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roadbloc

macrumors G3
Aug 24, 2009
8,784
215
UK
I don't know about you, but my MBP needs to either be on my lap or on a flat surface for me to be able to work and type on it. It also weighs 5.4 pounds.
I can hold my laptop with one hand and use the trackpad and keyboard with the other. You need two hands to be able to use an iPad on the go as well. The only advantage is weight, however, that is relative to which laptop you are using.
 

*LTD*

macrumors G4
Original poster
Feb 5, 2009
10,703
1
Canada
I can hold my laptop with one hand and use the trackpad and keyboard with the other. You need two hands to be able to use an iPad on the go as well. The only advantage is weight, however, that is relative to which laptop you are using.

Completely different ergonomics. You guys are funny.
 

StvenH90

macrumors regular
Jun 13, 2011
240
5
Florida
It's true, anything you can do with a tablet. Most of us, if not all already having something laying around that will do what a tablet can do or even better. Most of us have a smartphone and computer(s). The only reason I see to buy a tablet is if you want to burn some money on something (or don't own a computer(s))

It's just a niche product, I don't see it lasting long. Unless something changes.
 

*LTD*

macrumors G4
Original poster
Feb 5, 2009
10,703
1
Canada
It's just a niche product, I don't see it lasting long. Unless something changes.

This is how the competition thinks. Until they decided to build their strategies around tablets. Once Apple showed them it's a good idea, of course.

You're in for quite a surprise in roughly two weeks.

And yeah, hold a 5.4 pound MBP with one hand and type with the other, see how long that lasts. While you do your uncomfortable, ergonomically ridiculous balancing act, the rest of us are comfortably and casually swiping and touching away on our iPads.
 

neiltc13

macrumors 68040
May 27, 2006
3,128
28
This is how the competition thinks. Until they decided to build their strategies around tablets. Once Apple showed them it's a good idea, of course.

You're in for quite a surprise in roughly two weeks.

And yeah, hold a 5.4 pound MBP with one hand and type with the other, see how long that lasts. While you do your uncomfortable, ergonomically ridiculous balancing act, the rest of us are comfortably and casually swiping and touching away on our iPads.

There was never a great need for people to be able to use their computers standing up - if there was, then the tablet PCs of a few years ago would have succeeded.
 

*LTD*

macrumors G4
Original poster
Feb 5, 2009
10,703
1
Canada
There was never a great need for people to be able to use their computers standing up - if there was, then the tablet PCs of a few years ago would have succeeded.

There is now. Amazing how when the product is actually done right the need (and the solution) appears. And what's this talk of "need"? Apple taps into the "want" sector of the market. A far more powerful approach, and we're seeing the results.

Tablet computers years ago were total ****, what are you smoking? It took Apple to re-invent the market and actually do it right.
 

StvenH90

macrumors regular
Jun 13, 2011
240
5
Florida
This is how the competition thinks. Until they decided to build their strategies around tablets. Once Apple showed them it's a good idea, of course.

You're in for quite a surprise in roughly two weeks.

And yeah, hold a 5.4 pound MBP with one hand and type with the other, see how long that lasts. While you do your uncomfortable, ergonomically ridiculous balancing act, the rest of us are comfortably and casually swiping and touching away on our iPads.

I have worked in sales, and did this balance act with Lenovo laptops for over a year with out a problem. I even had an old IBM tablet, it helped to an extent, but I would not go out of my way to buy one.
 

StvenH90

macrumors regular
Jun 13, 2011
240
5
Florida
Tablet computers years ago were total ****, what are you smoking? It took Apple to re-invent the market and actually do it right.

The tablets, I used many years ago had a full fledge OS. I would much rather have one of them instead or even a newer one. If I felt the need for a tablet, I don't feel the need for a half baked iOS or Android device that cost as much as a small computer. I also really have not herd much hype for a tablet product outside of this forum.
 

42streetsdown

macrumors 6502a
Feb 12, 2011
655
3
Gallifrey, 5124
The bar graph should just show iOS vs Android to make things easier and more balanced for the reader. So it should read:

Around 60% of people we surveyed want an iPad over an Android tablet!!!!!!!!111111oneoneoneone


Absolute load of bollocks.

Not all android devices are the same. In fact the experience can be very different on each of them. Therefore, lumping all android devices into one group is not 'more balanced'


I still don't see the point in tablets, unless it's a full on computer. Such as the Lenovo x220 Tablet.

