Apples 'better than a computer' ad is their least liked YouTube video

[bensisko]

I keep on seeing people constantly claim that an iPad can replace computers for a a great number of people. What is that number? 100 people? 1000? 10000?

Do you know anyone who has ditched their computer for an iPad? Neither do I. It's because there are a great many things the iPad Pro simply cannot do without lots of compromises. And all it takes is for ONE task to NOT be fulfilled by an iPad, for it NOT be a suitable replacement for a computer.

Yes, I do know people who have ditched their computer for an iPad.

 

[Count Blah]

Yes, I do know people who have ditched their computer for an iPad.

Where are they going to work on their taxes this year? Do they have a library of pictures, ripped music, family documents? IF so, where are they storing them? On iCloud, behind a paid subscription? Do they ever have to full out editable PDF documents for work(healthcare, other electives, etc...), and what to save a backup copy?

Or do these people still have a computer somewhere, where they can fall back to for items the iPad can't handle?

 

[Amaze]

Where are they going to work on their taxes this year? Do they have a library of pictures, ripped music, family documents? IF so, where are they storing them? On iCloud, behind a paid subscription? Do they ever have to full out editable PDF documents for work(healthcare, other electives, etc...), and what to save a backup copy?

Or do these people still have a computer somewhere, where they can fall back to for items the iPad can't handle?

I can only speak for myself but i have all my photos and family documents on Google Drive. Ican also view all my photo library on the go via Google Photos. I dont have ripped music (I have vinyls and Apple Music) and taxes in my country is no hassle.

I have to fill editable PDF documents sometimes and i can do them by hand (pencil) or typing for example in PDF Expert. And save them to Google Drive also. Can also add a signature to a document without printing anything.

So for the basic stuff, iPad is fine. Trust me

 

[Newtons Apple]

View attachment 689254

The iPad Pro 'better than a computer' ad has beaten the previously least liked video - the 'What's a computer?' iPad Pro ad ("least liked" meaning worst like to dislike ratio).
In fact it ish the only and possibly first of their YouTube videos to receive more dislikes than likes!

View attachment 689255

Obviously this will probably be ignored by Apple but I just thought it's interesting and I think the dislikes will keep building up on the 'better than a computer' ad.


UPDATE (Feb 21):

Dislikes now at 24,000
Likes now at 11,000

All of these ads have received more views than other ads in the same period of time (probably because they are being used more), with 'better than a computer' at the top with 2.1 million views.

The others have now also surpassed the 'What's a computer?' like to dislike ratio.

Who cares?

 

[Abazigal]

Let the haters hate.

They cannot change what is to come.

 

[axiomatic]

Yes, I do know people who have ditched their computer for an iPad.

No one that uses their computer for work purposes, surely. If all I needed was a browser and an email client then I suppose it could work.

 

[bensisko]

No one that uses their computer for work purposes, surely. If all I needed was a browser and an email client then I suppose it could work.

Yes, actually. Why is this so hard to believe?
[doublepost=1487872714][/doublepost]

Where are they going to work on their taxes this year?

I can't give a direct answer because some of these people I don't know well enough (or care) how they do their taxes. I will say that not everybody does their taxes themselves (they use people like H&R Block, etc.). I also know that both TurboTax and H&R Block have iPad apps.

Do they have a library of pictures, ripped music, family documents? IF so, where are they storing them? On iCloud, behind a paid subscription?

Varies. One person I know uses Google's Photo apps and storage. Most people store things on their device (they don't have huge libraries) or use iCloud. Scanners, Digital cameras, printers all connect to the iPad.

As far as ripped music? Most people I know (who only use iPads) have gone to digital music subscriptions (mostly Pandora, some Apple Music).

Do they ever have to full out editable PDF documents for work(healthcare, other electives, etc...), and what to save a backup copy?

Yes - I usually recommend Adobe's own Acrobat Viewer for editable PDFs on the iPad. There are other applications that handle that, but I personally like Adobe or GoodReader.

