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Dvorak on recent iPad reviews

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barkomatic

macrumors 601
Original poster
Aug 8, 2008
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He's not technically commenting on the iPad itself, but rather the lack of criticism of the iPad by other reviewers. It's an interesting read, and I agree to an extent--everyone seems to write that the iPad is a "game changer" but yet cannot clearly articulate why exactly. He is dead on in that many Apple owners are instantly enraged when an Apple product (particularly one that they own) is criticized in any way. I think its the result of people using Apple products as an enhancement of their own identity with a little materialsim thrown in.

I have an iPad and for me its a device for a few specific purposes. Its a laptop replacement during recreational travel (watching movies, internet, etc) and its a better device to watch *some* media on. Some of the games are fun.

I think its an interesting *additional* perspective for those considering an iPad.

Here is the article:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2365786,00.asp
 
barkomatic said:
...I agree to an extent--everyone seems to write that the iPad is a "game changer" but yet cannot clearly articulate why exactly. He is dead on in that many Apple owners are instantly enraged when an Apple product (particularly one that they own) is criticized in any way....
I have an iPad and for me its a device for a few specific purposes. Its a laptop replacement during recreational travel (watching movies, internet, etc) and its a better device to watch *some* media on. Some of the games are fun....
Click to expand...

So it's a "game changer" for you since it replaced you laptop and a better media device but no one else?:confused::D
 
When I comes to any product, who cares what anyone else thinks. It's yours, if you like it- awesome! If you don't, take it back! Who cares what some person on the internet says.
 
Dvorak is not without a point, there is a certain amount of pro-Apple fawning going on, but you have to keep in mind that Dvorak has been writing blatantly anti-Apple columns for YEARS. He is simply not objective, and, while I haven't kept score, I believe he is often wrong regarding Apple.
 
barkomatic said:
He's not technically commenting on the iPad itself, but rather the lack of criticism of the iPad by other reviewers. It's an interesting read, and I agree to an extent--everyone seems to write that the iPad is a "game changer" but yet cannot clearly articulate why exactly. He is dead on in that many Apple owners are instantly enraged when an Apple product (particularly one that they own) is criticized in any way. I think its the result of people using Apple products as an enhancement of their own identity with a little materialsim thrown in.

I have an iPad and for me its a device for a few specific purposes. Its a laptop replacement during recreational travel (watching movies, internet, etc) and its a better device to watch *some* media on. Some of the games are fun.

I think its an interesting *additional* perspective for those considering an iPad.

Here is the article:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2365786,00.asp
Click to expand...

Article is true, its a toy, that does nothing more than my laptop. Just more portable.

It has its uses but like the article say, if i put my Ipad into the closet my life wouldnt change 1 bit. I cannot say the same about my laptop, my ipod, or my tv.
 
Classic Dvorak. He's entertaining and this is just his schtick. Around the time Apple announced the switch to Intel processors, he predicted that Apple would phase out OS X and switch to Windows with an OS X style "skin". Obviously we all know how ridiculous that is. You can't take him too seriously with certain subjects. Apple is probably at the top of that list.
 
I've always enjoyed reading Dvorak but yeah, his Apple comments have to be taken with a grain of salt.

And every product has the kind of fans he's describing. It's fodder for internet arguments and not much else.
 
brentsg said:
I've always enjoyed reading Dvorak but yeah, his Apple comments have to be taken with a grain of salt.

And every product has the kind of fans he's describing. It's fodder for internet arguments and not much else.
Click to expand...

Just about everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt. He can be entertaining, but he's wrong and way off base about 98% of the time.
 
Julien said:
So it's a "game changer" for you since it replaced you laptop and a better media device but no one else?:confused::D
Click to expand...

Again, I said I agree to an extent--and it has most definately not replaced my laptop. I'm not sure its quite a "game changer" for me, since I travel recreationally only about 4-6 times a year or so. It's a big convenience to have then certainly.

The rest of the time I spend at home I'm usually on my laptop now that the novelty of the iPad has worn off a bit. The screen is bigger, the CPU faster and I can manage content more effectively. I'd rather watch netflix on my TV.

If I give it to my mother, who doesn't have an internet connection nor use for a full-fledged laptop--I think it is a game changer for her. The simplified interface would be perfect for her.
 
I think the iPad is a "game changer". Laptops and netbooks are derivatives of the desktop PC. You have your screen, keyboard and pointing device (mouse, trackpad, or thumb-nub). Tablet PC's introduced some kind of direct manipulation on the screen, but the design is still tacked on to the desktop model. All these are just desktop PC's with a desktop OS on smaller, portable hardware.

