Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Doug Lerner on May 3, 2010 at 7:12pm

I absolutely do not need one. Yet, I'll probably get one simply for the fact that I make iPhone apps and will want to test iPad versions on an actual device. I don't make much money off of my apps, but it's enough to cover my iPhone and an iPad at least. I'll probably get the 3G one.

I wonder what the packet rates will be here. And if DoCoMo will really compete and offer their own micro-SIM card.

doug

Permalink Reply by Paul Papadimitriou on May 3, 2010 at 7:54pm

Doug, get me back on the iPad when you touch one. I actually changed my mind a bit when I started using one (don't own one yet, was holding off for the 3G).

As for DoCoMo, it's hard to know what their offer will be, maybe are they waiting for SoftBank to release its own before talking numbers?

In any case, DoCoMo is right to try this route. The device is unlocked and since it doesn't carry the quite successful iPad, the microSIM release allows it to bring value to customers who were not willing to switch to SoftBank just for the Apple phone.

Time will tell how all this pans out.

Permalink Reply by Doug Lerner on May 3, 2010 at 7:58pm

Of course you can also get a pocket wi-fi. But then you need an extra device and a relatively expensive two year commitment. Plus I heard the battery life of those things is less than the iPad!

doug

Permalink Reply by Paul Papadimitriou on May 3, 2010 at 7:59pm

Steve is using emobile. He says it's working great.

He's also one to carry a lot of gear around everywhere he goes ;-)

Permalink Reply by joseph tame on May 3, 2010 at 9:09pm

The battery life of the Emobile / Softbank D25HW is less than the iPad at about 4-5 hours, but wouldn't be without it. Use it almost every day with my laptop. Love it!

I'm going to hold off buying the iPad yet - if I didn't always carry my macbook pro with me I'd get one (can't be without the MBP for work). Also, seeing the vast improvements we saw in the iPhone after its first year persuades me that it might be a good idea to hold off for now.

Having said that, everytime I see Steve I want one a little bit more...!

Planning on winning one instead :-)

Permalink Reply by Paul Papadimitriou on May 3, 2010 at 9:29pm

emobile Wifi is going through Bluetooth? Isn't that draining the iPad battery as well?

Permalink Reply by Steve Nagata on May 3, 2010 at 11:42pm

Yeah, it's a bit tricky for wireless.

I use my Pocket Wifi for lots of things since it gives me flexibility to connect up to five devices at the same time, so I'd probably keep it, even if I had a 3G iPad. Also the 3G limitations for iPhone and iPad (low res streaming, no Voip and download caps) are kind of annoying and a portable router bypasses that.

That said, I had to pick up a spare battery for my pocket wifi so I don't run out of juice and I have to remember to charge it and throw it in my bag or I'm cut off. Well at least my iPhone (or should I say my iPad nano) has 3g as a backup.

Permalink Reply by Jerry Suppan on May 8, 2010 at 8:29pm

@Paul and @Doug.....
Frankly speaking I have two points regard the iPad:
1. I never (well... usually) buy 1st generation products. For one, they (= Apple) did not incorporate a MicroSD slot, nor a miniUSB in the iPad. These are both technically feasible and could easily have been done (even the one-fingered Japanese keitai can do it). It market strategy-motivated. They have to give consumers, the buying public, an excuse to cough up more money on the, well.... 2nd and 3rd generation products. If you really must have one right now for the novelty, well, end of story. There will be a parade of alternatives appearing this year from Archos, Dell, HP, Google, HTC, just to name a few. My position on the matter... sideline it. Wait! Unless you are in an urgent rush to have one.

2. To 3G or not to. There is an alternative on the market if you really think about it. The short answer, in a word: "Wimax". If you sign up for UQ-Wimax service, ( www.uqwimax.jp ) you have your gateway to the internet. No need for a 3G model of the iPad. No worriers about whether to go with Softbank, or Docomo. No need to concern whether to commit for another two years or not. Ugh!! ( I wish life were so long to throw two years here and two years there.) So, back to the main point. The Wifi model of the Wimax will suffice quite well. My reasons for this are several:

The bennies:
- You don't need a two year contract.
- Battery life, in spite of ten hours, will be shortened if you do 3G. You can forego that concern.
- UQ-Wimax can be your gateway to the internet. Throw your Wimax wireless access point in your backpack, shoulder bag or whatever, turn on your ipad (or iphone, or computer, or whatever) and you are home free.
- Not only do you have 3G, you future-proof yourself because the Wimax wireless access point in your bag is... ahem... 4G.
- Wimaxx wireless access point can support up to 10 connections. I know. It was just demonstrated by Mike Tokue of the Tokyo PC Club who recently did a presentation on UQ-Wimax at the club. At the Shakeys Pizza nijikai gathering afterwards, about 7-8 of us were connecting through his wireless access point while enjoying pizza and beer at Shakeys.

I currently use Emobile for my mobile wireless access when on the road. I am cancelling in spite of an incomplete one year contract. Even if I have to pay ¥1,000 per month penalty for the outstanding time on the contract (Feb. 2011) It's worth it. ¥5980 / month for Emobile versus ¥4,480/month? I am already ¥500 /month in spite of the penalty.

NO 2-year contract!! Period. You pay month by month, connect all you want.