Or do these people still have a computer somewhere, where they can fall back to for items the iPad can't handle?

Just about everybody (and EVERYBODY I know that has made that switch) has access to another computer somewhere if they need it (through school, library, friends, work, etc.). If there's ONE thing you have to do on a computer with Windows or OS X, you can find it. The only limitation being that you usually would have to wait for business hours (barring a local 24 hour FexEd Kinkos).

 

[M. Gustave]

UPDATE (Feb 21):

Dislikes now at 24,000
Likes now at 11,000

All of these ads have received more views than other ads in the same period of time (probably because they are being used more), with 'better than a computer' at the top with 2.1 million views.

The others have now also surpassed the 'What's a computer?' like to dislike ratio.

Is it really shocking that 24000 legacy computer fanboys dislike this video?
[doublepost=1487875284][/doublepost]

Where are they going to work on their taxes this year?

There's an app for that.

Do they have a library of pictures, ripped music, family documents? IF so, where are they storing them? On iCloud, behind a paid subscription?

Yes, all my family photos and documents are in iCloud. It costs me $12/year.
For music I use Apple Music, and enjoy it a lot. (Although I don't love the interface.)

Do they ever have to full out editable PDF documents for work(healthcare, other electives, etc...), and what to save a backup copy?

I'm sorry, but do you really think these things can't be done in iOS? Yikes.

 

[RudySnow]

Do you know anyone who has ditched their computer for an iPad? Neither do I.

Hi. I did it in Nov. 2015. Haven't looked back. Now you know someone.

 

[Count Blah]

Is it really shocking that 24000 legacy computer fanboys dislike this video?
[doublepost=1487875284][/doublepost]

There's an app for that.

Yes, all my family photos and documents are in iCloud. It costs me $12/year.
For music I use Apple Music, and enjoy it a lot. (Although I don't love the interface.)

I'm sorry, but do you really think these things can't be done in iOS? Yikes.

So what you are saying is that you have to be at least be a little technically savvy to replace your computer with an iMac.

To do this, you need ...

• Transfer all historically significant documents to iCloud, google docs, etc...
• Transfer any digital photographs to iCloud, google docs, etc...
  
• Trust a tax application on a mobile device, even if your returns involve complex returns
  
• Stream your music
• etc...

You know who is NOT doing the above? Grandmothers and Grandfathers, the ones I hear EVERYONE here saying, could easily transition to an iPad.

I have no doubt that lot of people have transitioned 70, 80, 90% of their usage to the iPad - But 100%? Sorry. I've not met a person IRL who has done it. And the ones I know who store lots of things in the cloud and have forgone any music collection for streaming, all require a computer for some more involved tasks.

All I'm trying to say, is that the "lower technically minded" who many here claim can "easily transition to an iPad", are the ones least likely to have done the required bulleted items above.

Sorry that a logical argument is deemed as a 'hater' here. But given the source, I'm not really that surprised.

 

[M. Gustave]

You know who is NOT doing the above? Grandmothers and Grandfathers, the ones I hear EVERYONE here saying, could easily transition to an iPad.

Now we have to cater to the technically illiterate elderly? lol, your argument is incoherent. Not to mention that it's a stereotype. And YELLING just makes you seem unhinged.

I have no doubt that lot of people have transitioned 70, 80, 90% of their usage to the iPad - But 100%? Sorry. I've not met a person IRL who has done it.

Good for you. Why is the number of people you know, interesting or a relevant data point for this discussion?

And the ones I know who store lots of things in the cloud and have forgone any music collection for streaming, all require a computer for some more involved tasks.

Nope. We "all" don't.

 

[Count Blah]

Now we have to cater to the technically illiterate elderly? lol, your argument is incoherent. Not to mention that it's a stereotype. And YELLING just makes you seem unhinged.

