# iPad - What's missing?



## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

Just wanted to get a feel for what folks here would like to see in future iPad versions. Please include your arguments as to why this is needed or feasible.

#1. My personal beef is lack of streaming media support over wifi.

My suggestion is that the iPad needs its own Front Row type interface that can hook into shared iTunes libraries. There should be no need for me to connect to a computer and copy files just so I can watch and then delete. I have AirVideo which works well and supports non-Apple sanctioned file types but will not stream out Apple files.

I would love to be able to connect an iPad to my projector and use it as a controller for media files on my iTunes compatible server (think portable, light weight AppleTV). Three problems with this are the lack of streaming hooks, lack of front end and no support for HD content over VGA (as tested and reported on by Andy Ihnatko).


----------



## jimbotelecom (May 29, 2009)

tethering


----------



## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

#2. My next beef with the iPad is with the lack of any printing infrastructure.

I was using the iPad and realized I needed to go online and purchase tickets for a show. Safari worked great with the site. I was able to choose the show, pick the seats and purchase online. Then it got ugly. I had to print the tickets that were presented on screen.

Being resourceful, I took a screen shot of the tickets and emailed that to my computer. Printed from there.

I understand that you don't want to bog down a system like the iPad with a stack of printer drivers. Apple needs to leverage the fact that the iPad cannot be used as a stand alone device (won't even work until it's been connected to a computer and registered) and design a printing solution. Perhaps creating a pdf and routing it through a computer to the printer. This will only work in environments pre-disposed to the solution but it will be far better than nothing.


----------



## JustReelFilms (Sep 4, 2009)

jimbotelecom said:


> tethering


I agree 100%


(That is the iPhone ability to Wifi or Bluetooth internet tethering to the iPad)


----------



## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

Macified said:


> #1. My personal beef is lack of streaming media support over wifi.


Huh? Isn't SlingTV already out for the iPhone and thus, the iPad as well?



> My suggestion is that the iPad needs its own Front Row type interface that can hook into shared iTunes libraries.


I would expect that Apple will update "Home Sharing" and possibly even the Apple TV in exactly these sorts of directions at some point.

At the very least, let's wait till iPhone/iPad OS 4 comes out and see if there's any movement on that front. Apple is a many-armed company and not all arms move in perfect sync with each other.


----------



## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

Chas_m - SlingPlayer is out for the iPhone, not the iPad. Pixel double (actually quadrupled) apps don't look all that great on the iPad. Besides, a Slingbox will set you back an additional $200 and still doesn't give access to my library of media already resident on my iTunes compatible home server or any of my computer systems. It's not helpful to take a point out of context and you obviously read the rest of my statement, it's obvious that SlingPlayer isn't the answer to this issue.

This isn't about painting the iPad as a bad thing. Just a forum to discuss what's missing and how we'd like to see a fix implemented.

Yes, we will all have to wait and see what comes up next. I think we can all appreciate that but we can't base purchase decisions on future maybes.


----------



## basilmunroe (Dec 21, 2006)

GOOD stylus support. I have a PogoSketch - it works ok, but you really have to apply pressure, so drawing/note taking is a pain. Maybe it's a learning curve though.


----------



## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

Macified said:


> Pixel double (actually quadrupled) apps don't look all that great on the iPad.


I don't think this occurs. I used an iPad late last week with iPhone (not optimized for iPad) apps, and the apps when launched on the iPad were simply the same size as on an iPhone with the rest of the display around the app window a solid black.


----------



## fyrefly (Apr 16, 2005)

Macified said:


> #1. My personal beef is lack of streaming media support over wifi.


AirVideo. $3 App and does exactly what you want. It won't play Apple protected/DRM'd content, but it'll play (and convert on the fly) anything/everything else video-wise.



Lars said:


> I don't think this occurs. I used an iPad late last week with iPhone (not optimized for iPad) apps, and the apps when launched on the iPad were simply the same size as on an iPhone with the rest of the display around the app window a solid black.


That's the standard display mode. There's also a 2x button in the corner of that black border that you can press, and the iPad will pixel-double the App to near full-screen on the iPad.

Native iPad apps vs. “pixel doubling” iPhone apps | TiPb


----------



## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

fyrefly said:


> AirVideo. $3 App and does exactly what you want. It won't play Apple protected/DRM'd content, but it'll play (and convert on the fly) anything/everything else video-wise.


The rest of my post outlined this already. I'm am hoping that Apple will implement a streaming protocol of their own so that I can use iTunes media the same way. Without hooks to the already available streaming system in iTunes I am forced to connect via usb, copy the file to my iPad and then delete the file when done. Every copy of iTunes has a server built in that is accessible from other iTunes clients and Front Row clients on the network. Just make that system available to iPad/iPhone users and I'd be happy.


----------



## i-rui (Sep 13, 2006)

a usb port would be nice.


