The iPad May Change Computing, Just Not Your Life
The first time you walk into an Apple Store and pick up an iPad, you’ll understand the hype: Apple has managed to create a beautiful, thoughtfully designed, compelling product in a space where mediocrity was, until now, status quo. But odds are you probably won’t buy one — at least not yet. And that’s OK.
For despite the high level of anticipation for and proclamations associated with the launch of the Apple device, the fact remains that outside of a few select vertical uses (like medicine), tablets are constrained by their own form factor, stuck in the nether realm between productivity and portability. Standing onstage during the device’s unveiling, Steve Jobs himself posed a question that acutely underscores the tablet dilemma: Is there room for a third category of product that sits between your two most essential devices, the laptop and phone? As much as I’m looking forward to the iPad, I’m still not sure there is.
To date, no one’s been able to scale tablets as a core personal computing product, though it’s certainly not for lack of effort. Just about every player in the electronics world has given tablets a go, from Nokia with its Maemo-based N-series Internet communicators to Dell with its Android-based mini-slates to all manner of Windows-based convertible and slate tablet PCs. But the problem with all of them — and the iPad may also be included — isn’t that they’ve been unable to offer fundamentally differentiated experiences from the devices we already own and carry.
Think back to the iPod — before it existed, there wasn’t such a thing as taking your entire music (and eventually, video) library with you wherever you went. But the concept proved to be so elemental that it transcended the iPod as a device, and became a staple in nearly every product Apple makes, from iTunes on the Mac to the iPhone. In his iPad launch presentation, Jobs seemed pretty clear about the fact that the iPad won’t replace your phone or laptop (at least not any time soon), and yet Apple has still been deficient in demonstrating more than scaled-up iPhone experiences (like browsing, light email, and gaming) or scaled-down desktop experiences (like iWork).
Of course, it would be a failure of imagination to assume there won’t eventually be something built on the iPad platform that simply couldn’t be hosted on a phone or laptop. But so far Apple hasn’t shown it to us, which may be why so many are still lukewarm on the device’s prospects. This also might be why iBooks was January’s dark horse announcement — it was the only app Apple showed off that seems to call out for the iPad by name. But long-form reading is still arguably better suited to devices like the Kindle and Nook, which benefit from E Ink displays, while shorter-form media (namely periodicals) went all but ignored by Apple, which punted to publication-specific apps like the New York Times reader. Had Apple attempted to create a new, ubiquitous, standard format for magazines and newspapers, and leveraged its sales infrastructure for subscription content, the iPad might have been hailed as the iPod of publishing.
There’s no question Apple has (re)defined the tablet dialog and raised the bar for the space moving forward. For browsing the web, the iPad experience is second to none; the product itself almost seems to melt away, leaving the user to feel as though they’re literally reaching in and touching the content. And by the time the iPad’s price drops in a year or two, Apple may be able to parlay a groundbreaking product into a market leadership position. But in the mean time, the countdown to launch has begun and Cupertino’s set its sights on building yet another market, we’ll have to see just how many people are ready to put their money where Apple’s tablet is.
Related Research from GigaOM Pro:
- Web Tablet Survey: Apple’s iPad Hits the Right Notes (sub required)
- 5 Tips for Developers Targeting the iPad(sub required)
Ryan Block is the co-founder of gdgt and the former editor in chief of Engadget. Disclosure: gdgt is backed by True Ventures, a venture capital firm that is an investor in the parent company of this blog, Giga Omni Media. Om Malik, founder of Giga Omni Media, is also a venture partner at True.
“Think back to the iPod — before it existed, there wasn’t such a thing as taking your entire music (and eventually, video) library with you wherever you went.”
Huh? There were lots of MP3 players before Apple entered the market with the iPod. It wasn’t the iPod that changed the face of digital music, it was Apple’s ability to legitimize digital music downloads with iTunes. Same with the iPhone. The device was cool enough, but the App Store is what made it break out. Content will ultimately drive the success of the iPad as well. The more the iPad can do, the more it will succeed.
I totally agree with you. It’s not the camera, or the usb port or any hardware piece that will make the iPad a success. It is the apps that will eventually boost its sales and turn it into the must-have portable device. I see the iPad like a blank sheet that software developers can turn into whatever their imagination is capable of.
Another important point, in my opinion, is that many markets with big problems, like the printed press, the movie industry etc, look at the iPad as a possible solution to their profits decline. They will strongly support it with apps and lower product prices, less expensive movies tv shows, books and magazines etc. fact that adds some points to the probability of its success.
I have faith in that thoughts and I will not expect for the next generation of iPads, that’s for sure. Although I can understand that many people prefer to wait, I am not going to be one of them.
@ Bruce, While I don’t disagree that content is extremely important and has helped the success of both the ipod and iphone you completely undervalue the part hardware plays in a products success.
Yes there was lots of MP3 players on the market before the ipod but none that where as easy to use, could store as much content in such a small stylish form factor along with the click wheel which bought in a new navigation paradigm.
The iphone which actually had less features then competing smart phones at the time became a success because it made its features easy to use for the average joe.
Has content been important for both these devices… of course but if the devices themselves are too hard to use, poorly designed or a host of other design sins neither would have sold well and the content you speak of what not have come into existence on these devices.
Well Stated.
The device that comes to mind after reading this is the Nokia N770/N800/N810. Great concept but poor execution. I owned both the 770 and the 800 versions. Both had so much potential. Both were to hard to use and were not reliable When the iPod Touch came on the market, problems solved.
I completely agree with Bruce. Most people use hardly any functions on a PC/Netbook. Most computer use (apart from work environments) is used for browsing the web/watching content/writing emails (not essays/docs).
The iPad is so accessible for the millions of people who get lost when trying to use a computer.
I remember seeing a 3 year old child and 70 year old mane easily using the iPhone. They both got it and enjoyed it. The iPhone’s UI removed the concept of folders/sub directors/programs etc. This is what made is so accessible to millions of mobile users. The ipad would offer the same experience and so I believe is a serious netbook killer.
Very well said Ryan, thanks for sharing these very important points.
i cant understand how experienced tech writers are so unwilling to “get it”. The fact it may be an ipod touch just bigger is exactly what is getting 250 million ipod users excited. If there is no room for this because of the ipod touch than why is there room for a 27″ imac when you can get a 21.5″ and do the same thing? This is gonna be revolutionary and when EVERYONE has one and all the bloggers who wrote posts like this use one everyday, i will be the first to say “i told you that you just didnt get it”. To compare this to any netbook running as desktop OS really shows inexperience. A desktop OS on a mobile platform? the ipad is NTO a desktop os built for use with an input device like mice. The ipad os was built from the ground up to use touch. This will not be anything like your typical netbook you want to compare it to and say have all failed. Still, great writing and good article. I just disagree.
I’m with you Mann! The author has little imagination and will just be one of those people who didn’t get it.
The iPad makes computing available to the masses, the people that are technically not savvy and don’t want to surf the internet on their iPod touches or iPhones. It’s going to be huge because it will simplify everything (with a lot of help from apps). It’s a disruptive technology because everyone that didn’t have a computer but wants one will instantly get it and feel like they “can handle this thing” once they hold it in their hands.
oww…man…You gave up engadget for this site?
No, Ryan left Engadget to start gdgt.com, this is just a column.
Wow Veronica, you are everywhere! .. That’s a good thing! :)
“Think back to the iPod — before it existed, there wasn’t such a thing as taking your entire music (and eventually, video) library with you wherever you went.”
I disagree – the 6GB Creative DAP Jukebox was available in 2000. I think the first iPod was released Mid 2001?
MaFt
True. But the iPod was the one that swept the opponents. This was due to the hardware and software integration (iTunes). The product worked. Prior to that it was a pain to get playlists and music syncing to work right. Sounds simple but Apple made it work without trouble. I painfully remember…
…but the article didn’t say that, did it? it implied there was no way to carry your entire music collection before the iPod. Which is simply incorrect.
For me the question remains – what “must have” problem does the tablet solve & for whom?
The laptop does it all, the smartphone merges content and contact. What does the tablet do that the other two don’t. If anything it actually removes features – and that just may be where the must have lies. Too far out for us to see at the moment. We’ll just have to wait.
“must have” an iPod touch that I can actually read – and use with my “big man” hands and fingers.
That’s good.
Exactly. I can’t use a laptop in a hallway conference, or an impromptu meeting over coffee. That’s why I kept boxes of steno pads from 1986 on that I’ve schlepped around the planet. The iPad is, first and foremost, a declaration of independence from haphazardly scrawled, non-indexed, unsearchable notes. As a bonus, it can run almost any iPhone app out there. But the two I really, REALLY care about are a good note-taking app and Safari.
