Now that the iPad has been officially announced, it’s time for the digital comics distributors to get cracking and fill us in on how we will use the god device to read our comics. Comixology shows off their concept that hopefully we’ll see in 59 days.
Comics by comiXology concept from comiXology on Vimeo.
Since the iPad will support all of the current iTunes applications, there are a couple other apps out there that should work just as well.
Stephen Schleicher began his career writing for the Digital Media Online community of sites, including Digital Producer and Creative Mac covering all aspects of the digital content creation industry. He then moved on to consumer technology, and began the Coolness Roundup podcast. A writing fool, Stephen has freelanced for Sci-Fi Channel's Technology Blog, and Gizmodo. Still longing for the good ol' days, Stephen launched Major Spoilers in July 2006, because he is a glutton for punishment. You can follow him on Twitter @MajorSpoilers and tell him your darkest secrets...
12 Comments
Me like bigtime :)
Uhhhh, why on earth would anyone be reading this in landscape view for anything other than 2 page spreads? Also I know there is no way I would use their animated through the comic deal when I can just read it like a normal comic… The guided view is nice on the touch but on such a big screen I’d never use it.
Personally though I don’t see the iPad being that great so there is a good posiblitiy I will get one of their competators. Check out these upcoming tablets (http://mashable.com/2010/01/27/9-upcoming-tablet-alternatives-to-the-apple-ipad/) which have more functionality than the iPad and I’m not locked into Apples store. I have an iPhone and iTouch and love them but the iPad just leaves out too many necessary features of a Tablet to justify getting it over one like the MSI one or the HP Slate. My current tablet (a Dell XT) has the full features of windows 7 and flash on my browsers so I can view .cbr files or things like Marvel’s Digital Comics without trouble. I want to like the iPad but until they add in things like Flash for Safari, USB ports, wireless syncing, and multitasking it will be an inferior product.
So how big is the screen on this thing?
That would make a big difference to me.
9.7 inches diagonal
I too am not sold on it. It seems to be positioning itself between an iPod Touch and a Netbook. I’m not sure how much traction it will pick up there when a Netbook is a full computer, costs less, and has a full keyboard. However, I can’t completely discount Apple’s marketing successes.
At least a Netbook can replace an existing laptop or desktop for students and home offices in addition to the multimedia stuff. This is such an in between device, I’m just not convinced there are enough people looking for something in this area.
It’s really too expensive to be used just as a reader.
I don’t think it’s replacing a laptop as a main machine, but rather replacing the need for a portable if you already have a desktop.
That’s why it’s not just a reader. And Apple never said that this was meant to replace a desktop; They’re selling it on what it is: a supplemental machine that you can take and use anywhere in quicker hits.
Or just buy a netbook. Much cheaper, and you can multitask/plug in your USB devices. :)
Totally sold. This, plus Comic Zeal (http://www.bitolithic.com/ComicZeal/comiczeal.htm) would be awesome. All my nerd paths are converging.
I like the idea of portable digital comics but having to get a $500 device to read $3 comics seems a little absurd.
As far as this being a competitive e-reader, I am in Jeff Bezos’ school of thought, that a backlit screen has a long term disadvantage to the electronic paper screen. Long hours of reading take a toll on the eyes when the light source is the thing being read.
And yet people are happy to sit behind a computer screen for 5 hours or more a day, surfing websites, reading text, entering data, and yet no one complains about that…