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Apple iPad Lock-In

johndango said:
It's a little messed up that you can't have expandable memory. You can get like 16GB SD cards for like $30. But instead I'm forced to spend 100 extra dollars with Apple so I can get a little more room. Apple is definitely protecting their bottom line more then they are caring about the consumer. Oh well.
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But that has always been the case. Why would SJ give you an opportunity to buy your own memory and put it into one of his devices, when he can simply force you to buy it from him? And preferably, due to a lack of the ability to upgrade, to consider purchasing a brand new device with more memory? It makes perfect business sense. Though, obviously, it really stinks for the consumers.
 
jb1280 said:
But consumers apparently would rather have an allegedly locked system with built-in batteries and non-expandable memory that has a great user experience. Or so the number 250 million iPods might suggest.
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I don't mind having a locked-in battery and memory as much as I thought I would. I keep my devices on the charger when I'm not using them, so battery life is seldom an issue. I guess it would be if I were travelling a bunch and couldn't easily access a charger.

More memory is always nice, but I'm a big believer in smart playlists, so a synch or two a week keeps my media fresh.

With a sealed system, it feels more solid and has fewer holes for dirt to get in. Also, you don't have to carry extra stuff around with you. That was one of the worst things about cd players.

Oh, and this is the way it's going to be, so get used to it!
 
jb1280 said:
But consumers apparently would rather have an allegedly locked system with built-in batteries and non-expandable memory that has a great user experience. Or so the number 250 million iPods might suggest.
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Indeed. However, a lot of consumers are idiots. They will buy whatever they think makes them look cool.

I'm a stupid consumer in a different way: I tend to buy every major tech product. At least I can say I'm not a fanboy of any particular company (though if I was, I definitely swing my PC/Windows/Microsoft oriented).
 
jb1280 said:
But consumers apparently would rather have an allegedly locked system with built-in batteries and non-expandable memory that has a great user experience. Or so the number 250 million iPods might suggest.
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You also have to look at this from a business perspective. 16GB is a good deal of space; enough for one or two movies, a few thousand songs, a tv show or two, and your life in photos. As I do with my iPhone, I don't need to have a movie on there all the time, just when I'm on the go and want to watch. I swap movies constantly which, you guessed it, forces me to have to GET new movies every time (whether I rip them from a DVD, download from iTunes, etc.). This ensures that to keep my always engaged, I'm going to have to keep getting new content, rather than being able to store 100 films and not want to buy a new one very frequently.

In the end, computer or not, it's a giant iPhone that CAN (with the right apps), do everything the average user needs to do. If you want the extra functionality, you can jailbreak like your iPhone and you're good to go. But as has already been said, Apple makes products for the average user, and the average user doesn't need most of what nerds do.
 
If the iPad is NOT for the geek. Riddle me how you can still say it's not crippled by not letting you visit flash websites. And no - I don't intent or want this thread to turn into yet another non-flash discussion.

But these NON geeks you speak of who the iPad was designed for want to go to the websites they visit - facebook, youtube, hulu, abc.com, netflix, etc. And if they can't - they won't care "why" but just that they can't.

You can't have it both ways. You can't say the iPad isn't for the geeks - yet expect Joe consumer who the iPad was designed for - understand why certain functions don't work.

Sorry - a lot of you want to just change your arguments to fit whatever is being said that doesn't praise the iPad. Again - you can't have it both ways. So decide how you really feel, who the iPad is really for, and whether or not the iPad is or is not crippled. The flip-flopping here is hilarious.
 
