View Full Version : Why Is Every Non-geek In My Family in a Froth About the iPad?
I'm kinda bleh about the iPad announced today. It might be cool, I'm sure it's well-designed, but I can't get all worked up about it. My extended family, on the other hand ... hmm. I've had not one but two relatives call me in the middle of my workday and demand to know what I thought of the thing. They're watching the unveiling on CSPAN. No, really, they are.
What do Orgahs think? Is this really a big deal, or is it just crazed hype? From what I've heard the iPad is just a supersized iPhone. Which is cool, and nice, but not really earth-shaking, y'know?
It's still being announced, so here's a kinda-live link (http://www.google.com/search?q=ipad) if you want to read up. And here's the Apple product page (http://www.apple.com/ipad/).
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/Lemurmania/ipad_hero_20100127.jpg
It's a product without a market.
16gb drive? An iPod Nano has a 16gb drive. With an OS installed, that means the iPad won't even be able to hold the full playlist of an iPod Nano, but it costs $500. The 64gb drive is acceptable if still poor, but that's $730/$830. That's into heavy laptop pricing areas right there. It's thin and light, which is nice, but the 10" screen means it still requires a bag to carry it around in... so if you're carrying the bag, why aren't you carrying a laptop? If you want to do serious word processing, you'll get the keyboard attachment (http://i.gizmodo.com/5458341/ipad-keyboard-dock-because-even-apple-knows-touch-typing-can-hurt), and suddenly it's no longer as light and portable anymore. No flash capabilities. No USB ports. Can't play DVDs because there's no DVD drive.
If you can have this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115674) for $100 less than the most basic iPad and this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115681) for less than the top of the line iPad, why would you buy an iPad?
TinCow, I am reminded of a couple of years ago when I posted the brand-new Asus EeePC, asking what Orgahs thought, and was roundly told by Whacker that netbooks made no sense, had no market, and would never succeed.
So based on your post, I'm guessing the iPad will be a colossal hit.
al Roumi
01-27-2010, 21:42
If you can have this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115674) for $100 less than the most basic iPad and this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115681) for less than the top of the line iPad, why would you buy an iPad?
'Cos you've got more money than sense? :dizzy2:
Isn't it just an Apple e-book with extra functionality?
Edit:
LOL Apple IZ teh suxxx0rs
Okay, maybe I was unclear in my OP, but here's the thing: Non-geeks are in a tizzy over this thing. Yes, as computer geeks we an weigh the netbook alternatives on NewEgg, and we can expound at length on the foolishness of using a custom-designed CPU, but that's not really the point, friends.
Every non-geek I know is getting a little bonkers about this. Consider that before posting yet another Apple IZ teh suxxx0rs thought, please.
-edit-
Engaget (http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/apple-ipad-first-hands-on/) gets the first hands-on. If this gets adopted by a few hospitals, a few universities, this could be a very large phenomenon.
TinCow, I am reminded of a couple of years ago when I posted the brand-new Asus EeePC, asking what Orgahs thought, and was roundly told by Whacker that netbooks made no sense, had no market, and would never succeed.
So based on your post, I'm guessing the iPad will be a colossal hit.
Netbooks succeed because of price and functionality. The bottom level iPad is too underpowered for a netbook and the top level is too overpriced for a netbook. Everyone thinks that everything Apple touches turns to gold, but that's not remotely true. Apple have had several big flops in recent years, most notably AppleTV and the Macbook Air. Both times it was because Apple butted into an existing market with a product that was over-priced for its functionality. The iPod and the iPhone were huge hits despite their price tags because they essentially created new markets. That's not going to happen with the iPad, because the market already exists via netbooks and laptops, both of which will be direct competition for the iPad. Apple are even competing with themselves, since a basic Macbook only goes for $999.
Every non-geek I know is getting a little bonkers about this. Consider that before posting yet another Apple IZ teh suxxx0rs thought, please.
I share an office with 3 non-geeks. None of them care at all about the iPad. :shrug:
The iPod and the iPhone were huge hits despite their price tags because they essentially created new markets.
You're referring, of course, to how the iPod was the first MP3 player (http://boingboing.net/2009/06/24/the-first-mp3-player.html), and how the iPhone was the first smartphone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_9000_Communicator)? Except, of course, they weren't. I'd say your analysis is heavy on grump and light on fact.
Crazed Rabbit
01-27-2010, 22:07
Perhaps it's the fact that they aren't geeks that they're in a tizzy.
