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Does the iPad....
- Thread starter gerabbi
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I don't think that the iPad will kill MBA or even iPod touch like some people speculate. Each portable device from Apple serves different purposes, well, sometimes there are the overlaps. However, the iPad is another category of the Apple portable devices. I read the comments about this new gadget from many websites and I think that people have misconceptions about what the iPad is for. My idea is that this new device is providing great experiences in web browsing, email, pictures (great UI), some productivities (iWork), music, VDO, books, magazines, just like SJ said this morning. And I think the iPad is actually a netbook's rival. People use netbooks for web browsing, email, word, powerpoint. The iPad is way more better than netbook in all those things (unless you are the hater).
I believe that Apple will continue on improving MBA. Cant wait to get one but I am waiting for the next update (I will be satisfied with 4 Gb of RAM and >128 Gb SSD).
iPad (as Jobs told) is something between iPod and Macbook...and it includes the MBA
So, it wouldn't be used for same things than a computer. It is NOT a computer itself..it is a Tablet. No more, no less.
Neither (for me) it is an eBook reader. This kind of screen is not the right one. I will continue using my kindle for this matter.
I think that i will buy one on June (when it will be available on Spain) but i will use like media device, for web browsing, video player and more applications which will come. Same as iPhone did, it needs some time to show the really potential with specific applications.
Also for Mail looks great. And iPhoto. And iWork. ... really, thinking again about it, many people use their computers ONLY for these things.
So, it is not a full computer for me. But for many people it could be.
So, it wouldn't be used for same things than a computer. It is NOT a computer itself..it is a Tablet. No more, no less.
Neither (for me) it is an eBook reader. This kind of screen is not the right one. I will continue using my kindle for this matter.
I think that i will buy one on June (when it will be available on Spain) but i will use like media device, for web browsing, video player and more applications which will come. Same as iPhone did, it needs some time to show the really potential with specific applications.
Also for Mail looks great. And iPhoto. And iWork. ... really, thinking again about it, many people use their computers ONLY for these things.
So, it is not a full computer for me. But for many people it could be.
nooooo
The iPad is more of a high end iPhone.
The MBA is more of a low-end Macbook.
It's the gap between iPad and Macbook
The iPad is more of a high end iPhone.
The MBA is more of a low-end Macbook.
It's the gap between iPad and Macbook
nooooo
The iPad is more of a high end iPhone.
The MBA is more of a low-end Macbook.
It's the gap between iPad and Macbook
The problem with the MBA is that its specs are certainly low-end, but, unlike the iPad, its price point doesn't match, as it's more expensive than both the plastic white Macbook and the 13" MBP. It's a vanity product that didn't quite take off, and its form factor is nearly equaled by the 13" MBP (with its extra half cm of thickness and 1.5 extra lbs), which surpasses its specs. While Apple seems to be updating the product in the short term, without a significant price adjustment, I don't see where it fits in their product line going forward.
nooooo
The iPad is more of a high end iPhone.
The MBA is more of a low-end Macbook.
It's the gap between iPad and Macbook
That's like saying the iPod touch is a low end iPhone.
They are not even within the same market; one is a consumer laptop (MacBook); the other is an ultraportable (MacBook Air).
Does the Ipad run Microsoft Office (The full suite with .ppt and exl?)
i don't need no stinking Iwork.
can it act as a note taking machine in lecture? I highly doubt it with that small on screen keyboard.
i don't think it can replace the MBA for at least these 2 reason...
i don't need no stinking Iwork.
can it act as a note taking machine in lecture? I highly doubt it with that small on screen keyboard.
i don't think it can replace the MBA for at least these 2 reason...
Screen? The Kindle's screen sucks. It's small, black/white and expensive for the ONE SINGLE function it provides. Yes, it's E-Ink and there is not as much glare (it's impossible to have absolutely zero glare) as LCD but it's only an e-reader. The DX which still has a smaller screen than the iPad costs more.
Unlike most people who refuse to read books in areas not under 100% direct sunlight, I actually welcome the iPad. It's not a perfect device, but I get a whole lot more than if I buy Amazon's Kindle. I'm not limiting to only reading books, I can play games, surf the web, watch movies, etc. I think that the sacrifice is justified. Who reads under 100% direct sunlight majority of the time you use an e-book reader? Anti-glare is only useful if you spend majority of your time under 100% sunlight.
