Apple remote app + iPad = the ultimate remote control ?

hmmm. i can't think anything more un-usefull than a 10" remote control!
the remote app doesn't need 5GHz N wifi as it's not transfer large amounts of data.

i kind of like the idea. the 2.4 GHz band on my sim dual TC get's a lot of interference from my neighbor's b/g networks while my 5 GHz band is free from it.

i for one look forward to having one ...

i can't think anything more un-usefull than a 10" remote control!

If that's all one wanted it to do, yes. But if you like having a system handy for quick web surfing, checking email, etc. and a thin, compact device could do that and control an Apple TV, that might be a different story. That's exactly how my wife has been using her now-defunct iBook, sans Apple TV control of course, so she's very interested in the iPad.

Dave Sawyer wrote:
i can't think anything more un-usefull than a 10" remote control!

If that's all one wanted it to do, yes. But if you like having a system handy for quick web surfing, checking email, etc. and a thin, compact device could do that and control an Apple TV, that might be a different story.

we already have something that does all that... the iphone or the ipod touch.

personally i'm putting the ipad in the "i just don't get it" category. netbooks are a bad idea and the ipad is trying to be better than a bad idea, which means it's a more expensive bad idea.

i couldn't agree more with Dave. Also, a lot of elderly people with bad sight will appreciate the larger screen.

plus, i have big fingers 😉 and i expect the typing experience will be quite different compared to an iPod Touch or iPhone.

ménage-à-trois wrote:
i couldn't agree more with Dave. Also, a lot of elderly people with bad sight will appreciate the larger screen.

oh come on. how many elderly pensioners are going to be buying an iPad!
some things people are forgetting is that this is essentially a big iphone/ipod touch and you will need a pc/mac for some things (itunes sync, photo/video/music backup etc).

this is not the stand alone device that some people think it is.

this is not the stand alone device that some people think it is.

maybe not at this moment. but the possibilities are there.

my 2 cents

Rude_Dog wrote:

this is not the stand alone device that some people think it is.

maybe not at this moment. but the possibilities are there.

the only other solution would be cloud storage (at extra cost of course).
people should not be expecting to store all their photos, music, video, iwork files, books on this device and not have it synced/backed up elsewhere. that is just asking for trouble.

we already have something that does all that... the iphone or the ipod touch.

Web surfing, emailing, etc. on a 3.5" screen are much less usable than doing so on a 10" screen. Your eyes may tolerate a iPhone's screen, but us old geezers have a harder time. The iPad looks like it will do almost everything for my family that our old iBook did, plus more in a much more convenient package.

personally i'm putting the ipad in the "i just don't get it" category.

Guess you won't be buying one, then. Different strokes for different folks.

how many elderly pensioners are going to be buying an iPad!

You don't have to be an "elderly pensioner" to be having your eyesight less than optimal, Chenks.

people should not be expecting to store all their photos, music, video, iwork files, books on this device and not have it synced/backed up elsewhere.

People should not be expecting to store their data on any device and not have it synced/backed up somewhere. That is indeed asking for trouble.

this is not the stand alone device that some people think it is.

and many of us know exactly what the iPad is and find that sufficiently useful to be willing to purchase one. If you feel differently, that's fine. Again, different strokes for different folks.

Dave Sawyer wrote:
we already have something that does all that... the iphone or the ipod touch.

Web surfing, emailing, etc. on a 3.5" screen are much less usable than doing so on a 10" screen. Your eyes may tolerate a iPhone's screen, but us old geezers have a harder time. The iPad looks like it will do almost everything for my family that our old iBook did, plus more in a much more convenient package.

personally i'm putting the ipad in the "i just don't get it" category.

Guess you won't be buying one, then. Different strokes for different folks.

does the ipad suit a multiple user environment though? if it's like the iphone (and we have seen that it is), then how will multiple users handle wanting to access multiple email accounts using the mail app ? or multiple sets of safari bookmarks?

yep it's not for me. i have the iphone for when i'm mobile and a macbook pro for when i'm at home.
i can't see an ipad fitting in for primary home use, and it's too big for mobile use (for me anyway).

but back to the original point of this thread "Apple remote app + iPad = the ultimate remote control ?" - for me, certainly not. it's way too big to be the ultimate remote control.

I'd be happy if the Remote app on my iPod Touch sorted TV episodes how they should be sorted (season/episode) rather than alphabetically.

I am satisfied with my browsing experience on the Touch and would need a pretty compelling reason to use an iPad as a controller for the AppleTV... in fact, the iPad almost replaces some of the AppleTV's functionality (YouTube, podcasts, photos, etc.).

You could almost make the case for one or the other, not both.

I'm sure it would work as a remote very well, but the form factor is too big to be practical - not the kind of thing just to have lying on the sofa when you're relaxing watching a movie. Put it flat on the coffee table and the back'll get scratched in no time.

That said I'm highly likely to buy one, as I can see lots of potential uses for us in the home.

It won't be a fully fledged Mac but it will have enough core functionality for doing certain things that less computer literate people would like to do but don't because they're a bit wary of using computers.

I can easily imagine various educational apps/drawing apps that the kids would love on it - my little ones are useless with mice as yet, but love drawing apps on my iPhone - a bigger form factor would be great. (Yes, pencils/crayons/paints and paper are better real-life experience and cheaper, and we use those all the time, but this will add extra play experience from a device I'll hopefully use for other things myself).

I have hankered after an iPhone like device with a larger display ever since my first iPhone.

AC

This in interesting:

iPad supports 720p at 30fps BUT it can't display 720p itself (1024x768 screen) or output at 720p to a TV/projector, only 4:3 1024x768 or 576p/480p via component. Seems odd.

iPad:

TV and Video

Support for 1024 x 768 with Dock Connector to VGA adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component A/V Cable, 576i and 480i with Apple Composite Cable

H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats

AppleTV:

Video formats supported

* H.264 and protected H.264 (from iTunes Store): Up to 5 Mbps, Progressive Main Profile (CAVLC) with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 1280 by 720 pixels at 24 fps, 960 by 540 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
* iTunes Store purchased video: 320 by 240 pixels, 640 by 480 pixels, 720 by 480 pixels (anamorphic), or high-definition 720p
* MPEG-4: Up to 3 Mbps, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 720 by 432 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

So....what have people really wanted from AppleTV?

720p at 30 fps

(ok many want 1080p, but being crippled to 720p24 is annoying for people who shoot home video and need 30fps 720p to avoid frame rate changes).

.....the A4.....can deliver more than the AppleTv processor....