iPad

[Nightstalker]

I don't get the people who bought this. Get a laptop? (you actually get a bigger screen and keboard too!)


So I guess the next two steps in the evolution are to make products between the size of the iPhone and iPad, then a device the size between an iPad and a laptop?    (incidently they'll be called iManidiotforbuyingthesethings)  


LOL Paul

[Paul]

i thought it was funny wondering what the hell steve jobs was doing crabwalking to get that photo

[Jim Tressel]

The girlfriend loves hers, but she's pretty far from a " power user". That's really who this is for.

[Nightstalker]

Yeah.


But It just goes to show you that sensationalized shopping does occur, even beyond common sense. Or as we liked to call it in the retail world, impulse shopping.

The American people are a well farmed market, and although i'm almost certain most people are aware of it, i'm not certain if the people even care, heh.

[BCBrent]

I don't think that harshly towards the iPad. It is sort of like a video game console, you purchase the hardware and have to used the approved software made specifically for it, but the stuff that is made for it works really well.  There are a lot of computer users who are perfectly happy with only using a computer for surfing the net, sorting through picture/video files, and playing basic games.  Mix that with a decent amount of apps and extreme portability and it is a decent product. 

Would I personally have a use for it?  Probably not, I have a pretty nice laptop that does everything I need it to already.  Caleb did mention that it isn't exactly built for a power user, and there are a lot of features for people that will turn those sorts of users off from buying one (no usb ports = major WTF, no mkv support etc).  But I can kind of see the value of a device like that. 

The only reason I would think that most people got this as an impulse buy is because it is the first edition that they made of this device.  In a few more releases, they are probably going to hammer out any problems this one has (sort of like how they handled the iPhone).

[Nightstalker]

I don't see there being a functionality of the item at all. Anything you need is enhanced going either direction.

The ipod breakthrough was about portability of the net and functions into the palm of your hand. A great product which can even fit in your pocket. Whereas with the ipad you got this item which has less functions than an iphone, and it's not a device you can stow away as easily as an iphone.

Wanna go grab a roasted chicken breast sandwich at subway? Just put that iphone in your pocket and order it up. With the ipad you are left looking like a jackass carrying around something all the time, which you can't quite holster somehow.

So portability is out of the issue. At which point you might as well be carrying around a laptop, which will give you much more function options than and ipad.

As for games id rather play them on a laptop than an ipad, which gives the same game access as what I would have on a PC at home.

So where is the function? It's a luxury item at best with no specialized practical role. And as with almost all other luxury items with no specialized funtion, it will fall into obscurity.

People will learn that they can't take it to where they can take their iphone, and they'll end up leaving it sitting around doing nothing.

Just get a laptop.

[ZONK]

Pretty impressed with Brent's post. It gives a pretty clear definition. Night basically ignored all the positives that are correct. It is for people that only use a computer to browse the internet, look at photos, and maybe wasting time on some random activity that keeps your interest, game/book something. ONLY think of it like that and it performs its job well.

So saying there is no functionality at all is just ignoring what it can do. If you have a laptop then yes, you probably don't need this, it is the reason I wouldn't buy one. I have a very good laptop that is lightweight and perfect (13inch macbook pro unibody). The pocket idea is a different niche, to fit that size you lose the screen size that makes the ipad a better internet browsing machine. There are some folding netbook designs coming around that might make the dream of a pocket sized screen that makes an ipad size screen, but that is fantasy right now. Also note this thing has 10 hours of battery life, something that matches its functions can't even match half that. Netbooks run around 5 hours max correct?

Last note, USB:

This is a debatable subject I think. See you can get a USB port on it, you just have to buy the Camera connection kit, which gives you a clip that plugs into the dock and has a USB port on end. Now, the first reaction to that is why didn't they just put a USB and not require you to spend money for the adapter, Apple is so greedy. This is probably 100% true, but it is amazing how no one sees any of the advantages. The dock is a multipurpose port, it can do 25 different things, AV cable, SD card, USB, HDMI in time, etc. Sure it would be nice, but ugly, if there was 25 different ports all over, but it looks better, makes for a more solid strong device with just the dock. One USB next to the dock on the left (speakers are on the right) would have been nice, but it isn't a 100% killshot, if it only had USB and charged over that, losing the dock would suck.

[Redbear8]

Just because it's not functional for you, doesn't mean it isn't functional for someone else.

[Nightstalker]

 

Are you guys on Job's payroll or something? Or do you people just have to argue with me about any little thing?

It's a piece of shit.

Stop criticizing me in the first sentence, then breaking out into a paragraph about how it could be better, or trying to dress up it's shortcommings, and then going on to say that you don't see a use for it yourselves, if you really think otherwise.

It's a leisure toy, it's not a practical tool like devices in either direction; the iphone or laptop.

"But night it can do some of those things.."  Some of them? And do you want to dedicate a hand to carrying it around all the time, or a product where you could have a portable phone with net access, which can be stowed away into a pocket for hands free.

But if you like, you can let Jobs farm you, and buy it so later on down the road you can go back to the Apple store and pay for upgrades, so you can then have an upgraded piece of shit.

[BCBrent]

Last note, USB:

That is a good point for the USB-Dock fix, if you did add a USB port then the question would be 'why not an hdmi/firewire/sd card/etc port', and just make a solution that can eventually cover all of them.  I would still be a little surprised if one didn't get included in future releases.  

Just because it's not functional for you, doesn't mean it isn't functional for someone else.

