I don't think the Jaguar ever had card inserts for its controllers. In any case, even if it did the Intellivision had them first. They were a neat idea, but putting another piece of plastic in front of buttons that weren't all that easy to press to begin with...
Blades could be a compelling feature, if done right. Apple forces users to do things according to the "Apple Way" and succeeds by polishing that way very well. Anyone who is happy with the "Apple Way" is a happy Apple user. Unfortunately, creating a significant amount of content on a tablet is not really a part of the "Apple Way". Tablets are for consumption, dummy! People who want to create stuff on a tablet are currently an under-served market. It remains to be seen if MS will find success in tablet-space, but at least they're targeting a niche that Apple is neglecting.
2. Have you ever used a touch cover? You hardly can call the touch areas on these devices buttons. They give nearly as much feedback as touch screens: none.
3. Why would a DJ or a gamer prefer this when the surface has a usb port anyway. They could use peripherals from traktor or the 360 game pad.
I think the Blades are an awesome idea, but I really don't understand your assessment of Apple's usage goals for the iPad. Apple has run commercials promoting creation oriented tasks for the iPad. There is a tremendous consumption market for iPads, but Apple pretty clearly wants it to be a device used for creation as well.
If there is a difference in strategy here, it that Apple's view of how a user should interact with a tablet interface is more direct. I.e., the sliders and buttons showcased on the example Blade would simply appear as interface elements on the display. The Blade idea follows a slightly different model where the tablet serves as a hybrid input/display. The up-side is that the Blade effectively doubles your input surface area. I think that appeals to a lot of people.
In short, I think Apple and Microsoft are promoting a lot of the same ideas here, but I think the Blade represents a bigger commitment to the creation side of the market.
I would assume that the HID (human interface device) API within the Surface's operating system has good support for the development of peripherals like Blades. Does anyone know if iOS has similar APIs for Bluetooth connected HIDs?
Do people understand that iPads and iPhones are MIDI compatible through the lightning to USB kit? (CCK before that)
The number of peripherals, corded and Bluetooth that work with the iPad are staggering because of this. Look at the Queneo, the new novation series, the Qunexus, the new Numark controller... And most importantly the software is there to utilize these control surfaces. Akai made a case like this for the ipad two years ago...
So good for Microsoft for launching this, but show me the software and the specs.
Comments
I don't think the Jaguar ever had card inserts for its controllers. In any case, even if it did the Intellivision had them first. They were a neat idea, but putting another piece of plastic in front of buttons that weren't all that easy to press to begin with...
Blades could be a compelling feature, if done right. Apple forces users to do things according to the "Apple Way" and succeeds by polishing that way very well. Anyone who is happy with the "Apple Way" is a happy Apple user. Unfortunately, creating a significant amount of content on a tablet is not really a part of the "Apple Way". Tablets are for consumption, dummy! People who want to create stuff on a tablet are currently an under-served market. It remains to be seen if MS will find success in tablet-space, but at least they're targeting a niche that Apple is neglecting.
I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not.
1. Apple makes the iWork suite
2. Have you ever used a touch cover? You hardly can call the touch areas on these devices buttons. They give nearly as much feedback as touch screens: none.
3. Why would a DJ or a gamer prefer this when the surface has a usb port anyway. They could use peripherals from traktor or the 360 game pad.
3. Because you can fold this up with the device, lock it magnetically, and walk away holding it in one hand.
I think the Blades are an awesome idea, but I really don't understand your assessment of Apple's usage goals for the iPad. Apple has run commercials promoting creation oriented tasks for the iPad. There is a tremendous consumption market for iPads, but Apple pretty clearly wants it to be a device used for creation as well.
If there is a difference in strategy here, it that Apple's view of how a user should interact with a tablet interface is more direct. I.e., the sliders and buttons showcased on the example Blade would simply appear as interface elements on the display. The Blade idea follows a slightly different model where the tablet serves as a hybrid input/display. The up-side is that the Blade effectively doubles your input surface area. I think that appeals to a lot of people.
In short, I think Apple and Microsoft are promoting a lot of the same ideas here, but I think the Blade represents a bigger commitment to the creation side of the market.
I would assume that the HID (human interface device) API within the Surface's operating system has good support for the development of peripherals like Blades. Does anyone know if iOS has similar APIs for Bluetooth connected HIDs?
ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_interface_device
Do people understand that iPads and iPhones are MIDI compatible through the lightning to USB kit? (CCK before that)
The number of peripherals, corded and Bluetooth that work with the iPad are staggering because of this. Look at the Queneo, the new novation series, the Qunexus, the new Numark controller... And most importantly the software is there to utilize these control surfaces. Akai made a case like this for the ipad two years ago...
So good for Microsoft for launching this, but show me the software and the specs.
The Jaguar sure did have overlays[1]. But they weren't as ubiquitous nor as essential as those for Intellivision a decade prior.
[1] http://atariage.com/system_items.html?SystemID=JAGUAR&ItemTy...