We know that it's very meh, that you can't get better, more capable things for cheaper, that the functionality is very limited, that the HD is abysmally small, that Jobs is a liar for saying it's better than a laptop at anything but mobility and size. Heck, laptops can have VOIP and webcams and USB camera connections.
But the non geeks? Those ones who are in awe at this, I suspect, don't know all that. They see a very slick device, something that doesn't look like any other computer, something with touch screen that's much larger than the iPhone. Because of all the hype, they're interested in a way they aren't usually interested in new electronics. They perhaps saw the demos and the "magical and revolutionary device" quote and even if they don't fully buy it they do think it is new and does all these amazing things.
In short; Apple has very good marketing.
CR
You're referring, of course, to how the iPod was the first MP3 player, and how the iPhone was the first smartphone? Except, of course, they weren't. I'd say your analysis is heavy on grump and light on fact.
Of course they weren't the first, but they were so far ahead of the competition in ergonomics and functionality that they single-handedly changed the market for those products. MP3 players had almost no market share in portable music players before the iPod, and afterward the industry exploded. People quickly started buying MP3 players in general, even other brands, because of the impact the iPod had. For the iPhone, there was almost no consumer market for smartphones before it was released. It was used a lot for business work, but the consumer market was practically non-existent. Now, consumer smartphones are huge money.
Netbooks and laptops are already gigantic product sectors. There's no market niche missing from that picture for Apple to exploit. So, instead they're going to be going up against the established products that everyone knows and everyone already uses. Which is exactly where Apple failed with Apple TV and the Macbook Air.
Scienter
01-27-2010, 22:19
I wrote a longer post but the forum ate it. :wall:
I'm pretty geeky, and can see the appeal. It has that "ooooh, shiny!" factor and might be useful for a person who doesn't have or want a laptop. Most geeks already have laptops, so I don't see why this would be useful for them. But, apple products look cool and their marketing department is very, very good.
Netbooks and laptops are already gigantic product sectors. There's no market niche missing from that picture for Apple to exploit.
Netbooks make up less than 10% of the notebook market, or at least they did as of the end of 2009 (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10421063-1.html). e-book readers, by way of comparison, are estimated at a $1.2 billion market, as opposed to the $109 billion portable computer market.
I'm not going to look for the smartphone numbers 'cause I'm getting statistical fatigue.
Anyway, if Apple provides an e-book reader/netbook/phone replacement all-in-one device, and does its usual job of exposing the 10% of functionality most users need in a slick interface, well ... it sounds rather more like your formulation of "creating a new market" than "the market already exists via netbooks and laptops," as you put it.
I know full well that Apple makes flops. Seen 'em, touched 'em, steered friends and relatives away from 'em, repaired a few in my time. But this does not fit into the classic mold of the Apple iFailure.
It really was my post replying to Lemur that crashed the forum... I blame you.
If the iPad is pushed strongly as an e-book reader, I can see it being successful because the Kindle and the Nook have so far failed to penetrate the market very well. I do wonder whether it will succeed though, because 10 hours of battery life is a fraction of what the Kindle and Nook offer. Still, not having an e-reader myself, I don't really know what kind of common usage they are getting and whether that battery life is useful or not. If a 10 hour charge on an e-reader is enough, then the iPad could work well in that segment.
If a 10 hour charge on an e-reader is enough, then the iPad could work well in that segment.
It should be at least something like 40 hours worth, as in, you can go on Long Weekend-Short Holiday and won't need a charger or anything.
iPad? Seriously? Should have just called it a Newton ][. :clown:
Scienter
01-27-2010, 22:58
If the iPad is pushed strongly as an e-book reader, I can see it being successful because the Kindle and the Nook have so far failed to penetrate the market very well.
Cite? I see Kindles everywhere. I thought they were doing really well.
I don't think I'd want to read a book on the iPad screen. The reason I like e-ink displays is because I don't feel like I'm killing my eyes by looking at it. Reading a book on an iPad would feel like reading one on my monitor unless it comes with some kind of special display setting that won't kill my eyes.
Gregoshi
01-27-2010, 22:59
Bah! Another iSmearMyGreasyFingersAcrosstheScreen device. I'm not a fan of fingerprints and smudges on a screen and this seems like a larger canvas for my masterpiece "Scrolling in Grease".:painting:
Also, with a screen that large, I wonder how durable it is.
It looks like an iPhone with an eating disorder.