I do not think the tablet has to do anything other devices do not. I think it is more about how tablets resolve certain issues. The ipad will definitely be able to create another user experience than laptops or smart phones. This will be enough for the success to come.
As much as people hate to admit it, there were MP3 players out with more functionality than the 1st iPod before that device hit.
Again most didn’t just work. If HP had made an MP3 player do what the iPod did from the start, Apple would have been dead years ago.
“As much as people hate to admit it, there were MP3 players out with more functionality than the 1st iPod before that device hit.”
Same argument holds for the iPad. There are tablet computers out there now with more functionality than the iPad.
But like with the iPod, Apple has made a device which is more straightforward to use in a smaller form factor. And at a much better price point.
On the iPod / library stuff, I’m generalizing to make a point. I’m well aware of early models that used massive 2.5-inch laptop drives (like the early brick-sized Archos devices, or the Creative NOMADs, etc.), but I was speaking more to the concept that you — yes, you, the average consumer with a digital music library — can take that with you wherever you go. That was not a concept people understood before the iPod. And for whatever it’s worth, the iPod was the first device to use the Toshiba 1.8-inch drive that afforded similar storage capacities in significantly smaller devices.
Based on the start of the 2nd paragraph – “To date, no one’s been able to scale tablets as a core personal computing product”, this author and so many others miss what I believe (I could be wrong) to be Apple’s goal, which is to deliver a new personal electronics device, not a new computing device. Think of it a 2010 version of a walkman, but rather than being limited to playing cassette tapes and FM radio, the iPad “plays” a wide range of “media” (music, video, games, personal communications, books, newspapers, visual arts, etc.) that are available today in digital format – both stored on the device, in the cloud and available on demand on the internet. The many computing applications that will be made to run on the iPad will just be gravy.
Pair an iPad with a Slingbox and WOW. Slingbox already has an app for iPhone/iPod Touch, so it seems likely there will be an update to take advantage of the larger iPad screen. I’ve never given Slingbox any serious consideration, but if I can pair it with an iPad it’s much more appealing.
Maybe we’ll see Apple take the Slingbox concept to reinvent its Apple TV as a media hub for the iPad.
But daddy, I want an iPad now!
I do not pretend the ipad be like laptop or desktop PC,
but i do care about communication among computers os, it does not matter if is pc, mac or linux, cuold be very convinient for the ipad, i mean like usb port, stick memory reader, camera integration for using skype or whatever. the ipad has huge capacity and sometime your are out of home and have some file from a friend to take away with you, and you have to depend on a stick memory, i know there is some app, but all work using wifi connectivity, but what happen if that friend`s PC do not have a wifi adapter nither internet acces. I have an Iphone 3g, iphone is very cool, email, web, music, you can use the phone very friendly, but for thing that matter like: store on the memory with out the need of specific aplicion like itune, work as and stick memory where i can save document and later send by email when i need to do it, multitasking, come on man, you have the breack now to do something well done, Steve Jobs please be on my shoes and ask you why all my coworker are not using iphone for work.
No Flash means it is a second rate browsing experience.. I’m not a fan of flash by any means but too many sites use it. IMHO, the failure of this device is that for it to be truely worth it, you need another 3G contract. Maybe people have more money than me, but i’m not going to buy another contract when I already have an iPhone. If they allowed bluetooth tethering to your iphone or some such that would have been perfect.
I do see that devices like this will be in our future, i’m just not sure the V1 iPad will be it.
there’ll be an app for that ;-)
I have trouble buying “flash” as an essential internet experience. I’ve been keeping a list of flash applications I would miss … and so far the list is up to 3 … all fairly intense artistic expressions. For the most part Flash is a part of the interactive experience … bad advertisements for products I’ll never buy (HP servers, for X sake !)
Fortunately, with this device you don’t need another 3G contract, such as one for the iPhone.
Apple was really wise and pulled a lot of strings to make the device work with AT&T’s network, not tied to any bind whatsoever.
If you choose, you can attach it to their network, change your data plans based on need, and if there is a time you don’t need it, you can simply cancel it without backlash.
Overall I think this will be the biggest benefit. The 3G plans are cheap and you aren’t stuck, so those who fear commitment won’t have to worry.
Nice article Ryan.
I think the weekly/monthly magazines are the prime function of this type of device. We’ll soon see how well Apple grasp this by how aggressively they pursue this rather than settling for a basic book store. The iPad could well be a game changer. This is the killer app. It’s not music, photos, videos or half the stuff Jobs listed in his keynote. It’s all about books and magazines, with emphasis on the latter (because e-ink is likely still better for regular books). A touch version of Zinio’s reader and marketplace would be amazing. At the very least I want great PDF support for the PDF-based magazines I subscribe to.
Having said that, I think most people will spend more time using it to browse the web. But I don’t think this will drive sales and isn’t really a clear reason to buy it over a small laptop/netbook until people actually get their hands on one. I’d spend much more time browsing the web on an iPad than on my laptop because it’s lighter, smaller, easier to hold, silent, simple, instant on and you’re not lugging around a plastic keyboard which gets in the way even though you’re only using it a tiny fraction of the time. But try giving “it’s nicer” as an incentive to buy one. Something like “instant access to all the magazines/books” is easier to grasp.
I think Mozilla’s position on h.264 is important for the iPad too. If Mozilla adopt it then we effectively have a web standard for video. Flash would fade much more quickly. Although Mozilla makes millions from the search bar in Firefox it would be nice to see the MPEG group reduce royalties/terms to encourage this.
By magazines I meant periodicals generally. So obviously include newspapers in that too.
It’s unlikely Mozilla will adopt h.264 it though due to the financial costs associated with doing so and the impact this will have on Mozilla as an open source product. Yes, the MPEG group need to reduce royalties but they also need to do something more fundamental to create a standard that’s open for all to use without cost.
Simply put: it is not what a machine can do, it is what you can do with the machine.
Phones and computers are perfect examples: most can do much more than users actually use them for. Worse, because they càn do so much more, every single task becomes difficult, needs several steps, etc…
The succes of the iPhone? I can use every feature of it within 5 minutes, and I don’t need a manual – nor does my 6 year old son.
The coming succes of the iPad? …..
Indeed.
I’m getting one asap.
I think tech writers aren’t really thinking through the daily use cases very well. I can think of many times when I want instant, portable access to the web in my home, whether it’s reading a recipe in the kitchen, looking up something on the web when my laptop is shut or packed away, passing a funny video or web site around the room among friends or family. I share my iPhone with people all the time, but the screen is painfully small for in-home use. When I was working on my old BMW last year, I had my iPhone propped next to me in the garage so I could reference pictures and forum posts. A tablet would have been far more useful. I would use that thing to death for couch-surfing. The convenience of the tablet form factor is real. It may ultimately not be the iPad that sells. But I think “real people” will embrace the coming crop of tablets.
I think your spot on. It is funny how techs get caught up in specs and comparisons of what they know (so many site processor power, not what the device will accomplish) and fail to see how the populous will use a device. Stranger still is that most of them watch Star Trek. What do they cary around constantly?
I believe that the need is there for a device in this form factor. Tablets were introduced in 2001 with Windows XP Tablet PC edition. At the time, I remember several management friends wanting one as it did fill a void for traveling and meetings, in not having to have a full laptop computer. Of course, this was before smart phones really had enough processing power to supplant laptops altogether in certain usage scenarios.
Tablets were underpowered making them very slow in the beginning. What we would consider good usability today for touch screens simply had not evolved yet. Windows XP was adapted to run on the tablet with handwriting recognition rather than the concept of gesture input interfaces. In my view, the technology was simply “not ready for prime time”.
The iPad has two big advantages… it’s running on technology nearly a decade more advanced, and touch screen usability is a much more mature concept now.
As far as whether there is a market for these devices, I think there always was. It’s just untapped. Just watch how awkward it is for a doctor to carry a laptop in a hallway full of patients for example. They need more than a smartphone but less than a laptop. With eReaders taking off, there is enough to grow the market for tablets into a fully mature market. It just needs time.
The geeks want more ports, more features, more power, more OS. They’re looking for a quad-core desktop compressed into a half-inch tablet. They’re lunatics. Thank goodness Apple doesn’t listen to geeks and their outrageous demands. Hardly anyone has touched an iPad and yet they know for certain that the iPad will be a failure based on hardware shortcomings alone.
