for free, but then all the iTouch iPod people would be pretty upset. Hahaha.

Didn't Apple change their accounting methods for the touch after the last version to line up with the iPhone and AppleTV subscription models of income so they could stop charging for updates (which I always thought was a ******** excuse anyway)? I stopped paying attention to the whole thing, to be honest, but it does raise a good question of whether Apple will be charging for iPad OS updates or if they will provide them free like the AppleTV... should email Steve about that.

 

[lilo777]

Both of those would make me a lot more likely to buy one.

Aside from multitaslking (yeah yeah, I know), the lack of ability to access shared files from a local server or portable media (usb stick or card) was my biggest sticking point.

Apple may view this as a slippery slope. First you want to access the file on shared drives, then you'll want to be able to watch movies from them, then you might stop buying "stuff" from iTunes. I do not know...

 

[mrgreen4242]

Apple may view this as a slippery slope. First you want to access the file on shared drives, then you'll want to be able to watch movies from them, then you might stop buying "stuff" from iTunes. I do not know...

That's a silly argument. If I want to stream a movie from a local share I could have just sync'd it to the device. The source of the movie is irrelevant. I could have bought it from iTunes, ripped it from DVD, or pirated it online. How I get the content from my computer to the device doesn't affect how I get the content onto my computer in the first place.

 

[admanimal]

You know, here is a new thought. Maybe Apple made 3.2 as just sort of a bridge. People who were testing the device all seemed to say that it was very buggy. As the iPad is not shipping for 60 days (well 58 now), maybe it will actually ship with 4.0 with a whole lot of other features.

Here's what's going to happen. The iPad will ship at the end of March. Just prior to that, Apple will hold its yearly iPhone OS update announcement, with a release date set for June or July. This will of course include iPad-specific enhancements that will make the device even more appealing, so more people will buy one right away even though they might have to wait until the summer get all of the features they want. Hopefully they would be able to make this update free at least for iPad users, but we'll see.

This also has the added advantage for Apple of not really showing all of their cards at once as far as the iPad goes.

 

[fishmd]

Here's what's going to happen. The iPad will ship at the end of March. Just prior to that, Apple will hold its yearly iPhone OS update announcement, with a release date set for June or July. This will of course include iPad-specific enhancements that will make the device even more appealing, so more people will buy one right away even though they might have to wait until the summer get all of the features they want. Hopefully they would be able to make this update free at least for iPad users, but we'll see.

This also has the added advantage for Apple of not really showing all of their cards at once as far as the iPad goes.

Agreed. This is what I am thinking may occur. Or maybe, just maybe it will even ship with OS 4.0.