Apparently it has about the same heft in the hand as a Kindle DX (http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Generation/dp/B0015TG12Q/). More and better pictures here (http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/01/photo-gallery-hands-on-with-the-ipad-and-live-event.ars).
Gregoshi
01-27-2010, 23:11
It looks like an iPhone with an eating disorder.
:laugh4: Or an iPhone from the 70s (think the "bag phone").
Cite? I see Kindles everywhere. I thought they were doing really well.
I took a look and apparently Amazon refuses to release numbers on their sales. One article (http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/11/30/how-many-kindles-does-it-take-to-top-amazon-sales/) estimates 2-3mil sales last year, which would put the Kindle's sales on par (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ipod_sales_per_quarter.svg) with early iPod sales. They seem pretty low to me, but I'll certainly be eating my words if Kindle sales explode like iPod sales did.
In the commercial market its another useless gadget. But, I guess people with more money than acumen will go nuts.
I could see it having potential in say the Medical field though, replace old doctors charts with centrally networked iPads.
Haha, iPads, Apple has decided to enter the female sanitary market.
It's a product without a market.I agree. It's too big to be truly portable, and too limited to be a PC replacement. If I were in the market for such a device, why wouldn't I buy an Iphone/Ipod instead?
They're much cheaper, more portable and do a lot of the same things.
As for use as an e-reader, something like Kindle with its electronic ink type display is much easier on the eyes for extended reading.
ICantSpellDawg
01-28-2010, 04:57
I'm kinda bleh about the iPad announced today.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/Lemurmania/ipad_hero_20100127.jpg
It isn't what I would have hoped it would be. It's a larger screened Ipod Touch.
The idea that you can add a small keyboard and make it an effective mini pc is getting there, but I think they've intentionally missed the boat. Back to the drawing board, there is nothing new here. This made the Ipod touch and new kindle much better options in my opinion, seeing as true innovation is a long way away. I don't get the idea of this as a backlit e-reader. Those have been out for ages. The kindle is a hit because it doesn't burn the eyes.
CountArach
01-28-2010, 05:02
It's puuuurrrrdy.
If this book reading thing works as well as they claim I will be getting one just for that. I am certainly interested but I am worried about screen angle, but if the screen is good and the keyboard works for long texts it's going to be my mobile hub.
Not sure how good it will be for ebooks but tempting it is. The small display on a iPhone/PDA is pretty much worthless for any serious surfing, vids or pics and for such stuff there is little need for a keyboard.
So although its an Apple product it is pretty much the gadget I have been waiting for.
I am certainly interested but I am worried about screen angle..
It says it is IPS so viewing angle should be very good.
Let analyse Steve's presentation shall we?
Customisable background - I can customise my phone's background
Web browsing - My phone has the internet too
Rotatable display - My phone's display rotates as well
Email - My phone has the net so obviously I can send email
Viewing photos - My phone can even take them
Calendar - My phone has a calendar
Contacts - Well dur
Google maps - You already mentioned the internet a few times Jobsie
Music - Very few phones now can't play mp3's
Youtube videos - My phone can play videos
TV - Phone screen is too small for this, but then, so is the iPad screen really.
And to top all of this off, my phone fits in my pocket. Fancy that.
They are trying to spin a giant phone that can't make calls, unfortunately it seems they are succeeding.
A Very Super Market
01-28-2010, 07:25
I like those old cellular phones. How they were basically boxes with a wire attached.
This is just another one of apple's products which are bought by consumers merely for prestige. It really mean little, so little that any amount of rational thinking would give cause to dismiss it entirely. Ah well, people like their fruits.
Furunculus
01-28-2010, 09:57
I'm kinda bleh about the iPad announced today. It might be cool, I'm sure it's well-designed, but I can't get all worked up about it. My extended family, on the other hand ... hmm. I've had not one but two relatives call me in the middle of my workday and demand to know what I thought of the thing. They're watching the unveiling on CSPAN. No, really, they are.
What do Orgahs think? Is this really a big deal, or is it just crazed hype? From what I've heard the iPad is just a supersized iPhone. Which is cool, and nice, but not really earth-shaking, y'know?
its very cool, but for me it is unnecessary, i have a Nokia n900 maemo tablet/phone. it does everything for me that i want it to.
Customisable background - I can customise my phone's background
Web browsing - My phone has the internet too
Rotatable display - My phone's display rotates as well
Email - My phone has the net so obviously I can send email
Viewing photos - My phone can even take them, and geotag them, and upload them.
