Apple iPad - the future of digital comics?

Apple just unveiled the new iPad



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/27/apple-ipad-tablet-release_n_438830.html

Reviews:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/26/apple-tablet-review-its-t_n_437589.html


Thoughts?

I can't see the word iPad and not think of a digital maxi pad.

WANT.

More pics with Mr. Steve Jobs showing off the goods.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/27/ipad-apple-tablet-announc_n_438768.html?slidenumber=NEpDi%2B6W8jg%3D&&&&&&

I want this so badly. Awesome.

WOW. They literally thought of everything. *drools*

So they have iTunes and now they have an iBooks store...is iComics next?

I think this is awesome, I won't buy it yet but it's a GREAT step in the right direction. If we get digital comics every week for a bit cheaper, It'll be pretty damn cool.

this looks amazing

Bigtymin504 wrote:

WOW. They literally thought of everything. *drools*

So they have iTunes and now they have an iBooks store...is iComics next?

Hell Yeah!

Saw this tonight. A girl being interviewed by Hardwick on AotS said what I thought, "It's basically a glorified I-Pod Touch," but with some extra, cool features.

Still, if with this, we are going to make the home computer nigh-obsolete. Computer's on our person seems like it is already there in our phones--I don't know about the rest of the population, but I find it still stupid to have to type on such a small "keyboard" with phones and other tech with internet hookups. This is a comfortable piece of tech that many can use with ease. I'm voting "yes" for wave-of-the-future tech.

What the iPad is missing.

iPad Missing

I read that article from Yahoo and they are dead on with a couple of points and totally dumb with others.

I'll paste it here with my thoughts:

No 3G support for Verizon
One of the earliest rumors about the iPad (which I'd still rather call the iTablet) was that it would come with embedded 3G support in addition to Wi-Fi. Well, the 3G part was true (monthly pre-paid plans will start at $14 for 250MB of data, or $29/month unlimited), but alas, no Verizon; instead, we're stuck with good 'ole AT&T (which is either a good or a bad thing, depending on how you feel about AT&T).

The fact that Apple went with AT&T on this surprised me and I think it sucks. I hate AT&T and their crap service.

No jaw-droppingly new user interface
One of the most amazing things about the original iPhone was its ground-breaking touch interface; just pinch to zoom into a Web page! Tap to turn on the speakerphone! Swipe to flip through your photos! So maybe it was only natural that many of us gadget hounds (myself included) thought that Apple would come up with some new, "Minority Report"-style interface for the iPad ... perhaps some cool haptic feedback for the virtual QWERTY keypad, or maybe (as outlined in some recent patent filings) the ability to sense a finger that's hovering near the screen but not touching it. What we got, instead, was ... pretty much the same touch UI as on the iPhone, except with a lot more room. Not bad, but not all that revolutionary, either.

Stupid point. I mean really? A brand new OS just for this item? That doesn't make any freakin sense at all. The OS it has WORKS GREAT. Why would you change that? Plus who has an OS that can compete with this? NO ONE

No built-in camera
The iPhone has a camera, the MacBook has a camera ... heck, even the new iPod Nano has a camera (well, a video-only camera, anyway). So, what about the iPad? Ahhh ... nope, and that's especially disappointing given the chatter from the Wall Street Journal that Apple has been toying with facial-recognition software that could potentially be used to, say, identify the various members of your family and deliver their own, customized iPad interface.

I was surprised that there was no camera on this this. The ability to skype with this device would be freakin sweet!

No Flash support
When, oh when, Apple, will you let us view Flash videos and Web modules on the mobile version of Safari? Who knows, but it's definitely not starting with the iPad, which is just as bereft of Flash support as the iPhone and iPod Touch are.

This part sucks as well. Such is life when you're dealin with 2 proprietary behemoths. Hopefully this will get resolved soon.

No user-replaceable battery
Steve Jobs claims that the iPad will come with an impressive 10 hours of battery life and a full month of stand-by time. Pretty cool, but as with the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the latest MacBooks, the iPad battery comes sealed in the case, and there's no way to swap in a new one yourself.

Meh... I don't see the big deal with this one either.

No TV subscriptions
One of the more intriguing recent rumors was that Apple was going around to all the TV and cable networks, trying to sell them on the idea of monthly TV subscriptions that viewers would be able to watch on iTunes, the iPhone, Apple TV, or ... the iPad. Word even had it that Disney's Bob Iger was in San Francisco today, all set to announce a new content deal with Apple, but ... nope, didn't happen. (The writing for this non-event was on the wall, thanks to a recent New York Times story that reported that TV execs looked over Apple's subscription proposals and said "thanks, but no thanks.")

I think that if Disney was all set to announce this, it would have happened. I mean, Apple had EA show a surprisingly quick (and disappointing) demo, so why didn't Disney take up a few moments? Oh yeah... cause a stupid rumor and nothing more.

No iPhone software 4.0 announcement
Yet another interesting rumor had it that the reason that there hadn't been a big iPhone software update lately was that the new code was too intertwined with the iPad OS, and therefore we'd get a big announcement today for iPhone software 4.0—complete with full-on app multitasking, UI enhancements, and other goodies. The rumor sure sounded plausible (and hey, the part about the new iPhone software being closely interwoven with the iPad may well be true), but the Apple event came and went Wednesday, with nary a sign of iPhone software 4.0.

This was an iPad event ONLY. Get over it.

