Non-standard interface: Check
Non-expandable: Check
Horrible Cameras: Check
Next version due out in a year so the saps will buy another: Check
Yup, its an Apple product alright.
Its either a really big smartphone that isnt very portable (ie, tough to carry, doesnt fit in pocket) or a pathetic netbook/laptop. Its a product with no real market, and yet millions buy it. Fix the top three bullets and its a maybe product instead of a cash cow for fanboys.
Tanker Tuesday #72 Oct 5 @Champion
"I am not sure if my portrayal of being insane is accurate, but damn its fun all the same."
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Many hand-held electronic devices get invented because there's a need for them before they actually exist. Forty years ago people wanted relatively cheap/portable devices to solve math problems with so the first electronic calculators were introduced that met that need. They first cost hundreds (and even thousands) of dollars but eventually the technology for them got so cheap that they've now become virtually disposable.|
Originally Posted by NetMinder
Non-standard interface: Check
Non-expandable: Check Horrible Cameras: Check Next version due out in a year so the saps will buy another: Check Yup, its an Apple product alright. Its either a really big smartphone that isnt very portable (ie, tough to carry, doesnt fit in pocket) or a pathetic netbook/laptop. Its a product with no real market, and yet millions buy it. Fix the top three bullets and its a maybe product instead of a cash cow for fanboys. |
On the other hand the iPad is an invention that existed on the market before most people really had a need for it. It's for all practical purposes a fairly expensive computerized toy. Now that's not to say -some- people aren't beginning to use them for serious/useful tasks and I have no doubt that as time goes on they will become more and more significant and worthwhile. I'm just saying as of today, March 2011, the concept of a "pad computer" is still mostly a very expensive and functionally limited toy.
I have very seriously considered buying one, but I honestly can't really justify it yet even though I can in fact afford one at their current prices. For the things I would use it for I can easily wait another year or two for the technology to get faster/cheaper/better. I basically consider anyone who buys them now to be my indirect "Guinea pigs" that'll help make them better for me in the future. For that service I thank you.
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Very much my stance atm |
Originally Posted by Lothic
I have very seriously considered buying one, but I honestly can't really justify it yet even though I can in fact afford one at their current prices. For the things I would use it for I can easily wait another year or two for the technology to get faster/cheaper/better. I basically consider anyone who buys them now to be my indirect "Guinea pigs" that'll help make them better for me in the future. For that service I thank you.
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I really would love one, but can't really justify one yet. Almost all the stuff I would do on it I do on my Xperia phone perfectly well. The main thing that attracts me with it is watching movies and TV shows on a larger screen, and for reading comics properly, my phone screen being too small to do them justice Give it a few more editions/years/competitors and I'll probably get one, or an equivalent
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You admit millions are buying the iPad yet can't imagine a market for it? How many Apple "fanboys" do you think there are?
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Originally Posted by NetMinder
Its a product with no real market, and yet millions buy it. Fix the top three bullets and its a maybe product instead of a cash cow for fanboys.
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Seriously. I wouldn't know though, since I own and like an iPad 1 and am therefore apparently a fanboy. Don't tell my Windows PC or my non-smart cell phone.
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Originally Posted by TrueGentleman
You admit millions are buying the iPad yet can't imagine a market for it? How many Apple "fanboys" do you think there are?
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Exactly, I love my IPad but my desktop computers and laptops at home are all running windows and the one mac I have to use at work is set to dual boot to windows which mode I prefer to run it in except for when I need to manage a mac computer or mac server from it. Oh and I have an android phone. Hmm, right fanboy. Yet I love my IPad for all of the reasons I posted earlier.
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Originally Posted by Warp_Factor
Seriously. I wouldn't know though, since I own and like an iPad 1 and am therefore apparently a fanboy. Don't tell my Windows PC or my non-smart cell phone.
