Could the iPad be a failure?

[Drag'nGT]

I seem to remember threads like this when the iPhone was announced. It didn't have a freaking huge ass list of stuff that should have and look at it. You need to go use one if you need to first. I didn't get it at first (with the iPhone) either. I had to use/own one to see what it was all about.

That said, I'm replacing my iPhone with the iPad.

 

[skubish]

Put me down for a fail.
It could have been great but leaves so much out.

1. No flash. I don't care about flash much but I would love a device like this that I could watch hulu or other video sites besides youtube.

2. No SD card or USB support. Can't use it as a device to display my photos I just shot on remote location.

3. No free 3G downloads of iTunes or iBook content like the Kindle (or at least it wasn't mentioned).

4. Still have to use a cord to connect to your computer. This is unthinkable in 2010.

5. No camera. No video conferencing. This would be a nice feature.

All adds up to a no buy for me.

 

[Warbrain]

It wouldn't surprise me if it ends up being a dud. I cannot see any reason to purchase this over a MacBook + iPhone.

And it doesn't have a dud processor. What is has is a dud restriction on background processes.

 

[Nostromo]

saying that iPad is a failure is way to premature. While it's clear that the iPad has failed to garner the approval from many macrumors members here but the real litmus test is whether the consumer approves/disapproves and votes with their wallet.

We're two to three months away from when people can actually get one, so talk of its success or failure is way too premature.

I'm not saying this.

Those were not statements, those were questions. To spur a discussion. And even though some people like it, some don't.

Apple has been very, very successful even in this recession.

But no company is bulletproof against failure. Too much success can foster hubris in a company's leading stuff and be the first step to downfall.

Look at Toyota. Just made biggest car company last year, and now had to stop selling many of their models due to the acceleration problem.

 

[jlasoon]

It wouldn't surprise me if it ends up being a dud. I cannot see any reason to purchase this over a MacBook + iPhone.

And for all those bitching and moaning about the product not being to their own specific liking, there are others -like me- who'll buy a few of these. I have an iPhone, a MacBook, and a MacPro. The MacBook is now useless for us. I'm replacing it with an iPad. Thank You Steve, this is the product me and my family have been waiting for.

 

[generationxwing]

Judging by the fanboys' negative reaction on here and their track record of predicting failure, the iPad will be a runaway success.

In all seriousness, this product is perfect for casual use and for students. Just how netbooks aren't fully featured computers, neither is the iPad. My iMac is my central computing hub. Right now I have a MacBook that's my secondary computer and it's too much for what I really use it for - iWork. An iPad is the perfect product for what I need. I can take notes on it, which I can't do with my iPhone, I can read on the way to and from school on the train, and I can run presentations on it.

No, this product isn't for people who want a fully featured computer. But as we all know, full OSes don't translate well to tablets. This is a casual product for a variety of consumers at a great price. It isn't perfect, but that's for future software updates and hardware refreshes to take care of. Just like every other Apple product.

I predict huge success for the iPad.

I have an iPhone, a MacBook, and a MacPro. The MacBook is now useless for us. I'm replacing it with an iPad.

Exactly. Once my MacBook's lifespan is done, I'll replace it with an iPad. Perfect device for what I need.

 

[mysterytramp]

I think it'll sell pretty well. It might not take the world by storm, but it will shake things up a bit.

One, it'll be popular with folks who don't already have a portable computing device.

Two, it'll compete more directly with the folks who think they want a Kindle (and similar items) but want something that does more.

Three, I think companies are going to love it. They'll be able to cycle out laptops and replace them with cheaper iPads. If you know a developer who is planning to create business software for the iPad, invest now.

mt

 

[Warbrain]

Judging by the fanboys' negative reaction on here and their track record of predicting failure, the iPad will be a runaway success.

In all seriousness, this product is perfect for casual use and for students. Just how netbooks aren't fully featured computers, neither is the iPad. My iMac is my central computing hub. Right now I have a MacBook that's my secondary computer and it's too much for what I really use it for - iWork. An iPad is the perfect product for what I need. I can take notes on it, which I can't do with my iPhone, I can read on the way to and from school on the train, and I can run presentations on it.

No, this product isn't for people who want a fully featured computer. But as we all know, full OSes don't translate well to tablets. This is a casual product for a variety of consumers at a great price. It isn't perfect, but that's for future software updates and hardware refreshes to take care of. Just like every other Apple product.

I predict huge success for the iPad.

Except that, just graduating, I would NOT have wanted this device in place of a computer. I need to be able to run multiple apps at a time for research. I need a way to make notes in a textbook. I need something that works well for taking notes in class and a touchscreen and virtual keyboard is not going to work for that.

 

[dmr727]

I don't think it's going to be a failure. Even with its shortcomings, the cheap price tag and Apple's momentum will make it sell well regardless. And none of the problems are something Apple can't fix in Version 2.

It'll be interesting to see, regardless.

 

[stewart715]

I think the price range will make it a success. The 16GB Wifi, 16GB WiFi+3G and 32GB WiFi will be hot sellers IMHO..