And being snarky just makes you snarky.
Maybe you personally haven't stated that grandparents are the key demo to move to an iPad, but others have in Macrumors.

Good for you. Why is the number of people you know, interesting or a relevant data point for this discussion?

The number of people I know and the number of people, who's home computer situation I'm familiar with, are two very different numbers.

Working in the computer field, I know no one who has made the switch. In talking with many technical folks, I have inquired with quite a few people, as to their degree of lending of tech support to friends and families. Not a single one has had a household move to an iPad/tablet. Throw in neighbors, teammates, etc... and some individuals have moved 90+% over, but there is always a computer to back them up when needed. This is well over 100 households, with multiple members per. Not a single one is going iPad solo, there is always something holding them back.

Nope. We "all" don't.

Congrats, you are are a rarity in my experience.

 

[M. Gustave]

The number of people I know and the number of people, who's home computer situation I'm familiar with, are two very different numbers.

Working in the computer field, I know no one who has made the switch. In talking with many technical folks, I have inquired with quite a few people, as to their degree of lending of tech support to friends and families. Not a single one has had a household move to an iPad/tablet. Throw in neighbors, teammates, etc... and some individuals have moved 90+% over, but there is always a computer to back them up when needed. This is well over 100 households, with multiple members per. Not a single one is going iPad solo, there is always something holding them back.

Anecdotal evidence amounts to very little. Your point seems to be that it's literally impossible to be iPad-only, yet I'm telling you that I have done it for a year. (I do have a Chromebook as well, but just to play around with, it has no interaction with my iOS devices.)

In addition, there is a podcast called "Canvas", dedicated to the subject, and both hosts are "iPad-only". Have a listen.

 

[Count Blah]

Anecdotal evidence amounts to very little. Your point seems to be that it's literally impossible to be iPad-only, yet I'm telling you that I have done it for a year. (I do have a Chromebook as well, but just to play around with, it has no interaction with my iOS devices.)

In addition, there is a podcast called "Canvas", dedicated to the subject, and both hosts are "iPad-only". Have a listen.

I never said it's impossible. But just throwing out "lots of people can just switch to iPad only" is being disingenuous. Again, it just takes one use case to hold the transition back.

What I am saying is that you have to be more than a little technically savvy to pull it off - If you have a digital footprint.

I'm sure I'll run unto someone IRL who's make the switch, but it hasn't happened yet, and I've asked around a lot.

Having said all that, I'm honestly looking forward to the new iPad Pros. I'm in the market for a new one and plan on doing the hand-me-down of the iPad Air to the misses.

 

[bensisko]

You know who is NOT doing the above? Grandmothers and Grandfathers, the ones I hear EVERYONE here saying, could easily transition to an iPad.

Actually BOTH my grandmothers are "iPad Only" users. This isn't unique either. Ever been to a retirement home? Lots of iPads (yes, there are other computers too).

Keep in mind, not all people "transition" to the iPad - there are many users for whom the iPad is their first computer.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

Your point was not about standalone-ness but attempting to forward YOUR definition of what defines a "true computer"... and that your definition is the correct one. If you had said that the iPad couldn't replace a laptop for YOU unless it did "X" then I would be in agreement that for YOU the iPad couldn't replace a notebook running OSX.

But when you attempt to be the arbiter of what is and isn't universally a "true computer" then you have overstepped your opinion and preference by trying to promote that belief as "fact".



What exactly is Apple marketing that is not true?

SRACER, telling it like it is!

 

[dingclancy23]

Well considering computers like MacBook pros are $2000 , price isn't a huge issue. A lot of people who would've bought an expensive laptop in the past just need an iPad now and it's a fraction of the price. It's cheaper than a damn iPhone.

They have to get a higher market share and get the ecosystem going. After all, they are the only game in town, if they want to win the tablet market, they have already done it, but it seems like they want to use the iPad as a PC replacement too, meaning they want to gain marketshare among people who are buying PCs.