The geeks are putting their money on the Notion Ink Adam, the Fusion Garage JooJoo and the HP Slate to just take Apple’s iPad market away because they have more hardware. It’s already been proven that the tablet market is not hardware driven. Every Windows tablet had more hardware (and a couple of pounds more weight) than the iPad and within six months the iPad will most likely outsell all of them.
It’s strange that no matter how smart the geeks are they never consider the majority of the population that are suffering from feature overload. It’s like they don’t have family members or friends that are already struggling with the devices they already have. Apple is trying its best to deliver a simplified platform to consumers and the geeks hate it. It’s too “dumbed down” for power users. Too closed. Too restricted. No decent platform should have a gatekeeper to protect users, the geeks say. Most of the low-tech iPhone users I know are definitely happy to have protection.
I’m going to sit back and watch which tablet platform and device prospers this year and my money is going on Apple and the iPad. The geeks cries and demands are not going to change a thing. Steve is going to be laughing all the way to the bank to add to Apple’s cash reserve.
Couldn’t agree more.
Apple are not the number one brand because of a feature list they tick off just for the sake of it. They’re number one because of the subset of features they concentrate on and do very well.
No matter how knowledgeable a geek is in terms of the technical facts they accumulate it always amazes me they continue to not see the forest for all the trees.
It’s interest too that someone at Microsoft is adopting the Apple approach with Windows Phone 7. It’s missing features like copy/paste and will have a closed App Store. If they finally realized it’s the user experience which counts above all else I can see Windows Phone 7 doing very well.
Compare this to the Android platform. It’s a geeks wet dream. But look what happens when you give geeks unfettered use. You end up with a marketplace littered with alpha quality junk filled technical jargon and requirements, root access, device compatibility. It’s a horrible experience compared with Apple’s App Store. People say Apple are power hungry but ultimately they just have a vision of user experience and do their best to make sure a minority don’t screw it up for the rest.
“Apple is trying its best to deliver a simplified platform to consumers…”
IMHO ‘fitting’ would be more precise than ‘simplified’; otherwise: ACK.
Believe it or not, it does not require being a “geek” to appreciate that the Adam device (for example) will have a Pixel Qi display, permitting much better battery life as well as less eye strain, or that it will have true 180p output capabilities via an HDMI port, or that it will cost half the price of the iPad, and will allow you to load productivity apps like openoffice.org for free (?)
Seriously, this “the brand is more important than the features!” … is kinda … sheep-like, don’t you think?
Whenever I read an article like this, I realize that the writer is either a) a non-user of iPhone or b) a non-user of apps on iPhone.
Because this writer is clueless.
With all those thousands and thousands of apps, there is a new category of user: the iPhone app fanboy or fangirl!!
It’s all about the apps!!!!
The entirety of your post revolves around trying to discredit those who don’t share your POV rather than countering their points. The author “was clueless” why exactly? You conveniently miss out that part. Just a worthless attempt to discredit someone who doesnt share your views. The internet is full of trolls like you.
The fact is that most hardware manufacturers suck at making software, almost everyone except Apple. This is the main reason why all other tablets have failed and it’s not due to the form factor being obtuse.
It was a revolution in software and user experience design that led to the iPod and iTunes taking over the personal music consumption space, not the hardware. The ease-of-use of the iPod combined with the software connection to a well-designed music management application was what won consumers over. There were MP3 players before the iPod but none offered the total user experience that Apple does, and this is even before the iTunes Store debuted.
The main reason that almost all tablets have failed is because the manufacturers slap a desktop-class operating system on it and call it a day; they don’t pay attention to any of the unique user experience dilemmas that come from a tablet-sized computer with a touchscreen in lieu of a mouse. These tablets inevitably have a smaller screen than most LCDs people have on their desks so the DPI goes way up and all the user interface element sizes go way, way down, making things nearly impossible to tap on. Did any of you see Steve Ballmer demoing the “slate” device a few months ago? He missed his intended tap targets repeatedly the made a joke to the audience about his fingers being too big. Sorry Steve, it’s not your fingers, it’s the software not accounting for the main use case.
The iPad will be a hit. It’ll be big in the markets that people are assuming it’ll be big in, and it’ll also be a hit in markets no one has thought of yet because no one has seen what brilliant 3rd-party developers are cooking up. The iPhone is extremely popular because of the over 150,000 applications for it, most available for under a few bucks. The iPhone is popular because of the SOFTWARE. Smartphones existed before the iPhone debuted but it was the high-quality user experience that won consumers over. The same will be true of the iPad.
If you’re still wondering who the iPad was built for, I still believe that it was built for everyone but us: http://idek.net/_kq
Holistic design is the key, and Apple is good at it. “Good” doesn’t sound like such high praise, but most companies would not even rate a “Fair”, because they really don’t try. Apple designs whole products, not software, not hardware, not features, not capabilities. Complete products, aimed at a crystal-clear model of their intended users’ desires and behaviors. That’s simple, conceptually, but apparently very hard to achieve in practice.
Apple is the only world class hardware and software company. It’s no wonder they have been quite successful during the consumer electronics age of computing.
the iPad is a promise to developers more than it is to users. if you develop for the iPad Apple will provide you with easy access to it’s millions of customers with credit cards on file. it was true with the iPhone, the iPad just delivers more screen real estate.
the developers will be jumping over each other to find the killer app for the form factor.
and that ends up being the promise to the users.
For the most part, I agree with The Mann.
It seems that everyone is reacting to this thing based on what they thought or hoped it would be.
This is not a mobile computing device, it’s a portable media consumption device. It will find it’s rightful place on the coffee table in my family room and will join us on vacation. There are a lot of people that use laptops for two things, browsing the web and checking email, This is perfect for both plus I hear it does a few other things.
I just wish you actually could run programs on it that isn’t just bullshit fart-noise apps and stupid games. Would be great if you could actually use it for work, especially considering the price-tag on the 3G capable units.
Instead of scaling up iPhoneOS they should have scaled down MacOS.
“I just wish you actually could run programs on it that isn’t just bullshit fart-noise apps and stupid games. “
Poor attempt at discrediting Apple’s App Store. With 100k apps you’re going to have plenty novelty apps and games but you’ll also have plenty in every other category too. They’re generally very good quality apps too. There’s at least 10 great astronomy apps, at least 10 great IM clients, at least 10 feature rich Twitter clients, 10 good quality music streaming apps, several MS Office compatible editor/spreadsheet, and so on. No matter which category you look at it’s not only flooded with options, but many top notch options. This “fart-noise app” bullshit is old and nothing but half hearted attempt to discredit the decent apps.
“Instead of scaling up iPhoneOS they should have scaled down MacOS.”
Which would make no sense at all. That would but it in the same class as all the large expensive tablet computers and we know how those worked out.
The iPad is just another device like the iPhone/iPod. The fact it syncs with a computer, has low power hardware, cheap components and price point reflects that. If Apple already have a touch-based OS why would they switch to using their mouse-driven UI. That’s just nuts. Makes way more sense to beef up their touch OS – look at the keynote or Youtube overviews and you’ll see new UI components tailored for the bigger form factor.
Don’t feed the troll.
Just curious I just read now two very biased posts hyping products and social media. Are you guys paid to write these articles by the subjects of the articles? Just curious.
Actually I think Apple has made a fundamental mistake with the iPhone and now the iPad. They switched the emphasis from how the device looks and feels to the apps. The iPad in particular is an unattractive device, but Apple is selling it on the apps.
Why is this a problem? I think it actually plays to a long-term weakness with Apple, and the long-term strength of Microsoft. One of the amazing things I’ve seen since MS announced their new phone series is the sheer number of developers and shops that are going to build apps with it. And then I saw an app a coworker of mine built — in three days. This is the first three days the SDK came out.
If its about the apps I think Apple loses. If its about authenticity and the coolness factor then they win. I think iPad is the wrong device. It’s simply not very cool. With that said, it should do much better than the JooJoo.
There are over 150,000 apps in the App Store with billions of downloads.
How many does Windows Mobile Phone 7 Series have? Zero. And how many downloads? Zero. The first phone with WM7 is over 6 months from launch, Microsoft said it themselves that it’s not launching till Fall.
By the time the first WM7 phone has been sold, iPhone OS 4.0 will be out (June), a new iPhone will be out (June), and the iPad will be in a million people’s hands with thousands of brand-new apps custom made just for the iPad. The App Store’s size will be over 200,000 apps, and this is all before the very FIRST WM7S app is out.
