Apple Tablet: 10 Things We (Already) Hate About You

[rdowns]

Hey, you gotta fight the fan boys.

Link

For several months, rumors that Apple (AAPL) will release a touchscreen tablet-style computer have dominated the tech world, despite little or no tangible news to verify that. But that hasn't stopped reporters and bloggers from diving into the rushing stream of speculation over this still unnamed "iTablet," hurling themselves headlong into Steve Jobs's infamous "reality distortion field" (and generously fueling Apple's publicity machine). But not us. No, here at DailyFinance, we're far above leaping into the mosh pit. Instead, we realized we had 10 excellent reasons not to buy an Apple tablet. (Full disclosure: we've used Apple products for 20 years and love them.)

O, Apple iTablet, how do we (already) hate thee? Let us count the ways.

1. The first version of an Apple product is usually buggy. It's the First Commandment of Apple consumers: Thou shalt not buy the rookie products. "I'd like all the other 'beta testers' to work out the kinks first," one staffer here says. Sometimes, the launch is completely half-baked. Remember the iPhone's debut? Just months after it hit the market, the 4GB version was scuttled and the 8GB version's price dropped. Fact is, there will be a second tablet within months, and the price will inevitably drop. If you simply must have one, wait for it, because you'll be pretty annoyed when see how much it improves.

2. You don't need a giant thousand-dollar smartphone. You've got an iPhone. You've got a laptop. You just received a Kindle for Christmas. Why do you need a tablet? You're probably not sure. Unlike the iPod and the iPhone, this is a product without a clear need. Unless you deliver FedEx packages, you probably don't need a giant mobile touch-screen device. It won't replace your smartphone, which you carry around in your pocket, or your laptop, which needs a keyboard. Will you want to pay nearly $1,000 to carry around a tablet, along with your mobile phone, your work BlackBerry, your laptop, and your Kindle?

3. You're just going to break it, anyway. Picture yourself with your steaming coffee in one hand, your squirming toddler in the other -- and, somehow, your shiny new Apple tablet, playing Sarah Palin's Fox News clips you missed last night until -- gasp -- your precious Apple escapes and plummets to the floor, shattering into a million little pieces. In The Hunt For Red October, sub captain Marko Ramius observes: "Most things in here don't react well to bullets." Don't expect an Apple tablet to react well to almost anything in the world. Water, soda, food, kids, pets: you'll surely figure out a way to damage your new toy sooner or later.

4. Multifunction devices can do a lot -- just not well. Other than your couch, where might your tablet be more useful than what you're using now? Will you use your tablet instead of the PC at your office desk? Will you watch videos on it instead of your flat-screen monitor? Will you use it instead of your smartphone when you're out? No, no, and no.

5. Buy one, and you might as well wear a "Rob Me!" sign. Carrying a tablet around on public transit, on the street, or in a bar is a needless risk -- yet that's precisely where you're expected to use them. Cellphones stow invisibly in your pocket, and laptops fit innocuously into cases, but if you use the tablet as intended -- on the go -- you're just asking for someone to snatch it. Remember those iPod muggings, with those telltale, enticing white earbuds? Think about that whenever you're tempted to watch last night's Daily Show on the New York City subway.

6. The tablet never caught on -- and there's a reason for that. You do not need to buy a new gadget every time Steve Jobs tells you to. The iPod represented a major evolution over the Sony (SNE) Walkman, and the iPhone escalated the smartphone game. But the tablet seems driven by nothing more than desire. Just take a breath...put the tablet down...and back away...slowly.

7. No keyboard, no mouse, no dice. Typing (or "typing") on touchscreens is annoying. How many Tablet buyers will wind up connecting peripheral keyboards and mice? And then...well, what's the point? Besides, mobile devices are only as useful as their battery life. Unless the tablet has more than about six hours of power, it's going to wind up tethered to a wall. Just like your desktop.

8. Netbooks are cheaper. With a glut of netbooks on the market -- with keyboards! -- offering a full Web experience with significantly less sticker shock than the tablet, there's no reason to go there. If you've got the cash for a tablet, you'd be better off with a MacBook Air, a device with far more functionality packed into its three pounds.

9. Something better's coming. With advances in speech recognition, data input will be changing radically over the next few years. Perhaps more importantly, advances in mobile display technology suggest we'll eventually be projecting images and videos on blank walls, or even into space. Or we'll be wearing headsets that project tiny images of the screen into our eyes at close range. In any event, the tablet is an innovation that'll surely be obsolete within a few years.

