Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Is iPad the most controversial Apple product ever?
- Thread starter thejakill
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Apple's customer base is growing all the time, which means there's naturally going to be more noise generated for newer consumer-centric products than in the past.
Having said that, the iPad is the culmination of nearly ten years' rolling speculation. It would be impossible to satisfy even a fraction of the machine specs dreamed up in that time.
Having said that, the iPad is the culmination of nearly ten years' rolling speculation. It would be impossible to satisfy even a fraction of the machine specs dreamed up in that time.
Hockey. Puck. Mouse.
But seriously though, the iPod. Really--people thought it would fail and hated it at first back in 2001. Check out the MacRumors forum archives sometime. It's always good for a laugh. I expect similar rumbles of laughter while looking at these archives in 2019. Look at how far the iPod design and feature set has come in that time. Look at how far the iPhone has been coming in three years. Now you can see about where the iPad will be in nearly a decade: unimaginable in terms of features and software. I'm really excited about the present and future of this device.
But seriously though, the iPod. Really--people thought it would fail and hated it at first back in 2001. Check out the MacRumors forum archives sometime. It's always good for a laugh. I expect similar rumbles of laughter while looking at these archives in 2019. Look at how far the iPod design and feature set has come in that time. Look at how far the iPhone has been coming in three years. Now you can see about where the iPad will be in nearly a decade: unimaginable in terms of features and software. I'm really excited about the present and future of this device.
Controversial? Depends on what you mean.
The iMac w/ no floppy was extremely controversial -- turns out popular too once people got over that hump.
The PB5300 was most controversial as it had the bad habit of blowing up in ones face -- literally.
Then there is the Apple Portable -- but actually it was more luggable. Dead weight really b/c it was a wimpy POS, though a good proof of concept for the laptop.
Oh, and who can forget the Pippin. Well, I guess just about everyone.
Of course the iPod was a head scratcher to most at introduction. "Yeah, like the world needs another MP3 player," everyone said. Apparently it did.
Honestly I don't see anything "controversial" about the iPad. Its a solid product that doesn't fit the needs of the nerdiest of fanbois among us. They haven't received the message that Apple dropped "computer" from its name a few years ago. The iPad is for "the rest of us." Ironic, huh.
The iMac w/ no floppy was extremely controversial -- turns out popular too once people got over that hump.
The PB5300 was most controversial as it had the bad habit of blowing up in ones face -- literally.
Then there is the Apple Portable -- but actually it was more luggable. Dead weight really b/c it was a wimpy POS, though a good proof of concept for the laptop.
Oh, and who can forget the Pippin. Well, I guess just about everyone.
Of course the iPod was a head scratcher to most at introduction. "Yeah, like the world needs another MP3 player," everyone said. Apparently it did.
Honestly I don't see anything "controversial" about the iPad. Its a solid product that doesn't fit the needs of the nerdiest of fanbois among us. They haven't received the message that Apple dropped "computer" from its name a few years ago. The iPad is for "the rest of us." Ironic, huh.
Yep, I remember the iPod being at least on equal measure as the iPad with all the hate. People complained that it was going to fail because it didn't have a Sony minidisk drive in it.
Oh, and also because it didn't have a camera.
Oh, and also because it didn't have a camera.
I didn't read the rumor sites back then. I remember seeing an iPod at fry's. I thought, "I want this. I will buy this." Never knew people hated it.
Maybe ipad seems so controversial now because so many people know about it. I remember when the first apple stores opened. It was great to go and browse all the great mac stuff. Now it's hard to do, because they are always crammed full of people!
A lot of people hate the new shuffle, apparently. I love it. It's perfect for mountain biking. It doesn't have a camera, either.
Maybe ipad seems so controversial now because so many people know about it. I remember when the first apple stores opened. It was great to go and browse all the great mac stuff. Now it's hard to do, because they are always crammed full of people!
A lot of people hate the new shuffle, apparently. I love it. It's perfect for mountain biking. It doesn't have a camera, either.
I don't get the controversy. I think the iPad will be as big, or bigger than the iPod and iPhone have been. People are just scared and the technophobes, well no matter what you put in a product they are never satisfied, they always want more more and then even more. So no product is good enough for them. For the average person the iPad will be awesome.
People are in Future Shock. It's like coming out of the darkness for the first time. Your vision is overwhelmed and your eyes need time to adjust. Beauty can't be appreciated if your vision is impaired.
I've been to the future, and the iPad you all know hasn't succeeded. Apple comes to it's senses and installs a Touch optimized version of OS-X on it to run all Mac apps. It also runs iPhone apps, but most owners laugh that off. It's got a Safari browser that supports Flash. It supports Mac printer drivers. The battery pack is removable, replaceable, recyclable. There are three USB ports on a side (or is that the bottom?). Prices run from $299 (64gb SSD) to $499 (500gb HDD), and the 3G/4G chip is already installed on all models. You still have to pay a monthly fee to activate it though. You can get yours in any of 16 colors.
So are you on record anticipating the iPad will fail in the market?
If you think about it you would realize that putting OSX, would give you bunch of non touch apps. And it would turn it into a Sluggish turd like the Archos 9. Your remember that one don't you?
http://reviews.cnet.com/tablet-pcs/archos-9-pc-tablet/4505-3126_7-33800951.html?tag=rnav
So, what exactly is iPhone OS then?
iPad will never contain a HDD, end of story. If you want that, you will get a wireless "iData" hub that will have your HDD, an optical drive, and ports out the wazou. The only improvement you suggest that would be really nice is the battery pack, though I would not mind a card slot.