Do you buy a computer for how it looks, or what it can do? Do you stare at the beautiful industrial design or do you turn it on and use applications? Hardware only matters if it’s shit and is detrimental to its usage. If it looks decent and has decent specs then it becomes transparent and the software is what makes or breaks the platform. I honestly couldn’t think of a more backwards position than the one you have.
Clearly you missed my point, and I think probably need a lesson in history. Apple has historically won due to their industrial design, not their software. The iMac was a success because of the design of the box, not the OS. The iPod was the same. There were better mp3 players than the iPod, but the iPod looked the best. And the white earbuds created a subtle fashion sensation.
As you point out, the iPhone has a large app store. And so Apple turned their typical position of style over substance into one about the app ecosystem. Unfortunately, and this is the premise of my post, this is ill-fated. It has taken Apple 3 years to hit 200K apps. It will take WM7S ~3 months to hit half that number. So at the start of 2011 you’ll have iPhone at ~220K apps and WM7S at ~120K apps. But the big difference will be the speed and quality of apps that come out. This is where MS’s chops in developer tools will pay off, and it will be apparent that Apple made the wrong bet.
It’s like playing basketball against the Lakers of the 80s. No matter how badly you want to run, don’t. Sure you may get an easy layup here or there, but in the long run the fast tempo favors the Lakers. You never want the “app ecosystem” to be what you’re going up against Microsoft with. Even if it looks like you have a nice lead… it won’t last.
Furthermore, iPad may get to one million units sold. But not millionS. Compared to the iPhone its simply not as interesting of a device. It’s a niche device. A nice to have niche device, but it doesn’t tip the boat in any way. This is iPhone vs WP7S vs Android. Tablets are just along for the ride.
One thing I would also add is that HW ecosystem is something that Apple is much better than MS at. The iPhone/iPod HW ecosystem, IMO, could be their real ace. The fact that they don’t draw that front and center is a mistake.
Again, in the span of just a few days I’ve already seen a couple of high quality WP7S apps written by people that live within a mile radius of me. I think you’re seriously understimating how badly the Windows sw ecosystem has been waiting for something like this.
Sorry, Ken. But you’re digging yourself an even bigger hole. The OS/user interface is THE reason Macs and Apple products have been so successful, not their pretty cases. Talk to anybody about why they prefer Macs, or why they switched from Windows, and they’ll tell you it’s because they are easier to use and more intuitive. You don’t need to wrestle with the OS. That’s always been the case. Why do you think modern-day Windows emulates so much of OSX? Because it works and it’s what consumers want. Now we are seeing the same thing with touch technology on mobile phones. It’s always been the OS.
@Michael,
“The OS/user interface is THE reason Macs and Apple products have been so successful, not their pretty cases”
First, lets be clear. The iPhone and iPod have been huge successes. The Mac — not so much. And I’ll give you the iPhone… slam dunk across the board. Good design, good OS, good product. The iPod was a fasion accessory — there almost always existed a better product, fashion aside, on the market. The Mac has never sold especially well. Maybe you should say the lack of ability for the Mac to sell speaks to the poor quality of its OS? Well of course you’d never say that. That doesn’t fit into your narrative.
“Talk to anybody about why they prefer Macs, or why they switched from Windows, and they’ll tell you it’s because they are easier to use and more intuitive.”
Relatively few people have made this change. But even if you talk to people who have, you’ll quickly discover that they really weren’t Windows users. They used a computer which happened to run Windows. The latest Mac laptop just looked a lot cooler. You’ll also know this because if you ask them what about the OS is better they have no response, except it looks nicer. And for those few who try to show something that “Windows can’t do or the Mac does better” — it takes me about 5 seconds in almost every case to show them how to do it with Windows. And then I ask, “Is that less intuitive?”. They can rarely say yes with a straight face.
With that said, I don’t think OSX is a bad OS. But this mythology that Mac users have that OSX is ridiculously more intuitive is just a fantasy.
“Why do you think modern-day Windows emulates so much of OSX?”
You do realize that much of what’s in Win7 was inspired by Longhorn which began development shortly before XP shipped.
Much better than the JooJoo? I should say so. The JooJoo has no real sales channel; Apple has Apple stores where people wander in off the street, ogle the cool devices and walk out with things they never intended to buy. JooJoo has no national ad budget; Apple has billions in the bank. The company behind JooJoo has no reputation or authority with consumers. Apple is one of the top consumer brands in the world. Why the JooJoo is ever mentioned in the same breath as Apple, HP, Google and others baffles me.
I found some of the comments much better than the article itself. I totally agree with “The Mann” and “Jeffc”.
Forget about any “tablet” based on Windows. They have failed in the past (I still have a Samsung Q1 UMPC), they will fail in the future. Windows 7 is a very good computer OS, but if you need/want a computer, get a netbook/laptop/desktop.
Why would anybody want a tablet that need to boot, enter login/password, update windows, update antivirus, go to control panel to uninstall software, use applications not designed to be used with fingers ? All the burden of a computer without the benefits (keyboard etc…)
The iPhone succeeded because of its design, touch oriented from the start, instant On, always ready, tons of clever apps to help you throughout the day.
The only drawback is, sometimes you would like a bigger screen : to read books, to play some games, to better surf the web, to get multi columns in your twitter client, to get a better view when you pass it around to show pictures or movies etc…
I will get this bigger screen on my iPad, I will get media I don’t have yet (books, magazine, “videozine” or whatever they will call the new type of magazines the iPad will allow creative developpers to build) and, like the iPhone did, I’m sure we will see plenty new apps and usage we can’t even think of yet.
Most people were unexcited by the iPod as they are now unexcited now by the iPad. Apple has a broader plan and is going to execute it, step by step.
Most people were equally unexcited about AppleTV.
By this argument Apple could literally release dog poop and your response would be, “Yeah people may not be excited by dog poop, but they felt the same way about the iPod”. What could Apple release that you might speculate may not be the biggest consumer gadget in the world?
Ken,
I like your posts, and I agree. But, dude, you’re pissing into the wind. It’s true: Steve Jobs could market dog poop and sell a million units. He’s that good at marketing… but he’s also got a willing audience who are so smitten by the words “revolutionary” coming from Jobs’ mouth, they will buy it, at a premium. The Apple fans need this stuff to feel good about themselves, I think, because I can’t figure out why else. It’s not the functionality; you could pen less money on a netbook with a 4G wireless USB plugin, and it wouldn’t be as pretty, but it would be much more capable (e.g. it would have a keyboard, it would handle all sorts of software and hardware devices than an Apple Sanitary Napkin can’t, the OS is much more sophisticated and not single-tasking, etc).
Try to put yourself in these guys’ shoes. Thanks for having the courage to put up with the reflexive hatred and the fact-free arguments.
What is this “won’t replace a laptop” hype??? It will too! It’s going to replace my laptop, because I only use it for is writing, web and mail. Pages and Safari are all I need, and the iPad has them. So instead of a new $999 laptop I’m getting a $699 iPad.
The author is an idiot. Just trying to attract attention to himself through anti-Apple stand. I’m getting tired of reading this crap. IPad will change the world and the lives of all people in the world.
There zillions of people who will buy this out of the gate and mostly because it is an Apple product. Sadly most of those people are buying a solution in search of a problem. That said I also can’t find where I put the iPod Touch when I got bored with it. My kids are in search of it but I have no motivation to look for it.
My bias shows when I have 3 UMPCs and a Tablet so for me it is about ink.
So I think the iPad will change the lives of those looking for a browser / more readable iPod but for me I want a real computer that I can use for real work.
Although just like a “Mullet” hair style the Lenovo U1 may well be Business up the front and Party round the back. So the Snap off slate will be a far more attractive option at least for me.
Still liked the article and yes a very fair assessment of the device. Just an under estimation of the power of Cult of Apple me thinks.
To those who say that there were MP3 players before the iPod – Yes, you are correct, but their acceptance was limited mainly to techno-geek enthusiasts for a variety of reasons.
The iPod was revolutionary because it addressed many of the problems of MP3 players of the day. As the first to employ a 2″ disc drive, it provided unprecedented storage capacity in a small form factor. It used high-speed Firewire (rather than slow USB) to allow fast loading of songs. The revolutionary scroll wheel provided easy operation, and the companion iTunes software made management of one’s music library simple and fun.
Just as Apple has always done and continues to do, they design for the larger audience of users who would rather use technology than fiddle with it.
Other companies seem doomed to let engineers design products for other engineers.
My personal feeling is that the iPad has potential to really take off as a stand-alone device (not requiring a hub computer running iTunes). Apple should sell a “home base” companion box that provides a Wi-fi router with archival storage that can be administered from a simple app on the iPad. There are many people who could ditch their virus-ridden PCs for a system like this. If Apple is not working on this, they should.
