You sure seem like you want a 9 with all these questions. It's ok though, I'm a teacher and have patience. The 9 worked as I expected out of the box. I knew what it's specs were going in, and was also curious what it's potential was (a 4D thing). I already have an Asus EEE netbook with the same specs. Your iPad's hardware potential is limited to how it comes though. Get the most expensive one you can afford. No sticking more media storage room in it. Apple will gladly sell you next year's larger model too though, so don't worry much.
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OK iPad Sucks...What About The Competition?
- Thread starter Spudracer
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Most regular people aren't interested in upgrading their devices (computers or phones) at all, ever. I'd guess that buying a newer faster model with more storage is the most popular option with consumers. Apple in particular has had unparalleled success when they control their hardware and it's options. I really don't see that changing too much in the near future.
True. Good point. Windows PC owners are far more likely to feel like upgrading over buying new. I have Apples and generics, and had to upgrade the memory on my iMac. Thank Apple I could.
Nope, I would stick with diabolic's original wording. Most Windows owners don't know how to upgrade their computers, and don't want to know. It's why me and my partner earn a lot of side money on weekends updating and tweaking PCs for lots of clueless Windows owners.
It's not just Apple buyers that don't always upgrade on their own. In my personal situation, between my home and office there are 10 PCs that I've built myself, 2 Macs, a PC laptop, and a Macbook Air. I'm a tech gadget guy and I have no problem building or upgrading any of the parts of my systems, but I can see the advantages of Apple's approach. Between work and family, I don't have the time nor the desire to be tweaking the OS or adding memory. Whoever delivers a good experience that I want and does it right out of the box, I'll buy it. So far the iPad is the only one that looks like it does to me. I'd buy a Slate, Adam, or Courier in a second if they deliver 100% on the potential.
I agree. Just remember that the Touch took several firmware updates and at least one hardware revision to reach it's current potential.
Except if you and your partner are upgrading and tweaking PC for lots of Windows owners, it's because they wanted their PC upgraded and tweaked. I didn't suggest everyone knew how to tweak or upgrade their PC. I make side money from many of my students too. They uprade because 1. they know they can (or get someone to do it for them), and 2. they want to improve what they started with. I'd say an equal percentage of Apple and Windows PC owners would upgrade their PCs if they could. There are far more Win PC owners though, and as such far more PC owners updating/upgrading their PCs. The least likely to are those with laptops or any closed custom system with no upgrade options.
It did, and I'm hoping all that Apple has learned so far with the Touch and iPhone will make the iPad immediately more usable than it would have been without them. We'll see in a couple of weeks.
Me too. Of course they'll could make a few bucks at $9.95 per update if they wanted.
Hey, you are the one who went out of your way to edit someone else's words to suggest that Apple owners are less interested in upgrading their computers than Windows owners. At least that's what I thought you were doing -- apologies if I misunderstood your intentions.
But now that I think about it, we did once help someone add more RAM to a Mac laptop.
Anyway, all else being equal, I'd think that if a system works well out of the box, then it's superior to one that neeeds to be tweaked and upgraded to achieve the same level of usability. Are you getting an iPad? You may have mentioned it somewhere, but I'm having trouble keeping everyone straight.
If you are getting one, I'd certainly be interested to hear your perspective on how Archos 9 and iPad compare to each other in actual use.
I bought an iPod touch on day one, and I thought it was an incredibly compelling product from the beginning. Sure, Apple made it a whole lot better with software updates, but I never felt like I wasted a cent on the device. If the touch would have never been upgraded, it still would be a really great video and audio player with a really great mobile web browser.
I hope so too but I'm giving Apple a pass for the 3.2 firmware, I understand forking off 3.x firmware for iPad would ensure it'll be out on the market faster but I really do hope to see the 4.x OS take full advantage of the iPad.
I would like to share a news with you that Apple has decided to give keyboard with it so I think one cons. from the list has been removed and they have shown some videos also which shows it will support flash as well so one more cons from the list has been kicked out.
But still other cons are there so I am looking forward to Apple what does it do for it and also the reviews of users after using it. Then will decide to buy it or not..I would like to share a news with you that Apple has decided to give keyboard with it so I think one cons. from the list has been removed and they have shown some videos also which shows it will support flash as well so one more cons from the list has been kicked out.
