Liveblogging The Tablet. Join us! (Update: it's called the iPad!)

Join us on our liveblogging page for up-to-the-second coverage of the Apple Tablet-thingy announcement. Xeni's in the reporter moshpit and will be liveblogging from the event. Raw feed: Xeni's twitter. Update: turned post comments back on, since the Cover it Live chat widget turned into Cover it Died. Update 2: 10 things to know about the iPad. (number one is that it's cheap.) Here's a pic of the iPad:

Footage from outside the event: Another look at the device itself:

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dculberson

The bezel may be for technological reasons, but it’s also a lot more comfortable to hold a device like this if it has a sizable bezel. Imagine if the screen was edge to edge; where would your thumbs go when holding it? The same complaint has been made about the Kindle, but it’s really a phenomenally comfortable device to hold compared to something more bezel-less. This isn’t something that’s going to be on a stand on your desk, it’s going to be held. So look at it very differently than you would, say, a monitor or iMac type computer.
- tenacious d
  
  totally agree. i was just suckered by all the speculative renderings. a big thumb,palm input at the edge of the screen could have caused havoc with the multitouch..
OneAmp

Any chance that the $30 / month I pay for my unlimited iPhone data plan would apply to the iPad as well?
gilowyn

Definitely liked the price – my Kindle was already $350 to getit to Germany. Though the question remains if $500 will turn into 500 Euros over here.

Wondering if those $1000 rumours were spread on purpose to have everyone relieved when it was half the dreaded price?
arikol

Yeah, the bezel is probably for ergonomics as well, they could probably have the device a little thicker and do away with the bezel, which would make the device worse to hold, as pointed out above.

But.. iPad?
Ok, Pad (notepad etc..), but the 64GB version can ONLY be called the MaxiPad.. I’m sorry, I can fanboi with the best of them but this just begs for some cheap shots.

OTOH, this device seems like it could do almost everything I need to do while I’m out and about. The keyboard dock would need to be foldable (the dock to fold flat with the keyboard) and this would do everything I need in school, play and work (at the moment). I currently use a laptop, but it’s really overkill for everything except graphics editing and music productions/mixing, which I really only do at home anyway.
iWork is really what makes this a viable all rounder for me.
Lookforthewoman

iPad?
iPad?
Seriously?
The iPad?
Does it have wings?
Does it come with an extra absorpancy lining?
When can we expect the iPlug?

Seriously – I think Steve needs to hire some women!
El Stinko

What’s this? Apple has a new “tablet” peripheral? What a surprise! I am *so* surprised! Why have I not hear about this thing before?
Day Vexx

It died pretty quickly, didn’t it. Can’t say I’m too enthused about this tablet, actually. Looks like consumer-level computing, with professional-level pricing to me!
- Powerphail
  
  What? You’ve barely seen it and already you’re dissing it… Jeez, give it a chance.
  - Day Vexx
    
    Gimmie a break– Apple stuff is always pretty expensive. I don’t think I’m assuming too much here.
Rob Beschizza

Died the instant the event began. I’m sure they’re having a lovely day at the cover it live office!
Gainclone

Professional-level pricing? Do we even know what it costs yet?
Rob Beschizza

But it was lovely chatting with you all and approving the approvable comments.
bjacques

What bold new DRM features wiil it have?
Maggie Koerth-Baker

A lot of my friends who have an “in the office” desktop and want something to consume media on comfortably at home are really excited about this.

Those of us who both live and work off the same laptop are just sort of like, “meh”.

At least you can confidently wear it with white (or aluminum!) pants.
ikegently

seems like a big iphone? if I have an iphone and a macbook, what does this get me?
http://www.amal.net Amal Graafstra

I’ve never seen a more urgent need for a decent tongue model in my life.
Nash Rambler

Since I’ve never owned an iPod, Mac, iPhone, or really touched any of Apple’s merch since the IIe, I think I’ll avoid the iPad as well. Yeah yeah, my life is an empty shell.
Anonymous

no thanks. terrible name, horribly bulky. pricing? this has mac mini or apple tv written all over it.
Cherubini

Overall, the iPad (what a terrible name) is not particularly mindblowing, although possibly the hype worked against Apple this time. Interesting that the Apple splash pages in the US and the UK are advertising the new iMac.
Daemon

You’re still going to have to pay the iTax, and apple’s really only going to be lending it to you with their horribly abusive iPhone style control fetish.