 

[M. Gustave]

I never said it's impossible. But just throwing out "lots of people can just switch to iPad only" is being disingenuous. Again, it just takes one use case to hold the transition back.

No idea what you're saying here. People already have transitioned to iPad-only. How many is a different question, and I don't think anyone has data on that yet.

What I am saying is that you have to be more than a little technically savvy to pull it off - If you have a digital footprint.

You really need to explain your reasoning better. What aspect of using an iPad makes it more difficult than say Windows, for the average person?

 

[Appleaker]

Is it really shocking that 24000 legacy computer fanboys dislike this video?
[doublepost=1487875284][/doublepost]

There's an app for that.



Yes, all my family photos and documents are in iCloud. It costs me $12/year.
For music I use Apple Music, and enjoy it a lot. (Although I don't love the interface.)



I'm sorry, but do you really think these things can't be done in iOS? Yikes.

No of course it's not, I'm surprised there aren't more. I wouldn't call them 'legacy computer fanboys' but that's just my opinion.
[doublepost=1487965285][/doublepost]

Who cares?

You don't so why bother to visit the thread?
[doublepost=1487965855][/doublepost]

So what you are saying is that you have to be at least be a little technically savvy to replace your computer with an iMac.

To do this, you need ...

• Transfer all historically significant documents to iCloud, google docs, etc...
• Transfer any digital photographs to iCloud, google docs, etc...
  
• Trust a tax application on a mobile device, even if your returns involve complex returns
  
• Stream your music
• etc...

You know who is NOT doing the above? Grandmothers and Grandfathers, the ones I hear EVERYONE here saying, could easily transition to an iPad.

I have no doubt that lot of people have transitioned 70, 80, 90% of their usage to the iPad - But 100%? Sorry. I've not met a person IRL who has done it. And the ones I know who store lots of things in the cloud and have forgone any music collection for streaming, all require a computer for some more involved tasks.

All I'm trying to say, is that the "lower technically minded" who many here claim can "easily transition to an iPad", are the ones least likely to have done the required bulleted items above.

Sorry that a logical argument is deemed as a 'hater' here. But given the source, I'm not really that surprised.

I agree, but many people who fit that category have already transitioned, I think Apple is starting to target beyond that market and they're too early at the moment. I think those people may be able to transition completely but may not be tech savvy enough or be prepared to (for example if they have to print a document or visit a web page that uses flash). That's why with people who have fully transitioned, it is still under 100% when you look at it monthly or annually, but it's usually 100% daily.
[doublepost=1487966128][/doublepost]

And being snarky just makes you snarky.
Maybe you personally haven't stated that grandparents are the key demo to move to an iPad, but others have in Macrumors.

The number of people I know and the number of people, who's home computer situation I'm familiar with, are two very different numbers.

Working in the computer field, I know no one who has made the switch. In talking with many technical folks, I have inquired with quite a few people, as to their degree of lending of tech support to friends and families. Not a single one has had a household move to an iPad/tablet. Throw in neighbors, teammates, etc... and some individuals have moved 90+% over, but there is always a computer to back them up when needed. This is well over 100 households, with multiple members per. Not a single one is going iPad solo, there is always something holding them back.

Congrats, you are are a rarity in my experience.

You're right, while I don't expect anybody in the tech field to entirely switch to the iPad, I think it is common for many causal computer users to move to their iPad for 70-95+% of their usage. As you say, a computer is usually there as a backup of for specific tasks that are harder to do on an iPad.
[doublepost=1487966902][/doublepost]

Well considering computers like MacBook pros are $2000 , price isn't a huge issue. A lot of people who would've bought an expensive laptop in the past just need an iPad now and it's a fraction of the price. It's cheaper than a damn iPhone.

Many of them wouldn't have bought an expensive MacBook Pro, more likely a cheaper PC. That is the market that the iPad has really impacted on, although not entirely. Now Apple are after the MacBook market with the iPad Pro. Given sales of the iPad Pro and sales of the Mac, I wouldn't say it's worked well.