----------



## Bjornbro (Feb 19, 2000)

Top three for me:

1. Tethering

2. Mobile AppleTV-like capability. Let me view my iTunes content on the road.

3. Video iChat


----------



## Andrew Pratt (Feb 16, 2007)

here's a list of things I'd need in order to drop our MacBook and replace it with an iPad..

1. Video cam on front for skype / iChat 
2. Flash (or HTML5 to take off and make Flash moot)

Streaming media from our iTunes library would be really handy.


----------



## fyrefly (Apr 16, 2005)

Macified said:


> The rest of my post outlined this already. I'm am hoping that Apple will implement a streaming protocol of their own so that I can use iTunes media the same way. Without hooks to the already available streaming system in iTunes I am forced to connect via usb, copy the file to my iPad and then delete the file when done. Every copy of iTunes has a server built in that is accessible from other iTunes clients and Front Row clients on the network. Just make that system available to iPad/iPhone users and I'd be happy.


I agree that iTunes streaming to the iPad is a no-brainer and Apple should implement it.. (maybe when the iPad gets iPhone OS 4.0 in the fall...?) 

Either way, right now, if you point AirVideo Server on your Mac to the video folders in your iTunes library folder hierarchy - as long it's not Apple DRM'd files, you can stream the files without having to transfer them over USB. A bit of a bandaid, but the best thing I've tried so far.


----------



## TGV (Jan 11, 2009)

Hey Guys,

For tethering you can try 2 apps that I heard of (iPhone Jailbreaking needed);

1- PdaNet: PdaNet -- Use your Treo smartphone as a Wireless Modem for your PC
2- MyWi: MyWi - Rock Your Phone

Let us know how it goes if you ever opt for one of the options mentioned above.

*Little Disclaimer:* Didn't try both apps, but did see several YouTube videos and favorable reviews.

Cheers and Happy Friday everyone!


----------



## cchaynes (Oct 25, 2007)

printing
ical
tethering
it would be cool if you could mount time machine drives
would be nice if it were possible to switch the "user agent" on safari, as it just get int he way of loading web content!

in reality, i like it so far, but i want it to be more netbook than it is!
i am sure that most if not all of this will come with some time and or hacks...

air video is worth every penny!


----------



## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

cchaynes said:


> printing
> ical
> tethering
> it would be cool if you could mount time machine drives
> ...


Not sure how iCal is considered missing from the iPad. There is a calendar app and it synchs with iCal on a Mac either over USB or MobileMe. Am I missing something?


----------



## cchaynes (Oct 25, 2007)

no!

i was....

ooops how did i miss it!?

just got the thing mid week and well, who knows, but thanks!


----------



## fyrefly (Apr 16, 2005)

After using my iPad for the last two weeks, I'm starting to get "low memory" messages when I try to launch some games ("We Rule" did it to me the other day). The iPad has a faster A4 processor than the iPhone, but the same PowerVR graphics chip and 256MB RAM. 

This, to me, is the more glaring omission in the iPad design. More RAM would mean more applications could run (and run smoother). This matters so much more (again, imho) than a camera or tethering.

I hope the second generation iPad doubles (or more) the RAM.


----------



## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

fyrefly said:


> After using my iPad for the last two weeks, I'm starting to get "low memory" messages when I try to launch some games ("We Rule" did it to me the other day). The iPad has a faster A4 processor than the iPhone, but the same PowerVR graphics chip and 256MB RAM.
> 
> This, to me, is the more glaring omission in the iPad design. More RAM would mean more applications could run (and run smoother). This matters so much more (again, imho) than a camera or tethering.
> 
> I hope the second generation iPad doubles (or more) the RAM.


Apparently, that is a bug in the We Rule code causing the low memory. It will probably be addressed in an app update. I haven't done any research into this but did hear reference to the bug on a MacBreak Weekly show.


----------



## fyrefly (Apr 16, 2005)

i-rui said:


> a usb port would be nice.


Check out the iPad "Camera connection Kit". Dongle that provides a USB port for cameras, keyboards and audio headsets too! 



Macified said:


> Apparently, that is a bug in the We Rule code causing the low memory. It will probably be addressed in an app update. I haven't done any research into this but did hear reference to the bug on a MacBreak Weekly show.


Interesting. Thanks for the heads up.


----------



## screature (May 14, 2007)

fyrefly said:


> I agree that iTunes streaming to the iPad is a no-brainer and Apple should implement it.. (maybe when the iPad gets iPhone OS 4.0 in the fall...?)
> 
> Either way, right now, if you point AirVideo Server on your Mac to the video folders in your iTunes library folder hierarchy - as long it's not Apple DRM'd files, you can stream the files without having to transfer them over USB. A bit of a bandaid, but the best thing I've tried so far.