Calendar - My phone has a calendar
Contacts - Well dur
Google maps - It has Ovi Maps
Music - Very few phones now can't play mp3's
Youtube videos - Full flash 9.4 support
TV - Guess what, the n900 comes with a TV-out cable too
No multi-tasking = No Way - after using my n900 i would never go back to a non-multitasking device, way too 20th century!
----------------------------------------------------
ipad gets islated by the engadget team:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/editorial-engadget-on-the-ipad/
But is there anyone you can call
Furunculus
01-28-2010, 13:14
But is there anyone you can call
que? :inquisitive:
HYPE-BUSTERS
:laugh4::laugh4::laugh4:
And to top all of this off, my phone fits in my pocket. Fancy that.
I think portability is the thing that's going to be the biggest hurdle for the iPad. Take the same device and allow it to fold up into something 4x the thickness but 1/4 the length/width, and you could triple the cost and still sell out. People want and will pay big money for portable computing devices, even with the serious limitations of the iPad hardware. They need to switch the screen over to a flexible OLED and re-release it in a more portable form.
Best analysis (http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/01/ars-ipad-reax.ars) I've read this morning:
[T]his launch is closer to that of the original iPod—the idea itself isn't exactly new, competing offerings seem arguably better in some respects, and Apple will have to set itself apart from the pack by delivering a superior user and e-commerce experience. In other words, the iPad isn't going to waltz in and just change the world, the way that its smaller predecessor, the iPhone, did. It'll have to fight its way to the top, like the iPod. [...]
For instance, I can easily imagine an Android-based tablet that's designed by HTC, powered by NVIDIA's Tegra 2, does 1080p video (vs. iPad's 720p maximum resolution), and has much better 3D gaming performance, but at the cost of two hours of battery life. And if someone made such a thing, I would rather buy it than an iPad. I'd even pay over $500 for it. Given the number of Android and ARM-based devices I saw at this past CES, and the amount of design talent that's going into many of them, I expect to see at least one non-embarrassing Android-based competitor to the iPad by at least the second half of the year, if not earlier.
Here's a nice size comparison:
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/9/2010/01/sizingchartfull.jpg
Well, I thought it blows at first, bigger iPod Touch, and it really is, to get a bigger iPhone you have to pay 130$ extra for the 3G version, don't forget that.
then i read this article on gizmodo (http://gizmodo.com/5458531/the-ipad-is-the-gadget-we-never-knew-we-needed?skyline=true&s=i) and it slowly dawned on me that this could be some kind of replacement computer for people who simply have problems learning how to use a mouse, the whole doubleclicking-windows-multitasking-driver-settings-issues-world of computers, netbooks, etc.
Like my mom, she wants to get on the internet but doesn't really have the time and patience to really learn how to use a computer, giving her an easy-to-use iPad that she could more or less just use after 10 or 20 mins of explanation could be a great thing, except for one big blow...
What's the use of having an internet device that large without flash? Well, there are apps for facebook etc so you won't have to use the browser with all it's plugin deficiencies to access them but there are many sites for which there is no app that use flash and other plugins that my iPhone's Safari simply cannot display correctly, some of them becoming outright useless, and that, I think, is why even my mom would be wasting her money getting one of these... :shrug:
edit: Might also add that the pictures in the OP are wrong, here is a video of what it really looks like (http://gizmodo.com/5458510/wait-no-this-is-the-real-ipad)
then i read this article on gizmodo (http://gizmodo.com/5458531/the-ipad-is-the-gadget-we-never-knew-we-needed?skyline=true&s=i) [...]
Very good article, very good analysis. I usually don't understand why Apple products are so popular until a year or two after they've gotten huge. Looking back, it's obvious why the iPod did so well, but being a geek, all I could see at the time was how overpriced and underpowered the device was (and I was bitter that Apple bought my favorite MP3 software (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoundJam_MP) and dumbed it down into iTunes).
So even though I'm bleh about the iPad personally, I'm trying to look at the angles and see if there's something big and obvious that Apple figured out that's invisible to me.
So even though I'm bleh about the iPad personally, I'm trying to look at the angles and see if there's something big and obvious that Apple figured out that's invisible to me.
The thing Apple HAS done well is the whole multi-touch interface. That is extremely desirable for the consumer, and Apple has so much brand recognition in that area due to the iPhone that they are in a superb position to capitalize on it in the future. I do feel that the iPhone/iPad style touch screen is going to become ubiquitous in mobile computing over the next decade. It's simply the most space efficient method of interfacing with a portable device. Apple needs to keep exploring this area, and I hope they will continue to innovate here because we need the kinds of devices that they're producing.