 

[Count Blah]

I'll summarize and then just leave, because this has reached a horribly redundant loop.

• If you've never really used a computer before, of course and iPad is A-OK(senior centers)
  
• If you have used a computer, and have a digital history, you need to be at least a little technically savvy to make the transition to pure iPad living
• I believe the iPad can easily replace 70,80,90% of tasks for the average computer user
  
• VERY few people can transition 24/7/365 to the iPad, due to some use case that requires a computer.

Some people(abazigal) seem to think I'm down on the iPad, when in fact I am really looking forward to the upcoming release. I'm just against the throwaway line of "lots of people could easily transition to only using the iPad", when I think that is not the case. That's the only thing I've ever tried to say.

Good day, and see you in March, or May apparently, for the release of the new iPads. I'm going back over to lament with my fellow disappointed Mac desktop friends.

 

[M. Gustave]

I'll summarize and then just leave, because this has reached a horribly redundant loop.

• If you've never really used a computer before, of course and iPad is A-OK(senior centers)
  
• If you have used a computer, and have a digital history, you need to be at least a little technically savvy to make the transition to pure iPad living
• I believe the iPad can easily replace 70,80,90% of tasks for the average computer user
  
• VERY few people can transition 24/7/365 to the iPad, due to some use case that requires a computer.

"Very few" is just your unscientific guess, based on nothing apparently. Therefore it's just another opinion.

Who really cares anyway? I use iOS devices 100% because I enjoy them, and I'm able to get what I need done. If you don't, or can't, then don't. Go buy a Mac or PC or Linux machine. Stop trying to prove that your opinions are facts. They aren't.

 

[bensisko]

• VERY few people can transition 24/7/365 to the iPad, due to some use case that requires a computer.

And I think there will be more that are able to (now, "able to" and "want to" are different) with various "backup" or "5%" solutions (keeping an old computer around, going to Kinkos, friend/relative, library). It's owning a Smart car - 98-99% of the time it's awesome, but when you want to buy a bookshelf you find a friend, rent a truck, etc.

And, like you said, it's a MUCH bigger audience that can fit into that 70/80/90 category.

I'm going back over to lament with my fellow disappointed Mac desktop friends.

Switch to Windows 10!
I'm not trying to be snarky, dead serious! Windows 10 is seriously the best version of Windows ever - they've done a LOT of work and improvements (on the desktop side) and there's a lot of exciting things happening in the Windows world (including VR and Windows Holographic)!

One thing though - I wouldn't (necessarily) expect cheaper hardware. If you want your hardware to match a premium Apple experience, then the hardware is going to be pretty close.

 

[dumastudetto]

If it's better than a computer why have they just released a new line of computers? It's a nice complement to a computer but will never replace one until they change the OS.

Apple will keep making traditional computers for a few more years while enough of the dinosaurs are still using them.

 

[0lf]

...

 

[0lf]

IMHO the best way for Apple to makes the iPad succeed is to focus on what a tablet can do better than traditional form factor (or even an hybrid design) and old OSes.

• content consumption: large screen, light, simple, mob. The first generations of iPad address that.
• creation process that take advantage of direct on screen manipulation like drawing, CAD, handwriting and notes... With the iPad pro line and its state of the art pencil and touch UI, Apple begins to move toward this second step. And the rumors so far go to that direction of Apple splitting further the iPad line into two different set of devices. It is still a work in progress, though.
• then, they can also focus on stuff that don't take advantage of a keyboard and mouse UI, like photo editing...

Now, if we put this in perspective of mixed usage pattern, there is things people do the most and things that are mandatory. We want our device(s) to do best what we do the most and to be adequate for what is mandatory while exceptional usage can be delegate to a borrowed device.

Just a word about hybrids: I prefer to use a knife and a scissors than a swiss army knife...