Hey just a quick aside. Can you stream iTunes content (music is what I am interested in, from your own local library) to the iPod Touch? If so how?


----------



## jimbotelecom (May 29, 2009)

screature said:


> Hey just a quick aside. Can you stream iTunes content (music is what I am interested in, from your own local library) to the iPod Touch? If so how?


Yes you can you need Airfoil set to stream itunes and then you need airfoil speaker on your iPad. Works very well.


----------



## screature (May 14, 2007)

jimbotelecom said:


> Yes you can you need Airfoil set to stream itunes and then you need airfoil speaker on your iPad. Works very well.


Thank jim, but that isn't what I was looking for. I was talking about the iPod Touch. I see no real reason why there should be any needed additional hardware to stream music via wifi to an iPod Touch from your own local iTunes Library. The bandwidth is adequate, so all that should be required is the appropriate App. If this hasn't been developed yet, I wish I was a software developer and it would be something I would be working on right now.


----------



## jimbotelecom (May 29, 2009)

^^^^

Now I see iPod touch of course....works the same way with Airfoil.


----------



## i-rui (Sep 13, 2006)

yes, airfoil speakers should work for the iphone/ipod/ipad, but you need to have airfoil installed on the computer streaming the audio, and you wouldn't be able to control what's being streamed to the ipod in the airfoil speakers app, you'd have to control that from the source computer, or with the 'remote' app from apple (which will be handy once muti-tasking comes)

It'd be nice if itunes could do it by default, just so you could use one app (remote) to do everything.


----------



## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

Airfoil works but requires that you control the music from your computer using your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad merely as a speaker. Macworld has an article (posted today) about streaming apps.

This is an area that Apple really needs to address given the media consumption nature of the iPad.


----------



## screature (May 14, 2007)

To all who posted... thanks so much for the responses...

Unfortunately it isn't what I am looking for. I want an App on the iPod that will allow me to stream iTunes music (from my local iTunes Library} to the iPod and be able to listen to it through my headphones, with no extra hardware of any kind on either the iPod or Mac side. I understand (or think I do) that software may also be required on the Mac side to allow me to control iTunes with the iPod but I don't care. Again I see no reason why extra hardware *should* be required as with WiFi has the bandwidth and the two way connection is there so why shouldn't software alone be able to allow me to do this? That is if it has been written. And again if I was a software developer it would be something I would be working on.

This would make the iPod Touch an even more useful device. At least for me. I garden and wear my iPod when working in the yard. How great would it be to have my entire music library available to me to listen to if I could. Even the largest iPod can't come close to holding my entire music collection as it is over 225GB. Not only that, with all the iPod capable portable speaker systems that are out there it would allow someone to use their whole music collection anywhere in the house or yard just with their iPod Touch and a portable speaker system, even without an Airport Express. The technology is here to do this, maybe the software isn't and if it isn't, what's the hold up?


----------



## i-rui (Sep 13, 2006)

^^ airfoil speakers is an APP for the iphone/ipod that would do that. (but you have to have airfoil installed on the streaming computer). there is no extra hardware, only software.

but the issue then becomes how do you control what itunes streams while the iphone/ipod is being used as an airfoil speaker.


----------



## screature (May 14, 2007)

i-rui said:


> ^^ airfoil speakers is an APP for the iphone/ipod that would do that. (but you have to have airfoil installed on the streaming computer). there is no extra hardware, only software.
> 
> *but the issue then becomes how do you control what itunes streams while the iphone/ipod is being used as an airfoil speaker.*


Which should easily be doable as the "Remote" App (which is free) for the iPod Touch already demonstrates.


----------



## i-rui (Sep 13, 2006)

screature said:


> Which should easily be doable as the "Remote" App (which is free) for the iPod Touch already demonstrates.


yes, but to run both at the same time i think you need multi-tasking (i haven't tried yet) so i'm guessing you'd have to wait for os 4.


----------



## screature (May 14, 2007)

i-rui said:


> yes, but to run both at the same time i think you need multi-tasking (i haven't tried yet) so i'm guessing you'd have to wait for os 4.


No but that is what I am saying one piece of properly written software should be able to do the trick.


----------



## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

i-rui said:


> ^^ airfoil speakers is an APP for the iphone/ipod that would do that. (but you have to have airfoil installed on the streaming computer). there is no extra hardware, only software.
> 
> but the issue then becomes how do you control what itunes streams while the iphone/ipod is being used as an airfoil speaker.


Airfoil is not the answer here. The point is to be able to select and control the music from the iPod Touch while listening from the iPod Touch. Airfoil only allows listening from the iPod Touch while controlling from a computer.

Remote allows you to control the music from the iPod but listen from the computer.

As I've said before, this is an area where Apple has really dropped the ball. We should be able to stream any iTunes content to an iPod Touch/iPhone/iPad just like we can from another iTunes running computer or AppleTV. The lack of this hook makes entirely no sense to me.

