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Thoughts After A Day With The iPad

Others have said it, and it bears repeating: The iPad is a netbook killer.
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How can it be without printing capabilities though? Many people that use netbooks (such as my wife) are college students who type and print papers on a regular basis.

Also, Andy Ihnatko pointed out in his demonstration on Twit last night that the keyboard dock is not going to be practical to transport around because of the way the back support sticks up. One of the main reasons students get netbooks is they're light and easy to transport, and if it's a pain to bring the iPad dock to class then it's going to be a pain to take notes and such just using the touchscreen alone.

Don't get me wrong, I am eagerly awaiting my iPad, but I don't really think of it as being a netbook competitor.
 
I love how EVERYONE compares the iPad to the smallest Kindle. Come the heck on.

The Kindle DX, which is basically the size of the iPad is 18.9 ounces, not 10. The iPad is 24 ounces. So it's all of 5.1 ounces heavier.

Too many reviews act like it's a brick or something.

Apples to apples is a good comparison.

And if it kills netbooks, how does it not kill Kindle DX ---> at the current price? Especially since the Kindle app is coming.

The good news for those wanting a Kindle still is the price *should* come down soon enough. Amazon will probably hold steady for a couple months until their quarterly sales figures show a serious decline.
 
I don't get the weight complaints either - sure, the Kindle is nice and light, but I threw a typical book on a kitchen scale and it was 1.5 lbs....
 
RebelRed said:
And if it kills netbooks, how does it not kill Kindle DX ---> at the current price? Especially since the Kindle app is coming.
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When the iPad has a battery life of a week for books then you could say this. Until then I don't think the Kindle is going anywhere, DX or regular.
 
iBookG4user said:
When the iPad has a battery life of a week for books then you could say this. Until then I don't think the Kindle is going anywhere, DX or regular.
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I don't think the smaller Kindle is going anywhere. I could see people having both. But the DX is in trouble unless they reduce the price and/or increase features somehow.

BTW, I wasn't saying the iPad kills anything. I was just pointing out the reviewer's logic and how it wasn't making sense across the board. :)
 
anthonymoody said:
Fail. Kindles are going on eBay. Or in drawers.
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I love statements without backing or supporting evidence in any way, shape or form...

My Kindle isn't going anywhere, I use it regularly and like it because of the screen and battery. The iPad cannot compete with the Kindle for either of these, thus it is not a consideration for me. I believe that many others will buy the Kindle over the iPad precisely for these reasons. The Kindle reads like a book does, once you use it for a while you'll see the difference.
 
Kindles are still coming in bags with laptops on lengthy trips when you just can't get by with only an iPad, especially for content creators like photographers (yours truly). The Kindle has transformed how I travel - I used to leave books in hotel rooms around the world. No more. I'll try to get the most use out of the iPad I can, but I'm not going to bring an iPad with my laptop (yet) - it'll be the Kindle.

---

iPad case + wireless keyboard = solution for students
 
RebelRed said:
I don't think the smaller Kindle is going anywhere. I could see people having both. But the DX is in trouble unless they reduce the price and/or increase features somehow.
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You're right about Kindle DX. I think sales are going to severely drop, but I also believe the Kindle (regular) is going to see a blow as well.
 
glowrider said:
Kindles are still coming in bags with laptops on lengthy trips when you just can't get by with only an iPad, especially for content creators like photographers (yours truly).

How long is a trip for the most part though. Over 10 hours? Not usually(for most) We'll have to see!
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I'm hyped up about the iPad myself, but I'm not sure how it'll compare to the Kindle. Granted I do stare at a computer screen for a good part of the day, what I like about the Kindle - and ebook readers in general - is their non-backlit e-ink displays. It's more or less no worse for your eyes than reading a real book. I'd be a bit worried about the backlit lcd display that the iPad uses, if I were using it to read books all the time. That's a valid concern right?
 
rtabdo said:
glowrider said:
Kindles are still coming in bags with laptops on lengthy trips when you just can't get by with only an iPad, especially for content creators like photographers (yours truly).
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How long is a trip for the most part though. Over 10 hours? Not usually(for most) We'll have to see!
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I define a trip as the time away from home - not the flight. That said, most of the flights I take the iPad couldn't last without a boost (back and forth to Asia/India/Africa, generally from the East Coast).

I'll be going to Rome next week for a short trip (one week) and I'm going to try traveling with just the iPad - it's not a working trip so we'll see how that plays.

But I'm going to be covering the World Cup in the Summer (over a month) and I certainly wouldn't imagine traveling without my laptops. Hell, a lot of the time I have my crew bringing iMacs.

(Also, consider that time in airports should be added to flight time as well - I hate having to 'save' the battery on my iphone for the flight rather than being able to use it while waiting if I don't have a charger available)
 
iBookG4user said:
....like it because of the screen and battery. The iPad cannot compete with the Kindle for either of these. The Kindle reads like a book does, once you use it for a while you'll see the difference.
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The Kindle was designed solely to present books and was designed with only that in mind. Displaying books is just one of millions of iPad uses.

