http://www.tidbits.com/ Jeff Carlson and Glenn Fleishman share their impressions of using the iPad during Apple's media event. en-us Copyright 2010 TidBITS Publishing Inc. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:44:37 PST Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:44:37 PST editors@tidbits.com (TidBITS Editors) editors@tidbits.com (TidBITS Editors) http://www.tidbits.com/images/tb_logo_152x55.png http://www.tidbits.com/ 55 152 TidBITS badge http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_3324 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:43:57 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_3324
If Apple wants to ensure an easy transition for the education market, which will have a mix of real books and ebooks for a while, getting the page numbers in sync would help a lot.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2962 Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:11:48 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2962 ]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2957 Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:40:03 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2957 http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2942 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:50:26 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2942
I'm hoping that this is something Apple can easily fix before the launch.

The other thing that's weird is that the five typefaces you can choose among include Times and Palatino (I love Hermann Zapf, but, honestly), but also Baskerville, Cochin, and Verdana (I also love Matthew Carter, but still).

]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2837 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:13:28 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2837 On balance, I tend to think that for now the suggestion in the article--that there be some kind of canonical pagination--is a good one. Ultimately, there are all kinds of alternatives one can envision, and I'd like to think that all e-publications could embed metadata such as section numbers, paragraph numbers, and even word numbers for precise reference.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2829 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:54:14 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2829 I'm still really down about the no flash aspect. Learning html5 now but in the mean time selling these Blue Lego Block of Ambiguity t-shirts and mugs here...

http://www.365tshirtdesigns.com/]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2827 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:05:04 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2827
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It's possible the USB adapter will support any kind of thing that appears to have images on it, just like Image Capture and iPhoto can do now on the Mac. At least I hope so.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2822 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:36:27 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2822 http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2821 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:29:12 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2821 Can a USB card reader be used for CF cards?]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2812 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:30:10 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2812 http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2813 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:29:57 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2813 http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2820 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:26:57 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2820 http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2816 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:53:21 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2816 -Jon]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2809 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:39:47 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2809
Assuming you have wifi connectivity, that is.
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What does "crash" mean in this instance? Did the iPad freeze (i.e. become unresponsive, put up a bomb dialog, or did the Settings app merely crash?]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2804 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:18:21 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2804 http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2801 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 06:46:07 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2801 http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2800 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:20:57 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2800
Generally, I'd say it's very subway friendly. Easy to produce from a bag or briefcase, not awkward like pulling out a laptop.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2799 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 23:59:44 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2799 http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2795 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:22:58 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2795 http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2794 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:08:04 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2794
The existing methods of citing online sources (or eBooks: http://www.lambuth.edu/academics/library/citingebooks.html) can be adapted. As the device, and ebooks in general, become widely used it will be up to "academia", not Apple, to decide the best way to do this. Given the lack of a physical copy, and the fact that the "reader" may use an alternative e-source, the page number is probably no longer relevant. This is particularly true when the source is easily searched. Author, title and year(or revision) should be sufficient--perhaps with the addition of a chapter or section if appropriate.



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Word processors illustrates the issue. The developer of Scrivener has already pointed out that he can't create an iPad version without the built-into-the-os text handling tools he uses in the Mac version. Apple had to create that sort of code to port iWork to the iPad. But will they allow other developers access to their work. If not, most developers won't have the resources to invent it for themselves.

And without that assistance from Apple, the iPad likely to remain an outsized iPod touch.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2791 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:04:14 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2791 http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2790 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:03:45 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2790
I'm still on the fence about the iPhone UI being ported wholesale to this format. There are gestures that makes sense in a few inches, but are far trickier over a huge area.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2788 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:56:15 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2788
One thing that keeps getting overlooked about the iPad, is that it firmly establishes gestures as a serious computer user interface. Prototyped on the iPhone, it's the first replacement for the keyboard-and-mouse, "point and click" interface that Apple introduced with the Macintosh in 1984. I've been wondering what the next interface would be: this is it.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960?rss#comments_2784 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 06:20:01 PST http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960#comments_2784