Apple: making fascism cool again.
- scifijazznik
  
  Oh, shut up.
- Caroline
  
  Horribly abusive? Fascism? Really? I think we’re getting a tiny bit overwrought here.
  
  I see this is the thread where everyone falls all over themselves to prove they’re too cool to be impressed.
  
  To talk about something with some actual substance, I am very happy that they’ve chosen to use the free and open ePub format. Here’s hoping they don’t slap a bunch of annoying DRM on it, and that you can load ebooks that you buy or download elsewhere.
  
  I do snicker at the iPad name. Many women have associations with the word “pad” that aren’t about writing or sketchingâ€¦it’s going to be hard not to internally giggle when someone refers to their iPad. I wish they’d just called it the Apple Tablet.
  
  Overall, it looks like a better netbook, in tablet format. It’s not for me — if I need to do more than I can do on my iPhone, then I need more than the iPad (snicker) does. But for people in the netbook market, it looks nice.
  
  However, I want some of this 10-hour battery life for my next iPhone. And I do like the ability to pay for 3G data without signing a contract — if you mostly don’t need 3G data, but are taking a business trip where you will need it, you can buy it just for that month.
matt blank

Reading over at engadget the conference wifi died, so that’s probably why it’s stopped here.
And, iPad? Seriously? If you get the high powered one will they call it the Max iPad?
Pretty sure all the rumormills pushed this one along. It will die a quiet death next to the Apple TV.
Anonymous

WORST NAME EVER! FAIL … I’m buying a Kindle
fraz123

They should have named it the iSn’tanygood.
JordanF83

The name isn’t that bad, and everyone will be fine with it. Just like Nintendo naming it the Wii, and everyone said it would kill all sales with such a silly name. And I love how everyone who comments on here is a gosh darn prophet. For real people, get over yourselves.
- Agies
  
  It has been pointed out elsewhere that in many languages there is little phonetic difference between iPod and iPad. That alone makes it a dumb name.
Trent Hawkins

The I-pad has one interesting feature: total media saturation.
El Stinko

No doubt this will be making the rounds again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1BUH9eXy18
limepies

“The name isn’t that bad, and everyone will be fine with it. Just like Nintendo naming it the Wii, and everyone said it would kill all sales with such a silly name. And I love how everyone who comments on here is a gosh darn prophet. For real people, get over yourselves.”

yes. it is terrible. because there are MANY consumer products that ‘pad’ is already associated with. they shot themselves in the foot, seemingly only for a ‘companion’ name. ipod, ipad, iphone, etc.

i’m of the same mindset. this is more iphone than ‘a more mobile laptop’, and i’m kind of, eh. i’ll stick to my laptop if it’s just going to be annoying like the iphone seems to be.
neolithic

Great – because apps will eventually largely replace websites for business use and delivering content.
gilowyn

Funny enough, I won a bet on the naming… I knew it wasn’t gonna be iSlate. So what if iPad is already registered? Those laws are for pussies, right?

Too bad I had to switch to Engadget for the “show”… will remember that Cover it Live sucks, I guess?

As for the tablet. I work from home. I can live without internet for the small amounts of time I am away from my computer. I really only carry my mobile, iPod and Kindle when on the road… and don’t mind that many machines in my handbag. iPad looks too large to be useful when on the road and too small to actually work on.
dunnka

The data plan is with AT&T?! ARRGGHH!
Anonymous

What a pointless creation. It’s apple so you know its going to cost you well over $600 so for that price I could have a laptop which:

1. You don’t have to hold in your hands to watch a movie or TV show while on the train.

2. I can burn dvd’s of whatever I want.

3. I can play a lot more than mobile games that have been super sized because seriously how big does solitaire need to be. ( hey don’t be greasing up that iPad screen playing that 1 person shooter ).