Last but not least ... no iPhone for Verizon
Besides the iPad itself, the Apple rumor that seemed to generate the most excitement was the possibility that Steve Jobs would announce the end of Apple's exclusive iPhone deal with AT&T ... and announce an iPhone for Verizon at the same time. After all, most believe that the Apple-AT&T deal is set to expire this summer anyway, so why not get a jump on the news? But as with the talk about the iPad coming with support for Verizon's 3G network ... well, maybe we'll get a Verizon iPhone in June or July, but we didn't see one today.

See above. When the iPhone refresh comes along this summer and if this doesn't happen @ that point, then get upset about it.


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Now I really dig this device. I think the price is great considering everything this device does. I definitely plan on getting one, but it may not be until the product refresh next year.

Comic creators and publishers react:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/comics-industry-reaction-iPad-100127.html

The response seems overwhelmingly positive about the potential for comics to reach a wider audience in a more efficient way. But the main concern most seem to have is the effect it could have on retailers, many think it would significantly decrease sales for printed individual monthly issues. But they also believe sales for trade paperbacks and hardcovers would remain strong or possibly even increase.

^ I'd only consider it if they stopped printing floppies. 'Strewth.

Maybe my expectations were to high but I expected more. As it stands it just seems like a glorified iPhone. Oh and "ipad"...really? Lol

Rath99 wrote:Maybe my expectations were to high but I expected more. As it stands it just seems like a glorified iPhone. Oh and "ipad"...really? Lol

I think maybe you were. As far as first generation tech goes, I think this is awesome. I'll wait til the second generation of ipads come out but I am jazzed by this product.

jaydee74 wrote:

Rath99 wrote:Maybe my expectations were to high but I expected more. As it stands it just seems like a glorified iPhone. Oh and "ipad"...really? Lol

I think maybe you were. As far as first generation tech goes, I think this is awesome. I'll wait til the second generation of ipads come out but I am jazzed by this product.

Considering it has no phone, it's more of an iPod touch.

If it cost more, I would expect a lot more out of it. This is basically Apple entry market pc, which is really a shrewd move. No one else has anything similar in this price point. But I'm sure that similar products will start flooding the market in the next few months.

Spaced4SimonPegg wrote:What the iPad is missing.

iPad Missing

most of this is very good points and i hope they do add some of those things to the next one.

I guess I expect more from apple. To me as it stands now there's nothing revolutionary about it. I'm sure like everything else they do it will get better. Maybe then they'll ditch at&t...and maybe then I'll get one.

Bigtymin504 wrote:Comic creators and publishers react:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/comics-industry-reaction-iPad-100127.html

The response seems overwhelmingly positive about the potential for comics to reach a wider audience in a more efficient way. But the main concern most seem to have is the effect it could have on retailers, many think it would significantly decrease sales for printed individual monthly issues. But they also believe sales for trade paperbacks and hardcovers would remain strong or possibly even increase.

i'm not thrilled about digital comics that much, who really needs to read things like books from a miniature computer thingie instead of the real books? it does sound good for getting people into comics so maybe some of the slight older ones would be better or something.

Spider_Fan14 wrote:

Bigtymin504 wrote:Comic creators and publishers react:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/comics-industry-reaction-iPad-100127.html

The response seems overwhelmingly positive about the potential for comics to reach a wider audience in a more efficient way. But the main concern most seem to have is the effect it could have on retailers, many think it would significantly decrease sales for printed individual monthly issues. But they also believe sales for trade paperbacks and hardcovers would remain strong or possibly even increase.

i'm not thrilled about digital comics that much, who really needs to read things like books from a miniature computer thingie instead of the real books? it does sound good for getting people into comics so maybe some of the slight older ones would be better or something.

i agree i like good old fasion paper comics.

Gotta love Peter Serafinowicz

http://www.funnyordie.co.uk/videos/167d70800c/the-ipad

This thing can't run multiple apps at the same time? BIG downside. That is one huge reason that as it stands right now it won't replace a laptop.

I've given it sometime and as it's constructed now I'm still not impressed.

Rath99 wrote:This thing can't run multiple apps at the same time? BIG downside. That is one huge reason that as it stands right now it won't replace a laptop.

I've given it sometime and as it's constructed now I'm still not impressed.

Yeah the inability to multitask is a huge downside, that's essential for any laptop. But I think this is the first step and with future upgrades it will get better and better.

Regardless, I think it could be pretty huge for comics moving to digital form. If they create a good distribution method (iBook could easily be expanded to carry comics) then I could see a lot of comic readers shifting to getting their new comic books digitally. They would likely be a couple dollars cheaper, and still give you the feel of holding something in your hands, and most of all turning the pages. Of course, it would be a slow transition, but an inevitable one I think.

[quote="Bigtymin504
Regardless, I think it could be pretty huge for comics moving to digital form. If they create a good distribution method (iBook could easily be expanded to carry comics) then I could see a lot of comic readers shifting to getting their new comic books digitally. They would likely be a couple dollars cheaper, and still give you the feel of holding something in your hands, and most of all turning the pages. Of course, it would be a slow transition, but an inevitable one I think.[/quote]

I wonder how distribution will be handled? Will each publisher handle it on its own? Will it be done via iBook? Wonder how Diamond feels about this?

I don't see a complete transition over to ditigal comics. Think of how many people still by CD's when they can easily be downloaded. I do see digital comics growing and being a very usefull way to get comics out into the hands of the masses but there is no way it can replicate the feel of holding a comic in your hands.