Category: accessible Devices
My thoughts on the iPad:
I visited my local Apple store today.
I found out the iPad is much bigger than i imagined (about 12 by 9 inches), and the voice ovre capabilities are improved considerably compared to the iPod touch or iPhone.
The device supports Wireless, 3G, and Blue-tooth, which makes it quite versitile.
iPad I would say is about 0.5 LBS, and runs on a gig of ram, according to:
http://apple.com/ipad/
New apps include (but are not limited too): iBooks, a book reader (that is compadible with Voice Over, etc.
For more info see the URl I listed above.
This device is definitely almost equivalent to a netbook/laptop besides the touchscreen factor.
b
Does it have the Alex voice that was implemented on the Mac?
I want to get an iPad eventually, and I eagerly await iPhone OS 4. The PAC Mate Omni is about to be relegated almost exclusively to the dust bin.
I recently set up a deaf/ low vision client with an iPad as a communication device. I'll admit that initially I think I did this more to see how cool the iPad was, but once we got the device in place, this client has used it at job interviews, as a communication device and was able to successful land a job. NOw, while I don't think the iPad necessarally got him the job, the quickness with which he was able to communicate on the fly sure helped. If I didn't own a netbook, I likely would have purchased one, but because my NB is already in place the iPad to me would be redundent.
If you use windows, it will use the Samantha voice for United States users, and Caron for Australia.
I believe if you use a Mac to sync the device for primary usage however, it will use Alex as its primary voice.
As far as I could tell after setting up one a few weeks back, the iPad still contains the lower quality voice found in the iPhone and Touch devices and not the alex voice found in voiceover.
I don't see the point of an ipad as a totally blind user. I'd much rather upgrade my touch to os 4 when it comes out and get a portable bluetooth keyboard. Screen size isn't an issue for me and the ipad is way to expensive for me to justify buying when the touch will do everything but multi task.
Well, Freedom Scientific will be drowning very soon here. The Pac Mate will be trash, Jaws will no longer exist, and the iPhone and iPad will take over the blind community. In the future, the iPhone will probably be good enough for us blindies to be able to drive our cars, since it already has a camera, and that camera will be improved as the next generations of the iPhone are introduced. Ability to recognize faces is another big step for the iPhone and perhaps the iPad.
I too, plaed with an iPad in the mac store the other day. I must admit, I felt a bit overwelmed. It was way larger than I thought.
Lol, I'd do a whole lot better trying one out in a more private setting. Everyone was standing around me.
I am highly tempted though! What a perfect blend between a netbook, notetaker, and touch laptop. I love how you could cary the iPad with you, then when you get home or to the office, or whatever, connect and external keyboard. Either standard qwerty or braille display.
I love how you can turn the tye white on black, however I was a bit disappointed to find out you can't have both voice over and zoom on. Aw'well, we can't have it all! *smile*
Hey, here are a couple questions for you super techies out there.
Why do you think apple didn't include a webcam for video chat?
For the people that know how, would it even be possible to create aps for say:
daisy player?
onscreen braille input? I mean, instead of the standard keyboard popping up, a perkin's style keyboard pops up. How cool would that be?
Lastly, one thing the iTouch has over the iPad is voice control. *smile*
Polka Dot Pad!
Definitely possible.
As there already is an onscreen keyboard, definitely possible for braille input.
It would be interesting though.
I also like the idea of carrying an iPad in a case to work/school and just putting it on the desc and not having to use a keyboard, or carrying a mini bluetooth keyboard and connecting to the iPad with that. It also supports bluetooth braille displays, so its really nice in that aspect.
The I pad sounds awesome!! How much does it cost?
485 dollars. I think I'll get an Ipod touch I think because they've been out longer. I usually don't buy products that have just been released in case of bugs and what not.
OK, I got the price wrong. For the 16 GB it's 499 dollars. For the 32 GB, it's 599 dollars. Finally, for the 64 GB it's 699 dollars. OK, I'm curious. What really is the difference between an Ipod touch and Ipad? I mean, there's no way I'm paying 700 dollars for a 64 GB Ipad, but I might pay 350 for an Ipod touch. Just asking.
Well, the differences between the 64 gb ipod touch/ipad are as follows
Ipad has a larger screen, faster processor, longer battery life according to some users, different gestures and applications/application layouts and functions...
For example, how one might use an ipad ap versus an ipod ap are mainly due to the fact that devs have more screen to work with so they can make a more fully featured user interface with more space for interaction. It looks like you can interact with more types of attachments on the ipad using more applications and such but i'm not totally sure.