Hate to break it to you, but
(1) a keyboard is not included, unless you count the virtual one
and (2) the iPad does not support flash. The video you are referring to was a mistake by Apple and was promptly fixed.
I'll admit. I haven't read EVERY post on this thread. But here's my .02
1. Why does there have to be a winner or loser? Why does the iPad have to be the best OR why does any other device have to be worse. Or vice-versa. Who cares. It's about what fits best for the person buying it. Period.
2. Many people want to shout that the iPad is a brand new device and that you can't compare it to a netbook, etc - but then they go right ahead and compare it to a netbook, kindle or fill-in-the-blank-device. Hypocritical. So which is it? Is it comparable or is it a brand new type of device. You can't have it both ways. It seems as if it's comparable when you can show the iPad as "winning" (see #1) but if it falls short, then it's referred to as something you can't compare because it's a new "breed" of device.
So funny to watch people use whatever argument they want to "win" their position. Fruitless.
1. Why does there have to be a winner or loser? Why does the iPad have to be the best OR why does any other device have to be worse. Or vice-versa. Who cares. It's about what fits best for the person buying it. Period.
2. Many people want to shout that the iPad is a brand new device and that you can't compare it to a netbook, etc - but then they go right ahead and compare it to a netbook, kindle or fill-in-the-blank-device. Hypocritical. So which is it? Is it comparable or is it a brand new type of device. You can't have it both ways. It seems as if it's comparable when you can show the iPad as "winning" (see #1) but if it falls short, then it's referred to as something you can't compare because it's a new "breed" of device.
So funny to watch people use whatever argument they want to "win" their position. Fruitless.
You do bring up an interesting point. I think the thing is that it really is "both ways" in this case. For people familiar with the tech and many of the botched variants that have preceded the iPad, it's understood that the iPad is ushering in a new class of device (based on size/weight/interface) that is targetted at doing many of the same things as other devices have in the past - but hopefully "better" in the sense of being more user-friendly and user-enjoyable. I like to call it the "portamobile" space, as it fits somewhere between a portable laptop computer and a mobile smartphone. There's nothing out there that really does this now, though you can argue Android-based tablets/slates will eventually be the most direct comparison and competitor (using a mobile OS with a tablet form factor).
The problem is for non-techies in particular, they need some sort of reference point to ground their understanding of new devices. They don't want to hear about a "new space," they want to know what something is like or not-like. That's why you get the "it's just a giant iPhone" or "it's like the Kindle?" comments and the constant netbook comparisons. Frankly I see no reason to shy away from the comparisons and any time someone asks me about it, I try to explain the good and bad points of each. I'm sure I'll be demoing the iPad for months after it releases to various friends and family and co-workers who "don't get it".
I agree that there doesn't need to be a "winner" in some of these arguments, but often times just explaining the reality of a certain discussion means unfortunately there will be someone who is flat out right (or wrong).
Saying the iPad sucks is irrelivent. No one will know until they show up. Each person's perspective can vary, meaning it will suck to some and be a perfect device for others. Also irrelivent.
What about the competition? IMHO it's a good thing. Without Winter we don't appreciate Spring. Without mention of other tablets we can't take measure of the relative worth of the iPad. And that relative worth is personal to each, as it's clear there are different needs among us.
The great thing about it, after all, is that we still have choice. No mention of an HP or Archos or WePad or TouchBook or Chinese Android-based tablet forces you to even consider them. Nor should such mention threaten to steal your choice, belittle, or demean it. Be glad for competition as it makes Apple pay attention. They lust for your money and will work hard to best that competition. Apple knows, as we should, that the choice is really ours.
4D
What about the competition? IMHO it's a good thing. Without Winter we don't appreciate Spring. Without mention of other tablets we can't take measure of the relative worth of the iPad. And that relative worth is personal to each, as it's clear there are different needs among us.
The great thing about it, after all, is that we still have choice. No mention of an HP or Archos or WePad or TouchBook or Chinese Android-based tablet forces you to even consider them. Nor should such mention threaten to steal your choice, belittle, or demean it. Be glad for competition as it makes Apple pay attention. They lust for your money and will work hard to best that competition. Apple knows, as we should, that the choice is really ours.
