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Need help justifying the purchase of the iPad
- Thread starter mm1250
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Since I've had the iPhone and iPod touch (though I use a Droid as my primary phone these days - VZW FTW), I usually find myself using the iPod touch to web surf while sitting on the couch instead of my laptop. It's easier to hold, the battery lasts longer, it doesn't need to balanced carefully on my lap or knees and it doesn't get in the way when cuddling up next to my wife while she's watching her girl shows (Real annoying Housewives of someplace or another, etc.). I can do my email on it, SMS some people, check my websites, use Documents To Go, etc. Or, she can sit with me with our Kindle and read a book while I watch my guy stuff on TV.
Now, while it's all fine on a 3.5" screen, it would be even nicer on a high-res 10" screen. So, yes, the iPad is much like a big iPod touch. But with the larger, higher resolution screen, many more possibilities open up. Nicer, fuller-featured apps, whole uncompressed web pages, nicer eBooks, etc.
I can easily see the iPad replacing my laptop + iPod touch combo for 75% of the stuff I normally do. I use a nice desktop for the heavy lifting anyway.
Just like the netbook replaces the need for a standard, full-sized laptop for many people, the iPad (with its better form-factor than a netbook, IMHO) is a valid choice for me.
"But it's just a big iPod." Yep. And that's a good thing. That's kind of the point. The iPhone UI has become so commonplace in just 3 years that people don't realize how way beyond it is from anything we had before. So now Apple is moving that to the realm of the netbook. Personally I think it's a good thing.
I'm no Apple apologist or fanboy. I use a Motorola Droid as a cellphone (hacked with a custom ROM, Google Voice and the whole Android thing), I use PCs at work and Macs at home. I think the MacBook Air in its current state isn't a good machine (too big to be a netbook, too slow and handicapped at 2GB RAM maximum limits its use as a regular laptop) and I think Steve Jobs should quit suing companies like HTC and should focus more on Mac OS X and the next iPhone OS revision.
Is the iPad for EVERYONE? No, absolutely not. There's many things it can't do. There's a lot that my wife's Acer Aspire 1 $300 netbook can't do either, but that doesn't necessarily make it useless. If it's not for you, don't buy it. But there's a reason that people sell both chocolate and vanilla ice cream.
And I ordered an iPad for my wife to replace her netbook, too, by the way.
Now, while it's all fine on a 3.5" screen, it would be even nicer on a high-res 10" screen. So, yes, the iPad is much like a big iPod touch. But with the larger, higher resolution screen, many more possibilities open up. Nicer, fuller-featured apps, whole uncompressed web pages, nicer eBooks, etc.
I can easily see the iPad replacing my laptop + iPod touch combo for 75% of the stuff I normally do. I use a nice desktop for the heavy lifting anyway.
Just like the netbook replaces the need for a standard, full-sized laptop for many people, the iPad (with its better form-factor than a netbook, IMHO) is a valid choice for me.
"But it's just a big iPod." Yep. And that's a good thing. That's kind of the point. The iPhone UI has become so commonplace in just 3 years that people don't realize how way beyond it is from anything we had before. So now Apple is moving that to the realm of the netbook. Personally I think it's a good thing.
I'm no Apple apologist or fanboy. I use a Motorola Droid as a cellphone (hacked with a custom ROM, Google Voice and the whole Android thing), I use PCs at work and Macs at home. I think the MacBook Air in its current state isn't a good machine (too big to be a netbook, too slow and handicapped at 2GB RAM maximum limits its use as a regular laptop) and I think Steve Jobs should quit suing companies like HTC and should focus more on Mac OS X and the next iPhone OS revision.
Is the iPad for EVERYONE? No, absolutely not. There's many things it can't do. There's a lot that my wife's Acer Aspire 1 $300 netbook can't do either, but that doesn't necessarily make it useless. If it's not for you, don't buy it. But there's a reason that people sell both chocolate and vanilla ice cream.
And I ordered an iPad for my wife to replace her netbook, too, by the way.
And oh, the iPad isn't just a big iPod Touch or a big iPhone. The iPhone and iPod Touch are small iPads.
But I consider it a good thing. The iPhone/iPod Touch has proven it self, and OS 3.2 only gives us more features and this new tablet looks amazing.
But I consider it a good thing. The iPhone/iPod Touch has proven it self, and OS 3.2 only gives us more features and this new tablet looks amazing.
To answer some of the questions, I'm in the IT field. So you can understand my gettyness of wanting to buy the iPad however I know I most likely won't have much use for it.
Anyways, I'm almost 95% sure i'm going to buy one. Pretty sure it's $750 down the drain but hey, I can't help myself
Anyways, I'm almost 95% sure i'm going to buy one. Pretty sure it's $750 down the drain but hey, I can't help myself
To answer some of the questions, I'm in the IT field. So you can understand my gettyness of wanting to buy the iPad however I know I most likely won't have much use for it.
Anyways, I'm almost 95% sure i'm going to buy one. Pretty sure it's $750 down the drain but hey, I can't help myself
I myself am in IT and I have had an itchy finger wanting to pre-order one. I didn't realize at first though how many sites I visit that use flash. People can argue all they want that flash sucks or it doesn't, etc etc. For my own personal use I know I would wind up getting pissed off when I'm browsing on the couch and cant perform the tasks that I want to. Too many of the sites I frequent utilize flash.
