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The iPad IS a computer
- Thread starter nwxtl88
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That's not what people mean by computer. They are expecting something where you have a certain degree of control over it like one with a desktop OS. Here you can install a whole slew of programs from the existing thrid party market as well as have a certain degree of freedom and RIGHT to modify it.
The iPad is not one of these things. The iPad is an Apple content provider. Third party creations will go thorugh the iStore and hence be controled by Apple...where they will also use to get a cut while limiting your ability go free will about it. You will need to get a jailbroken one (wich is technically against the rules) and hope people are nice enough to make non-certified stuff for it that works...if you want it to be "like a computer".
The iPad is not one of these things. The iPad is an Apple content provider. Third party creations will go thorugh the iStore and hence be controled by Apple...where they will also use to get a cut while limiting your ability go free will about it. You will need to get a jailbroken one (wich is technically against the rules) and hope people are nice enough to make non-certified stuff for it that works...if you want it to be "like a computer".
I do not consider my ipod touch a computer, and the ipad is a bigger ipod touch with little extras. When I get my ipad it will be for media consumption only.
I don't know what I'll call it. Computer or Gonkulator or whatever... all I know is I'll be using it to:
1. Check Email
2. Browse Naughty websites.
Not necessarily in that order.
1. Check Email
2. Browse Naughty websites.
Not necessarily in that order.
That is one of its functions, but surely not the only function. Even on the iPod touch/iPhone, when I use apps like Bento to create and edit a database, when I use the built-in Notes app to write notes to myself, when I track my daily excerise through a tracking app -- I'm creating my own content, not just consuming content provided by Apple. With its larger screen, I expect the iPad to be even more adept for content creation purposes, once third party apps are written for it. Sure, there are some restrictions not on desktop/notebook computers, but that's a software issue, not a limitation of the platform itself, as the slew of jailbreak iPhone apps prove. To me, the iPhone/iPod touch were computers from day one, and the iPad with its larger screen is even more so. Is it the best computer for all tasks? Surely not. But it is the best ultra-mobile computing platfrom I've seen to date.
I would consider myself a "power user" or "prosumer" (like I think most people at MR probably do) and I can say that the iPad covers a huge chunk of my computing needs - the stuff that it doesn't is split between software and hardware shortcomings pretty evenly.
Syncs to PC - could be remedied with either USB drive support and/or some good way to access a NAS (which is reportedly coming). This is possible to remedy via software, I think. As long as you have to have a computer to set the thing up and get media onto it, though, its obviously not a good computer replacement.
DVD Ripping - no real good answer to this with the iPad... no drive, not enough CPU power, no software support for such things. Eventually content will be all digital anyways, but until then I need a computer for ripping DVDs (and CDs, though I almost never do that anymore, which is where I expect video to get to eventually)
Bigger (external) screen - supports a VGA display, but only 1024x768 which is not adequate these days. I expect that future devices will give us at least 1600x1050 and DVI but until then a 10" display as a PRIMARY interface isn't going to cut it, and this is a fundamental hardware problem that will keep the iPad from being a good candidate for the #1 seat in most peoples house.
IDE for development work - nothing at the moment but I am betting on something becoming available this year for web development work - a nice text editor with good markup support and a built in FTP client (using the WebKit hooks for a live preview would be nice, too). Small software issue that will be fixed sooner rather than later. This won't help software developers though, as until Apple changes their dev agreement you won't be able to compile and execute code on an iDevice.
Other than that, I can see the iPad filling all my needs. While my list is long, it accounts for a pretty small percentage of my time on a computer. I use my 9" netbook as much as my iMac, these days, to be honest. Adding a Dashboard and/or multitasking/fast app switching to the iOS will hasten many peoples move to this sort of device as a primary computer, including me, very likely.
Syncs to PC - could be remedied with either USB drive support and/or some good way to access a NAS (which is reportedly coming). This is possible to remedy via software, I think. As long as you have to have a computer to set the thing up and get media onto it, though, its obviously not a good computer replacement.
DVD Ripping - no real good answer to this with the iPad... no drive, not enough CPU power, no software support for such things. Eventually content will be all digital anyways, but until then I need a computer for ripping DVDs (and CDs, though I almost never do that anymore, which is where I expect video to get to eventually)
Bigger (external) screen - supports a VGA display, but only 1024x768 which is not adequate these days. I expect that future devices will give us at least 1600x1050 and DVI but until then a 10" display as a PRIMARY interface isn't going to cut it, and this is a fundamental hardware problem that will keep the iPad from being a good candidate for the #1 seat in most peoples house.
IDE for development work - nothing at the moment but I am betting on something becoming available this year for web development work - a nice text editor with good markup support and a built in FTP client (using the WebKit hooks for a live preview would be nice, too). Small software issue that will be fixed sooner rather than later. This won't help software developers though, as until Apple changes their dev agreement you won't be able to compile and execute code on an iDevice.
Other than that, I can see the iPad filling all my needs. While my list is long, it accounts for a pretty small percentage of my time on a computer. I use my 9" netbook as much as my iMac, these days, to be honest. Adding a Dashboard and/or multitasking/fast app switching to the iOS will hasten many peoples move to this sort of device as a primary computer, including me, very likely.
Sorry OP, but it's still not a computer....at least not until it can do at least 1/3 of what cheapo netbooks can do.
Is this another one of those "trying to convince myself I actually need this thing" threads?
"Computers" back in the early days couldn't do 1/10th of what modern day cheap netbooks can do, but they are nonetheless computers. May I suggest we define computers by what they *can* do, rather than by comparison to what other computers do?
i personally won't be using a single app from the 140,000 apps. those are for the iphone. PERIOD.
I want to see dedicated apps for the ipad. Better interfaces, etc. Thats why i'm buying one. Not to put my iphone apps and blow it up.
I want to see dedicated apps for the ipad. Better interfaces, etc. Thats why i'm buying one. Not to put my iphone apps and blow it up.
With some exceptions, I would agree with that... the only thing would be if Apple creates some sort of multitasking where I can float an iPod app over top another full screen app I could see myself with running a couple of small games while doing other things (Poker Quest for example).
I pretty much agree. I hope most of the interesting apps will make a transition to the larger screen format.
I am concerned, however, that some free apps may end up becoming pay apps. Also, it's probable that the equilibrium point for many of the iPad apps will be higher, with the cost of development, additional features, and the presumably smaller market translating to a higher price.
I see double dipping a big possibility. IE - some developers doing two version of their apps. Both would run on the iPad - but if you wanted full screen versions (ones that have been re-designed) it would be another charge.
That's possible, but because of the way Apple has setup the ability to create universal apps for both devices I think we might see more "full" and "light" versions, where the light will be the iPhone only and the full will be both in a single software package. I'm sure some devs will try to milk their customers but the sheer amount of software has been good at keeping most of them pretty honest.
I hope that customers aren't too stingy when it comes to paying for all-new iPad-specific versions of their favorite apps. Sure, you might already own the iPhone version, but a good iPad translation will probably take as much work as developing the iPhone version, and devs who put in the extra effort to really enhance the app for the iPad should be rewarded, I think.