4D
I've got the first, second, and large Kindles. OK, two were for my wife. Paraphrasing the OP:
•E-Ink text was sharp but not paper like at all to us.
Good observation. It isn't actually paper.
•Klunky size because of the clumsy keyboard at the bottom.
I agree if you mean the first version. The 2nd version is a perfect size, and I wish the iPad was as thin and light.
•One trick pony. You can read a book.
Or you can play winmine, browse the web (poorly, but for free) to view Webmail, Wikipedia and even Google Maps. Versions 2 and later can read your text to you. Send your own documents to it for easy access. All versions can play MP3 files. PDF support added too. JPG, PNG, and GIF viewing as well (in 16 shades of gray). It'll also show you the time.
•No backlight.
True. Room light is all that's needed. Saves power.
•Amazon books have some room for improvement. No page numbers and no contents or index.
If the book has a table of contents, it's there. Page numbers is an irrelivant concept for ebooks with scalable fonts and variable screen sizes the book might be read on.
•Navigation is sequential stepping through menus by pushing buttons.
Almost true. There's a GoTo function and a HOME button. The iPad has a button too. Ipad navigation is a sequential stepping up or down through a hierarchy of menus/screens within any app that is more than one level deep.
•The price! The Kindle DX is 10 bucks less than the $499 ipad and has a single purpose.
See above. Add global wireless included in the price, and a g-sensor.
•No flash
True. Xenon Flash tends to temporarily blind readers. Bad thing to have on an ebook device.
•No camera
True. How many real books have cameras though? Really.
•No multitasking
You can listen to music while you read. Dual-tasking. Feel free to take a walk while reading and listening to music for tri-tasking. If you pat your head while walking and reading and listening to music that's quad-tastic!
My point? The OP didn't really know what his Kindle was capable of, so he trashes it for not being worth the money he paid. No one really knows what the iPad is capable of, which is the reason for all these threads of conjecture and theory. Hopefully this forum can be flushed out anew when the iPad actually ships.
•E-Ink text was sharp but not paper like at all to us.
Good observation. It isn't actually paper.
•Klunky size because of the clumsy keyboard at the bottom.
I agree if you mean the first version. The 2nd version is a perfect size, and I wish the iPad was as thin and light.
•One trick pony. You can read a book.
Or you can play winmine, browse the web (poorly, but for free) to view Webmail, Wikipedia and even Google Maps. Versions 2 and later can read your text to you. Send your own documents to it for easy access. All versions can play MP3 files. PDF support added too. JPG, PNG, and GIF viewing as well (in 16 shades of gray). It'll also show you the time.
•No backlight.
True. Room light is all that's needed. Saves power.
•Amazon books have some room for improvement. No page numbers and no contents or index.
If the book has a table of contents, it's there. Page numbers is an irrelivant concept for ebooks with scalable fonts and variable screen sizes the book might be read on.
•Navigation is sequential stepping through menus by pushing buttons.
Almost true. There's a GoTo function and a HOME button. The iPad has a button too. Ipad navigation is a sequential stepping up or down through a hierarchy of menus/screens within any app that is more than one level deep.
•The price! The Kindle DX is 10 bucks less than the $499 ipad and has a single purpose.
See above. Add global wireless included in the price, and a g-sensor.
•No flash
True. Xenon Flash tends to temporarily blind readers. Bad thing to have on an ebook device.
•No camera
True. How many real books have cameras though? Really.
•No multitasking
You can listen to music while you read. Dual-tasking.
Feel free to take a walk while reading and listening to music for tri-tasking. If you pat your head while walking and reading and listening to music that's quad-tastic! My point? The OP didn't really know what his Kindle was capable of, so he trashes it for not being worth the money he paid. No one really knows what the iPad is capable of, which is the reason for all these threads of conjecture and theory. Hopefully this forum can be flushed out anew when the iPad actually ships.
4D, I'm a teacher too, and you would drive me nuts. Pretentious username aside, you drone on about things, and you think that what you're saying is important (your blog suggests as much; I felt kind of bad looking at it and seeing all the hard work you've put in, and all the "0 responses," but god it was boring) but nobody else does. Your objectivity is obviously compromised as far as the "9" is concerned, and your staunch defense of it is becoming more pathetic as the thread continues. Especially since you listed all the changes you had to make to it. I imagine you'd be the kind of teacher who would stubbornly refuse to budge, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, in a disagreement with a student during a lesson.