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But it's MY sadistic mechanical monster and I'm here to make sure it knows it. - Girl Genius
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I, too, have PCs at home and Macs at work. They each have pluses and minuses. Apple has been brilliant at marketing, particularly touting the simplicity and reliability of their products. That's one of the reasons people rage particularly hard when an Apple stuffs it. When a Windows product jams, people shrug and go, "Oh well," then reboot it. Macs are aggravating in this area because they also lock up but you rarely know why, and often it's almost impossible to reboot them. A local minister had his entire TV series on his laptop and was stunned when the thing bricked. He didn't rage, being a calm pastor-ly type, but he was shocked to find out Apples are just machines.|
Originally Posted by TerraDraconis
Exactly, I love my IPad but my desktop computers and laptops at home are all running windows and the one mac I have to use at work is set to dual boot to windows which mode I prefer to run it in except for when I need to manage a mac computer or mac server from it. Oh and I have an android phone. Hmm, right fanboy. Yet I love my IPad for all of the reasons I posted earlier.
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I'd use an iPad to look up info while watching a movie, read a comic book or magazine, play some games, maybe write a blog entry, surf Facebook, whatever. I suppose you could get one of those cover-slash-keyboard deals and use the cloud to work, but I'm not comfortable with my stuff being out in the wild. It would be a casual entertainment device rather than a hardcore work machine.
The tablet I was really looking forward to was the Skiff because of its size and use of color e-ink for long battery life. But Rupert Murdoch bought it and killed it, yet another reason to hate him.
The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction
The iPad is a toaster. What I mean is it's a device that the average consumer can treat like a toaster, plug it in and it works.
Get your e-mail, update your social network status, surf the web, watch silly YouTube video, read a book, play a game that has less than 5 minute rounds as a time killer, etc.
It's a media consumption device not a content creation device. And by media I mean paid media. Sure you can rip your own music and transcode video for it but Apple wants you to impulse buy for a couple of bucks a movie rental or song or book or magazine or game. Who needs to go to Borders anymore (answer obviously not enough since they are closing up shop nearly everywhere). Heck B&N now is selling boardgames, like the entire line of Settlers of Catan games, year round but I digress.
Anybody buying an iPad or any tablet and think it's a legitimate replacement for a laptop or desktop is delusional or is quite computer illiterate. It's like saying a Vespa is a suitable replacement for a car.
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I don't think anybody here thinks that. We do think that the iPad compliments well our desktop and laptops. Many of us have all three and a smartphone, plus more with all the trimmings, as we're that tech savvy. In fact, the amount of tech I use on a daily basis, carry, or keep around makes most people luddites in comparison.
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Originally Posted by Father Xmas
Anybody buying an iPad or any tablet and think it's a legitimate replacement for a laptop or desktop is delusional or is quite computer illiterate. It's like saying a Vespa is a suitable replacement for a car.
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Exactly the things I use it for. I'm actually kind of curious; did anyone here at any point in time actually think the iPad was going to replace desktop or laptop PCs as work devices? Is this really a point of confusion for anyone? Because I don't know anyone IRL or in my SG who ever had the idea that an iPad was going to do everything a proper Mac or PC could do. I don't understand how anyone honestly got the idea that people were getting rid of their other devices, outside of perhaps a few people who only used their laptops as casual entertainment devices.
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Originally Posted by Ironik
I'd use an iPad to look up info while watching a movie, read a comic book or magazine, play some games, maybe write a blog entry, surf Facebook, whatever. I suppose you could get one of those cover-slash-keyboard deals and use the cloud to work, but I'm not comfortable with my stuff being out in the wild. It would be a casual entertainment device rather than a hardcore work machine.
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Never underestimate Apple's ability to "sell" their products. I'm quite sure there are some people out there who love their iPads so much that they would never even consider using one of those big clunky, old-fashioned "computers" (laptops much less desktops) again, if ever.|
Originally Posted by Warp_Factor
Exactly the things I use it for. I'm actually kind of curious; did anyone here at any point in time actually think the iPad was going to replace desktop or laptop PCs as work devices? Is this really a point of confusion for anyone? Because I don't know anyone IRL or in my SG who ever had the idea that an iPad was going to do everything a proper Mac or PC could do. I don't understand how anyone honestly got the idea that people were getting rid of their other devices, outside of perhaps a few people who only used their laptops as casual entertainment devices.