My ideal product is a device that is portable enough to fit in my pocket, yet functional enough that it replaces BOTH my cell phone and my laptop. I already have two devices... what I need isn't a third, it's a new device that lets me get rid of the other two. If Apple can create THAT device, they can charge the same as both the phone and the laptop combined, plus some, and I'll still buy it.
Furunculus
01-28-2010, 15:43
the mass market ebook store is another angle, ebooks for everyday, not just for limited function e-ink devices.
but until i can get my ebooks un an unrestricted open format, just like my music, i ain't interested.
Vladimir
01-28-2010, 16:41
In the commercial market its another useless gadget. But, I guess people with more money than acumen will go nuts.
I could see it having potential in say the Medical field though, replace old doctors charts with centrally networked iPads.
This is basically what I thought as well. I didn't care about the product at first but I can see it having a lot of functionality for the less tech inclined. It needs a stylus.
It needs a stylus.
They probably omitted that on purpose. Like I said, Newton ][.
Vladimir
01-28-2010, 17:49
Somebody is not happy (http://gizmodo.com/5458382/8-things-that-suck-about-the-ipad).
What's with all the limitations? No flash player OR USB? It's going backwards.
My biggest problem with both the iPhone and now the iPad is how you're locked away from free software. At least, I think you are; I've never owned either device, so I can't say with certainty.
I likes my Firefox, my OpenOffice, my GIMP. Frankly, I'm more confident about the tools I download from SourceForge than I am of many commercial applications.
The i-stuff is interesting, and I have a creeping feeling they're going to have a huge impact, but they're not for me.
Furunculus
01-28-2010, 18:14
then you need a nokia n900. mine is awesome, some crazy f00l has even ported blender 2.5 alpha to run on the phone!
Nah, I don't want to pay for a cellular data plan. If somebody makes a fantastic e-reader/tablet/videoconferencing thingy that can do it all through Skype and/or Google Voice and has full functionality through wifi, then I'll be tempted.
At least it would mean I wouldn't have to battle the wife for the laptop when I'm having my morning cup of coffee.
Let me quote Colin Farrell from the wonderful movie "in bruges":
"It's rubbish."
Vladimir
01-28-2010, 19:47
Let me quote Colin Farrell from the wonderful movie "in bruges":
"It's rubbish."
Or, like Top Gear: Ambitious, but rubbish!
CrossLOPER
01-28-2010, 20:26
A massive, fragile, low-battery life ipod touch with a easily misused name...
Oh, and the $30/month charge for the 3G coverage.
Crazed Rabbit
01-28-2010, 21:26
My biggest problem with both the iPhone and now the iPad is how you're locked away from free software. At least, I think you are; I've never owned either device, so I can't say with certainty.
I likes my Firefox, my OpenOffice, my GIMP. Frankly, I'm more confident about the tools I download from SourceForge than I am of many commercial applications.
The i-stuff is interesting, and I have a creeping feeling they're going to have a huge impact, but they're not for me.
That's one thing that disturbs me as I learn more about it. Apparently you can only get software through Apple's official store - which they boasted about in the presentation. Do Apple Geeks really like only being able to buy from the company store?
Two things came to mind; that's a huge limitation compared to any laptop or computer or non-Apple product.
Also, I see Microsoft get fined hundreds of millions of dollars for including IE with their OS, and I wonder how Apple gets away with including a store program and only letting people obtain things through it (Did someone here mention AOL's walled garden?). And it's not just small market share; Apple has a huge share of the mp3 and phone market.
CR
Gregoshi
01-28-2010, 22:00
That's one thing that disturbs me as I learn more about it. Apparently you can only get software through Apple's official store - which they boasted about in the presentation.
This is actually kind of funny coming from the company with one of the most famous commercials in TV history: the Macintosh Big Brother (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8) spot.
https://img192.imageshack.us/img192/5916/1264629108172.jpg
Also, I see Microsoft get fined hundreds of millions of dollars for including IE with their OS, and I wonder how Apple gets away with including a store program and only letting people obtain things through it (Did someone here mention AOL's walled garden?). And it's not just small market share; Apple has a huge share of the mp3 and phone market.
There is a significant difference in market share between Windows (http://marketshare.hitslink.com/os-market-share.aspx?qprid=9) (92%) and the iPhone (http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/28/apple-iphone-closing-in-on-blackberry-market-share/) (30%).
