Thoughts After A Day With The iPad

[raremage]

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.

It won't be for everyone, but it will work for many. And by many, I mean MANY.

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.

Again, won't work for all. Will work for many. Personally I hope for and anticipate a "OneNote-like" app that makes note taking with a stylus simple and functional. I don't plan to carry a dock with me anywhere, unless it's perhaps on a long trip where I will be based in a hotel and want to dock there.

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

It may not be for you. It may not be for many. But it will be a game changer.

 

[raremage]

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.

You may not like it, but I have to disagree, and strongly. Reading a book on the kindle is a great experience, the contrast is fine, and gets better the stronger the direct light is. One of the strongest arguments against an iPad as an ereader is likely to be the outdoor experience. I can take my kindle to the beach and read a book; I'm not sure I'll be able to do that with my iPad.

Using forum posts as evidence is flawed - the unhappy tend to whine, and the happy majority cruise along in blissful silence. If you don't own one, it's tough to be critical and credible at the same time.

Thus all the qualifiers about the iPad, until I have mine tomorrow, I won't know for sure what the display is like outdoors. Plus, I do believe that display quality is somewhat subjective. What is acceptable to many is not acceptable to all.

 

[sonicboom]

I can take my kindle to the beach and read a book; I'm not sure I'll be able to do that with my iPad.

I love that point.

Who would want to take a gadget like the kindle or ipad to the beach?

The sand in the button(s) will be wonderful.
The heat on the device will be nice as well.
Not to mention the theft factor.

Interesting concept in theory, but not practical in the real world.

 

[Aduntu]

I bought an Asus netbook to temporarily replace a broken laptop. After about a month, I couldn't stand the thing. It's slow, difficult to type on, and the screen is way too small. It's not really an enjoyable experience. If anything, it's a pain. I only use it when it's absolutely necessary.

The iPad cannot replace a netbook because key features are not there. But, a lot of people that only want to send email, browse the web, and watch videos will buy an iPad instead.

 

[jabingla2810]

Who prints anymore?!

It's 2010, get with the times GRANDAD!

 

[raremage]

I love that point.

Who would want to take a gadget like the kindle or ipad to the beach?

The sand in the button(s) will be wonderful.
The heat on the device will be nice as well.
Not to mention the theft factor.

Interesting concept in theory, but not practical in the real world.

I do it all the time with the kindle. Or poolside. When I travel, I no longer carry physical books, just an ereader.

So while it may not work for you, it does for me.

 

[duky]

Who would want to take a gadget like the kindle or ipad to the beach?

Me!

The sand in the button(s) will be wonderful.
The heat on the device will be nice as well.
Not to mention the theft factor.

A) You don't put it in the sand and that's what cases/bags are for -- to protect it from the sand
B) I don't think heat on the device is that much of an issue--I've taken my SoundDock, laptop, and numerous phones to the beach without the slightest of issues
C) Theft factor- I'll protect it the same way I protect my phone when I go to the beach. I usually don't go to the beach myself so generally there will be someone else to watch the device when I go into the water or just lock it in the car or if you're that worried about theft then yeah I wouldn't take it

 

[sishaw]

I love that point.

Who would want to take a gadget like the kindle or ipad to the beach?

The sand in the button(s) will be wonderful.
The heat on the device will be nice as well.
Not to mention the theft factor.

Interesting concept in theory, but not practical in the real world.

I disagree. Having a Kindle at the beach last summer was awesome, as much for the convenience of being able to buy a book from anywhere as the actual reading of it. I had no problems with the device.

I agree that if you threw sand on it, or dunked it underwater, it wouldn't be good for it. So don't.

 

[raremage]

I disagree. Having a Kindle at the beach last summer was awesome, as much for the convenience of being able to buy a book from anywhere as the actual reading of it. I had no problems with the device.

Exactly!

I guess it's sorta like sex - don't know it if you haven't tried it!

 

[samcraig]

I love that point.

Who would want to take a gadget like the kindle or ipad to the beach?

The sand in the button(s) will be wonderful.
The heat on the device will be nice as well.
Not to mention the theft factor.

Interesting concept in theory, but not practical in the real world.

Sorry to call you out on this, but THIS right here is a perfect example of narrow-mindedness and/or projection of YOUR use-cases onto others.

Same goes with the genius who refers to someone who wants the ability to print as "granddad."

I know it's really hard for some people who are egocentric to believe that others don't think, act or feel the same as you - but I assure you - such oddities DO exist. Not everyone is the same. Not everyone's use-cases are the same.

This isn't a lesson just for message boards - but in real life. Try opening up your mind to others. You don't have to agree or like what they have to say (ditto for them to you). But at least show enough respect to really LISTEN and try to understand others.