10. Beware -- Apple also built the world's most infamous paperweight. One word: Newton.

 

[bnerd]

Most of the items on that list can be said about ANY gadget released on the market.

 

[bzollinger]

11.

Because it's been talked about constantly on every Apple/Mac site along with every major media site for what seems like months!!

Who-the-heck-cares?

It's starting to take on the Sara Palin syndrome, it just won't go away. Worst thing is, it hasn't even been announced yet!

 

[t0mat0]

1) v1 are buggy. Yup - hardware (maybe the first batch) and software.

2) It isn't a smartphone, it's a tablet. Apples and Oranges. Is a netbook a laptop?

3) There will be breakages. Get it on house insurance.

4) Multifunction devices can do a lot well. You, me, your partner are all multifunction devices...
Tablet - on train, plane, coach, esp. car, den, couch, bed...

5) Robbery potential? Get MobileMe for it's lock down and find via GPS/wifi skills. Common sense.

6) Tablet didn't catch on due to the hardware being too big, and people not perfecting the OS.

7) A keyboard, some fingers. What's annoying for some is fine for others.
It being tether will actually potentially make it very useful.

8) Netbooks are cheaper. So is a pad of paper and a pencil, 2 cans and some string. There's a reason they're cheaper. You're not better off with a MBA (in part because it's due a refresh at some point).

9) Something better is always coming.

10) Newton had some great tech.

 

[MisterMe]

Most of the items on that list can be said about ANY gadget released on the market.

It is said, but that does not mean that it is true. It seems that the Apple bashers have fallen to their last recourse--just making up $h!t.

Let me make this clear. I have no particular qualms about buying a first-generation Apple product. Among my first-generation purchases from Apple are a Power Mac G5, a (2009) 17" MacBook Pro, an original iPhone, and an iPhone 3GS. I am as happy as a clam with each purchase. I have no trouble from any of them.

I have never seen a prospective new product cause as much fear and loathing among the Apple haters as has been caused by the new Apple tablet. It is as if they know the jig is up.

 

[bossxii]

It is said, but that does not mean that it is true. It seems that the Apple bashers have fallen to their last recourse--just making up $h!t.

Let me make this clear. I have no particular qualms about buying a first-generation Apple product. Among my first-generation purchases from Apple are a Power Mac G5, a (2009) 17" MacBook Pro, an original iPhone, and an iPhone 3GS. I am as happy as a clam with each purchase. I have no trouble from any of them.

I have never seen a prospective new product cause as much fear and loathing among the Apple haters as has been caused by the new Apple tablet. It is as if they know the jig is up.

It is rather funny, even my MS fanboy IT manager at work has been talking smack for a few weeks. He knows I use a MBP and iPhone and is pissed every time his boss (my boss as well) calls him in to the office to show him how cool some new app is lol. He knows his "IT" stuff around the office but clearly is lost when it comes to Apple related tech. They don't understand so they just hate on it.

If they took to the time to realize why people switch, and what they like about OSX they might learn something. Then again, ignorance is bliss for most of them, and they only play video games so if it's not about FPS they don't get it. Top that off with the fact that the average MS/PC fanboy that is visiting Apple forums to bash anything Apple thinks because they can "build" a computer (aka plug in a few parts a 4 yr old can do) they clearly know more about everything than any silly Apple user could possibly imagine.

"Seriously dude, if your computer can't play Crysis at 100 FPS it clearly is a pc of junk." That statement reassures me every time I see it that the world will never run out of fast food workers.

 

[maghemi]

snip - Fanboy Response

snip - Fanboy Response[/I]

snip - Fanboy Response

I love these threads, they get people so irate

 

[bossxii]

I love these threads, they get people so irate

? irate uhh.. sure. Glad you took the time away from playing video games to join our thread. Such clever insight you have there.

 

[maghemi]

? irate uhh.. sure. Glad you took the time away from playing video games to join our thread. Such clever insight you have there.

My pleasure

 

[greygray]

Thanks for sharing, r. Till today, I have no idea whose needs will the Tablet serve and cater to. This is indeed going to be a niche market. Anyway, we'll find out soon in a couple of hours. . .

 

[yodaxl7]

Any new products or new versions, there will be a few batches that may have problems. The company exchange out the bad ones as always. My first Wii was a dud and Nintendo send me a new one.

Why do people need netbooks?? There are demand for mini-laptops but no one want to lose the so called desktop power. We just want a mini-me size. Netbooks are totally wasted products.