No. My post was about Apple rethinking the iPad, and updating the hardware and OS to be more productive. They still call it an iPad, but it's nothing as limited as what Steve showed during the reveal presentation.
As for the Archos 9, it has potential that Archos failed to put in the retail version. Any review you find will be by people who haven't bothered updating it's drivers, OS (to something besides Windows Starter Edition) and HD (to an SSD), etc. Not hard to do, but beyond what any reviewer with a review copy will bother with. Yes, you won't need to (or be able to) update your first gen iPad. Apple will be happy to sell you the 2nd gen too.
Neither the ipad or the Archos 9 (or any other tablet) starts out appealing to the general public. They are all for us. You know, we tech nuts that spend our free time perusing these forums and dogging others who's opinion we don't agree with. We show our associates and friends though, and in a year or two, after the hardware and software has evolved, that broader scope of the public starts buying tablets. 2010 may start out thinking it's the year of the tablet. 2012 is when they really take off. By then your original iPad is buried with a dead battery under a stack of magazines on your coffee table, and the coal black model you're using is capable of everything your current desktop is today only far more efficient and productive.
I went on record in 2007 about where I thought we should be by now. I predicted bluetooth on the Touch in 2007 and again in 2008. That last blog entry also anticipated Sony's Touchscreen player.
So doubt me if you want. Time will be the final truthteller.
Umm - they already did, it's called iPhone OS.
I hope not - why do so many people fail to understand that touch-enabling the OS is irrelevant if the applications aren't built for touch (and in most cases from the ground up). Unless Apple wants the iPad to fail, they won't allow it to run 'old world' applications, they'll do exactly what they're doing and encourage developers to build new ones around a real touch interface.
I'm sure many iPhone (and soon to be iPad) application developers are laughing - all the way to the bank. And given the success of the App store in general, I think consumers have already voted with their wallet (hint: they disagree with you).
I hope not - the-abomination-known-as-Flash needs to die. Now. Can't happen fast enough.
Sounds like you want a laptop - can I direct your attention to the left side of the store?
Not the most controversial
Oh no, Apple gets it wrong very badly occasionally. It's not just the Newton, all sorts of computers got withdrawn and discontinued soon after launch. Especially in the last few years of the '90's, Apple was a wreck.
They always had issues with quality, whatever Jobs and some fanatics want us to believe.
They've had a TV, a round mouse, some extremely expensive Twentieth Anniversary Mac, even a failed games console. And then they've had some seriously underpowered computers, just like the 4400 Power Mac (?). How about a completely useless digital camera with less features than much cheaper alternatives? That was the Quick Take. Absolute flop.
Nobody likes Lisa at Cupertino... Does anybody remember?
Or their browser and a few of their early web applications? Or the original iTunes? The list goes on and on... They are not perfect, in fact they made so many mistakes!
Oh no, Apple gets it wrong very badly occasionally. It's not just the Newton, all sorts of computers got withdrawn and discontinued soon after launch. Especially in the last few years of the '90's, Apple was a wreck.
They always had issues with quality, whatever Jobs and some fanatics want us to believe.
They've had a TV, a round mouse, some extremely expensive Twentieth Anniversary Mac, even a failed games console. And then they've had some seriously underpowered computers, just like the 4400 Power Mac (?). How about a completely useless digital camera with less features than much cheaper alternatives? That was the Quick Take. Absolute flop.
Nobody likes Lisa at Cupertino... Does anybody remember?
Or their browser and a few of their early web applications? Or the original iTunes? The list goes on and on... They are not perfect, in fact they made so many mistakes!
You should have brought a few back to sell on eBay!
(with a discount for your fellow forum members
)LoL and a battery that lasts three hours. They were going to provide them to school children but the heat generated was enough to cook sausages. I am working on one now it has a time portal app but I have to watch myself here as when I try to use the tool bar on this small thing I sometimes screw up and get kernel panics.
Until people actually get their hands on one and get to use it, and the devs start rolling out their new iPad-specific and iPad-optimaized apps, an informed decision cannot be made regarding it.
I have never seen so many reviews on a product that hasn't been used by the reviewer yet.
I have never seen so many reviews on a product that hasn't been used by the reviewer yet.
People are in Future Shock. It's like coming out of the darkness for the first time. Your vision is overwhelmed and your eyes need time to adjust. Beauty can't be appreciated if your vision is impaired.
And I thought that the emperor was naked! Meanwhile, everybody's blind. I see... (No, apparently I cannot).
No. My post was about Apple rethinking the iPad, and updating the hardware and OS to be more productive. They still call it an iPad, but it's nothing as limited as what Steve showed during the reveal presentation.
So doubt me if you want. Time will be the final truthteller.
You said OSX and running mac applications. You expect that or you don't? That would require similar crappy hardware to the Archos and is exactly the same formula of failure that has dominated the PC tablet market.
I see nothing prescient in your blog. Future product will have more features that are already available today in other devices... Whoa there Nostradamus, you are blowing my mind.
You didn't exactly call the iPad right either, maybe that is why you are upset with it.
Time will be your truthteller on what? you are now back tracking on iPad failure claims. So lets here your iPad predcitions, if you have any you aren't going to backtrack on.
Something better than obvious things like this I hope:
Someday the iPad will have a camera.
Somdeday the iPad will have more Storage.
Someday the iPad will have limited multi-tasking.
You mean in the future tech devices will do more?
By this line of thinking Apple should have waited until 2006 or something to release the first iPod because the first iteration wouldn't be as good as a future version.By the time your fantasy product is possible, technology would be at such a point that even the specs above would disappoint the haters. Apple aren't the ones who need to come to their senses.