Pugwash

22mm spring bars are easy to find. You've not filled in your location, so I'm going to assume UK. http://www.cousinsuk.com/catalog/10/0/1813/3318.aspx

Here's mine: Sunset over the playing field at the end of my road.

You can get around that by getting a 2892 with longer pinions.

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/06/22ipad.html "Apple Sells Three Million iPads in 80 Days" So, yeah, that's $20 I'm up.

So, we know there are some people That don't and won't like the iPad so unless called out, this will probably be my last post on the subject. In defines of the screen size, this is what browsing on a 3:4 screen looks like:

Here's a little-known tale. Adobe were invited to make Flash for the iPhone way back when. They have demoed a few versions over the years and every one stank. They were invited to and could not produce anything that didn't kill the battery. Since then, Apple opened the app store and realised that no one should ever be put in a position where they're reliant on a third party for their upgrades. So, yes, adobe have been working on Flash for the iPhone and most of that work was potted over to the FroYo version of 10.1 that's still in battery-eating beta.

Please tone the vitriol down a notch. The iPad is really rather good at web browsing. It's better than any netbook I've tried and surprisingly better than regular laptops too. It's the feel of the pages, something specs can't provide, when you're scrolling the web and zooming in and out. In this aspect, calling it the best browsing experience is justified, if obvious hyperbole. You wouldn't expect him to call it mediocre, would you? It's become apparent that there's little point in trying to educate you as you're having much more fun 'hating'. I've tried my best and you're far too happy just throwing in cheap shots from the sidelines. You'd better be right or you'll look like a right idiot in a year when you suddenly understand. If the iPad were such a crappy idea, why are all the competitors rushing to release their tablets before Apple gets a stranglehold? Everyone in tech knows this is where the future is and they're aiming there. Watch this space, it gets fun from here.

No, it's like making a laptop without a keyboard. You don't get it, that's ok. That doesn't make it wrong, bad or a step backwards though.

Again, VAT. The prices listed above are all excluding taxes. Apple can't avoid the VAT, so neither should you. Apple can't reduce the price much because the costs listed above don't take R&D costs into account, or any of the other ancillary costs. Apple doesn't have much room to manoeuvre as you're also confusing retail price including VAT without the wholesale price excluding VAT which is significantly closer to the prices you're quoting above.

So, Adobe have a version of flash ready? It's still in beta for Android and they've had 100% support making it. Adobe have not yet successfully shown even a dev version of Flash running for the iPhone and let's face it, all they have to do is show it working and Apple can be bullied by consumers into letting it on. Adobe have had three years.

Less than you'd think. They are not cheap to make, so I have no idea why you think they're overpriced. Like most consumer electronics, the iPad costs about twice what it costs to make, retail. To put it in perspective, that means the markup is significantly less than a replica watch or a gen. And yes, the markup is the same in Europe as it costs the same without tax.

You're like the guy in the huge-engined Ford Mustang wondering why the Lotus Elise just posted a faster lap time. It's not about the specs. The iPad is a technological marvel; I'm sorry you don't see it, and there's nothing I can do to convince you of the fact, but have you used one yet? Have you browsed the web on it? I'm what can be described as tech-savvy; I manage both Windows and UNIX servers for Nintendo, Coca-Cola, eBay, Orange and others; I built Opodo's infrastructure in France; I'm not what you'd call a luddite by any stretch of the term. I was overclocking AXIA-Ys back in the 20th century, making silent high-performance games machines in the early 21st and I firmly believe Apple has finally made the fuss-free computer. For email, web-browsing and watching video, there is nothing to compare with the speed and ease of the iPad. Instant-on is a big deal, as is the 10+ hour battery life. We'll see when the competition arrives, and let's hope it's worth the wait, but going by the iPod and iPhone, it'll be a while before anyone even gets close to the iPad in real terms. Sure, they'll whup them on spec sheets, much like the original iPhone was beaten on paper by the n95, but people use computers in the real world, not on paper. Don't assume iPad users are not tech-savvy or that they fall for hype; just because it's not for you, doesn't mean it's not for very intelligent computer guys who make you look like a n00b. Phew, do we live in interesting times or what?

Decisions; this one or wait for the Swiss?

This lame rally keeps going on as long as people like you keep making that stupid joke. I noticed no-one even thought to mention the Wee Pad was a stupid name, but hey, narrative to follow, can't be unbiased.

There we go. You can't compare specs and claim that one device is better than another based on a game of Top Trumps. Compare Jackson Pollock and Picasso on the specs of their paintings and see how far it gets you. Usability, usability, usability. Your German device certainly looks like it's a contender on paper, but seeing as no-one has actually tried one out yet, you're just guessing. Whatever happened to the HP Slate? The Joojoo pad? The MS Courier? I welcome the influx of Android devices as competition is always a good idea, but honestly, the amount of iPod killers I saw being reported on, I'm unconvinced until someone brings something to market or shows reporters a device and lets then use it.

Apple is charging approximately the same in the UK as they are in the US. Prices in the US are listed WITHOUT tax and prices in the EU are listed WITH tax. I imported mine because I didn't want to wait another three weeks for it. Once you count in the Fedex price, it didn't save me any money, and luckily I avoided the VAT because that would have hurt. If you do buy in the US, and you bring it back in your luggage, you can avoid the VAT/Duty on the way in, but if you Fedex it, you're at risk of getting humped on the VAT/Duty. I got lucky. So, yeah, don't believe the "we're getting screwed by Apple in Europe" myth; it used to be true, but these days, not so much.

I'd be interested in how you're processing Raw files on a netbook. You know, just as devil's advocate.

Oh, I see. You've forgotten that all US prices are listed without tax and all UK Prices are listed with 17.5% VAT. 16GB iPad in the US is the equivalent of

A decent rep of this will probably be my next rep. I'm not sure this version is it yet, though.

The iPad isn't for you, however I'm still going to pick on your points. 1 - you'd have had three hours of battery left after watching video for all seven hours with an iPad. Google "plate stand" for what everyone is using to support their iPads. 2 - yeah, I'll give you the flash one. That is stupid of the websites. Don't they want mobile visitors? Hint: blackberry users have money. 3 - I take it you've not seen the SD card camera connection kit. It's $29 and let's you read SD cards or connect a camera over USB. 4 - your phone can't become a wifi access point? Ok, phone fail. And yes, I can edit Word/Excel documents on my iPad. I don't even know where you're going with that one. If you don't get the iPad, that's ok, but don't make stuff up. Ps. As all my recent posts here, this one is written on my iPad.

Here in the UK, we are shielded from the worst as we don't use the euro as our currency. However, we can feel our own economic crisis. The worst for me though is the euro-sceptics coming out with their "I told you so" crap.

Can't create? Tell that to the DJs using it live as a sound source. Tell that to my publisher as he gets the latest 1,000 words from me. Tell that to the guy who painted the cover to the New Yorker on an iPad. Just because you can't create doesn't mean others aren't doing so. Also, Apple takes 30%, not 50%, and if you look at their accounts, you'll see that most of that is for infrastructure. Apple doesn't care about making a profit from sales of your apps or songs. Apple would be quite happy if all apps were free. Oh, and find a better deal than you get at Apple. You are correct about it not being a primary computer, however. We are a long way from that. Oh, and Gates can't get away with it because Microsoft are a monopoly. That carries legal responsibilities.

Update: I imported a 3G a few weeks ago. I'm selling my laptop to buy an iMac. Oh, and 2.5 million? Yeah, low estimate.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/05/ipad-sales-hit-the-1-million-mark-in-less-than-a-month.ars iPad sales hit one million in less than a month.