I guess you aren't part of the market, but a huge percentage of the population is.
 

*LTD*

macrumors G4
Original poster
Feb 5, 2009
10,703
1
Canada
The tablets, I used many years ago had a full fledge OS. I would much rather have one of them instead or even a newer one. If I felt the need for a tablet, I don't feel the need for a half baked iOS or Android device that cost as much as a small computer.

Have you not been paying attention? So-called "full"' OSes don't work. Which is one of the main reasons why all that junk from the past didn't take off. A few companies have arrived at this painful conclusion more recently.

The iPad is selling into the millions. Based on current demand (which Apple can barely meet), the forecasts are absolutely insane.

I also really have not herd much hype for a tablet product outside of this forum.

Who's buying those millions of iPads then? Some companies are basing their entire roadmap on tablets.

It's like you're posting from three years ago.
 

42streetsdown

macrumors 6502a
Feb 12, 2011
655
3
Gallifrey, 5124
It's not just her. I tried the same thing with my mom. I showed her the iPad, thinking it might make a good replacement for her aging XP laptop (that never moves off the desk). She hated it and didn't get it. She especially hated the virtual keyboard.

Oddly, the same thing happened when she ended up with the XP laptop a few years ago. Her desktop had died, so I tried to show her how good OSX was on my Powerbook. I showed her the Dock, how easy it was to change stuff, etc. After all that, the first thing she said was "where is the Start button?". I just told her to buy a Dell with the employee discount from her office.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks (not calling your mom a dog lol)
In the end people'll use what they're used to, no matter how much better the new thing is.
 

StvenH90

macrumors regular
Jun 13, 2011
240
5
Florida
Checking eBay, there's a lot of used iPads on there. More then used Mac Book Pros, appears to me people are looking to off load them. Take a look for your self.

Edit:

Macbook Pro (All)
Manufacturer refurbished (20)
Seller refurbished (73)
Used (1,057)

iPad
Manufacturer refurbished (28)
Seller refurbished (42)
Used (938)

Just as many iPads as MBP, and there's only two revisions. There is also a number of used iPads on my local craigslist.
 

FX120

macrumors 65816
May 18, 2007
1,173
235
I hardly ever use my iPad anymore. My parents actually have it right now because they wanted to test drive one before buying a laptop. The only reason I haven't sold it yet is because I plan on developing a command fusion control interface for a client with it.

IMO the ergonomics of using an iPad/tablet/slate for an extended period of time are quite poor unless you're doing something static like watching a movie.
 

neiltc13

macrumors 68040
May 27, 2006
3,128
28
I hardly ever use my iPad anymore. My parents actually have it right now because they wanted to test drive one before buying a laptop. The only reason I haven't sold it yet is because I plan on developing a command fusion control interface for a client with it.

IMO the ergonomics of using an iPad/tablet/slate for an extended period of time are quite poor unless you're doing something static like watching a movie.

I'd have movie watching down as one of the worst things to do on a tablet. Unless you have a stand for it, you'll have to hold on to it as you watch and the 1024x768 display is hardly suited for widescreen movies.
 

Bernard SG

macrumors 65816
Jul 3, 2010
1,354
7
Checking eBay, there's a lot of used iPads on there. More then used Mac Book Pros, appears to me people are looking to off load them. Take a look for your self.

Edit:

Macbook Pro (All)
Manufacturer refurbished (20)
Seller refurbished (73)
Used (1,057)

iPad
Manufacturer refurbished (28)
Seller refurbished (42)
Used (938)

Just as many iPads as MBP, and there's only two revisions. There is also a number of used iPads on my local craigslist.

There's a lot of iPad first-generation on eBay, yep.
Perhaps because their owners want to upgrade?
By the way they seem to get a nice price overall.
 

SactoGuy18

macrumors 601
Sep 11, 2006
4,733
1,798
Sacramento, CA USA
There's a good reason I own an iPad 2: I can find out the latest news without having to turn on my home computer (and waiting for the computer to boot!). Since I have a iPad case that takes advantage of the Smart Cover feature, I can flip open the case, touch on the icons for CNN, BBC News, USA Today or Fox News and find out the latest news in about 10-12 seconds. :)

Given the gigantic iOS ecosystem, it's almost a case of why bother with any other tablet computer? I don't expect Android-based tablets to be viable until Android 3.1 is widely available and a large number of Android 3.1-specific apps start arriving.
 

roadbloc

macrumors G3
Aug 24, 2009
8,784
215
UK
And yeah, hold a 5.4 pound MBP with one hand and type with the other, see how long that lasts.