Crazed Rabbit
01-29-2010, 00:40
Tangentially related; this launch has led to me hating Robert Kotick more. In this WSJ article (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704094304575029230041284668.html):
One Apple partner felt the price was too high. "Maybe you live in a different America. There is 15% real unemployment, taxes keep getting higher, home equity has evaporated," said Robert Kotick, chief executive of videogame maker Activision Blizzard Inc. "Five hundred bucks is a lot of money. You should get out more."
From the *** hat who jacked up PC prices of MW2 because he could, and would jack up all game prices if he could.
IT does appear Apple's market share wasn't as large as I thought.
CR
Uhm, there is a whole lot of free software in the iPhone AppStore, in fact the store is more or less divided into free apps and apps that cost money, the good thing about it is that you do not have to search half the internet to find what you need, there is one central place where all the apps your device can use are, you don't have to go to shady websites with really slow servers, dead links etc. that some hobby designer put on the internet, you just go to the appstore and browse categories or search for what you want. For the programmers the advantage is that all their potential customers go to the appstore, where they can find the app. Another advantage for the customers is that apple tests every single app relatively thoroughly to prevent fraud, viruses, execution of external code etc. All in all I find this a great advantage, on my windows mobile smartphone I had a far worse experience, in fact I had far less apps, it was harder to find theem, some of them were optimized for other screen sizes etc. The Apple approach is a bit more like the console approach for gaming and for a cellphone i think that is fine, if I am on a train and want to download an app or a song I won't have to open the browser and wait ages for google to load, all the search results to load etc. I just go to the appstore or itunes store and search for the app/music and get there much faster. On the PC it's a different animal and browsing is easier but my iPhone was never meant to replace my PC. :shrug:
And it's actually safer than my PC(so far anyway) because not everyone can just execute all sorts of code on it(I know, there are two viruses, one needs it to be jailbreaked and the other comes through...your PC IIRC).
I stand corrected, Husar, my bad entirely. Like I said, I've never owned an iPhone or iTouch or iPad, so I was talking out my posterior orifice.
Furunculus
01-29-2010, 11:53
the mass market ebook store is another angle, ebooks for everyday, not just for limited function e-ink devices.
but until i can get my ebooks un an unrestricted open format, just like my music, i ain't interested.
oddly enough, here is an article from el-reg in ipads and ebooks:
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2010/01/29/apple_ipad_vs_e_book_readers/
al Roumi
01-29-2010, 12:48
Oh dear, here's anothor fawning sycophant (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/29/stephen-fry-apple-ipad).
There's much to like, of course. The physical beauty and classy build quality, as in anything designed by Jonathan Ive. The shockingly low price — $499 for the basic model. The contract-free, unlocked nature of the 3G version. But there are two chief reasons for its guaranteed success.
1. It is so simple. It is basically a highly responsive capacitative piece of glass with solid-state memory and an IPS display. Just as a book is basically paper bound together in a portable form factor. The simplicity is what allows everyone, us, software developers, content providers and accessory manufacturers to pour themselves into it, to remake it according to the limits of their imagination. I'll stop before I get too Disney.
2. It is made by Apple. I'm not being cute here. If it was made by Hewlett Packard, they wouldn't have global control over the OS or the online retail outlets. If it was made by Google, they would have tendered out the hardware manufacture to HTC. Apple – and it is one of the reasons some people distrust or dislike them – control it all. They've designed the silicon, the A4 chip that runs it all, they've designed the batteries, they've overseen every detail of the commercial, technological, design and software elements. No other company on earth does that. And being Apple it hasn't been released without (you can be sure) Steve Jobs being wholly convinced that it was ready. "Not good enough, start again. Not good enough. Not good enough. Not good enough." How many other CEOs say that until their employees want to murder them? That's the difference.
So essentially to him it's affordable, simple and apple... But light on the actual function. He likes it because he likes nice things that look cool whereas (to answer the OP) geeks are more interested in what it will actually do -and how well.
It does seem to me a bit like the function will almost be created for the ipad as the market responds to this thing that every man and his wife will have, and been looking for something to do with.
So, the main points are
Apple.
Simple.
Shocking.
People buy pictures for thousands of dollars for similar reasons, you can do more with an iPad than you can with a picture.
Like I said above, one of the biggest flaws is the lack of flash, without flash it cannot replace a netbook at all.