The iPad doesn't need to compete with the Kindle. It does far more, far more quickly in colour, with sound, with fast internet access, a keyboard and multiple applications.

There is no comparison needed

Horses for courses :D
 
bchreng said:
, what I like about the Kindle - and ebook readers in general - is their non-backlit e-ink displays. It's more or less no worse for your eyes than reading a real book. ?
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since when have you read a book with nearly black text printed on a GRAY background, which is what a Kindle display provides? the contrast of a Kindle is dreadful, IMO and even in the opinion of many Kindle owners. Just peruse the Kindle forum at Amazon if you think I'm making this stuff up.
 
jeffy777 said:
How can it be without printing capabilities though? Many people that use netbooks (such as my wife) are college students who type and print papers on a regular basis.

Also, Andy Ihnatko pointed out in his demonstration on Twit last night that the keyboard dock is not going to be practical to transport around because of the way the back support sticks up. One of the main reasons students get netbooks is they're light and easy to transport, and if it's a pain to bring the iPad dock to class then it's going to be a pain to take notes and such just using the touchscreen alone.

Don't get me wrong, I am eagerly awaiting my iPad, but I don't really think of it as being a netbook competitor.
Click to expand...

Netbook killer is a moniker; a misnomer in reality. The iPad is NOT meant to be a netbook killer! . I have one of the best netbooks on the market (no Alienware M11X, but I digress), an iMac, an iPhone 3G S, multiple iPods, and a powerful PC, yet I still find a spot for the iPad where I can totally utilize it's capabilities.

Who cares if the iPad can't print natively? Really, how often would you use that? I print quite a lot for school and don't ever find myself desiring to print off of my iPhone, or even netbook (due to me having to download drivers or buy a CD drive just to get it working wirelessly), and we all know that there are going to be apps (probably day one releases, if they aren't out already) that will allow printing.

You are right about the iPad keyboard dock, though. I'll be getting the $29 dock and using my bluetooth keyboard when I desire to type quite a bit (if I'm not adept with the soft keyboard by that time), and that will give a lot more flexibility with placing and how comfortable it is.
 
Abyssgh0st said:
Netbook killer is a moniker; a misnomer in reality. The iPad is NOT meant to be a netbook killer! . I have one of the best netbooks on the market (no Alienware M11X, but I digress), an iMac, an iPhone 3G S, multiple iPods, and a powerful PC, yet I still find a spot for the iPad where I can totally utilize it's capabilities.

Who cares if the iPad can't print natively? Really, how often would you use that? I print quite a lot for school and don't ever find myself desiring to print off of my iPhone, or even netbook (due to me having to download drivers or buy a CD drive just to get it working wirelessly), and we all know that there are going to be apps (probably day one releases, if they aren't out already) that will allow printing.

You are right about the iPad keyboard dock, though. I'll be getting the $29 dock and using my bluetooth keyboard when I desire to type quite a bit (if I'm not adept with the soft keyboard by that time), and that will give a lot more flexibility with placing and how comfortable it is.
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I personally don't print much at all, but my wife prints natively from her netbook all the time. I asked her if she could get by without being able to print directly and she said it would be a pain. So I'm sure the same is true for a lot of other people, if not for you. Different people have different needs.

But yeah, I agree with you: The iPad is NOT meant to be a netbook killer!
 
Not in Competition with Netbooks

jeffy777 said:
I personally don't print much at all, but my wife prints natively from her netbook all the time. I asked her if she could get by without being able to print directly and she said it would be a pain. So I'm sure the same is true for a lot of other people, if not for you. Different people have different needs.

But yeah, I agree with you: The iPad is NOT meant to be a netbook killer!
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I agree that the iPad was not intended to be a netbook killer. It's in a class all by itself.
BTW, there on printing from your iPad . . . there are apps for that ;)
 
iBookG4user said:
When the iPad has a battery life of a week for books then you could say this. Until then I don't think the Kindle is going anywhere, DX or regular.
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So you are saying Kindle owners are too lazy to charge their device? AFAIC if a device will last me the entire day that's all I need. Plug it in at night. Not that hard.
 
diabolic said:
Even if it's just an unintended consequence, a lot of people will buy iPads instead of netbooks.
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Like me. I'm going to be selling my netbook for an iPad, because a netbook is just too slow and too cramped for me to type English essays on. I think just pulling out an iPad, plugging it into a keyboard dock and going on Pages will be a lot more efficient.

I should have enough space to fit my iPad and keyboard dock in my bag. The sticking up bit at the end doesn't seem to be much of a problem for me.
 
Justin122 said:
I should have enough space to fit my iPad and keyboard dock in my bag. The sticking up bit at the end doesn't seem to be much of a problem for me.
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As was mentioned before, the regular dock and a bluetooth keyboard fixes that potential issue. That is my plan as well.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
So you are saying Kindle owners are too lazy to charge their device? AFAIC if a device will last me the entire day that's all I need. Plug it in at night. Not that hard.
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Eh, some people already have half a dozen devices that need to be plugged in regularly. Having one that can sit by your bedside or on your desk or in a bookbag and withstand regular use for a few weeks without getting cabled up is comforting. It's more a book and less a gadget.
 
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