Excellent idea Brett. It would be great to be able to “sync” (backup) to some kind of external storage device rather than through a computer, and maybe as a bonus to be able to access content stored on that device via wifi or bluetooth when you happen to be in its proximity (that is, when you’re at home lounging on the sofa or bed)
I think it’s an consumption device instead of an creation device, unlike a desktop or notebook.
As for productivity. If we look at the numbers when productivity was rising(last 10 years), at the same time the financial industry became a bigger part of GDP. Now what “Products” does the financial industry produce? Computer structures.
In other words productivity might have been rising because Computers became faster, we actually didn’t work smarter.
So maybe we should stop just kidding our self’s that computers make us more productive and just take them as entertaining devices.
I think we are at the end of the S curve in PC productivity gains, so either we accept the status quo. Or increase productivity through the use of smarter programs. Or use them as entertainment devices.
The emergence of the everywhere IPAD to consume computer stuff, is the same kind of event as the start of Macdonalds.to consume hamburgers.
The IPAd is a MacDonald moment, a revolution of convenience. MacDonald did not create the hamburger. It just established a new convenience for getting one.
But MacDonald’s trick was to suddenly make a hamburger an “available everywhere” experience.
This is what the IPAD does for computer content. It makes the computer content always at hand, an everywhere experience. Toss an Ipod anywhere, and where it lands, you got a great hamburger, a satisfying access to the internet, etc.
The market power of creating a new convenience for accessing anything people already want, is the Mount Everest of marketing.
The IPAD is the new fast food experience. Any where you plop it, you got it.
The IPAd will become a permanent fixture in world’s everyday existence.
I envision I’ll be using the Ipad 95% of the time.
My desktop will become more like a mainframe.
I mean how about an app to control your Mac. Run a video encode or something. Or offload spreadsheet calculations to your desktop.
I also envision not having to get a smartphone. Having an iPad at home, in the car, on the plane and at work would be enough.
But time will tell. Can’t wait to dive in 2 weeks and see what this thing is made of.
I like this idea…it’s Saturday morning and I’ve picked up my iPhone to read the latest news; would be handier to have an iPad beside me to make that browsing all the much easier…and if I use my MBP later it will simply be to browse, email and write-up…I’m already considering selling it and using the proceeds to buy an iPad and a mac-mini (as my, as you named it, ‘mainframe’, or even ‘hub’)…it will feel far more efficient that way.
You guys need to get more of a consumer point of view – this is perfect replacement device for home and office where portability is desired – now I don’t have to buy my wife an expensive laptop to replace her aging iBook – we can get two ipads and use my MacBook pro for all the base computer requirements while the ipad can be our surfing, email, gaming, ebook, and the grand kids can use educational apps or entertainment type apps when they are over.
Really I’m eating for apps to go the other way – put them on the computer – I sick of big time costly cumbersome do everything programs that I really only use small parts of frequently for scaled back focused low cost apps – why buy Photoshop when Elements gives most consumers all the feature they want.
I think the iPad needs a good gestation period before it really starts to excel. The same way that the best video-games tend to arrive once the system has matured. Panelfly have created a really cool application, one that I could see myself using regularly! http://www.hoponbaby.com/panelfly
The ipad is not aimed at anyone reading this column or even this website. I look at the adoption of the iphone. I see non techie people using it all the time. I look to my own parents in the their sixties that use computers everyday. They don’t need the functionality of the macbooks they have now. They email, facebook, surf the web, write letters, and upload photos to flickr with no editing and in low quantities. All of these could be handled by the ipad without any problems, well except the stupid videos they forward me all the time. I can live without those anyway.
The initial adopters will be frustrated with the lack of flash. If there are enough early users the video standards will change and I will get the stupid videos back in a compatible format.
This is not another G4 Cube but it will take at least a year before it should really be judged. iPhone apps will be nice but the ipad apps will determine the success. All it takes is a killer app or two to make a this take off, in the meantime people can use the 100K+ iphone apps that are already available.
Nice article but I think you are looking at this from a techie perspective and not from the real market perspective.
Hi Veronica
A lot of tech people don’t get it. A whole industry, the IBM based PC industry, for one, doesn’t get it. Nor does the IBM based mainframe industry. Nor, for the most pard, do web designers, news paper designers, etc. (Sometimes I wonder if the only people who get it are teenagers and cartoonists :) … though textbook companies aren’t far behind …)
But that’s ok. The PC won’t go away. The mainframe won’t go away. They, like Fortran and C++, have their place.
The iPad, and the ecosystem it will inhabit, will be computing’s third stream.
After nearly two decades in technology – and after witnessing the evolution of the Internet and all of the products created to enhance and improve the experience of the user – one thing is very clear to me; you cannot underestimate Steve Jobs’ ability to predict (read: create) future technogies.
Speaking only for myself, I read the day’s tech news on my iPhone every evening and often during the day. My hope for my iPad (3G, can’t wait) is to completely replace the magazines I read in print. Are you listening Macworld? If you are…I want the ability to download your magazine, save it, and search the content (ALL of the content) for things I want to refer back to.
I realize that this is a little off topic, but I am not alone. Tech Publishers, ask your subscribers and start the slow and steady migration away from print.
Steve802 … Exactly. We are in the midst of moving to the next era of computing which will open computing up to the masses and I agree that PCs and mainframes will still be with us. Devices like the iPad, new ereaders and tablets that are entering the market are the forebears of what is to come. These changes take years but have profound impacts. And most people won’t know it is happening but will crave and purchase these new devices.
I’m in agreement with WinTech. I’m really excited to read magazines, periodicals and comics with this devices. I’m totally happy with reading a pdf version of your mag, until such time as you bring out a fancy, schmancy Ipad version. I just want to be able to read the mag, and not receive a paper copy, which i’m eventually going to toss in the trash.
It will be the battery issue that will keep this from taking off. Now you will need to not only keep it well backed up, but you will need to make sure that there is nothing on it that you will mind an Apple tech from seeing when you return it for dead battery.
Think about it, they have made this a corporate security nightmare. if the battery dies and can not be revived (and we all know that happens to devices that we use often) then you have to give the sealed device back to Apple and for a mere $99 they will give you another one – but not your original one.
Thus all your DRM protected books/movies/music will need to be reinstalled and possibly repaid for. All your files will be open for Apple to see.
Thus Apple makes the device unusually hard for corporate users – their biggest market.
Eric,
If the battery dies you plug it in. Get your data off and pay Apple $99 for a new battery. All of your stuff is on your computer. If you don’t have a computer I am sure they will swap the data for you. I have done this with 3 upgrade of my iphone without any trouble. In a corporate environment they would do the same. The corporate market is not the largest or Apple’s target. The consumer market is far larger and less concerned about security.
Guess you’ve never used an iPod or iPhone before, which just like the iPad, work when you plug it in, even with a dead battery.
I can conclude you’re speaking from ignorance.
This is a less than compelling case, to put it mildly. The other tablet form factors are very poorly designed from a usability POV and that is Apple’s strong point. Then there are the Apps designed from the ground up for a touch interface- nobody had those either. Then there is the ubiquitous connectivity. That’s new too. Then there’s iTunes…etc.
BTW, the headline is incredibly misleading. And there is an inherent conflict of interest here- it is not in Engadget’s best interest for one device to replace all the ridiculous techy junk they make their living writing about. That’s what iPad (and iPhone and Android) are doing.
Ryan,
You hate everything Apple and always make a point to predict their downfall both on GDGT and now here. In fact, I stopped listening to GDGT because of constant Apple bashing.
The iPad is not for you and other professional technologists. It’s for everybody else who don’t give a damn about flash or the “history” of tablet computers.
Most will download the App they like and will be very happy with it. Developers like myself who focus on UX will be heaven.
The iPad is not a netbook killer. The iPad does less things than a netbook: can’t run two or more programs at a time, can’t run much of the videos or animations in websites, since most of those run on Flash, which the iPad can’t run. The iPad cost more than a netbook. For non-techies, those are really big reasons for passing on the iPad.
Most of the reasons to pass will be discovered post purchase which will be interesting from a returns perspective.
What if it does change my life?
Will I be wrong if it does?
Pretty stupid to tell me what something will do for me…I think I’ll decide.
Why are the authors so thoroughly fooled at Apple’s claim to be innovative?