As I see it, the iPad is for anyone who wants it. It's not intended to be largely customized, it's intended to be used for fun and entertainment. It's for the average Joe who is content with their current electronic setup, and just wants to add another device. Most adults in my family don't care about Flash; they want it for YouTube, and the iPad has that covered. Hulu and Netflix will come, it's inevitable. But for now, if the "average" person wants to watch a TV show or movie, they're content either using a different device, or purchasing that content through iTunes. Geeks are the ones who don't want to pay for things, average Joe or Sally really don't mind the $1.99 for a TV show (most people in my family don't even know what Hulu is, and don't care to learn).
 
samcraig said:
If the iPad is NOT for the geek. Riddle me how you can still say it's not crippled by not letting you visit flash websites. And no - I don't intent or want this thread to turn into yet another non-flash discussion.

But these NON geeks you speak of who the iPad was designed for want to go to the websites they visit - facebook, youtube, hulu, abc.com, netflix, etc. And if they can't - they won't care "why" but just that they can't.

You can't have it both ways. You can't say the iPad isn't for the geeks - yet expect Joe consumer who the iPad was designed for - understand why certain functions don't work.

Sorry - a lot of you want to just change your arguments to fit whatever is being said that doesn't praise the iPad. Again - you can't have it both ways. So decide how you really feel, who the iPad is really for, and whether or not the iPad is or is not crippled. The flip-flopping here is hilarious.
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I agree with the fact those geeks would like support for sites such as Netflix, Hulu etc...as we already have apps for Youtube and Facebook. (not sure about CBS content)

I dont' recall if you said you own a iPT or iPhone, but I find the native apps for site s like Facebook and Youtube tend to be much easier to navigate on smaller screens. The iPad will have a larger screen, but given the choice to have a native app vs a website I've found the app is a better experience. The navigation is setup for touch, the bulk of the information is loaded from the device's storage vs having to download it each time, making for faster startup times etc...

The larger iPad screen should give Dev's even more flexibility for those sites. No matter how cheesy the slogan... "there's an app for that" solves many of the iPhones "shortcomings". From printing, to file backup, VNC clients, SMS, Skype, VioP apps and so on. What Apple doesn't want, the Jailbreak community usually comes up with, the "walled garden" really doesn't stop anyone from getting creative if they take the time to figure it out.

There is a way for a Jailbroken phone to access flash content (Videohamster) on the web now, the list of site is growing daily. It's not perfect but proves that even Apple can't stop those motivated enough to come up with a solution.
 
samcraig said:
But these NON geeks you speak of who the iPad was designed for want to go to the websites they visit - facebook, youtube, hulu, abc.com, netflix, etc. And if they can't - they won't care "why" but just that they can't.
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Whenever I personally speak about "non-geeks", I primarily have my mother in mind. The only sites of those you listed that she uses are facebook and youtube. And they both work on iPhones/iPads. I tend to think hulu and netflix streaming are still quite primarily used by the geeky crowd. And let's not even speak about outside of the USA, where those sites aren't even relevant.
 
SteveSparks said:
These guys just want attention and thus they have to join the anti-ipad to garner clicks for a blog that lame.
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1. i don't have nothing with that blog.

2. I don't think access to flash web sites like youtube, vimeo etc.. a geek feature. most people access that websites.
 
jmggs said:
1. i don't have nothing with that blog.

2. I don't think access to flash web sites like youtube, vimeo etc.. a geek feature. most people access that websites.
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Clearly Youtube is a mainstream site, vimeo and some other lesser known video sites are probably still visited by the geeks vs mainstream users. Hulu has clearly gone mainstream and their advertising has worked to build a large user base. However, just as the iPT and iPhone have a 75+ million user base, if the iPad takes off and sells millions, content providers will find a way to get their content in front of it's users. Flash or not.

People get to hung up on flash, it's nothing but a means to an end. Other non-propietary methods are emerging to do the same thing, why is this such a bad thing? Everyone screams foul to Apple's proprietary ways of iTunes and 30 pin connectors but then supports Adobe's proprietary flash plug in? Seem a bit ironic to me.
 
jmggs said:
1. i don't have nothing with that blog.

2. I don't think access to flash web sites like youtube, vimeo etc.. a geek feature. most people access that websites.
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Youtube is becoming flash optional. Vimeo too.
 
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