It's been a complete pain in the behind though trying to find something different with the iPad's form factor and features. I have been checking out convertible netbooks but cant find one with decent performance at a nice price point. Not to mention that with a netbook I wouldnt have access to the app store.
If you are *truly* a gadget freak you shouldn't need any help justifying the purchase, as true gadget freaks are masters of doing this themselves
That said, I'll refer you to my "day in the life" blog post to give you some ideas - as a fellow gadget freak I see the iPad as the ultimate gadget, the one central gadget that will rule all my other gadgets, which in and of itself makes it a must have
http://rittchard.wordpress.com/2010/01/29/apples-ipad-imagining-what-it-can-do/
Care to name 4 or 5 sites you visit regularly that are unusable without flash?
Unfortunately, a lot of restaurant websites are in Flash and you can't even see a menu without it. I run into that a lot when traveling when trying to decide where to go. I also have one banking and one brokerage account which I can't get into because Flash exists in the login process.
A lot of sites will actually serve an alternate if you go without having flash installed. Which is different than using flashblock where you register as having flash.
On the bank I am going to call you on that one. Which bank? Using flash for bank login is insane. Flash has very poor security.
I rarely run into an alternative view if Flash is not available.
HSBC. There is a first page with text entry for account number. There is a second page with a text typed password. The third stage of the login requires you click on a fake on-screen keyboard with a second password to prevent keyloggers from getting the keystrokes of the second password level.
I love all the imaginary uses for this thing.
The breakfast table? A laptop is better at any table. You have to hold the iPad up with one hand just view it; you'll need two hands to manipulate it. A laptop screen will be at a nice viewing angle without touching it, and you can reach over to us it with one hand.
The kitchen for recipes? Do you even use a laptop in the kitchen right now for recipes? Once again, you'll have to handle the iPad to use view recipes while you are working around food and probably rinsing your hands. It's just silly.
And the bathroom?! Even if you sit on the toilet for long enough that web browsing is important to you, isn't an iPhone sufficient? Where are you going to set the iPad down in the bathroom. It's certianly not suitable to leave an iPad in a bathroom all of the time either.
iPad has bigger screen. Ever since the iPad was announced, every time I have to zoom in and out on the iPhone, I mutter to myself how much easier this will be once I have an iPad.
Same place the netbook goes now -- most home bathrooms I've been in have shelves or counter-top space that can be used for this purpose.
Laying it down makes sense especially with the wide viewing angles that the IPS screen provides. It's as though they actually planned out now people might use it...
IGN - Unable to watch videos
Cinemassacre/Game Trailers - Unable to watch videos
Hulu - Unable to watch videos
Other - While they may not be regular visits, there are several other sites that have mouseover features which cant be utilized without flash. A lot are retailers/shopping sites.
Again, keep in mind that these are sites that I visit. While it may not mean anything to anyone else these are things I enjoy. It would be easy for me to get up off the couch and get on the iMac if I need to, but I would not want to.
On the topic of mobile sites, those may be available but aren't always preferred. Pizza Hut for example is one I tried to utilize last weekend while my g/f was using our iMac. The mobile site doesnt give you the option to view the normal one and its functionality is limited (full access to coupons comes to mind).
What's more comfortable when sitting, looking straight at an angled screen or leaning forward and looking directly down at a screen? Of course it occurred to me to lay the iPad down flat on the table and look down. It's stupid though. I read books at a breakfast table that way, but if I had a stand that would prop the book up and hold the pages open for me it would be way better! A laptop screen supports itself and the trackpad is easy to use one-handed for scrolling or clicking links.
Watch the iPad commercial again. Any scene in which it is being used at a table, you guessed it, the model is propping up the iPad with their hand:
When you have to use your imagination to dream up uses for the iPad, it's a sign that you haven't actually evaluated how you use the devices you already have and where they come up short.
Instead of asking yourself:
- How often do I browse the web in the 8 minutes I am sitting on the toilet?
- How often do I use a laptop at the breakfast table (or would like to but my current devices are just not convenient enough)?
- How often do I cook using digital recipes?
You are thinking:
- This would be great to use on a toilet!
- I could lay this down flat and use it while at the breakfast table!
- I can put my recipes on it and use it in the kitchen!
So much for when Ives says, "I don't have to change myself to fit the product; it fits me."
Maybe you can start reading? LOL
But seriously, I thought it would be great to have it sitting on a coffee table, to pick up and browse the web on the couch.
Way better than laptop for that kind of thing.
But seriously, I thought it would be great to have it sitting on a coffee table, to pick up and browse the web on the couch.
Way better than laptop for that kind of thing.
As others have said, unless money is no object, if you can't sell the iPad to yourself it may not be for you or it may be one of those products you need to play with a demo to decide if its something you want.
But don't buy just it b/c it's the latest thing and people are talking it up. That will only lead to buyer remorse and $500+ these days is a lot to be remorseful about (though you could probably resell and recoup a most of your money back)
You know what hilarious? Some of us in this thread have stated what our uses would be for the iPad (as students, as artists, as video makers...). You focus on the guys who don't know exactly if they should buy an iPad to prove your point it's a useless device.
Some of us have a use for it yet you ignore them to be able to scream "iPad needs imagination to come up with things to do for it it's useless!"