4. I don’t get back ache from being hunched over typing on my screen with 2 hands while actually be able to see what i type.

But I you could use an iPad for :

1. An expensive photo frame.

2. Attaching to my fridge so i can add a new item to my peapod shopping cart right there and then when I run out of something !

3. Mounting in the bathroom because hey VOD on the crapper beats reading the mrs’ People magazine. ( you see a laptop just gets in the way when… well you know )

4. Looking cool to all the other people that have also just bought an idea from 2002 which has been brought up to date and made trendy by having an apple logo slapped on it and an interface that’s been seen in 2 other much smaller and probably much less expensive product lines.
PlushieSchwartz

I searched for iPad on Apple.com

http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/business/ipad.html

(it’s a paper notepad in the shape of a classic ipod)
1000 words in your pocket.
SomeDude

Loved this online exchange:

Person1: What an unfortunate name.
Person2: Just wait until Apple partners with Sprint next year and releases the WiMax iPad.
gbmbg

So, basically, and I’m pretty sure about this from what we’ve seen so far, it’s just a very big/expensive iPod Touch.
Cherubini

@JordanF83. We all have an opinion and our voices tend to be louder on the ‘net.

As for the Wii, most people laughed at the name but it conjured up images of childhood and fun. The name iPad, apart from sounding a little too close to iPod, unfortunately conjures up a much less savoury association.

I am in London, so will be curious to know when it launches here, and with which service provider.
sapere_aude

I’m not sure why people hate the name so much. Given the similarity to the PADD from Star Trek ( http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/PADD ), it would have been a crime not to pay proper homage by giving it a similar name.
Forteto

The iPad could have been a apple style netbook. Thats what I was hoping for. What it is however, is a giant iPhone. It claims the best browsing experience and it doesn’t have flash. Geuss whos buying a dell netbook now. Thanks apple. You broke my heart. I can’t afford a $500 iPod. But I can afford a net book and a graphics tablet. So long apple.
lorq

Looks like a lot of fun and the price is certainly right.

I want one.
fergus1948

Surely the point is that Apple developed it mainly to tap into the eBook market.
I remember when the iPod came out, I was seriously unimpressed and yet Jobs was saying it was a major new product. Well, guess who was right. That changed how music was ‘consumed.’ The geeks are sneering because it lacks a lot of stuff associated with computers but it’s not a computer – it’s a device for reading books and periodicals which also allows for video, gaming and the internet. It’s competition for the Kindle and Sony eReader but can do loads of stuff that they can’t (albeit that their grey and white e-ink screens make reading a much gentler experience for the eyes.)

If it’s successful it will have as big an effect on publishing as iTunes did on music but… it could just as easily go the other way. Who knows? Only time will tell.
HeatherB

I like the tongue
tenacious d

they should have called it the iBezel.
martinhekker

some reality testing here. . .

netbooks that run tacky o.s.’s that take a few minutes to start up are totally useless. so using the iphone software makes this very different from tablets and netbooks. this is a big deal.

a small screen in your lap, without the distance required by a keyboard and mouse, occupies a very different kind of manmachine interface space than an lcd screen. tablets should have emphasized this kind of interaction, but lacked the appropriate operating system and had very slow start up time.

did i mention slow start up time on windows tablets?

although there is a trend for some media to become a replacement for the movie theater (big tv, big speakers, hefty price tag) most media consumers treat their media with contempt. this describes myself. media are a burden to store, to own. i therefore like to “handle” my media, and don’t like my media to handle me. therefore having it smaller and closer to my body is ideal. these days i consume media rapidly. i don’t finish the movies i start watching, because so many of them totally suck. so i’ll switch from movie watching to comic book reading to email writing etc.
Rob Beschizza

Suprisingly cheap at $500, and with $30 unlimited 3G on the $630 model.

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/01/27/the-netbook-is-dead.html
Anonymous

So, the mid-range $625 model has has a 16GB hard drive? Does that strike anyone else as odd in an age where 1TB drives sell for $100, and you can get a 16GB flash drive for 10 bucks?
Anonymous

I don’t care what all y’all say! WANT