QFT

But if you like, you can let Jobs farm you, and buy it so later on down the road you can go back to the Apple store and pay for upgrades, so you can then have an upgraded piece of shit.

Bwuh?  You're talking to a guy who has a windows 7 laptop, an Xbox 360, a Zune, and a Windows Mobile phone.  It's almost embarassing how much money I've given them at this point, and for the last two items I'm pretty sure that earns me the sympathetic consumer achievement.  

I'm merely pointing out that sometimes optimizing features on a device that can be easily used for mainstream consumers and not uber geeks isn't always a bad thing.  I can see why people might like it, though I would never personally have a use for one.

[ZONK]

Nope not on Jobs payroll, and I said I am not getting the device because it isn't useful for me, I already have a laptop I prefer. So again... just because it isn't useful for me or you doesn't mean it is shit.

It also isn't dressing up its shortcomings by saying what the fuck the product does. I does some of the things because guess what, IT DOES SOME OF THE THINGS. A laptop might lack something else, does your laptop have a touchscreen? No, do you want one No, because not everyone does. If someone wants a touchscreen does that mean they are retarded and any product they want is full of shit and they must be sucking the cock of someone that designed/made it?

Leisure vs practical: A toilet is leisure, could just use the ground. A television is leisure why the hell do you own one of those? Can't you get the news and anything else from the internet on your laptop? Practical of course means something to a point, so far the only reason it isn't practical according to you is because its size. There are cellphones, netbooks, 13 inch/15/17 laptops, monitors of all sizes, people prefer difference sizes. The size you prefer isn't the ipad so it isn't practical for YOU.

Haven't even really discussed the use of this device for people scared of computers. Nintendo wii has made a great uses for people that don't use computers everyday, don't play games or get active everyday. Many people don't know how to turn on a computer, this is a device they would buy and pretend they were on a computer.

And as far as Jobs farming me, you even quoted how I said I wasn't going to buy one, I also don't own and iPhone, and posting this from my desktop running Windows XP. I do own a mac so I guess he has one crop with my name.

[Nightstalker]

A toilet is leisure, could just use the ground.

A toilet is practical as it facilitates proper hygene and reduces risk of disease and infection spread. "Just using the ground" is not ideal, and does not facilitate sending fecal discharge and urine to processing centers away from populated areas.

It's not a "leisure" item or else they wouldn't be in every fucking house in the first and second world nations. And as for developing countries without them, i'm sure you must know of the consequences of the ones which don't have proper sanitation systems, including the toilet, and other items which are tied into a central plumbing system and contribute to proper civil health and allow for larger cities.

You could argue that the toilet or central plumbing are luxury items in some developing countries, but pretty much anything is, including clean water.

Regarding countries that have them, which are most of them, they aren't exactly luxurious.. you don't see recliners shaped in the fashion of a damn toilet do you?

But if you want there are luxury toilet accessories and toilets. Get a heated pad seat, or buy one of those toilets which spray your asshole with a stream of liquid. Maybe get a

A television is leisure why the hell do you own one of those?

Heh, actually I don't  



So what can people do on an ipad that people cannot do on an iphone?
And can people do everything they do on an iphone when using an ipad?

[RedDawn]

It's not a piece of shit. The hardware and OS is tight. It's just a niche device.

I will see how the HP Slate turns out. It's runs Windows 7 so that's pretty awesome!

[Redbear8]

Night, why do you need everyone to agree with you that it's a piece of shit? What is wrong with it being a useful purchase for cross section of the worlds population?

You don't like it? Fucking great, I don't either!

No need for everyone else to see it your way though. Bottom line is no matter how silly it may seem to you and I, some people will find this thing amazingly useful despite its obvious flaws.

Just walk away my friend, walk away.

[ZONK]

You know the toilet example was an exaggeration of my point luxury and practical are not black and white. Even proved it is different in different locations.

I have already agreed with you on the point if I had an iPhone I wouldn't see much need to buy an iPad. After Apple showed off the latest iPhone OS update, maybe I will finally buy the new iphone that will be displayed at Apples next convention (WWDC).

Differences, I never said there was much but there is some. Currently the iPhone has a camera while the iPad does not. I expect this to change with iPad 2nd gen, and wouldn't buy a 1st gen anyways because Apple seems to be well in trend with testing the waters before they go "all-in" with what they can do on a platform.

The iPad has iWork, which is basically Microsoft Office Suite of Word, Excel, Powerpoint (Pages, Numbers, Keynote = Apples names for the iWork apps). The iPhone doesn't get this apps, only the ability to view documents, not edit. I think you might be able to edit text on the iPhone, but not 100% the full features of font, tables, etc.

HP Slate:

It is a very interesting product. It will easily say they met what everyone hoped the iPad was to be. I am not going to say they have done it yet. The specs look ok, but even with 1gb ram compared to the iPad that is  4 times more. However, it all depends how well Microsoft optimized the Windows 7 that is running on the Slate. They have to get the services and OS to run at least below 512 of use (Don't forget on top of the OS is the UI developed by HP that also adds to ram use). The other area that worries me is the battery. Nothing can come close to the iPad 10 hours. The HP Slate is said to be able to output HDMI video through an HDMI port and do some pretty amazing stuff. Outputting 1080p is going to eat battery like crazy, no way you will be able to view the whole movie without needing to charge during. What do you guys think what would the minimum battery life you would accept for the HP Slate to be acceptable? I would want at least 3.5 hours to match my laptop. Anything less and it goes back to the point we all kinda agree on, why not just have a laptop?