Unlike most people who refuse to read books in areas not under 100% direct sunlight, I actually welcome the iPad. It's not a perfect device, but I get a whole lot more than if I buy Amazon's Kindle. I'm not limiting to only reading books, I can play games, surf the web, watch movies, etc. I think that the sacrifice is justified. Who reads under 100% direct sunlight majority of the time you use an e-book reader? Anti-glare is only useful if you spend majority of your time under 100% sunlight.
iWork saves in Office formats, .docx, .pptx, .xlsx. Also it's not infringing on any IP like Office.
The on screen keyboard is actually pretty big in landscape. You won't be typing at 200 wpm speeds but it's more than adequate for note taking. Plus, you can write using a stylus (any iPhone stylus works since the touchscreen is the same) or your finger with handwriting recognition.
A Macbook or 13" MacBook Pro weigh the same amount as an Air and an iPad combined. Going forward fewer and fewer people are going to be willing to carry all that weight around, especially as the alternative iPad experience will suit many people just fine. Therefore, I expect the 13" and 15" Pro's to be dropped sometime after the introduction of a very capable and slim 14" MacBook Air in the spring of 2011 and before late 2011 with the launches of 5.5" and 15" iPad"s in time for the Christmas shopping season. Anyone wanting more will have to move up to the 17" Pro.
Here's wild speculation: Maybe Apple will discontinue the Air and remove the internal optical drive from the MacBook Pro. The newer MacBook Pros will be lighter than the current MBP though not quite as svelte as the Air.
This post is a classic example of mixing up wishes and realistic predictions that runs rampant here at MacRumors.
Why bother when they can scrap them both to make way for more advanced tech? I'm sure they'll do that in the MacBook and 17" though, just like the Air.
I bet you Apple is thinking about it too. Remember the end of 2011 is a good two years away nearly and by then the iPads and Air will have really moved on. One MacBook, one Air and one MacBook Pro spanning the screen sizes and price ranges, seems like a reasonable possibility to me.
What about the Macbook Touch?
We need to see a touch screen macbook with mac OS X 10.7 lion. that's from apple and not third party developers.
We need to see a touch screen macbook with mac OS X 10.7 lion.
that's from apple and not third party developers.It's misleading to compare the MBA to the 13inch MBP. To get a real sense of its value, you need to compare the machine to its real competitors which are the ultralights like the Adamos, Lenovo X300s, and certain Vaios. When making those comparisons, the MBA's performance per dollar is much higher. Some on this board even consider the MBA to be a bargain for the type of computer that it's supposed to be.
Of course, I agree with you that it's also a vanity product but for me, I find no problem admitting that form follows closely on the heels of function. After using the Macbook Air, the 13 inch Macbook Pro just feels too clumsy, hefty and somewhat of an eyesore. Using an MBA for an extended time will spoil you in that way--you find it difficult to forgive any laptop that weighs over 3 pounds. Aside from the weight, the other great thing about the Air is the svelte form factor, which makes room for other things in the bag.
Apple needs the Air in its lineup because without it they do not have a true ultraportable. The MBP 13inch while a capable machine is simply too heavy, thick and cumbersome (relative to the MBA). As a person who commutes daily with my computer in tow, 1.5LB is a HUGE difference.
As an aside, IMO, the notebook that doesn't belong in the lineup is the unibody Macbook. Take a look around classrooms and Coffee shops--the prevalence of the 13 inch MBP is indication that IT is the real Apple laptop for the masses, not its white brethren.
If the iPad would have turned out to be a MBA with a touchscreen instead of a keyboard rather than a hyperthyroid iPod Touch I might have worried about that. But as things stand these are two very different classes of device.
I was profoundly disappointed in the iPad announcement and think Apple really failed to make their case for the things the iPad was supposed to offer the best experience you've ever had at.
- Surfing - I've used tablets before for this and indeed it can be a super experience loafing, relaxing, and surfing with a tablet. But not with a version of Safari which in its full version has trouble with a significant number I websites I use, let alone the iPhone version that offers no Java and no Plugins (including Flash) which makes it an even poorer experience for MANY common web sites. If course these things are software fixable, but I would not consider a iPad without plug-in and java support or that offered another browser with such support.