The iPad is derivative, not innovative. The combination is new, I guess: the touch pad (done by many vendors), the lack of a keyboard (ditto), single threading (surprising to bring this back in the 21st century, but it’s been done), wireless (been done)
… and for less money, you can get something that’s much more capable e.g. a Windows 7 netbook.
Apple is brilliant at marketing, buy why are people so stubbornly fooled?
Call it derivative if you must. All products are derivative to one degree or another. Nevertheless, Apple seems to consistently exercise better judgement than the competition when choosing which ideas are worth developing, and how they are combined. Their products are refined to a greater degree–and are not just a bunch of random features hastily slapped together by committee.
I’m not disputing that effective marketing can’t play a part in the success of a mediocre product (Windows is proof of that). But marketing can only go so far. In Apple’s case, the products generally stand on their merits. Apple’s overwhelming user satisfaction figures are testimony to this. Apple’s customer loyalty is the envy of the industry and there is no way you can pin that on Steve Jobs’ charisma or a flashy ad campaign.
I won’t argue the relative merits of an iPad versus a netbook. If the iPad is not for you, so be it. Frankly it isn’t a good fit for me either. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad product for everyone. You don’t buy a family sedan if you really need a pickup truck, and vice versa. Both have their uses.
Brett, I disagree that Apple products stand on their merits alone, although I do agree that for those who don’t want choices and do need to buy something pretty to feel special about themselves do find happiness with an Apple hardware product.
You see those Mormon temples, right? … the ones with a high, high pedestal with the angel Moroni on top? They’re a lot like Apple stores. With Apple, people aren’t buying functionality, they’re buying a brand, an identity. If they just wanted functionality, they could save money and get more choices and more power by going elsewhere.
I will be getting my iPad 64GB shortly and am sure it will be quite portable. I have taken the additional step in ordering my tailor to alter the pockets in my clothing accordingly to properly accommodate my new iPad. Portable Indeed. :-P
People who don’t get it….
Have not tried to teach how to email on a PC to your grandmother or Aunt.
Have not tried to teach a basic computer literacy course at a Senior Citizen Center to people who just want to use email and get/send photos.
Are not a senior citizen with degraded vision who love to read, but need “Big Print” editions.
“…Is there room for a third category of product that sits between your two most essential devices, the laptop and phone? As much as I’m looking forward to the iPad, I’m still not sure there is…”
Mr. Block — your own lack of imagination is harshing my groove.
It was only three years ago that people couldn’t imagine a cellphone without buttons. Even after the success of the iPhone and Apple’s many other hit products that changed the face of communications, you can’t accept that Apple’s brilliant design and engineering teams have thought all this through? Apple’s product development process is rigorous. The company doesn’t enter new markets without a well-conceived plan and doesn’t invent new products without a good idea of precisely how they will be used.
You can take it on faith that thousands of equally brilliant software engineers from Apple and many other companies already are hard at work preparing those next jaw-dropping products that will drive adoption of this new breed of hardware, software Apps and services. The iPad is destined to become an essential “information and entertainment appliance” — you’re just too myopic and timid to imagine it all.
In fact, I predict that Google and Microsoft soon will copy the hardware and software concepts and bring out more me too products with 9.7 inch screens and custom touchscreen interfaces. Those cheap little netbooks running crippled versions of Windows 7 (I mean 6.5 Vista) all seem so cheesy just now.
So, chill, Mr. Block, and have a drink. And do go ahead and pick up an iPad next month. Join the next computing revolution. Everything will be all right.
Well said Ryan
Yikes. There is nothing scarrier than a tech reporter who is completely out of touch with the technology s/he is reporting on. The iPod wasn’t a technical innovation it was a marketing revolution. The iPhone didn’t invent Internet protability, it refined it. The ipad isn’t about productivity, it’s about media consumption!
Talk about trying to create a market where none existed, the ipad is going to fall flat, no one os going to 600 plus for what is essential a large ipad. I understand that you need to convince everyone that this is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it’s really just a case of the emperors new clothes. Beside when compared to Microsoft’s courier, the ipad fall very much short.stop trying to drum up hype for what is essentially a useless gadget.
The iPad may not solve a problem but it could provide “convenience.” Will it be more convenient than a laptop? Just as the iPod was more convenient than the portable CD player.
and…
“Had Apple attempted to create a new, ubiquitous, standard format for magazines and newspapers, and leveraged its sales infrastructure for subscription content, the iPad might have been hailed as the iPod of publishing.”
You don’t think the iPad will be the iPod of publishing? I beg to differ…In order for publishers to succeed in this domain, and eventually win back their eroding readership, they’ll have to engage in a paradigm shift of their own.
http://www.verndale.com/Our-Thinking/2010-The-Year-of-the-Publisher-Part-2.aspx
Ryan wasn’t it you that said on your podcast that iPhone would need to have a physical keyboard to really take off? (as I recall?). Now like so many times before, Apple’s bold decision to leave off the physical keyboard and concentrate on making a really good soft keyboard has giving others like Blackberry, Google and HTC the confident to also do the same.
Now with phones like the Nexus One and HTC HD2 in the market, we hardly hear the same criticism anymore about a lack of physical keyboard. Maybe there were a lesson to learn there (and maybe a small compromise). The iPhone’s keyboard is a major step up from my last phone which really sold well btw (Moto RAZR).
Point being – Apple knows how to market to consumers, they’ve been doing it with success for decades. They knew all the limitations of the “Tablet PC” and its form factor, and the mistakes others (cough Microsoft) have made the last decade trying to cator to geeks. Bill Gates vision was to have it become the only PC we carry and have on our desk. That failed miserably.
Apple has decided instead to position the iPad as not some PC replacement as the failed Tablets before it, but as a simple and delighfull to use appliance/gadget device. Something to pick up and use withing seconds (instant on/off) without the clunkiness or maintenance of running full Windows. The genius of it as you pointed out is, you don’t think about how the thing works, you just know it does. It will bring you your newspaper subscription in the morning, and your magazine subscription when you want a break in the afternoon, and your eBooks in bed at night. Your App Store will be waiting for you to turn this device into anything you want. Want to take a quick lesson on how to play the piano? load an App. Need a dedicated Slingbox like device for the home? Load an App. An early learning device for the little ones? Load an App. A bedtime storybook with pictures that comes to life with a simple touch? Load an App or eBook! A DIY device? Load an App! The possibilities are endless what you can do with such a device (with a much larger screen).
So while some continue to rack their ‘geeky brains’ trying to place this device in a box, and comparing it to all the other failed “Tablet PCs” before it – the consumers will once again demonstrate its usefulness, just like they did with the iPhone with its touch screen and lack of a physical keyboard.
Apple never comes out with any new tech. The iPad is another in a long line of old tech, hyped by Apple’s Marketing campaign. HTC had a tablet that had better specs and more features 7 years ago. Generic comment? Yes. Someone always says this with each new product launch. It’s true. Branding is eeeeverything.
Good Points, Thanks for the post.
Sorry, but the ipad will be a (nearly) total failure. The only people that will purchase one will be those that have money to waste and the Apple drones that think they “have” to get one. I have found several devices that will do TONS more for less money. I think people with brains will prevail here.
http://www.brighthub.com/mobile/iphone/articles/62672.aspx
Misleading title is misleading. This article does not explain why the iPad will change computing at all, and is generally just filled with filler fluff about nothing in particular.
make a touch capacitive pen or buy a pogo like stylus for your ipad = fantastic art painting device, music device that can be custom designed to your needs, note taking device, apps to learn caligraphy, etc…
jailbreak it and use app switcher = multitasking or wait a couple months for os improvement push?
No built in camera = stop complaining and build a small attachable 5MP camera, or wait for next years model which will most likely include? Have some business sense lol, build everything into the device and sell 5mil devices, or skip a couple important features sell 5 mil devices, and next year sell 5 mil more? I exagerate but you get the picture…
Ever stand around with your laptop open, holding it up for prolonged periods to show people your funny and/or amazing youtube videos, or to read an interesting document etc..? Well maybe you do, I don’t it’s lame. Ipod and Iphone yes you can! but to be honest it sux..to small a screen lol.
Having an ipod touch that is large enough to enjoy surfing the internets and a screen keyboard large enough for my large masculine fingers = priceless!
It’s somewhat retarded and easy to see what the ipad can’t do for you, and another to appreciate the amazing tool the ipad is and what you can make it do for you.
For the non-creative programming types out their, instead of complaining about how the ipad sux, take some time and write some drivers and put a spiffy linux os 3d desktop or windows on the ipad. If not wait for the johnny lee’s to make something amazing out of the device =)
-peace
Personally I HATE apple and their desire to control every aspect of their devices and severely limiting the functionality of an incredible piece of hardware. However,I try to look at products like this from an unbiased standpoint.