 

[Nostromo]

I have an iPhone, a MacBook, and a MacPro. The MacBook is now useless for us. I'm replacing it with an iPad. Thank You Steve, this is the product me and my family have been waiting for.

Good point. Only, for now it doesn't seem powerful enough to replace anything close to a MacBook or a MacBook Pro.

The way it is now I'm not in favor of it.

But it could become something very useful.

I'd like to have a computer that fits into jacket pocket, add a foldable keyboard...

On another thread someone mentioned TRUE GPS. With Gps the iPad could became a true iPal when cruising cities, giving directions instead of an expensive car computer. And you can plug it into the DVD player like an iPod. You could also use the GPS for displaying maps when hiking.

In combination with the right software and cooperating with your camera you could have a customized map that tells you where you took your photos.

This is only the first generation. Early adopters will pay an extra high price for not too great an experience.

And then we'll see what G2, G3, etc. bring.

For now, I'm so much not interested I'm almost disgusted.

 

[gibbz]

<snip>
Early adopters will pay an extra high price for not too great an experience.

And then we'll see what G2, G3, etc. bring.

For now, I'm so much not interested I'm almost disgusted.

According to John Gruber, it is an amazing user experience.

 

[generationxwing]

For now, I'm so much not interested I'm almost disgusted.

And with that, you have lost all credibility you might have had.

Really? Disgusted? It's a tech product, not the second coming of Christ. It's no one's fault that you bought into the unrealistic hype that greets every Apple product but your own.

In the words of William Shatner, "get a life."

 

[Nostromo]

According to John Gruber, it is an amazing user experience.

But he had only twenty minutes to play with it with apps Apple chose.

Well, everyday usage will show how much people will like it.

We all haven't even touched one and can only speculate from the specs and first-look reviews (but not from real use)

It'll will also show what the Apple developed A4 processor is capable of.

Again, let's see where this device will go.

Maybe there will be a OS X capable version.

PS: With Apple producing the processor in-house, the earning potential of this will be huge on a per unit basis.

But will I buy one? No. Not enough computer. A big iPhone, not for me.

And many who are arguing reasonably on this board are of the same opinion. And then there are all those who couldn't care less about Apple. They will only buy it, if it's cool and practical.


As for now, the iPad is preposterous and overpriced. It's a toy, not a computer.

 

[Scottyfrombi]

IMO the iPad is just the next iteration of the iTouch. It obviously is not targeted to replace the iPhone for obvious reasons. I always thought the iTouch was too small a format for it's intended audience. But since it would be too complicated and expensive to have separate apps initially for the iPhone and a larger iPad style iTouch it was a natural progression for the iTouch to be the size it was.

Now that iTunes has taken on a life of it's own and has become self sustaining, it is strong enough to branch out and bifurcate the app store. In fact, I think this is going to be another gigantic boon to the iTunes App Store.

If this is as successful as I think it will be, it should either replace the iTouch or be an alternative to the iTouch which I think will become known as the compact iPad.

With the success of Kindle and Sony's reader, I think this will do quite well. I don't think this is going to be a sudden overnight craze like the iPhone was, but as generations of high school and college kids who have not purchased a kindle or anything yet get into the market, this will be an obvious superior alternative to the e-readers which are pretty limited in function.

I am not going to buy one because I am hoping that ATT will allow tethering or better yet, future Powerbooks will have 3 or 4G built in. For now the iPad is not attractive to me, since I have a powerbook, an iPhone 3Gs and desktop Mac. It really doesn't fill a void for me.

 

[Mike Macintosh]

I am not going to be buying one but I don't think it will be competing as a Computer, to me it's competing with Kindle, I mean once text books go up on the service I can see Collage Students just eat it up.

I don't know anybody who would want to carry 30+ books if you can just stick all that content on 1 device.

For starters the kindle is just your basic E-Reader, but this device adds music while you read, you can easily grab content off the net if you need to look something up, and if your bored reading and got freetime you can watch a movie.

So my scenerio is, this has potential to being a good way to rid all those heavy textbooks in the future, and become a great learning device, I see this being a huge success if Apple plays the cards right.

 

[dave1812dave]

Apple failed once with the Newton, and now serves up a tablet that's nothing more than a big iPhone.

Do you see a chance this product may fail?

What would it mean for Apple? Would Apple lose the reputation of having a marketing Midas touch?

How big an investment did Apple make?

Did hubris get to Apple and do they really think we'd spend so much money on a device that is not able to do a lot?

And what would this mean to Apple's computer line?

Is this device proof of Apple being in a crisis? Did they lose touch?

I don't care if it is deemed a success or failure. But I DO know that I don't want one, and I'm a guy who has 11 iPods.

 

[richard.mac]

… Lame processor. …

do you really need a more powerful processor for a touch screen device that doesnt have a desktop OS? the processor is pretty good, low power, I/O and memory controller on die.

… Tiny HDD. In 2010 they really come out with a device that only has 16 Gb storage space. (And the maximum size of 64 Gb for over $800 is a joke). …

thats SSD. the starting price is pretty good considering it has 16GB of flash storage. but for more space it gets a little expensive, as Apple always does.