- Email - Again a full function tablet can be great for email. But this offers limited storage, limited attachment VIEWING and even more limited attachment editing (sorry but even the full version of iWork has trouble with most of the MS documents I get so its just not an option for anything but limited personal docs). And no mention of Exchange support but it may have it (I would not consider it without).
- Pictures, Movies, Music - larger screen is nice but not sure how much better than my iPhone the experience will be and limited storage space and same limitations getting content on and off and editing it as the iPhone.
- eBook reader - ok, great color screen. Will be much nicer for newspapers, magazines, and maybe some textbooks that need color. But for regular pocketbooks where longer reading sessions are the norm, eInk has it all over any backlit screen. And I need a data plan or hotspot to buy/download books?
- AT&T Wireless - sorry just not interested in another device tied to AT&T only. Put a combo CDMA/GSM chip in it thats good with any US carrier and I'd think about it, but not AT&T only. I already pay for an iPhone data plan and a PC data plan and I would want a THIRD data plan why? AT&T still hasn't got tethering on my iPhone several YEARS after its out.
- No camera for video calls, no real file system, no SD slot, no standard ports, $825 for a loaded one, and $30 a month. They should have saved their money fighting for the iPad name and called it the Newton II
Any way, cool gadget, but its not going to replace any real computer (including a netbook).
I'm sure there will be folks it does work great for, I'm just not one of them.
I was profoundly disappointed in the iPad announcement and think Apple really failed to make their case for the things the iPad was supposed to offer the best experience you've ever had at.
- Surfing - I've used tablets before for this and indeed it can be a super experience loafing, relaxing, and surfing with a tablet. But not with a version of Safari which in its full version has trouble with a significant number I websites I use, let alone the iPhone version that offers no Java and no Plugins (including Flash) which makes it an even poorer experience for MANY common web sites. If course these things are software fixable, but I would not consider a iPad without plug-in and java support or that offered another browser with such support.
- Email - Again a full function tablet can be great for email. But this offers limited storage, limited attachment VIEWING and even more limited attachment editing (sorry but even the full version of iWork has trouble with most of the MS documents I get so its just not an option for anything but limited personal docs). And no mention of Exchange support but it may have it (I would not consider it without).
- Pictures, Movies, Music - larger screen is nice but not sure how much better than my iPhone the experience will be and limited storage space and same limitations getting content on and off and editing it as the iPhone.
- eBook reader - ok, great color screen. Will be much nicer for newspapers, magazines, and maybe some textbooks that need color. But for regular pocketbooks where longer reading sessions are the norm, eInk has it all over any backlit screen. And I need a data plan or hotspot to buy/download books?
- AT&T Wireless - sorry just not interested in another device tied to AT&T only. Put a combo CDMA/GSM chip in it thats good with any US carrier and I'd think about it, but not AT&T only. I already pay for an iPhone data plan and a PC data plan and I would want a THIRD data plan why? AT&T still hasn't got tethering on my iPhone several YEARS after its out.
- No camera for video calls, no real file system, no SD slot, no standard ports, $825 for a loaded one, and $30 a month. They should have saved their money fighting for the iPad name and called it the Newton II
Any way, cool gadget, but its not going to replace any real computer (including a netbook).
I'm sure there will be folks it does work great for, I'm just not one of them.
i can watch hulu, abc go, cbs, and southpark studios on a netbook...not in a tablet ( but am getting one) but for browsing the web such hell yeah is better and sturdier!
I have a 15" MBP (3 yrs old) and want a MBA, but can't convince myself not to get a 13" MBP. It seems to have everything in one great neat package. I didn't see any updates to the MBP's or MBA. I'm hoping something comes up in the near future... or did I just miss it with all the iPad information??
Thanks.
Frank
Thanks.
Frank
I don't think that it will replace the MBA. For some the MBA will be the best possible device for them. They need a lightweight computer. Though I will confess that I had been saving for an MBA, but have found that the iPad fits my needs better than what the MBA would, for significantly less money.