posts on CNET - Page 322

How I almost bought an iPad

Recently, I was in an Apple store in New York looking for the new, updated MacBook Pro units and toying with the idea of buying an iPad, when I was approached by one of Apple's friendly and knowledgeable sales people. She asked me whether I needed any help finding what I was looking for.

I really didn't--or at least I didn't think I did--but we started chatting anyway. I told her I'd heard the iPad could overheat in the sun and shut down. To my surprise, she responded that yes, it could, especially if you had it lying flat on your lap. But, she explained, it wasn't that big a deal, because it would just take a few minutes to cool down and then start up again.

The way she said it made it seem like it was an integrated feature to protect the device--not a downside. She talked about how the iPad didn't have a fan inside to cool it down like a laptop, which was why it shut down if it got too hot.

"Where'd you hear about it?" she asked.

"I read this article on the Internet," I said, then quickly changed the subject, afraid she might have actually read the article and somehow associated it with me. "Has anybody returned an iPad because it was overheating?"

"No, I haven't had to process a return for that."

"What about a cracked screen?"

Nope. No one she'd seen had come in yet with a cracked screen. She thought that was because people were treating them like laptops, rather than phones. They were more careful with them.

"So, why do people return them?" I asked. "You have 15 days to return it, right?"

"Well, people really only seem to be returning them because they decide they want the 3G version, which comes out at the end of this month. We get some of those." … Read more

Windows 95 on iPad: Sure, but why?

For some, watching the above video is a nostalgic walk down memory lane. For others, memories of BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) and other Windows 95 bugs come screaming back like a nightmare. Running a BOCHS emulator--which produces a virtual x86 environment for Windows, Mac, and Linux--the developer managed to fit the 15-year-old operating system on Apple's latest baby.

While the BOCHS platform is compatible with Vista, we doubt we'll see it or Windows 7 on an iPad due to the hardware limitations. What we really want is a Windows XP/Adobe Flash combo on the iPad. … Read more

Digital City 77: Google and Dell tablets; real-life gaming; and we read some hate mail

This week, we check out some iPad competitors coming from Google and Dell (among others), and take the room's collective temperature on the upcoming iPhone 4 OS.

Secondly, if you're looking to bring those video game skills into "real life," there's an upcoming round of Street Wars coming to NYC. London, SF, and other cities are also on the list, and the game itself is a grownup version of the college dorm classic "Assassination."

Finally, we look at a couple of recent CNET articles that have readers all riled up, and willing to … Read more

CNET TV Apple Byte: iPhone OS 4

Brian Tong takes a look at the latest news regarding everyone's favorite Cupertino computer manufacturer. This week, Brian covers the announcement of iPhone OS 4. Learn about Multitasking, Folders, Game Center, and iAds for mobile advertising.

Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums. Do you have questions, issues, or stories you would like to see on MacFixIt? Email Us.

Pro, con iPad opinions run the gamut

Defining the iPad is a work in progress. Toward that end, readers made strong arguments for and against the iPad in response to a post one day after sales of the device began.

In that earlier blog, I listed some of the reasons buyers gave for lining up to purchase the iPad on April 3, the first day of sales. The reasons and reader responses to those reasons are worth a second look since the iPad, like the iPhone, is one of those products that could alter the computing landscape permanently.

How exactly this will play out is of course … Read more

What we Craved this week: iPads, iPhone OS 4

Sure, the big dog of the week was the preview we got of what iPhone OS 4 will (and won't) do for our lovely iPhones, but let's not forget the smaller dogs.

We also have the first impressions of the lovely iPad and, for the most part, we like it. And the apps. And the accessories. It's a win.

But it's not all Apple news. Research In Motion finally released an official Twitter client for BlackBerrys. It's an open beta test, and it seems pretty solid so far, though it could use a few more … Read more

After a week, where does iPad gaming leave us?

It's been nearly a whole week since I bought an iPad, and I had been expecting gaming on the large-screened tablet to be one of the primary uses I'd engage in. In fact, I'd say it ranks a distant fourth behind e-reading, video viewing, and Web browsing.

Why is this, exactly? It's not like I dislike gaming. In fact, several developers have sent me games to look at, and so far, few have stuck. I attribute the relatively game-free life I've lived with the iPad to two factors: it's not a great handheld system for gaming, and developers are still treating it like a giant iPhone.

To address the first: to me, games on the iPad work best when the device sits in your lap, allowing you to freely touch the screen anywhere. Board games, strategy games, and a few arcade-style titles fit the mold. There are iPad games I'd been hoping to see, and some of those have already come to pass. I'm still waiting on others. The iPad can be held in your hands, but the weight of it makes it hard to hold upright for periods of time. When I say the iPad isn't a great handheld for gaming, this is what I mean. My iPhone can be used for one-handed subway gaming (Drop7, Bejeweled Blitz) or for PSP-style action games via its virtual control pad.

The virtual control pad scheme on the iPad is a harder sell. Gameloft's NOVA, while an impressive FPS, takes some awkward controls in its larger size, and required me to be sitting with the iPad in my lap to really be used the best. Real Soccer controls as easily as its iPhone sibling, but doesn't seem to offer any gameplay or graphic advantages despite its larger size. Meanwhile, a game like Mirror's Edge works better because its swipe-to-run controls can be used in a more casual way when lap-gaming, and in fact won't work great when "hand-held." Of course, Scrabble is fun, but EA's version of the board game doesn't use the iPad real estate in any new or surprising way.

When I'm commuting, I'm not likely to find the physical space or the proper position (i.e., I'm standing) to game on the iPad. At home I might play games, but then again, I also have my consoles.

Labyrinth 2 works great, using the iPad's surface like a giant tilting table. Plants vs Zombies is also perfect, although it doesn't really need the extra real estate on the iPad to play. Despite the big push for iPad driving/flying games, we found Top Gun HD hard to control via a larger device. On the iPhone, it was a much easier fit.

The small-scale strategy game Strategery a tap-to-play casual board game, seems to suit the iPad better with its larger maps and its table-top feel.… Read more

Speed test: Netbook versus Apple iPad

Apple's new iPad has legions of eager fans who attribute chameleonlike qualities to it, promoting the tablet as an ideal media player, e-book reader, gaming console, and even a Netbook replacement for basic computing chores.

Most often cited is the iPad's speed, and it indeed feels very quick and responsive, and generally comes off as a powerful tool compared with a standard Netbook, which can feel sluggish even when performing the most basic tasks.

Yet under the hood, it's obvious that a typical $299 Netbook has much more powerful hardware. It's Atom N450 CPU runs at … Read more

iPad accessories: Everything under the sun

To all you iPad owners out there (or potential owners), I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the iPad is a fun, elegant, do-everything gadget that's easy to love. The bad news: you're going to baby this thing like nothing before.

Whether its a protective case, a Bluetooth keyboard, or an in-car charger for that summer road trip, there are dozens of accessories for the iPad that warrant consideration. Fortunately, we've thought of everything, and created a handy slideshow that runs through every conceivable iPad accessory on the market--from the … Read more

The iPad's screen: To protect it or not?

Before the launch of the iPad, Apple removed all the plastic and film screen protectors from its online and brick and mortar stores, even though they are among the most popular accessories for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Apple didn't seem to give any particular reason for this move, but as iLounge noted in an article, "One vendor speculated that the ban is an Apple marketing attempt to suggest screen durability, despite scratches that have damaged both plastic and glass displays of its products for years." Others have mentioned that because it's hard to adhere the … Read more