 

[Spudracer]

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.

I had a Kindle DX for two weeks and sent it back to Amazon. I didn't find e-ink all that great compared to a high quality backlit LCD. E-ink sucks for reading in bed at night without some sort of kludgy clip on book light. As for battery, I don't read for more than two hours at a time so I think the iPad's 10 hour battery will do just fine. Who cares about two week battery life? Are you ever going to be away from a power grid for more than 10 hours? Hiking in the Sierra range maybe? As for reading in full sun at the beach, no way. I've tried it with paper books and it's not enjoyable with or without sunglasses. Too damned much light whether or not you can see a screen. And how many people are really gonna tote their $500 electronic toy to the beach to get filled with sand or stolen? On the other hand, the iPad will probably do fine at our pool under one of our big cantilever umbrellas and within reach of my wireless n network. Nope, Kindle the hardware is done. Kindle the S/W will live on just fine.

 

[racer1441]

How can it be without printing capabilities though?

It's about the experience. I don't even know anyone who owns a printer anymore.

 

[Spudracer]

It's about the experience. I don't even know anyone who owns a printer anymore.

Well, I have a networked multifunction scan/print/fax/copy machine at home. About 99% of the time it sits idle. There are occasions when a hard copy is useful at home but it's pretty infrequent. I think that's the reason Apple left printing and print drivers out of the iPad. Too little need for the average user in the real world to justify the overhead and complexity. The iPad is not targeted at people who create content. It's targeted at the 95% of consumers who spend 95% of their time consuming content. Apple wants to make that experience the most enjoyable and easiest that it can be. I think they put a lot of thought into what matters and what doesn't to keep the whole H/W & S/W system streamlined and optimize the user experience. IT IS NOT A NETBOOK!

 

[ThatsMeRight]

Why is everyone saying that you can't print from the iPad? You can!

 

[danny_w]

I bought an Asus netbook to temporarily replace a broken laptop. After about a month, I couldn't stand the thing. It's slow, difficult to type on, and the screen is way too small. It's not really an enjoyable experience. If anything, it's a pain. I only use it when it's absolutely necessary.

The iPad cannot replace a netbook because key features are not there. But, a lot of people that only want to send email, browse the web, and watch videos will buy an iPad instead.

If the screen on a netbook was too small then the iPad's screen will be too. What I didn't realize when looking at the videos of the iPad in action was that it is really the same size as a netbook (it looks bigger because it doesn't fold out I suppose). The one thing that may help is that you can hold the iPad closer to you, unless of course you are typing on it, in which case it will be about the same as a netbook. I have one on order coming Saturday but I don't know yet if I want to keep it or return it unopened.

 

[ThatsMeRight]

Well, I have a networked multifunction scan/print/fax/copy machine at home. About 99% of the time it sits idle. There are occasions when a hard copy is useful at home but it's pretty infrequent. I think that's the reason Apple left printing and print drivers out of the iPad. Too little need for the average user in the real world to justify the overhead and complexity. The iPad is not targeted at people who create content. It's targeted at the 95% of consumers who spend 95% of their time consuming content. Apple wants to make that experience the most enjoyable and easiest that it can be. IT IS NOT A NETBOOK!

It is a netbook, in tablet form. A netbook is neither targeted at people who create content, but you can make documents on it (just like the iPad).

A netbook is a device with which you can listen music, maybe watch some videos, browse the web and send some emails. The iPad does all this plus it has 150.000 apps available, which just work.

 

[samcraig]

Well, I have a networked multifunction scan/print/fax/copy machine at home. About 99% of the time it sits idle. There are occasions when a hard copy is useful at home but it's pretty infrequent. I think that's the reason Apple left printing and print drivers out of the iPad. Too little need for the average user in the real world to justify the overhead and complexity. The iPad is not targeted at people who create content. It's targeted at the 95% of consumers who spend 95% of their time consuming content. Apple wants to make that experience the most enjoyable and easiest that it can be. I think they put a lot of thought into what matters and what doesn't to keep the whole H/W & S/W system streamlined and optimize the user experience. IT IS NOT A NETBOOK!

Ok. Question then. If what you say is true. And Apple believes this to be 100 percent true. Then why when they retooled Pages and Numbers didn't they make a better effort (based on reviews printed so far) to make PDF creation more accurate regarding formatting.

As for your assertion that Apple isn't targeting towards those that create content - where are you getting this information or are you making this up? I think it's the latter - and a part of inaccurate groupthink.

If Jobs is going head-to-head with netbooks (say what you want about their crappiness) or positioning the iPad as a netbook killer - then the iPad IS for content creation and technically should be able to either print and pdf well or at least one of those.