… No OS X.

it has iPad OS X, a more refined and high res version of iPhone OS X. having a desktop OS on a touch screen device isnt necessary as a much better navigation and viewing experience can be created using iPhones OS X. also it will be a lot faster than a netbook with a desktop OS thats for sure.

i think people really dont know what the iPad will be great at and either do i. i guess its just a better viewing experience than the iPhones.

 

[chill.]

I think it'll sell pretty well. It might not take the world by storm, but it will shake things up a bit.

One, it'll be popular with folks who don't already have a portable computing device.

Two, it'll compete more directly with the folks who think they want a Kindle (and similar items) but want something that does more.

Three, I think companies are going to love it. They'll be able to cycle out laptops and replace them with cheaper iPads. If you know a developer who is planning to create business software for the iPad, invest now.

mt

2 - without e-ink it really can't compete with the kindle

3 - why would companies pay $500-800 for a crippled tablet when they can buy fully featured pc laptops for the same price that can run MS Office and their proprietary security software? any software you run on the ipad has to go through the app store. why go through that headache?

 

[meagain]

so not only are people comparing a multi-touch surface to a POS cheap $500 laptop - there is also incredible displays of misinformation about the product here.

I'm selling my Macbook and buying this. It's all I need. I think it's going to do a hell of a lot more than people think. At least Jailbroken

 

[leeadkins]

While there might be a few glaring hardware omissions (I'm looking at you, camera), the rest is a software issue.

The success of this device is hugely dependent on the ability of developers to think outside the box. Developers might have started getting a grip on creating multitouch applications on a space-limited screen, but once you blow that screen up, you take away the need for a lot of special considerations that essentially dictated how iPhone apps are made. It makes you think a lot harder about exactly how to present things. 99% of developers have never actually needed to create a full blown application that runs at 1024X768 and supports mulittouch.

The sooner devs can start to think outside the box and put old paradigms out of their minds - really rethinking how to present interfaces to users, the sooner we can understand exactly what this device is for.

Because let's face it. It's a blank slate. We've got a huge multitouch screen. Huge storage capacity. Wifi and/or 3G. What we hope is an adequate processor. There are a few nitpicky hardware things some of us may want, but on the grand scheme of things, there's not much more to need.

The rest is totally software. It'll be a slow start. But once the innovative thinkers get some applications out there that use this thing to its fullest, Apple will make a TV ad and it'll be off to the races.

So no, I don't think it will fail. Slow at first, yes. But they'll stay the course for the first year, and then it will explode.

 

[richard.mac]

2 - without e-ink it really can't compete with the kindle…

it doesnt need to. Apple said that the Kindle is really good at what it does. the Kindle is great for hardcore readers who detest eye strain from backlights, and the iPad gives a rich, colourful view of the book or newspaper with lots of effects i.e. OoOo shiny! there could be two different markets.

 

[Nostromo]

do you really need a more powerful processor for a touch screen device that doesnt have a desktop OS? the processor is pretty good, low power, I/O and memory controller on die.



thats SSD. the starting price is pretty good considering it has 16GB of flash storage. but for more space it gets a little expensive, as Apple always does.



it has iPad OS X, a more refined and high res version of iPhone OS X. having a desktop OS on a touch screen device isnt necessary as a much better navigation and viewing experience can be created using iPhones OS X. also it will be a lot faster than a netbook with a desktop OS thats for sure.

i think people really dont know what the iPad will be great at and either do i. i guess its just a better viewing experience than the iPhones.

Flash storage isn't that expensive any more.

16 Gb for the entry level model is a rather pathetic amount.

I would have expected more than the iPod Touch has.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

Not able to do a lot? Did you even see the presentation. If you were looking forward to a full fledged desktop OS with some touch overlaid on a small device, sorry but that was never realistic. Adding touch capabilities to a desktop OS isn't user-friendly and it just doesn't work. As Microsoft.

You have to be kidding about the crisis comment. Apple just released its most profitable quarter ever, is now a $50 billion annual revenue company and the largest mobile products company in the world, and has over $40 billion sitting in the bank. If that is a crisis, sign me up!

I think it will sell and it will sell a lot. The price point is right and I think it functions as an in-between device should. This thing will sell more in one year than the kindle has in its entire existence. This thing just killed the Kindle DX.

Bingo! I couldn't have said it better myself...

Bryan

 

[Kpjoslee]

Despite its limitations, given Apple's current momentum, I can't see it being as a failure. iPad is clearly aimed at netbooks, and kindle or any other book reading device that is out on the market, and iPad is more than competitive against them.

I think Apple had compromise iPad's features so that it does not undercut any of the sales of either iPod touch or macbooks....I think that is why iPad lacks true multi-tasking and camera.

Only thing that bothers me about iPad is lack of flash support....
I think iPad is more that powerful enough to handle flash, and lack of full-featured Safari is kind of surprising. Although I do think flash will eventually become available later.