Now, like I'm sure many of your (community college?) students do, I'm going to very firmly ignore you. And for gosh sakes, since you are so proudly a teacher, would you learn how to use the words "its" and "it's" for the sake of the young, impressionable minds with which you work?
OP - I'm with you as far as comparisons between Kindle & iPad (at least as its --no apostrophe!-- theoretical performance is concerned for the next couple of weeks). I borrowed a Kindle 2, and am using it now. It's painfully slow, can't be used in the dark, can't be used for anything else, and its Whispernet is only marginally useful for buying books since I live in an area of marginal cell service.
I'm going to wait until the iPad is released and read the first reviews before committing to buy. I don't anticipate that it will have any glaring issues in the vein of Toyota and acceleration, but I also don't want to spend that much dough and be angry if there are some serious growing pains. I also want to find out if there are any hidden gotchas as far as the 3G service goes before deciding on wifi vs. wifi/3g.
I will be disappointed if the iPad gets cruddy reviews; after looking at all of the other tablet computers which are available, I would choose to stick with my macbook and have no tablet before I'd buy some kludgy, ugly, 2-hour battery, but oh ¡¡Flash-enabled!! hunk o' junk.
Yep, Kindles are slow. You hit the next page button and have to wait a sec. I suggest skipping the Kindle devices altogether (unless you want a light, portable, long lived kindle ebook reader) and get the iPad with the Kindle app for tablet users. According to comScore, Email and Web browsing are the most likely activities to happen on an iPad. Once web browsing turn out to be less than satisfying many will want iBooks/ebook/kindle book/newspaper/magazine distractions. Just a theory.
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Untrue. And I can prove it. Books on Kindle OPEN to the first page, you can access the table of contents and everything else from front cover to back cover thru the menu function. And the bottom of the book you claim has no page numbers clearly shows the bottom full of it.
I bolded what was completely untrue, the part about no table of contents and no indexing or page numbers. But we can pretend I didnt for the sake of you being able to argue with me....
Fanboy drivel at its finest. Coming from someone with an 18 year old kid, who must, presumably, be at least in his 40s. Just because you don't read in the sun doesn't mean everyone else doesn't and/or shouldn't. I happen to know many people who enjoy doing so, including my mother, who I bought a Kindle for last Christmas. Oh, and she also reads in bed with a lamp and sometimes a book light. It actually works out for her, believe it or not, because wherever she is, she can read without worrying about glare.
The Kindle has never advertised to be anything but an ebook reader. Criticizing it for not performing other functions is extremely short sighted. Others in this thread have pointed out your other blatant misconceptions and misunderstandings of the Kindle, so I need not specify further.
I wish people would stop blindly supported the "us vs. them" mentality. It's childish and completely ridiculous. If you're really bent on starting such mindless arguments, go to a sports bar and argue over your favorite sports teams, of which you have no rational reason to passionately support. Let's try to keep the discussion here rational.
I always laugh when people say that wish the iPad had a full desktop OSX...
WHY???
EVERY Tablet that has come before that tried to shoehorn a full desktop style OS onto a tablet has sucked and failed.... WHY? Because the SOFTWARE isn't designed for touch/pen based input!
Look at the UMPC's... they TRIED to make Windows XP into a touch based os... failed. Even if a shell is put over the OS to make navigation more Touch friendly, the second you load up your normal desktop apps, they're going to expect a keyboard and mouse, not a finger or stylus.
No, they got it right by using the iPhone OS...
WHY???
EVERY Tablet that has come before that tried to shoehorn a full desktop style OS onto a tablet has sucked and failed.... WHY? Because the SOFTWARE isn't designed for touch/pen based input!
Look at the UMPC's... they TRIED to make Windows XP into a touch based os... failed. Even if a shell is put over the OS to make navigation more Touch friendly, the second you load up your normal desktop apps, they're going to expect a keyboard and mouse, not a finger or stylus.
No, they got it right by using the iPhone OS...