Tellos Athenaios
01-29-2010, 14:35
I think part of the point is not that this device is intended to be an immediate killer product; just a product that finds some segment and does profitably well. Just like the original ipods and iphones, and more traditionally the macs: something that sensible human beings would ridicule at the combination of price and lack of performance; but that the more curious side would like to at least try out some day.
And when you do decide to let curiosity get the better of you and you buy one, Apple will be happy enough to pocket a $500,- and say thank you. And you will show it to others, and if you like it you will let others try that too. And others will get curious; and maybe decide to let their curiosity get the better of themselves and Apple will be happy to pocket from each another $500,- and say thank you as well.
Good God! It's a pyramid scheme!
No, it's a snowball scheme!
Also I'm a very curious person, am i in trouble now? :sweatdrop:
CrossLOPER
01-29-2010, 16:52
How long before the price drop?
Vladimir
01-29-2010, 17:42
That's one thing that disturbs me as I learn more about it. Apparently you can only get software through Apple's official store - which they boasted about in the presentation. Do Apple Geeks really like only being able to buy from the company store?
CR
16 bits-what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. :smash:
Well, this is getting interesting (http://gizmodo.com/5460203/the-apple+amazon-ebook-war-begins-amazon-deletes-macmillan-books?). Amazon has deleted all McMillan books, not only from the Kindle, but from the Amazon store as well. Amazon claims it is over a price disagreement on the Kindle, but that doesn't square, not with them removing the physical books as well.
Let's get ready to ruuuuuumble!
Skullheadhq
01-30-2010, 17:29
Why does everything starting with an i get hyped immediatly at announcent, it isn't of exceptional quality, it only looks good, but that doesn't do it for geeks.
Anyway, women and non-geeks will still buy it because it's fashionable
LOL, when I clicked technical specs, it just said how thin it is, why care?
Also, the processor is only 1 ghz and is thus useless for everything else then reading, and with 12gigs you won't be able to install much, and with 1ghz processor and a filled hard drive, the boot time will be long, very long.
Anyway, for performance it's a no go
Crandaeolon
01-30-2010, 17:57
According to most preliminary reports it's blazing fast at what it does...
Lastly, there’s the fact that the iPad is using a new CPU designed and made by Apple itself: the Apple A4. This is a huge deal. I got about 20 blessed minutes of time using the iPad demo units Apple had at the event today, and if I had to sum up the device with one word, that word would be “fast”.
Web pages render so fast it was hard to believe. After using the iPhone so much for two and a half years, I’ve become accustomed to web pages rendering (relative to the Mac) slowly. On the iPad, they seem to render nearly instantly. (802.11n Wi-Fi helps too.)
The Maps app is crazy fast. Apps launch fast. Scrolling is fast. The Photos app is fast.
...
But: everyone I spoke to in the press room was raving first and foremost about the speed. None of us could shut up about it. It feels impossibly fast. (And our next thought: What happens if Apple has figured out a way to make a CPU like A4 that fits in an iPhone? If they pull that off for this year’s new iPhone, look out.)
Apple doesn’t talk much about the technical details of the iPhone. They never talk about CPU speed or the name of the chip being used. They don’t tell you how much RAM is in there. Part of their vision for moving computers from technical culture to popular culture is about getting away from defining these things by their technical specs. So the prominent talk about A4 is telling. This is something they want us to notice.
Original source (one of many): http://daringfireball.net/2010/01/ipad_big_picture
Skullheadhq
01-30-2010, 18:48
If compared to a cellphone (what your sauce did) it is quite fast, but AFAIK you can't call with a phone, it's more of a computer, and compared to a computer the iPad is dead slow.And for the same money, you could also buy a (cheap) notebook which is much better.
Here is a video of it in action: http://www.slashgear.com/apple-redefines-a-market-hands-on-with-ipad-2871864/
Seems pretty fast to me. I guess that is the consequences of having an OS and apps that fits the machine (and the newly developed A4 cpu) instead of a bloated OS that is not needed for such a machine anyway. It will be interesting to see if Windows Mobile 7 can compete with it. Android is another option although I don't know much about that one. The latest Intel Atom should be able to compete with the A4 or can it?
So has Apple created a winner? It does look like it for now.
CBR
LOL, when I clicked technical specs, it just said how thin it is, why care?
Also, the processor is only 1 ghz and is thus useless for everything else then reading, and with 12gigs you won't be able to install much, and with 1ghz processor and a filled hard drive, the boot time will be long, very long.
