The Apple Tablet

[pauljholden]

Plug in USB devices
If I can't plug in a USB device of any kind, then I can't attach a keyboard or a mouse, so I can't put the iPad on a dock and write up a document on it or play a really basic game or anything like that?

It has an apple port which IS a usb port (granted it's used for syncing and apple specific peripherals) it also supports blue tooth keyboards.

I also can't plug in my 16GB USB Flash Drive with all my work documents, music and pictures on it? How am I supposed to get stuff to/from the damn thing?

I think Apple are intending to move the bar AWAY from document centric working to app centric working, ie, iWord shows a library of your documents but you have no way whatsoever to know where they're stored - it'll be interesting to see if they can be emailed between people or shared in other ways, though...

Multitasking
Can the iPad only run one app at once? I can't read and listen to music, or have open a text editor and a web browser at the same time? I can't browse the web and listen to music?

It does multitasking, but the only things that can run in the background are apple's on apps - so you can play iTunes music while you browse. As with the iPhone/iPod touch.

I think when the iPod first came out there was the same sense of "But it's so limited compared to these other devices" - and yet, those imposed limits turned out to be strengths, the simple interface was the key to the iPod (and the wheel...) so I don't think this computer will suit everyone, on the other hand, I can see my kids using this as their first school computer really, really well...

-pj

[pauljholden]

It is for you, but it probably won't be for your kids- and that's where the future market is.

But that isn't the discussion we're having here - in my post I agree that the future is digital, but I don't think it will happen, as PJ suggests, 'overnight', and I don't think this particular device will be the one to do it.

Ok, ok, you win it won't happen 'overnight', for a start no-one can buy any of the machines for two months! BUT! that means every digital comic developer has a couple of months to start building and testing content, which means, on launch comixology, iverse and many others will have apps for it - apps which, for many people, will be their first experience of buying comics - and, for many, those that can't get near a comic shop, those that have given up on monthly comics and those that can no longer afford the cost or storage of print, they'll be able to start buying comics again - these are things they can do now on the iPhone, but the iPad gives a great screen size that makes it something you could sit down with and read comics full size (or close). Tell me how that's not revolutionary?

-pj

[JohnMcF]

There's an article at macworld.com about comics on the iPad.

www.macworld.com/article/145982/2010/01/ipad_comics

[pauljholden]

It's the size and portability that stops me using existing digital formats for viewing comics.  I've liked some of what I've seen, but I don't want to read them tied to my computer and the iPhone - as fantastic as it is, has just too small a screen.  The iPad is portable, bigger and could...if the price is right for the media (and it HAS to be cheaper than the printed copy (distribution costs, etc.))...then I'd go for it.  

I have a bunch of comic readers on the iphone (and developed a couple of them) the screen only really works if you draw to fit - everything else is lacking, which is why I've never really committed to moving to all digital. But once I get my hands on an iPad I'll be moving to digital only 2000AD subscription (around £1.99 for the Meg, £1.49 for the comic - both a bit pricey compared to the print comics) and sampling new american material via Comixology (59p for most titles except the Kirkman titles which are around £1.30) and I may even find some comics I have in print already as cbr files.

I'll still be buying graphic novels (well, maybe only nice hardbacks)

I'll miss the experience of reading print, but then, when I flit through a modern comic they're usually chocked with ads every other page - so the reading experience is pretty damn shitty anyways...

(And I'll not miss the need to store them...)

 -pj
ps Also: as an artist, I'll have a vast amount of ref pictures on my drawing desk on an A4 sized object - what's not to love about that?

[WoD]

I remember seeing early stuff of yours PJ at Birmingham a couple of year ago on the iPhone (yours I think) and it looked great - not sure if it was done with the kit in mind, but you had ability to take the finished image back to inks and pencils...that was a nice touch.

[Emperor]

More iPad comics discussion:

www.newsarama.com/comics/comics-industry-reaction-iPad-100127.html

There's an article at macworld.com about comics on the iPad.

www.macworld.com/article/145982/2010/01/ipad_comics

Glad they are against the panning and scanning approach - it was necessary on the iPhone but I think we can cope just fine adjusting the zoom and dragging it around. Hopefully this will all be ironed out once it goes live.

[JohnMcF]

Good article and some interesting comments.

Looks like an exciting time is coming for the comics industry.

[Pete Wells]

On PJ's Facebook he wrote:

Know something? the iPad screen (1024x768) is MORE friendly to 2000AD page size than it is to US page size (closer to 2000AD aspect ratio)

To which PYE-01 wrote:

this has been noted...

Looks like 2000AD may be looking to be on board, whoopee!

[Emperor]

On PJ's Facebook he wrote:

Know something? the iPad screen (1024x768) is MORE friendly to 2000AD page size than it is to US page size (closer to 2000AD aspect ratio)

To which PYE-01 wrote:

this has been noted...

Looks like 2000AD may be looking to be on board, whoopee!

Interesting...

The way 2000AD is set-up at the start of the year they can hit this hard - sorting the distribution problem at a stroke angling for heavy electronic distribution and focus on providing the trades in paper (which they seem to have a lot of control over). They could stand to do OK, pity about the paper traditionalists but people are already abandoning it for electronic because of the shoddy distribution (well Grant is anyway). Both streams seem to have a lot more potential for generating profit too. I wonder if we'll see the 2000AD stories repacked now into their arcs and sold electronically (like the Eagle reprint comic books)?

Don't Clickwheel make 2000AD available on the iPhone? I'd assume this would put them in a good position to move easily into the iPad early on.

[The Cosh]

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/business/shiny-thing-make-it-all-better-201001282420/

[Peter Wolf]

They could stand to do OK, pity about the paper traditionalists but people are already abandoning it for electronic because of the shoddy distribution (well Grant is anyway).

It sounds like Grant is being forced to switch to digital comics rather than simply abandoning the traditional paper format.

Shame that paper comics should become obsolete just because of some stupid and shoddy distribution company that has a complete monopoly on distribution.Sounds like Diamond are slowly killing an industry and depriving the reader of the choice of paper and digital.

If you ask me this is not the way forward so the comic industry should sort out these Diamond Distribution monkeys before its too late.

[Grant Goggans]

It's the best decision I've made in months.

Clint Langley's artwork just explodes off my laptop in a way that it never did on paper (and I say this as a fan of his), I get to read everything a week behind the print subscribers instead of three months later, and I finally got off my keister and made a long overdue budget change to pay for my shiny digital copies, saving me some money and reducing the amount of clutter coming into my house.

As for the iPad, I'm hardly an early adopter myself and won't have one of these for years, but I still think this is very exciting news and would love to see 2000 AD thrive and shine on it from day one.

[LARF]

Click Wheel is shit. It's unresponsive, slowwwwwww, and has little content...

I use Comixology on my iPhone, I've got hundreds of comics, discovered the brilliant Invincible and Astounding Wolfman by Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead), Irideemable by Mark Waid, Impaler and loads of really great Underground stuff you'd find really difficult to get hold of on this side of the pond.

Put that on the iPad and it would be awesome!

[dracula1]

The pen is mighter than the Ipad, .... long live the pen!

[SuperSurfer]

Regarding downloading, if 2000AD back issues are to be made available in the future, it would be nice to see full colour scans of old painted centre spreads. Was a bit disappointed that the opening ABC Warriors and Strontium Dog spreads were black and white scans in Clickwheel's 2000AD Origins 1. Seeing as they are scanned from colour printed pages anyway. But it was free, so bit of a cheek to complain.