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Remember Apple gears itself towards being "easy to use" for people who don't really know anything about traditional computers, so to those people their iPad is probably now their "main" machine of choice.
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Actually I think you are missing a market segment here. The iPad is the ideal computer for the computer illiterate. For example, my GF's grandparents were given an iPad for Christmas. They had not previously owned/used a computer or accessed the internet. For their purposes, the iPad is ideal. My GF set it up for them, and showed them the basics on how to use it. They are getting a good amount of use out of it, and they still don't need to know diddly about computers. So even without having a computer they need to understand, and have the ability to mess up, they can get into email, use the web, and use all manner of handy apps which make their lives easier.
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Originally Posted by Father Xmas
Anybody buying an iPad or any tablet and think it's a legitimate replacement for a laptop or desktop is delusional or is quite computer illiterate. It's like saying a Vespa is a suitable replacement for a car.
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Too many alts to list.
When the day comes -- and it's coming soon, based on stuff I've seen -- that we can have a device sporting a flexible touchscreen that rolls down into a compact size which is easy to carry yet expands to a full magazine-sized screen when you want it to, most computers and smart phones will go the way of the dodo.
I know I'll be first in line.
The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction
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Uh uh. "I'm sure" and "probably" aren't good enough for me. I'm interested in things that actually happen, not things that some people think probably happen but that they have no real examples of. Lothic, do you actually know anyone who actually used their computer and who got rid of it or stopped using it in favor of an iPad? And if so, what were they doing with the computer in the first place? Just checking email and streaming Netflix?
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Originally Posted by Lothic
Never underestimate Apple's ability to "sell" their products. I'm quite sure there are some people out there who love their iPads so much that they would never even consider using one of those big clunky, old-fashioned "computers" (laptops much less desktops) again, if ever.
Remember Apple gears itself towards being "easy to use" for people who don't really know anything about traditional computers, so to those people their iPad is probably now their "main" machine of choice. |
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My wife. She hasn't logged into the laptop since she got the iPad at Xmas. She uses it to do all the things she used to do on the laptop, paying bills, printing photos wirelessly, browsing the web and reading email.|
Originally Posted by Warp_Factor
Uh uh. "I'm sure" and "probably" aren't good enough for me. I'm interested in things that actually happen, not things that some people think probably happen but that they have no real examples of. Lothic, do you actually know anyone who actually used their computer and who got rid of it or stopped using it in favor of an iPad? And if so, what were they doing with the computer in the first place? Just checking email and streaming Netflix?
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You still need a laptop mind, otherwise you're sorta out of luck the next time you want to do something like download your photos off your digital camera. But that's basically the only thing I can think of she'd now need to do on the laptop (maybe some spreadsheet thingies as well)
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Originally Posted by Warp_Factor
Uh uh. "I'm sure" and "probably" aren't good enough for me. I'm interested in things that actually happen, not things that some people think probably happen but that they have no real examples of. Lothic, do you actually know anyone who actually used their computer and who got rid of it or stopped using it in favor of an iPad? And if so, what were they doing with the computer in the first place? Just checking email and streaming Netflix?
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That's all my dad uses his computer for. Once I talked him into a laptop last year, he loved it. He takes it everywhere. I have absolute certainty that if I bought him an iPad, it would more than serve his needs of web surfing and casual gaming. (He rarely checks his email, so people have stopped sending him any.) My mom would be the same way. I have aunts and uncles and in-laws who have never once in their lives even considered turning on a computer.
Look at docbuzzard's post. The vast majority of computer users -- particularly the oldest and youngest users -- don't use computers the way you and I do. For that segment, things like the iPad and Xoom more than suit their needs. I do know one person who has completely stopped buying tree-based books due to her use of the Kindle.
The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction
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Well I do know it's safer to assume that "some" people probably use their iPads as their main machine of choice now instead of other computers than to assume NO ONE has done that. Basically my hypothetical case is much more likely than your statistically absolute one. Just because YOU have not seen it happen does not mean it NEVER happens. |
Originally Posted by Warp_Factor
Uh uh. "I'm sure" and "probably" aren't good enough for me. I'm interested in things that actually happen, not things that some people think probably happen but that they have no real examples of. Lothic, do you actually know anyone who actually used their computer and who got rid of it or stopped using it in favor of an iPad? And if so, what were they doing with the computer in the first place? Just checking email and streaming Netflix?