I’ve owned/sold/traded 5 iPhones and 2 iPod touches in the past few months and now have settled on a combo of a Nexus One and a 64GB iPod touch that is jailbroken.
With the hardware specs that the ipad has,I can only imagine that once jailbroken the tablet will be amazing..it wont take long before multi tasking is a reality and I can only guess it’ll perform flawlessly. I’ve used multi tasking apps on a 3g, 3gs, ipt 1g and ipt 3g without any issues..the thought of having a 1ghz processor behind the screen is very appealing to me.
I can imagine these becoming a bit hit around college campuses for internet surfing,note taking,etc..and could almost eliminate the need to carry a laptop with a full featured OS when you can have a great, simplistic, user friendly mobile experience with many powerful apps to increase functionality with the ipad.
I will be getting one or two on April 3rd and hope for some good hacker support :)
Medocrity? Are you seriously that much of a Apple fanboy that you overlook the fact that HP had out touchpad (laptops) that surpassed the specs of the iPad by 50% or more, have all the functionality the iPad lacks, all for roughly the same price…8 years ago. Do your god damned research, fanboy piece of shit.
Did it have 140,000 apps to use that were specifically designed for it?
Multitasking? I keep hearing the lack of is such a drawback on the Ipad. I do not work in the tech industry nor do I have a job in which I need a portable computer on a daily basis but even given that I wonder about the true value of multitasking.
I hear things like “wouldn’t it be great to have Pandora running while I’m working on a spreadsheet” or “wouldnt it be great to have the web open so I can research for the article I’m writing”
Are all these people doing work in a coffee shop or on a park bench or on a bus where they have no other options? At the office you have desktops and at home you have home entertainment systems. Is it necessary to be that productive everywhere you can possibly be? I think it’s ironic that those who say it’s too simple and is hardware poor and OS poor are asking for simple in only a different way. I want one thing that does everything….simple. But the Ipad does not exist in a vacuum. There is no way to duplicate the experience of watching an HD movie on my 52″ plasma with full surround sound in my living room so if I’m on a plane and want to watch a movie will i be upset that i cant have full HD on my portable where i would never notice the resolution difference anyway?
No matter if you could play Crysis at a decent frame rate on this thing or if it did 3D rendering or could run 27 apps at once it has a 9″ screen. If you make these things with 15 or 17 inch screens they no longer are really portable and if you make them with 4 or 5 inch screens might as well stick with your smart phone.
I hear the argument that it needs a full desktop OS and then people saying that they don’t translate to touch very well and that’s why previous tablets haven’t sold and that certainly makes sense to me but i think the more relevant argument is not that full OS tablets haven’t sold but that Desktops with touch haven’t sold. It seems fairly obvious to me that no matter the hardware if the UI isn’t designed to take advantage then it wont sell.
I own an HTC Hero and the one program i use all the time is the app killer i have on it. As a matter of fact app killers are one of the most downloaded programs on the Market. Sure I can run all those programs at once and I know how to get into the processes and do all the fancy stuff on it but it takes just as long to do that as to simply close one program and open another on an Iphone or I assume Ipad. For all it’s openness and multitasking Android suffers the same problems as consumers found with MS. It’s just not as intuitive or simple at the Apple ecosystem.
I predict it will sell extremely well to just about everyone except the tech industry
The Ipod revolutionized the world of digital music because of it being able to connect you to legitimate downloads is actually not the reason why the Ipod was successful.
The real reason the Ipod was successful was because it was the ONLY sanely priced product Apple put out. It cost the same as the other mp3 players in the market. It may be anecdotal, but at the time I looked at the mp3 players on the market and thought “Hey it has the same functions the others have (sans FM tuner), and it’s the same price. Why would I not buy it? It’s shinier! ooo oo!”
Oddly enough, I think the EXACT same thing happened to the Iphone. When ATT dropped their prices down to something sane (99-199.00) Apple’s sales went up.
All of the technology aside, Apple knows how to make a good product, probably better than most. They know it, and they ALSO know that when they release a product, they price the hell out of it (500 bucks for entry on this device is INSANE), and all the key celebs and fanboys with money will buy it. Then they will drop that price to something normal which the rest of us can afford. I think the cost of the IPAD will stop it from being smashingly successful at least initially. However, in a year, when Apple drops the price to 199, I think it could really take off.
With one caveat… the other thing that could stop this from being truly ubiquitously successful in the device market is that they don’t support Flash.
Hate it or love it, it’s here. Apple simply is not big enough to dictate the technology of the Internet, nor should they. The closed system will keep the adoption rate of the Ipad as a novelty, but it’s not going to be the thundering ubiquitous product that the well priced, well developed, mp3 supporting, Ipod was.
My initial thought when I watched the keynote was “Hey, that would be a great device to use to watch HULU in bed at night without disturbing my wife or lugging my desktop replacement laptop to bed.”
But, alas, no flash based hulu.
My Iphone drives me bananas that I can’t see videos that people post, and the utterly inane idea that “well, Flash sucks and EVERYONE should be using HTML5 (which, it seems like every time I hear is still “at least two years off”) Youtube to post videos, or the cancerous Quicktime” is just hubristic at best and downright wishful at worst.
The wish is to tighten the wonderful anarchy which is the Internet is a bad thing.
But I have no pretense that Apple will ever support flash. If they did, they would lose control of their money making app Store overnight. Like it or not, Flash IS that powerful.
The Ipad could be one of the most successful products they have if they made it 199 and allowed for the internet to be viewed as it really is and was meant to be, with all of it’s quirky technologies in tact.
No flash is the no keyboard or replaceable battery argument that was going to make the original iphone to fail. A vocal minority cried bloody murder while the majority said “Oh shiny” and pulled out their credit cards. Would Apple sell more iPads for $199 , hmm let me think about it. Would Porsche sell more cars for 20K? If you only have $199 you buy a netbook and drive a Hyundai. That isn’t a bad thing. There is plenty of room for Hyundai’s and netbooks. They don’t even compete for the same buying audience.
Realist, what is it about your Iphone that you do like? There are plenty of ATT phones out there that will let you watch HULU so why is it that you stick with the IPhone? The only reason I ask is because I think it is a great showcase of the question of whether there is a third market for this thing. It’s interesting that you might base your buying decision on lack of Flash alone and one website. I for one could absolutely care less about Flash on it but it goes to show that everybody has different opinions about what is useful to them. I thank you for using a reasonably argument rather the the “no Flash=Epic fail” argument that I have seen so much. The only place I have some disagreement with you is the 199 price. Yes obviously there will be more adoption if the price is lower but there comes a point when, if Apple is pricing all their products at the same price as all the cheapest things out there, their R&D will suffer and the quality of their products will have no value over any other product. I would think a slight premium is worth the best touchscreen or the longest battery life or a great UI.
it doesn’t look to promising
Needs a front-facing camera, and then I’m in.
It’s true that Apple will be the innovator here, they will push the device and the tech deficient will enjoy it a great deal.
Then someone else will come along and pick up that device and make it better, add more features, allow more freedom of use, allow it to work on multiple carriers, and sell it for $100 less.
Apple fans will always be loyal apple fans, but the rest of us will judge the devices by what they can do and punish those that intentionally restrict theirs just for the sake of doing so.
Just like the iPhone is bleeding market share to android phones which actually allow you to do whatever you want on whatever carrier you want.
” iPhone is bleeding market share to android phones” Really? Which Android phone on AT&T has more the 1% market share? The Nexus One barley shows up on radar and the droid is on Verizon with no iPhone options. Talk about comparing Apples to Oranges.
Lets talk MP3 players. No carrier bias. Lots of MP3 players have more features than the ipod but they continue to be also rans in the MP3 market space.
I’m not talking about AT&T’s overexerted network. I’m talking about all the other networks. Because there are actually phones that work on other networks besides AT&T.
Right now, Apple is starting to resemble the kid that got beat up in high school and suddenly finds himself with just a bit of power later on in life. And Instead of trying to fit in to the existing world, Apple creates its own kind of private and very sheltered club. But instead of valuing it’s customers first, it rules it more tyranically than big blue brother ever did in any superbowl commercial.
As consumers become more informed and more frustrated with Apple’s ridiculous policies, you will start to see more and more people flocking to less restrictive phones.
You are right about the Nexus one, if Google were to advertise it properly and show what it can do vs what the iPhone cant (or isn’t allowed) then the phone would really start taking off.