Bad comparison, it doesn't have a hard drive, it has flash memory, the GHz alone doesn't say much, it's not running vista but a version of the iPhone OS, my iPhone(3G, not GS) can run that with only 412 MHz AND my iPhone can run run games as well. So why would the same software not run on a device that has more than twice the CPU power? You're completely forgetting that all the software that you can get on the AppStore is pretty much optimised to run on the device (or an iPhone/iPod Touch, both of which are slower, the 3GS has 600MHz). Now of course the graphics cards are another issue but I'd expect it to have at least the same as the iPhone 3GS(which is faster than that of the 3G), haven't seen that mentioned anywhere though.
Crazed Rabbit
01-30-2010, 21:41
The Onion, as always, delivers: (http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/frantic_steve_jobs_stays_up)
Frantic Steve Jobs Stays Up All Night Designing Apple Tablet
CUPERTINO, CA—Claiming that he completely forgot about the much-hyped electronic device until the last minute, a frantic Steve Jobs reportedly stayed up all night Tuesday in a desperate effort to design Apple's new tablet computer. "Come on, Steve, just think—think, dammit—you're running out of time," the exhausted CEO said as he glued nine separate iPhones to the back of a plastic cafeteria tray. "Okay, yeah, this will work. This will definitely work. Just need to write 'tablet' on this little strip of masking tape here and I'm golden. Oh, come on, you piece of shit! Just stick already!" Middle-of-the-night sources reported that Jobs then began work on double-spacing his Keynote presentation and increasing the font size to make it appear longer.
CR
Crandaeolon
01-31-2010, 01:24
compared to a computer the iPad is dead slow.
Proprietary silicon, proprietary OS, custom software, no multitasking. Any monkey could optimize applications to run fast on that environment. And, Apple's target demographic is non-geeks; people who care about out-of-the-box functionality and, incidentally, "looks" and "sleekness."
Of course they weren't the first, but they were so far ahead of the competition in ergonomics and functionality that they single-handedly changed the market for those products. MP3 players had almost no market share in portable music players before the iPod, and afterward the industry exploded. People quickly started buying MP3 players in general, even other brands, because of the impact the iPod had. For the iPhone, there was almost no consumer market for smartphones before it was released. It was used a lot for business work, but the consumer market was practically non-existent. Now, consumer smartphones are huge money.
Netbooks and laptops are already gigantic product sectors. There's no market niche missing from that picture for Apple to exploit. So, instead they're going to be going up against the established products that everyone knows and everyone already uses. Which is exactly where Apple failed with Apple TV and the Macbook Air.
This is Apple's tablet PC/netbook. And COULD turn out like the ipod and iphone. That is Apple's creation of an "i" decive will take them to the mass market.
Skullheadhq
01-31-2010, 11:25
I bet there will be no overclocking the processor or any other tweaking the stats, amirite?
KukriKhan
01-31-2010, 15:48
This is Apple's tablet PC/netbook. And COULD turn out like the ipod and iphone. That is Apple's creation of an "i" decive will take them to the mass market.
lars573 nails it, I think. This thing is designed to fit in a purse, not a pocket.
lars573 nails it, I think. This thing is designed to fit in a purse, not a pocket.
Must be a good absorbent then.
KukriKhan
01-31-2010, 21:18
Must be a good absorbent then.
You have seen that skit, right?
Well, my brother, who is the only other bona-fide geek in the family, was so underwhelmed by the iPad that he's ordered a Nook (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/). The DRM situation on the Kindle (http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090623/0415565326.shtml) is a no-no (sez him) and the iPad isn't very good at anything. Besides which, after doing far more research than I will ever do, he claims that the epub format (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPUB) is the future.
Lemur, do you know any good devices for the UK market? The kindle and nook look like both require the American market.
al Roumi
02-02-2010, 18:59
I love the fact that everyone who thinks they are funny/clever has knocked the ipad. Personaly I'd be more cautious about eating humble pie when the people, as in the link below, notice that "it do telly too" and it vanishes off the shelves:
SHINY THING MAKE IT ALL BETTER (http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/business/shiny-thing-make-it-all-better-201001282420/)
Lemur, do you know any good devices for the UK market? The kindle and nook look like both require the American market.
Sony got several good eReaders and they should have ePub support IIRC. But 2010 will bring several 9.7 inch eReaders so that might be worth waiting if 5-6 inch is too small for you.
CBR
Furunculus
02-03-2010, 18:16
lots of 9.7" readers announced so the price will drop, but ironically it is the ipad that will squeeze ereader prices right down. so april would be a good time to buy; lots of choice and low prices.
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