Same with an iPad. How long will it take for your arm to fatigue as you hold it up to eye level or your neck to strain as you look down to see it?

As I said, the only difference is the weight. Neither are ideal, both are better suited sat down at a desk or on your lap.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
And yeah, hold a 5.4 pound MBP with one hand and type with the other, see how long that lasts. While you do your uncomfortable, ergonomically ridiculous balancing act, the rest of us are comfortably and casually swiping and touching away on our iPads.

And that's where the smaller tablets are a better fit. In the enterprise where people use computers and tablets for work, having a smaller unit makes this type of operation much better then a heavy iPad.
 

*LTD*

macrumors G4
Original poster
Feb 5, 2009
10,703
1
Canada
And that's where the smaller tablets are a better fit. In the enterprise where people use computers and tablets for work, having a smaller unit makes this type of operation much better then a heavy iPad.

An iPad isn't heavy, and those smaller tablets (i.e., 7-inch) aren't selling.

Consumers are not interested in form factors that deviate from the benchmark set by Apple. A 10-inch screen is ideal. All smaller screens have been met with lukewarm reception.

We're seeing that Jobs' prognostications on smaller-size tablets are actually coming true. In part because they make a world of sense.

One naturally thinks that a 7-inch screen would offer 70% of the benefits of a 10-inch screen. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. The screen measurements are diagonal, so that a 7-inch screen is only 45% as large as iPad’s 10-inch screen. You heard me right: Just 45% as large.

If you take an iPad an hold it upright in portrait view and draw an imaginary horizontal line halfway down the screen, the screens on these 7-inch tablets are a bit smaller than the bottom half of the ipad’s display. This size isn’t sufficient to create great tablet apps in our opinion. While one could increase the resolution of the display to make up for some of the difference, it is meaningless unless your tablet also includes sandpaper, so that the user can sand down their fingers to around one quarter of their present size.

Apple has done extensive user testing on tough interfaces over many years and we really understand this stuff. There are clear limits of how close you can physically place elements on a touchscreen before users cannot reliably tap, flick, or pinch them. This is one of the key reasons we think the 10-inch screen size is the minimum size required to create great tablet apps… The 7-inch tablets are tweeners. Too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad.

These are among the reasons we think the current crop of 7-inch tablets are going to be DOA. Dead On Arrival. Their manufacturers will learn the painful lesson that their tablets are too small and increase the size next year, thereby abandoning both customers and developers who jumped on the 7-inch bandwagon with an orphaned product.

Sounds like lots of fun ahead.
Steve Jobs, October 18, 2010
 
Last edited:

Liquorpuki

macrumors 68020
Jun 18, 2009
2,286
8
City of Angels
It's true, anything you can do with a tablet. Most of us, if not all already having something laying around that will do what a tablet can do or even better. Most of us have a smartphone and computer(s). The only reason I see to buy a tablet is if you want to burn some money on something (or don't own a computer(s))

It's just a niche product, I don't see it lasting long. Unless something changes.

I used to use a Fujitsu P1510 tablet when I worked manufacturing. I prefer the iPad, especially when it comes to viewing documents. Among the reasons, I don't have to carry around a power brick to make it last all day.

Have you not been paying attention? So-called "full"' OSes don't work. Which is one of the main reasons why all that junk from the past didn't take off. A few companies have arrived at this painful conclusion more recently.

They worked, the solution just wasn't as elegant. And when switching to iPads, there's a tradeoff too. Document creation totally sucks on an iPad. And the app store sucks when it comes to pro business apps.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
An iPad isn't heavy, and those smaller tablets (i.e., 7-inch) aren't selling.
Its heavier and one of the most consistent criticism with the iPad is the the fatigue when one holds it for extended periods of time.

Similar reviews have stated the opposite for the smaller tablets.
 

MonkeySee....

macrumors 68040
Sep 24, 2010
3,858
437
UK
I can hold my laptop with one hand and use the trackpad and keyboard with the other. You need two hands to be able to use an iPad on the go as well. The only advantage is weight, however, that is relative to which laptop you are using.

I don't think i've ever seen someone do what you've described with a laptop. lol

iPad mobility is far superior to a laptop. Its like holding a magazine.

Nobody without mental health issues would use a laptop whilst carrying it around.
 
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