Screature - you can access a Synology drive from Safari on an iPod Touch and stream iPod compatible movies or music (including iTunes purchased DRM content) directly from the server. Safari will only play one track at a time but Synology does have a music player app called DS audio that will connect and run in an iPod like interface.


----------



## screature (May 14, 2007)

Macified said:


> Airfoil is not the answer here. The point is to be able to select and control the music from the iPod Touch while listening from the iPod Touch. Airfoil only allows listening from the iPod Touch while controlling from a computer.
> 
> Remote allows you to control the music from the iPod but listen from the computer.
> 
> ...


Exactly... someone "gets it". Thank you Macified. . I have a Synology NAS so I will check out what you are talking about... but it still seems needlessly cumbersome (no fault of your's). 

This shouldn't be that hard. As I said the technology/hardware is there, why is the software lagging? Is it Apple? 3rd party? What?...


----------



## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

screature said:


> Exactly... someone "gets it". Thank you Macified. . I have a Synology NAS so I will check out what you are talking about... but it still seems needlessly cumbersome (no fault of your's).
> 
> This shouldn't be that hard. As I said the technology/hardware is there, why is the software lagging? Is it Apple? 3rd party? What?...


It's Apple in this case. More of an oversite than anything else I see.

If those of us with Synology drives can access this way, why can't we do this with any Mac running iTunes? Shouldn't require an expensive NAS enclosure just for this.

To access your Synology drive, just enter it's ip address in the Safari url bar. You will be asked for the user name and password and then be given file access. Navigate and play whatever video file you like. For music download the DS Audio app and connect through there.


----------



## screature (May 14, 2007)

Macified said:


> It's Apple in this case. More of an oversite than anything else I see.
> 
> If those of us with Synology drives can access this way, why can't we do this with any Mac running iTunes? Shouldn't require an expensive NAS enclosure just for this.


It seems so basic to me... but that is coming from a layman consumer. If a third party could work this out ( if it is possible without Apple doing something on their part) they would have my money in a Flash... Duho, but that is a contentious word these days isn't it.


----------



## i-rui (Sep 13, 2006)

screature said:


> No but that is what I am saying one piece of properly written software should be able to do the trick.


well yes, that would be great, but it's not here, so it's not a solution. I'm guessing apple won't do it as it would take away from airport express sales.



Macified said:


> Airfoil is not the answer here. The point is to be able to select and control the music from the iPod Touch while listening from the iPod Touch. Airfoil only allows listening from the iPod Touch while controlling from a computer.
> .


Airfoild is a partial solution (and probably the best out there ATM). screature wanted something to stream his itunes to his ipod touch while he did yard work. this would work. obviously it's missing the ability to control what's being played, but if you use playlists, or just want to listen to an album then you're set.



Macified said:


> Remote allows you to control the music from the iPod but listen from the computer.


once os 4 and multi tasking comes you'd be able to use the remote app to control the streaming computer running airfoil to stream itunes to the iphone/ipod device running airfoil speakers.

that was my point. it WILL be possible to do it that way in the summer. until then you'll have to settle with just being able to listen on the ipod.

i do agree it'd be great if apple implemented that in itunes (just like they have with home sharing), but until they decide to do that, this is the best solution i can think of.


----------



## Commodus (May 10, 2005)

What I want isn't so much missing as it is overabundance. It needs to be lighter! I appreciate the build quality, but a third of a pound less would work wonders for making the iPad easier to hold.


----------



## screature (May 14, 2007)

i-rui said:


> well yes, that would be great, but it's not here, so it's not a solution. I'm guessing apple won't do it as it would take away from airport express sales.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks i-rui for your practicality. It is appreciated. I guess I was on a bit of a rant because we were initially talking about what is missing from the iPad and this is missing from the iPod Touch and so is also missing from the iPad. 

I think this is an area that either Apple or 3rd party developers or a combination thereof would do well to look at. But thanks again for your attempts at providing a practical if imperfect (for me  ) solution.


----------



## jimbotelecom (May 29, 2009)

Commodus said:


> What I want isn't so much missing as it is overabundance. It needs to be lighter! I appreciate the build quality, but a third of a pound less would work wonders for making the iPad easier to hold.


For what it's worth I find that the $40 rubbery iPad cover that Apple sells helps balance the device. When lying down it's a lot easier to read and stuff with the cover on than just trying to balance the naked iPad.


----------



## RISCHead (Jul 20, 2004)

The PADD


----------



## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

jimbotelecom said:


> For what it's worth I find that the $40 rubbery iPad cover that Apple sells helps balance the device. When lying down it's a lot easier to read and stuff with the cover on than just trying to balance the naked iPad.


You're in bed with a naked iPad?

Oh dear -- I don't like where this is going -- it IS after all the computer designed to be held with one hand ...


----------