If its true that a mac will sync with alex, that would be amazing, mabie the new iphone will do the same thing.
I plan on throwing up my thoughts on the ipad tomorrow from my hour long first look I got a few weeks back.
I still say I'm sticking with the Ipod touch. Well, I haven't bought it yet, but as far as I can tell, The Ipad isn't worth 700 dollars. I'd want the 64 GB one.:)
DJ Tristan, the braille on-screen keyboard would be so cool! Now we just need to find the person to create it. Lol!
Along with a daisy player.
Striker, I look forward to your thoughts.
faithful angel, there is a cool podcast by the tech doctors comparing the iPad and iTouch, spacifically geared twards the blind consumer. I agree, if you are not interested in a larger size, why spend the extra money?
Myself, I'm quite interested! The 32gb model is what I'm leaning twards. Somewhere, right in the middle.
And Apple would have to approve it, which they aren't that good at right now when it comes to alternative keyboard applications. The App Store approval process is whatever they want it to be so there's your limitation.
Oh and no multitasking, so no iWork in one window and Numbers in another, you literally have to shut down an application and re-open a new one. Hence by technology reviewers like CNet it is still classed more a toy than a real enterprise unit with which you may get a lot of work done.
Any upcoming Android tablets will blow the doors off the iPad easily, and if they fix accessibility issues in Android that would mean for the tiny market that is us as well.
You'd probably more easily get someone to write a Droid app for a Braille keyboard, because there's no Mr. Nanny Jobs to approve or more likely deny the application.
I'm not anti Apple per se, but the fanboys are doing what fanboys do best ... overlooking some very obvious constraints.
I know a couple people with the pad, and while they're not blind their use is worth noting: When they want to fool around it's great but for serious work not so good.
Pretty good as a lap pad for kiddies in the car, though.
Well, that's kind of why I'd have a Mac. For me, I'm not looking for another device that does everything. Maybe I'm weird, but I don't like portable devices that do everything. For example, I bought a PDA phone with mobile speak, and I'm telling you now, I don't use 90 percent of the stuff that's on the phone. LOL, maybe it's because I don't know much about mobile speak yet. What I am trying to say, let the email and stuff stay on my computer for me. I just want something where I can get on the web, access twitter, music, and things like pandora.:)
I won't get an iPad. I was never really interested in it anyway. I will, however, make plans to gt an iPhone when the next generation comes out this summer.
Ahhhh, now that is something I might do if it comes to verizon, but that's a big if. I don't know. I'm not that impressed with mobile speak. It's complicated to me, or maybe it's just because I don't know enough about it.
Is it possible to use an i pad as your primary computer. I mean, can you type on it, and take notes on it and stuff??
Most easily you could with a wireless keyboard Apple sells for it. Touch, even multi touch, hasn't entered the productivity stream when it comes to mass typing / note taking / presentations creations and all. But you could definitely use the keyboard to do it.
It is designed to be a mobile device, actually a hybrid between standard mobile and your netbook. Wait til iPad OS is upgraded though, because it will have multitasking - something all the mobile OS's have had for many years.
Ok, I'll do that, thanks!
Kay here goes, while some of you slam jaws! here in the posting, windows to, keep in mind a netbook can multy task itself, while the Ipad can not. I like the Ipad want one but for serious work I would use my netbook or my laptop hands down. The Ipads speaker is okay but my netbook's is louder. My netbook is running windowsxp home and my laptop is running windows64 7. I love windows64 7 cause of its stublity.
No body was slamming jaws I do not think. Of course we know that the Ipod and Ipad can only do one thing at a time. That's why most of us have said it won't replace a computer.
I have an iPad now, and absolutely love it! Apple and voice over rules!
well here is one advantage the iPad has over the iPod .. it can work over 3G or WiFi. Granted the WiFi versiong are cheaper 16GB is $499 32GB is $599 and 64GB is $699 and u add another $130 to those prices for a one that has WiFi and 3G. The iPad will get multi tasking when iOS4 ships for it later this year. if u have and iPod touch now you can get iOS4 for it now which should bring with it multi tasking to the touch .The other advantage is that the iPad can run Pages which is a real word processor as opposed to the various notes apps available for the iPhone/iPod Touch. Yeah it's not as full featured as iWorks on the mac but its more than most of the notes apps can do. There is probably not a camera in there for the same reason there isn't one on the touch .. either they couldn't get the kinks worked out in time, or they want to keep small reason like that to differenciate the phone from the iPad and iPods.
i'd kill for an ipad, but i'm good for now with my iphone or mac laptop because it's easier for me to do serious work.