Laptops evolved such that they can replace a desktop. Apple tablet may one day replace a macbook or other laptops.

 

[Pressure]

Calling the Newton the worlds biggest paperweight is far out.

Considering the amount of ****** products released on a regularly basis.

 

[netdog]

He is right about Rev. A products from Apple having big problems.

 

[capitanbuzo]

Ehh, I've had my fair share of Rev. A products in the past and I've never had any problems. I think its more of later Revs. i.e. iMac 2009.

 

[63dot]

If the CEO of McGraw-Hill is to be believed about what this tablet is to be, then I lost all interest in getting one.

I will chalk this up as a failure along with the Cube and Dalmation and Flower Power iMacs.

If there is no easy way to type efficiently, or no OS X, then this very well could be Apple's biggest blunder under SJ's leadership. Overall, Apple has done very well since his return and we can't all expect Apple to be great with every product.

I will hope not to cringe too much and just move on and hope Apple gets back to it's better self. If this product turns out worse than the hype, which has been a wreck and a way for Apple haters to gain ground, it could set back the company's reputation or possibly solidify how great the iPhone really is.

The iPhone already looks great, but next to what can be an oversized, underpowered piece of misplaced technology in this iPad/iSlate, the iPhone will look just that much more attractive.

 

[NJMetsHero]

Let's see what the thing is first before we say we do or don't need one. I find it weird that there are people making decisions based on the rumors or just because it's from Apple. The same people who own 3 Apple TV's...

 

[63dot]

Because it's been talked about constantly on every Apple/Mac site along with every major media site for what seems like months!!

Who-the-heck-cares?

It's starting to take on the Sara Palin syndrome, it just won't go away. Worst thing is, it hasn't even been announced yet!

I am reading the Palin book, and while very entertaining, it shows a person talented at many things as being a good local citizen/wife/mother/activist/etc, except for politics.

I would rather have Palin as President than have an overpriced iPad/iSlate that does not have OS X. This iPad sounds like Apple's most embarrassing affiliation, such as David Duke with the GOP or Lyndon LaRouche with the Democrats, or Tiger's girlfriends with the image of a golf superstar endorser.

People are going to be calling this thing iFail, iFlat, iBarf, or other flattering names too worthy for what can be an overpriced, non OS X PDA.

 

[aaquib]

If the CEO of McGraw-Hill is to be believed about what this tablet is to be, then I lost all interest in getting one.

I will chalk this up as a failure along with the Cube and Dalmation and Flower Power iMacs.

If there is no easy way to type efficiently, or no OS X, then this very well could be Apple's biggest blunder under SJ's leadership. Overall, Apple has done very well since his return and we can't all expect Apple to be great with every product.

I will hope not to cringe too much and just move on and hope Apple gets back to it's better self. If this product turns out worse than the hype, which has been a wreck and a way for Apple haters to gain ground, it could set back the company's reputation or possibly solidify how great the iPhone really is.

The iPhone already looks great, but next to what can be an oversized, underpowered piece of misplaced technology in this iPad/iSlate, the iPhone will look just that much more attractive.

Are you serious? Apple has perfected UI's and sure as hell won't make a product that isn't simple and intuitive to type on.

Ah well, under 4 hours to go now.

 

[OllyW]

Ehh, I've had my fair share of Rev. A products in the past and I've never had any problems. I think its more of later Revs. i.e. iMac 2009.

The 2009 iMac is a brand new design so it is a Rev. A.

 

[63dot]

Are you serious? Apple has perfected UI's and sure as hell won't make a product that isn't simple and intuitive to type on.

Ah well, under 4 hours to go now.

Yes. When the Cube came out and failed, I felt so bad. I wanted it so much to succeed and it really hurt to see what could have been a good idea gone bad. Price point was all wrong and the ports were not easy to get to. It was a mess.

When Dalmation iMac and Flower Power iMac came out, I thought "some" people would find it a refreshing change to a solid colored iMac, but instead it became the butt of many jokes. It also hurt.

This iPad/iSlate product has all the potential of becoming Apple's worst product since the 1990s. Just like I refuse to watch Daniel Pearl get his head cut off or Saddam Hussein get hanged, I refuse to watch this launch.

I think the CEO of McGraw-Hill gave us a preview of what will be the least desirable Apple product for my personal taste/needs.

I will live with iMac, Power Mac, Mac mini, iBook, iLife, iPod, and OS X just fine for now.