The iPad eschews the desktop OS and desktop input methods. You might be doing the same stuff on an iPad that you would on a laptop/netbook, but how you do it is different and IMHO "game changing" for the industry.
 
Hmm...I've never read his articles before, but I kinda agree with him. Being a new iPad owner (didn't buy it, it was a gift) I have been searching for good uses for it. Other than some free games, I haven't really found any yet. Is it cool? Hell yeah. I just don't know how I'm going to use it yet other than for couch surfing and mild gaming. I don't think I would have purchased one for myself.
 
barkomatic said:
He's not technically commenting on the iPad itself, but rather the lack of criticism of the iPad by other reviewers. It's an interesting read, and I agree to an extent--everyone seems to write that the iPad is a "game changer" but yet cannot clearly articulate why exactly. He is dead on in that many Apple owners are instantly enraged when an Apple product (particularly one that they own) is criticized in any way. I think its the result of people using Apple products as an enhancement of their own identity with a little materialsim thrown in.

I have an iPad and for me its a device for a few specific purposes. Its a laptop replacement during recreational travel (watching movies, internet, etc) and its a better device to watch *some* media on. Some of the games are fun.

I think its an interesting *additional* perspective for those considering an iPad.

Here is the article:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2365786,00.asp
Click to expand...


As always, he's completely and utterly wrong on this topic. The iPad is a game changer for anyone who isn't technical, that currently struggles with their existing laptop or desktop. These people tend to have to call GeekSquad type service 4-6 times a year. These people use Macs and PCs. These people probably have never heard of macrumors.

I have personal experience watching 7 of these types of users with the iPad. The difference for them is astounding.

For me, like others have said, the iPad is a nice to have. But it couldn't possibly replace any of my desktops or laptops.

But it's really not made for me.
 
I honestly don't know what's up with all the inflammatory responses to the iPad. It seems to be truly a "love it or hate it" device, and some people (dare I say "most" people?) seem to project their own opinions onto others.

We thus get two polar opposite responses:

"It does not fit into my lifestyle, therefore the iPad is an UTTERLY USELESS DEVICE and you are an idiot for buying one."

and

"The iPad is a completely revolutionary, magical device that's LIGHT-YEARS beyond anything else in the industry. It will change the world and you are an idiot if you can't see that."

The other day somebody on this forum called me a douche because I said that (a) the iPad has totally replaced my own need for a netbook (I sold it last week) and (b) that the touchscreen interface to Google Earth is a lot more fun to use than a mouse and keyboard. Go figure.

I happen to really like my iPad -- moreso than I liked my iPod touch -- but I'm not going to pretend it doesn't have its flaws, nor do I think that it belongs in everyone's household. But I don't know why so much hate. Just because you like Nike shoes doesn't mean I'm going to dump on you because I prefer Reeboks.
 
iPhone anyone

I think this is the same guy that said the iPhone wasn't a game changer. Hahaha. It's evident that the iPhone was a game changer.

Now, let's look at the iPad. The mere fact that "X" amount of companies were rushing to produce similar devices before or around the iPad announcement makes me kind of think it's already a game changer. The evolution has yet to be recognized just like the early iPhone adoption.

iOS has already changed the way we interact with devices. The form factor is just expanding.
 
To JCD's main point, some of the media coverage of the iPad (and other Apple products) has gotten rather ridiculous. I saw that Wired article and thought much the same thing, what an underwhelming list of apps.

For me the iPad serves the purpose I bought it for, web browsing on the couch or in bed when I don't want to lug my MBP around and burn the hair off the tops of my legs.

Unlike the experience of getting an iPhone after using WinMo and Symbian phones or getting an iPOD after using a Sony Minidisc player, I still don't get all the "it changed my life with all its amazingness and magicalness" hyperbole that the iPad gets.
 
I found the article rather bizarre; Dvorak complaining about sensationalist click-bait articles is more than a little ironic.

As to why he's doesn't like the iPad there really wasn't a lot of meat there. It seemed to come down to the it's useless and/or it's doesn't replace anything arguments. I think these really miss the point; I don't care that I can do everything I do on my iPad on my laptop when my iPad is so much more convenient. The fact I can use it comfortably on the couch without worrying about the many little problems of a full OS (battery life, CPU/Memory usage, updates etc.) makes the iPad a game-changer for me.
 
I think it's revolutionary for the publishing business. Particularly magazines and newspapers. It will take a few months for them to catch up with their readers / pricing / subscriptions but check back in a few months to see the change happening.