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http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A
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Originally Posted by Carnifax_NA
You still need a laptop mind, otherwise you're sorta out of luck the next time you want to do something like download your photos off your digital camera.
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Tell your wife, she can create spreadsheets on her iPad. They have an app for that...several in fact.
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Originally Posted by Carnifax_NA
My wife. She hasn't logged into the laptop since she got the iPad at Xmas. She uses it to do all the things she used to do on the laptop, paying bills, printing photos wirelessly, browsing the web and reading email.
You still need a laptop mind, otherwise you're sorta out of luck the next time you want to do something like download your photos off your digital camera. But that's basically the only thing I can think of she'd now need to do on the laptop (maybe some spreadsheet thingies as well) |
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$29 to do something that should have been inherent. Go Apple!
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Originally Posted by PumBumbler
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Tanker Tuesday #72 Oct 5 @Champion
"I am not sure if my portrayal of being insane is accurate, but damn its fun all the same."
I like to tell this story to people who talk down smartphones and pads...
My friend asked me to help her fix her garage, as it had a broken bracket. So I came down and took a picture of the broken bracket with my iPhone. I then looked up on the browser what type of bracket I would need, used a ruler app to take measurements, and the note app to well take notes on the dimensions and type of bracket needed to fit the door. I took all that to the nearest Lowles which I found using the map app on the device and got the exact bracket needed for the job then looked up on the browser what other tools I will need to do the job, then purchased those. I went back, and using instructions on how to fix the bracket gotten through the device browser, I fixed the door.
Try doing that with a laptop!
Oh I would never give up my desktop and laptop, but anyone who only use smartphones and pads as a media consumption device to get e-mail, update social network status, surf the web, watch silly YouTube video, read a book, play a game that has less than 5 minute rounds as a time killer, etc. is highly computer illiterate. Oh those people are out there for sure, I personally find it funny when people with iPhones ask me for directions...I'm like why? Then show them how to use the map app on their device.
I routinely diss on Apple products, primarily due to the sheer misinformation spewed at the press releases and the way the utterly devoted lap it up and refuse to see past and critically analyze a product. Still, I have to admit that the iPad is a great product for what it does. It's the oversized smartphone I always wanted-- minus the &*&*% phone... and a teeny bit too oversized...
My sister loves her iPad for pulling things up while she watches TV, but I already have a direct computer connection to the TV running most of my viewing material, so it doesn't fill any void there.
The current iPad/Galaxy/Xoom form factor doesn't add much value for me. It's too big and fragile to casually carry in a cargo pocket, so I've got to "go get it" when I want/need it. I could just as easily get the more powerful specialized devices at that point... or make do with the smartphone in my pocket-- its a first-gen Droid-- a bit slow by today's specs, but it still covers so much of the "pad" niche AND fits in my pocket. (The aforementioned "specialized devices" take up the rest of the iPad's niche)
Still, I have hope-- the Xoom screen uses gorilla glass- a good boost to durability-- not enough to be ruggedized, but on the right way. Other Android tablets seem to be experimenting with differnt sizes that might reach the cargo-pocket range.... maybe someone will keep basic phone service in it too (too heavy/ridiculous to use as a phone? Even if I didn't come from the dark ages of cell phones known as the "80's," I use a bluetooth earpiece and virtually NEVER hold my cell phone up to my ear as it is). With the glut of android tablets out vying for attention with different configurations, maybe by the time my Droid's up for renewal somebody will have put the pieces together in a way that meets my needs.
It IS funny to see how far behind Microsoft was in this-- their "origiami" project and the UMPC movement they spawned had a LOT of momentum when it came out-- and even though the first generation devices were heavier and more expensive, their eventual goal- a portable, lightweight personal computer costing around $600 was essentially what the iPad was. Seems that while MS was trying so hard to to miniaturize the PC Apple had an easier time bulking up the phone....
