iPad news: 1 million sold, some dissected, a few jailbroken

Just in case you had any doubts that Apple’s iPad is proving popular with the kids these days… Apple announced this morning that a million iPads have already been sold. That’s not bad for a product that launched just about a month ago. Apple points out that it took 74 days to sell the first million iPhones.

An industry analyst is also estimating that Apple sold as many as 300,000 iPad 3G models the weekend the mobile broadband-enabled iPad was launched.

Here are a few other iPad related stories making the round:

iPad 3G Teardown

The folks at iFixit are pretty good at fixing computers — but that only works if you know what the insides look like. So the first thing the team did when getting its hands on a shiny new iPad 3G was to tear the thing apart and see what makes it tick.

iPad and iPhone “Spirit” jailbreak released

This new jailbreak method lets you unlock hidden settings and install apps that aren’t available in the iPhone app store. There are two things that make it stand out from other jailbreak methods. It’s untethered, meaning you don’t need to plug the phone into your computer to jailbreak, and it supports the iPad as well as iPhone — although iPad support is still in beta.

Browsing on the iPad 3G: Not as fast as over WiFi

This probably shouldn’t surprise anyone, but it turns out that the iPad 3G feels slower when you use it to surf the web over a 3G connection than when you pair it with WiFi. The problem, Gizmodo and Business Insider suggest, is that the iPad feels so fast over WiFi that it’s hard to wrap your head around how much less snappy it feels when you’re hampered by a slow internet connection.

Posted on Monday, May 3rd, 2010, 10:27 am by Brad Linder

ninetynine

That's great for the iPad and the category, shows people that you need software to get anywhere. But I cringe when I think about the countless Android/Win7 slates that will be born and quickly abandoned because of this.
gman

I'm pretty biased but there are probably about a million Apple clones who would buy anything they release. Followers as it were. Gotta have it! Why? I don't know, I just gotta have it though!

I saw an older guy with a tablet (iPad possibly) sitting on his lap and I found it kind of humorous. Remember all those fashion trends, like say from the 80's that were cool at one time? Not so trendy now. I don't think computers should be trendy, but the iPad is showing me that this is a trendy item. You should run a poll here and see who bought a tablet.
Mike

I think you're missing the point. There was an old guy. He had a tablet. And was using it. And his kids/grandkids weren't there telling him how… Now that my friend is a revolution in computing that has nothing to do with how 'hipster' Apple is.

Even if the guy in your example isn't actually all that old. I have a story myself. My Mom bought a WiFi iPad, and took it over to my Grandmother (over 80) who has NEVER used ANY of the 4 computers we've bought her so she can get email, and see pictures of her grandkids, etc. My Mom whipped through a photo album showing off pictures, and then showed her how easy it was to access email, and how BIG you could make the font (My grandmother had macular degeneration and has a hard time seeing information on computer screens). Long story short, she went out and bought one for herself the next day. She won't go to the Doctor for checkups because those are a waste of money, but she bought an 3G iPad because it was the first computer that made sense to her…

Yeah, everyone who gets one is a Apple drone. You're right man.
Scott

There are in fact some apple drones who have to buy anything. I know one. He had buyers remorse and returned it for a full refund. The question might be how many computers do you need that do the same things. $500. can buy a decent hdtv and should last for years. I guess some people disposable income is way past mine, but even if I wanted one it”s better to wait until the bugs are out.
Computers are not cheap and I have more than I should have anyway.
sracer

gman, it says a lot about YOU (not the old guy with the tablet) that you immediately equate the use of a tablet with a fashion trend. Did you think that laptops were trendy when they were first released? (assuming that you were born before that time) How about netbooks, were they “trendy”?

You, Brad, and others can dismiss the iPad is a pointless toy. You can dismiss those who buy them as mindless Applebots. But your accusations about other people's shallowness boomerang back to your narrowminded elitism, (ie. “I don't see a value in the device therefore no valid reason for owning one exists.”)

I bought 2 netbooks over the last 2 years to fit a few needs that were not being met by my notebook. Both netbooks (7″ and 10″ EeePC) fell short. When I saw the video of the iPad announcement, I knew instantly that it would be the solution. After spending a month with it, my initial projection was correct… it is a solution to those needs that I hoped would be filled by a netbook. None of those needs included “fashion trends”.
gman

You are really sensitive. Tablets are unproven to say the least. 80% of Apple users are clones with about 20% of people open minded enough to think outside the Apple cult.

It's humorous to me because of functionality. It's humorous to me because of the ergonomics of what I saw.

The iPad is not a toy obviously. The rush to market on an unproven device is anything but laughable. Because the almighty Apple has released the iPad it must be what everyone wants? That's what I find funny about it. Apple doesn't have a netbook solution, so the iPad is it. Apple clones have no choice if they want an Apple solution to their 6lb Macbook pro. It's senseless mayhem. Trendy in the sense that, show me the pent up demand for a device without a keyboard that can read ebooks. I get the industries wanting this to succeed because it's a saviour for newspapers and magazines.

It's hype. It's Apple. We can review this in about 6-12 months and see who is right in the end. Sure Apple will sell, but again read my point about them having no product offering to match the netbook. And if not having a keyboard on a computer floats your boat, then you are welcome to it. I will just enjoy see people using them in public and be wondering how your back and neck are holding up. Yes, your arms and wrists also if you are reading books. Of course this is the best device ever. Who ever just bought something and didn't think it was the best thing ever?

iPad news: 1 million sold, some dissected, a few jailbroken

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