The connectivity is not 7.2Mbps, but 40Mbps. Not shabby.

Wimax is a global standard. Emobile? What's that? Only in Japan (for the most part) do they understand what it is. Wimax will proliferate throughout the world. Want to use it back in the U.S.? Some other country? Bring your Wimax box with you.

Wimax will have about 70% of the Japanese coverted by the end of this year I heard. By 2012 they will cover 95% of the Japanese population.

Still need Softbank's 3G built into the iPad? Or Docomo's 3G? Be my guest! :-)

Your ipad, iphone, computer, whatever, can all communicate through the wireless Wimax access point in your bag. Rethink 3G in the iPad, and 3G contracts. Wifi model will save you money, battery life, trials and tribulations of signing up for SB or Docomo contracts, will future proof you with 4G, and can be used with multiple devices.

Having said all the above, I am still sidelining it for awhile until: (1) I see the alternatives start to release this year, and/or Apple releases 2nd Gen. iPad.

Enjoy the experience! :-))

Permalink Reply by ketahi on May 8, 2010 at 9:29pm

Jerry- Good valid points, but a few counterpoints for fun and giggles...

1. There will never be a MicroSD or miniUSB port on the iPad. Not next year or any time in the future. By that logic, iPods, which are what- 8 years old now- would have gone that route years ago. Apple realizes that by limiting the storage capability, it forces you to regularly upgrade. If you are holding out for a front facing camera though, you will probably see that in iPads next year. THAT might be worth waiting for.

2. Not sure about a 'parade of alternatives' coming out soon. If they run Windows 7 or some other sort of proprietary OS, they will simply not compete with iPad. The biggest contender will be an HP tablet running Palm WebOS, or a tablet running a form of Android. We may start seeing those in 10 months or so.

3. UQ-Wimax is great. Wimax is great. One problem. The Wifi iPads do not have GPS, but the 3G iPads do. This is the dealbreaker for me. I plan on bringing the iPad out on business trips and family vacations, and if I want to use navi apps and get full functionality out of the Maps app. I will need a 3G iPad to do that.

Permalink Reply by Steve Nagata on May 9, 2010 at 2:30am

Odd thing about the GPS. I've hear the same thing, however I have used Google maps on my wi-fi only version and found it to be about as accurate as my iPhone 3GS.
This includes times when the only wifi network in range was my pocket wifi and when I was in a car driving through Tokyo.
So not sure how much better the 3G version will be.

Permalink Reply by Jerry Suppan on May 9, 2010 at 9:43am

Thanks Steve. That further substantiates my point. See my further comments about this subsequent to yours. In addition to being able to do GPS via my iPhone, and as you point out via WiFi as well, my compact Panasonic Lumix camera even has GPS built-in for that matter! If iPad was my only device, we might be talking about a valid issue. But, if I were to buy the ipad now, it will be only the WiFi version, and of course, obviously 64GB.

Permalink Reply by Jerry Suppan on May 9, 2010 at 9:36am

Thanks for the feedback. We usually learn from each other via real world experiences and end user comments, rather then vendors' hype. Here are my counter-comments to your 3 items:

1. OK, true enough. Agreed. It is why I will not give up my Macbook Pro as the roadrunner as it is a full-fledged computer. It provides the external expandability, video edits and conversions, etc., or whatever, which obviously the iPad is not set out to (allow you to) do. And, as you pointed out, yeah, one is yet to see any option for external storage access for ipod, iphone, and now ipad products. Good marketing ploy. Force one to upgrade based on capacity.

2. The 'parade of alternatives' surely will NOT be limited to just Win7-based ipad, tablet, slate, equivalents. In fact, I specifically had an Android-based system more in mind rather then Windows 7-based tablets or iPad. Given the up and coming popularity of the Android in smart phones and as an alternative OS, it would nice to see what options ensue. In particular, people are speculating and increasingly having expectations on a Google Android. Already a 7-inch version coming from Archos. In spite of all this, Apple has the contracts with WSJ, NY Times, etc., etc. But will that matter in the end? And, how will Android Tablets fair in competition? We'll eventually see how it all comes out in the wash. HP will release also as you point out. So will Samsung, HTC, Dell, and Microsoft, and Acer EEE version to the extent I've read thus far. So, will it be an alternative competitor, with MicroSD and / or mini-USB at a very attractive price (read $199 for some) or will it be iPad? (@J@) At any rate, I sit on the fence for at least this year and watch what happens. Nonetheless, 2010 will be the big year for pads, tablets, slates, or whatever you may want to call it. Of course, instigated by Steve Jobs himself.

3. Good point on the GPS issue and the iPads not having it. BUT.... my iphone DOES. So, is this really an issue? I guess it boils down to the individual and how much they might want to have GPS on both an iphone and ipad. As often as I use it, I find the iphone works just fine. Besides, I'd be willing to bet that 3rd party solutions for GPS on the ipad will be forthcoming. And, the 4G-equipped Wimax in my backpack will still be my gateway to the internet. At this point in time, I am not personally sold on needing the added expense, increased battery drain, and 2-year contracts just to have 3G in an ipad and / or to have GPS on the iPad.

Again, all the above issues are good reasons, for me at least, to sideline it for awhile and...well... watch the parade, for, it IS coming. :-)) (or maybe, wait for 2nd gen iPad in 2011)

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