Of course someone will chime in now and say the iPad isn't a netbook, shouldn't be compared to, etc. But realistically - that's the "audience" apple is going for in ADDITION to those that would never buy a netbook.

Can't have it both ways in my opinion. Functionality is functionality. And there is, at current, some functionality that the iPad does not have that will either hold people back or be a topic of gripes.

If you don't want to hear the griping, just move along to another thread.

 

[ThatsMeRight]

If the screen on a netbook was too small then the iPad's screen will be too. What I didn't realize when looking at the videos of the iPad in action was that it is really the same size as a netbook (it looks bigger because it doesn't fold out I suppose). The one thing that may help is that you can hold the iPad closer to you, unless of course you are typing on it, in which case it will be about the same as a netbook. I have one on order coming Saturday but I don't know yet if I want to keep it or return it unopened.

Except if you open your browser in a netbook you have to scroll all the time because of all the bars on top of it and stuff.

 

[danny_w]

Except if you open your browser in a netbook you have to scroll all the time because of all the bars on top of it and stuff.

You'll also be scrolling most of the time on an iPad also, but the scroll bars are just not visible. Most netbooks are 1024x600 and the iPad is 1024x768, neither of which will fit most web pages today.

 

[vini-vidi-vici]

Reading on the Beach?

talk about extrapolating your case onto the general public... where in the world do you people live that you "read on the beach" all the time? I've never read on the beach... In fact, I've seen very few people ever reading on the beach. Maybe its an east coast thing? (I live in the west... about an hour from the ocean... which is cold half the year anyway). I mean, what % of your total reading time is actually "at the beach"? It seems strange to me to base one's purchasing decisions on an activity that takes up a very small % of your time.

Now, I'm sure there are some people posting who live someplace warm, within walking distance to the beach, and have lots of time on their hands... but that's a pretty rare situation to be in.

 

[raremage]

talk about extrapolating your case onto the general public... where in the world do you people live that you "read on the beach" all the time? I've never read on the beach... In fact, I've seen very few people ever reading on the beach. Maybe its an east coast thing? (I live in the west... about an hour from the ocean... which is cold half the year anyway). I mean, what % of your total reading time is actually "at the beach"? It seems strange to me to base one's purchasing decisions on an activity that takes up a very small % of your time.

Now, I'm sure there are some people posting who live someplace warm, within walking distance to the beach, and have lots of time on their hands... but that's a pretty rare situation to be in.

Yeesh, is it really that complicated? I do read on the beach, we often vacation on the shore, it's very relaxing.

But generalize, and the argument still stands. Replace "Beach" with "Central Park", "Griffith Park", "The Grand Canyon", or "Anyplace outside that has sunlight."

The point was, we don't know how well the iPad will work as an ereader in direct sunlight. The Kindle, on the other hand, we know excels in this environment.

 

[GermanSuplex]

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.

Fair points, but because the iPad is more than an e-reader, the battery factor might not be a big deal. I may not want to charge an e-reader everyday, but I probably won't have an issue with charging my e-reader/video game player/web surfer/media player each day.

 

[samcraig]

talk about extrapolating your case onto the general public...

I find this to be my #1 issue with 90 percent of the posts/opinions on the topic of the iPad in this forum.

 

[Aduntu]

If the screen on a netbook was too small then the iPad's screen will be too. What I didn't realize when looking at the videos of the iPad in action was that it is really the same size as a netbook (it looks bigger because it doesn't fold out I suppose). The one thing that may help is that you can hold the iPad closer to you, unless of course you are typing on it, in which case it will be about the same as a netbook. I have one on order coming Saturday but I don't know yet if I want to keep it or return it unopened.

I thought about that as well. The iPad screen isn't much larger. But zooming and panning will be extremely simple, which will make it easier to view larger sites. Using the trackpad on my netbook is painful. I could probably deal with the smaller screen if navigating it wasn't such a chore.

Although, I only have experience with the low-end netbooks. I can't speak for the higher quality devices.

 

[FunkyJunk]

The point was, we don't know how well the iPad will work as an ereader in direct sunlight. The Kindle, on the other hand, we know excels in this environment.

http://www.tuaw.com/2010/04/01/answering-your-1-question-as-fast-as-we-can/

The answer, surprisingly enough: Yes, you can. Even in bright sun, the high-contrast black type on a white page background was clearly legible, says our experimenter. In fact, the display looks quite a bit like the Kindle's e-ink screen under those lighting conditions.

What does not look good in bright sun: video playback. The dark screen doesn't pump out quite enough candlepower to make TV shows or movies easily visible. However, that's a failing of most portable video devices, so you can't ding the iPad for it. Much.