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You can get clone stuff for cheaper if you want.|
Originally Posted by NetMinder
$29 to do something that should have been inherent. Go Apple!
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http://www.focalprice.com/ID206W/6_i...Pad_White.html
I like using my iPad because it is instant on, and quite rugged for what it is (with a case on it). I toss it across the room onto my bed or into the car, I can stuff it in my overstuffed camera bag and basically have it go places where a laptop wouldn't be practical.
The biggest benefit to me is using it to read or surf whilst laying down (yes I am that lazy). Can't bring a desktop to bed and the laptop doesn't work so well while I'm laying on my side.
It isn't as expandable as a laptop but for the things it can do, it does it well. The biggest strength of the iPad is battery life. It can go for an entire day of hard use or a week of light use before needing to be fed.
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I never gave a statistically absolute case of anything, I asked a question. I'll elaborate though; the thrust of most of the complaints on this thread about the iPad and iPad users seems to be that a significant number of people have been brainwashed by Apple's magical marketing department into switching from their laptop and/or smartphone when those devices would have served their needs better. I think that's baloney, and I think that any sensible person who actually thought that claim through would have to admit, if they were being honest, that it's a pretty outrageous and over the top claim. I think that people who make claims like that ought to provide some kind of evidence, even anecdotally, that their claim has some kind of substance to it. So far no one has; the only people who've said they know someone who ditched their laptop in favor of an iPad also say that those people only used their laptop for simple stuff like checking email, streaming Netflix, etc. That's stuff that the iPad clearly does better than a laptop or smartphone. Those people aren't downgrading and they aren't being brainwashed by Apple's marketing department, they're upgrading to a piece of hardware that suits their needs better than their previous devices.|
Originally Posted by Lothic
Well I do know it's safer to assume that "some" people probably use their iPads as their main machine of choice now instead of other computers than to assume NO ONE has done that. Basically my hypothetical case is much more likely than your statistically absolute one. Just because YOU have not seen it happen does not mean it NEVER happens.
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Now, there have been posters pointing out that the iPad isn't a serious work computer, and that's absolutely true. I don't think any sensible person has claimed otherwise, because it's pretty flippin' obvious. I doubt a significant number of people bought an iPad expecting that from it.
Speaking strictly for myself, my iPad suits my needs better than either a laptop or smartphone would (or a TV set, for that matter), and on top of that it'll be cheaper over time than a smartphone because I'm not paying for an expensive data plan (don't need or particularly want 3G). I'm pretty confident I'm not being somehow suckered by Apple's magical marketing powers, the thing just does what I want it to do better than any other device out there and cheaper than quite a few of them. I'm pretty sure most other iPad users feel the same way. If someone else prefers a laptop and/or smartphone, good on 'em. They know what they need better than I do, and vice versa.
The Ipad makes a great tool for convenient access to the internet, files, and the like. Since I bought an IPad last spring I have only had my laptop out maybe 6 or 7 times total. I just don't use it anymore.
I bought the laptop to use as my RPG gaming computer. It has my characters, and the PDF's I've bought of various games along with some other handy thing. Frankly it is more convenient to use my Ipad for all of that. I create and keep my character sheets on my desktop then transfer them over to the IPad easily. I then can conveniently have the character, the books, dice roller, and other apps on hand.
If I want to do a bit of quick research on the internet the 9.7" screen is very friendly to browse the internet with. Combine that with some games for amusement and that would be enough.
But I bought and downloaded some network management apps for the IPad as well and have been using it at work. Frankly my work laptop has stayed in the office when I run out to help staff with their computers and my IPad goes with me.
An IPad isn't a complete replacement for a computer but it does a fantastic job of doing 70 - 80% of the day to day tasks in a convenient portable form.
That is what an IPad and presumably the other new tablets as they come out are good for.
They are not replacements for computers but instead let you take the computer experience portable in an easy handy format. Which you can then go back to the computer and do any task that does require one.
But it's MY sadistic mechanical monster and I'm here to make sure it knows it. - Girl Genius
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