I can use a nexus without a data plan, on any network I choose, and run anything I wish on it without voiding my warranty (or getting it bricked by apple in an update).
The same thing will happen with the iPad, there are already contenders lined up in rows ready to offer more features, lower prices, and the devices you buy will be owned by you, not apple.
Like I said earlier, Apple makes great high-quality devices and I have nothing against Apple users. But anyone who is looking to get the most out of their tablet should wait for one of the many android or windows 7 devices being developed.
I just can’t believe people are genuinely impressed with the iPad. As an iPhone owner I see it as little more than a size boost of a device I already have. It still can’t run multiple appications, it still has icons that I cannot modify or resize, and the specs are barely better than a laptop I bought over 5 years ago. Pass.
“…outside of a few select vertical uses (like medicine), tablets are constrained by their own form factor, stuck in the nether realm between productivity and portability.”
I could not possibly disagree more. Just wait and see, bro’. The iPad will make sliced bread look like a niche product.
iPod was successful because it ushered in the sweet spot between albums and P2P i.e singles for a dollar. iPhone is successful because Apple was successful in preventing the OS from splintering. Mostly all AppStore apps work on mostly all devices. iPad would be successful because we need a larger screen to preserve our sanity but also portability to preserve our time. Webcam, connectivity options etc would come later when sales start slackening.
EXACTLY MY THOUGHTS! I couldn’t have said it any better myself!
Everyone I have spoken to for the most part will not be buying one. The only group of people who I feel apple is targeting, is the older generation. The ones who hate the internet and computers. The ones who still go outside and pick up the paper at 4 am and read it over a cup of coffee. None of this is a bad thing, just a way to capture that audience.
At the risk of feeding the trolls I am always amused that those who who think that anything Apple does is a failure simply because it doesn’t do do what “they” think it should and therefore anyone who uses an Apple product is obviously stupid.
As I stated in a previous post I have been using an android phone and for all its supposed advantages over an Iphone i have been finding lots of faults.
Brain surgeons need lawyers. They took time to go to med school not law school. I am not a techie but that in no way makes me stupid i just have other things to do than to spend all my time tinkering with my electronics. It’s one area that i just want to work. The simpler the better even though i could do it if i chose to. Yes it’s great for the older set but my guess is there are lots of very bright and astute folks out there who embrace and love the internet and all its possibilities who will find its simplicity its most appealing feature.
“Like I said earlier, Apple makes great high-quality devices and I have nothing against Apple users. But anyone who is looking to get the most out of their tablet should wait for one of the many android or windows 7 devices being developed.”
As opposed to the Ipad that is out now with 175,000 apps. Are you talking about the android tablets running 1.6 or 2.0 or 2.1? Are you talking about the android market that is very loosely monitored so that half the apps i get dont work well or need to be force closed all the time or the ones that deliver malware? Maybe you are talking about the HP slate which will have only a few things optimized for touch and is essentially the same as other full OS windows tablets that have never sold before or maybe you are talking about the windows 7 tablets that wont be out for 9 or 10 months and even then will have only a few apps and may take years to catch up in the app market? And wont have flash or cut and paste.
Are you an idiot? You need a flashlight to read a Kindle in the dark! What kind of stupid idea was that? Holy cow that’s like building a car you have to push to move – the size of that oversight is like an ocean.
You have no idea. It’s going to be huger than you know. I have so many needs for this thing I can’t wait.
Canceling my magazine subscriptions and reading them online where interactive video is at my pace.
Reading at night.
Light computing when I don’t want to take a laptop like for a weekend trip.
Putting my entire portfolio on it and sending it to clients. Finally a book that does video.
Wow, talk about missing the point.
@sakurama – why would you spend the extra money, when you can do EVERYTHING you describe as values to the iPad, but for less money, and with far, far more capability, security and sophistication, with a new laptop running Windows 7?
You worship at the altar of Jobs, I guess.
What he just described is an untapped subcategory. Sadly many wont see this until long after Apple runs away with it and their favorite company comes out with an exact clone
btw did you also explained to Kindle users how useless the Kindle was when they can just lug their Windows 7 Laptops with them for bedtime reading?
These flame wars are ridiculous. Some people will buy the iPad because they want it; others won’t. To each his own. Why does anyone care what anyone else does with his money?
Good question!
I wouldn’t mind, except that Apple pisses me off by selling very expensive, very pretty but otherwise sub-standard hardware and lying about Microsoft in a way that encourages people to make dumb decisions and therefore puts them at risk.
It’s a little like saying, what do we care that some people believe the crap Glenn Beck puts out? Because, we suffer the consequences, and it’s very insulting to think that he hopes we believe his blathering.
Apple ads are similarly insulting to people who think for themselves.
Why is it that so many brainwashed Apple-lovers prefer the well-integrated, relatively trouble-free, stylish solutions that Apple sells instead of the cheaper competition that is so much more versatile and challenging to configure and use?
Don’t these people know that poring over spec sheets, cobbling together options, skinning the UI, and solving compatibility issues is the best part of owning gadgets? These Apple people just don’t get it. Stupid idiots who can’t think for themselves.
I’m tired of wasting my time trying to convince those lemmings. I have better things to do like defragging my hard disk and reconfiguring the multitasking settings on my Droid. Have a nice day suckers!
On our site, we talk about 3 gaming genres that will benefit from the iPad’s unique characteristics.
http://bit.ly/c8rWRP
Of course we also want to go into buying the iPad with all of the facts.
http://iphonegamerblog.com/2010/03/14/apple-help-us-we%E2%80%99re-just-dumb-consumers/
Apple will have the same effect on the tablet market as it has on the mobile phone market. There were some reservations with the iPhone when it was first introduced, but years later, it is still taking off. Sales are rising and a study from Crowd Science found 39% of blackberry owners said they would switch to an iPhone if making another phone purchase.
The point is the potential is there for the iPad to succeed. Tablets will become increasingly popular over the next few years and Apple will likely be one of the leaders in tablet sales and popularity. As with the iPhone, apps will be one of the main factors in the iPad’s success.
http://iPadLot.com
I would think that the thing that will be elemental to the iPad and therefore every other device like it — using that transcendence trope you use — is currency.
Mobile banking is picking up on smartphones, but I would think that the iPad is your one-stop hub for currency, a wallet that is also the device you use to buy, trade, sell, arrange, take out loans with, etc. It’s going to be a banking product.
There’s no difference between 27 and 21.5? I bought 27 as a TV replacement for my small flat. I wouldn’t do that with 21 even when it does the same thing.
one thing that some people here are forgetting is that the iPAD still requires a computer to connect with. So people who think it will “replace” computers for users who find it difficult to use a normal PC or Mac are not going to be able to avoid using said computer. I have a Mac and an iPhone and love both. As far as I can see, this is a marketting ploy to get cashed up techies to buy another gadget for their desk at work. Still, I guess it helps the economy!
There is tremendous untapped demand for the tablet form factor … and an elegant device and “it just works” functionality are major pluses … even in the business market A Sybase-sponsored survey conducted by Zogby International to over 2400 respondents (http://www.bit.ly/cLErXF) showed that half that answered a question about iPad use cases said they would “use an iPad-like tablet for ‘conducting work on the device.’” This looks to be a (consumer) device that transcends consumer and business markets, even with a consumer-first push … just like the iPhone. About Me – http://www.bit.ly/amSW5Y
If BMO Capital’s Keith Bachman is right (only time will tell) this new tablet/e-reader classification has a combined 2010 sales potential of 11 million units. He estimates Apple taking 35-40% of it. By January 1st 2011 the argument should be settled! Now, if they could just put a kickstand on the iPhone so I can stop propping it up against my old Dell MP3 player!
I haven’t seen one in person yet, but i feel it has no use if I already have an iphone and macbook, both of which do everything I could want them to do.
I absolutely LOVE my iPad, am glad I bought it and would buy it again. Is it perfect? NO. But it allows me to be away from my desk, as I am now, and still stay on top of my industry, correspondence, and writing.
The apps are what make it unique, add content, functionality and fun. I look forward to the iOS 4.2 due out in November that will take it to the next step, allowing even further usage in the workaday world.
I do hope that now, after being able to use, work and enjoy the iPad that you feel that it is becoming an essential tool in our daily lives.
I love mine as it enables me to write and work from any location that can receive a 3G signal, which is most of the world.
With 600+ apps hitting the App store every day the experience grows richer and easier.
For functions that we cannot accomplish easily on our iPads we now have remote viewers that allow us to access our PC or laptops to work directly from there via our iPads.
Are they perfect? Not yet, but then what is?