I've already cancelled my daily newspaper (Mon-Friday) as a subscriber for way too many years and download the e-edition (flash on the laptop plus pdf) and move the pdf to the iPad to read.

While I'm not lazy, I can do this quicker than walking to the mailbox to get the hardcopy. And I don't have to put all the papers in the recycling!

The iPad may save newspapers.
 
non geeks

I think in time the ipad will really start taking off not to just the geeks in the world but to people that are afraid of computers. I had a friend come over a week ago he would never touch a computer but I showed him my ipad with in a half hour he was getting into it. He was afraid off the mouse the key board and with that gone and just his finger he found the internet. He has purchased one of his own and is learning how to use it I think there will be more people like my friend wanting something easy to use it will take time but it will keep selling more and more.
 
barkomatic said:
He's not technically commenting on the iPad itself, but rather the lack of criticism of the iPad by other reviewers. It's an interesting read, and I agree to an extent--everyone seems to write that the iPad is a "game changer" but yet cannot clearly articulate why exactly.
Click to expand...

It's a game changer because of the form factor and how you interact with it.
Not hard to articulate at all.
 
I love cranky old Dvorak!
Of course he is right but I view those articles not as journalism but a, "hey, you are a geek also, you will love this" sort of thing.
It doesn't bother me.
What the dude at WSJ does irks me a little.
I used to check his reviews because he was always hard on devices. (Mossberg?)
Now I see him giving high fives with Jobs all the time.

Bonus from this thread... Check out his excellent why the Kinect will fail article.
Agree 100%
 
I agree on all the apple fawning, but look at the fawning over the tiny hardware upgrade of the iphone4.

The iPad, unlike the iphone4, is truly a "game changer". I'll. Put out the 3 reasons why. Battery life, portability and instant on. You find me a device which does these things which were released before or at the same time of the iPad, guess what they didn't exist. Sure you can say smart phones, but the physical package of the iPad is a true PC instead of a smartphone. Apple created this and other companies will copy them, I would certainly call the device TO FIRST DO THESE THINGS a game changer. The first PC was a game changer, the first laptop was a game changer. iPad brings ubiquitous portability, you don't have the reasons you used to have to leave it at home. You don't worry about booting up, you don't worry about battery, you just take it with you. No one has accomplished this, not Microsoft with their years and years of making tablets, and certainly no one else has done it successfully.

This is what dvorak is missing, that jolt that the future us here and all those sic fi movies we would watch where they had handheld tablets has hit us.
 
notjustjay said:
I honestly don't know what's up with all the inflammatory responses to the iPad. It seems to be truly a "love it or hate it" device, and some people (dare I say "most" people?) seem to project their own opinions onto others.

We thus get two polar opposite responses:
Click to expand...

Maybe it's just me but it seems like people are getting to be more and more like this in general lately. It doesn't seem to matter if it's electronics, politics, sports, whatever.
 
spinedoc77 said:
I agree on all the apple fawning, but look at the fawning over the tiny hardware upgrade of the iphone4.

The iPad, unlike the iphone4, is truly a "game changer". I'll. Put out the 3 reasons why. Battery life, portability and instant on. You find me a device which does these things which were released before or at the same time of the iPad, guess what they didn't exist....
Click to expand...


At least one did... the iPod Touch... it has excellent battery life, portability and instant on. Granted, the screen is larger and that makes a big difference in its magicalness, but that's the only significant difference between the two devices.
 
It's a game changer for me...

VTMac said:
As always, he's completely and utterly wrong on this topic. The iPad is a game changer for anyone who isn't technical, that currently struggles with their existing laptop or desktop. These people tend to have to call GeekSquad type service 4-6 times a year. These people use Macs and PCs. These people probably have never heard of macrumors.

I have personal experience watching 7 of these types of users with the iPad. The difference for them is astounding.

For me, like others have said, the iPad is a nice to have. But it couldn't possibly replace any of my desktops or laptops.

But it's really not made for me.
Click to expand...

We must remember that the iPad was never meant to be a computer replacement, but a tool to enhance the user experience at the basic level and power efficiency. This was also where they made the decision whether to go full netbook.

Then they worked to refine and added email, web, music player and a little office app support--many of which were borrowed from iPhone apps. So it's not a full computer per se, though the device has all components of a basic computer.

I would step up the iPad game by adding more features like video camera and more memory while making sure they don't cannibalize their laptop sales with matching functionalities, but market trend has it's course for mobility.

So again, it was never meant to be a laptop replacement and never will be. I hope I've helped some of you zero in on whether the iPad should replace computers.
 
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