What is a tablet even good for?

[wyseguyonline]

I've been obsessing about this device since following the liveblog of the announcement event. Not obsessing in an Apple Fanboy way or even envying those who will have one the first day they're released, but obsessing over where, if anywhere, such a device would fit into my life.

Now, this is not to say that there aren't some people who will make good use of this device. I seriously think that for the average computer user, the iPad could easily replace a laptop. For a user like my mother (a self-described proud computer illiterate), such a device would make for a great way to send and receive email, watch videos on long trips, etc. I don't sync my iPhone very often (only a couple times a month or so) so I wouldn't imagine things being much different with the iPad. Far less expensive than replacing a laptop and would extend the life of their existing computer equipment significantly.

There are plenty of other areas where I could see this device filling people's computer needs. Unfortunately, I think I fall in the category of people that don't exist in the space between my iPhone and my MBP. Being an IT professional, I don't know as I ever will.

I think I'll wait until later this year and see if I can get my siblings together to purchase one for my mom. She'd be hesitant at first, but when my 2 year old can show her how to use the device, I'm sure she'll figure things out.

BTW - am I the only person who thinks the iPad got its design start in 2004 in the movie The Incredibles? Watch the scene where Mr. Incredible gets the information about the "job".

 

[bobob]

I don't think the iPad (or any portable device like that) is a suitable replacement for a computer. With cloud services (like MobileMe or Google) I guess you can store all your data in the "cloud" (contacts, calendar, docs, etc.) and in the case your shiny PORTABLE device is lost or stolen, you can access your data when you buy a replacement. Me, I am a child of the 80's, and have several terabytes of disk space at home storing every single file and email I've ever created (Compuserve anyone?). Carrying all my vital information on a portable device that can be stolen or misplaced is just not my cup of tea. Andstoring all that stuff in the cloud, even if I could afford to pay for all that space, does not make sense to me.

I realize that you are making a point about an iPad not being a suitable replacement for a computer, but based on the criteria you specify, I would say that an iPad is at least safer than the other popular "portable device that can be stolen or misplaced" - the MacBook - since the iPad can quickly and simply be synched with your home megaterabyte storage system.

Though on second thought, I suppose the MacBook could just as easily be wirelessly backed-up by a Time Capsule whenever you came back to base.

Still, we must be brave and venture out of the house with our portable devices at least once in a while!

 

[Scooterman1]

It's a crippled iPhone (you can't make calls on it except on VOIP w/ headset).... And it's good for people that can't see the iPhone very well.

 

[baypharm]

No it will very likely just be a big iPhone/touchscreen laptop without a keyboard.

Actually Apple is selling a keyboard with dock specifically for the iPad. Sort of defeats the purpose in my humble opinion. You may as well carry a MB or MBP around in that case.

iPad will not be for me anyway. No USB, no camera, and no 16:9 screen. And I HATE small screens anyway. Guess that's why I carry my 17" MBP everywhere I go. I LOVE it!!!

 

[baypharm]

It's good for taking it with you to your local Starbucks, while sporting the newest trends in fashion from Abercrombie, while telling everyone without muttering a word "I had $500 to blow on a new shiny toy".

Add intuos level pen support, a local drive/folder for storing documents and some form of Adobe CS4/5 lite and I'd be all over that thing.

Yes imagine that....in a country where people are losing their homes, they lives, their jobs, cars, boats, and their dignity, the iPad will prevail.....

 

[gwynne]

Yes imagine that....in a country where people are losing their homes, they lives, their jobs, cars, boats, and their dignity, the iPad will prevail.....

Aren't you bragging about your 17" MBP in the post just before this one?

Honestly, if someone has the computer, internet connection and leisure time to post on message boards, they're already more privileged than about 95% of the world's population, so the Starbucks-type snark is fairly disingenuous.

 

[NotTempted]

so dont buy it and stop crying

+1
I am so tired of peoples functional fixedness at all costs approach.

 

[Digital Skunk]

That depends. If you already have music/movies on your computer that you already own and want them on iPad then yes. If not then you can use the iPad straight out of the box. You'll have to buy everything from the iTunes stores but you can still use it on its own.

You may also need a computer for software upgrades (OS 4.0) unless they implement OTA upgrades.

FACEPALM!

Again, you'll have to plug it up to your main computer running iTunes to get the thing started. Especially if you want to buy things off of the App Store and iTunes Music store. Everyone of Apple's multitouch devices work this way with the iPhone OS so I don't see it working any other way.

Also, buying all of that music and not backing it up in some way is just retarded.

So YES you will NEED a full fledged computer with your iPad, making it a glorified iPod Touch. If it were a stand along device with USB ports and SD card slots then not so much.

 

[MrCheeto]

I'm sure once you purchase iTunes content, you can download it any time you like, in the case the information is lost...

 

[Digital Skunk]

I'm sure once you purchase iTunes content, you can download it any time you like, in the case the information is lost...

You can, but it's not as simple as going to a webpage or the iTunes window in your (now empty) computer, logging in and clicking "re-download"

You can report a problem and state that you lost your content because your iPad was stolen or your computer HDD crashed, but it'll still be up to Apple to allow you to re-download your content.

Even Apple says you should backup your content immediately after download, and why you'll be using the iPad with another computer, and not by itself. I am sure there will be thousands of people asking the same question on launch day.

 

[MrCheeto]

MAYBE the iPad will be different. Consider the fact it has it's own version of iPhone OS it has small features, such as being able to be activated without a data plan, maybe you can turn it on and use it without syncing...we'll see in twenty days.

If not, Apple has flubbed this up beyond anything even Chum E. Flubabuba could imagine with his chum grubbing flub. Effing expletives...

 

[Digital Skunk]

MAYBE the iPad will be different. Consider the fact it has it's own version of iPhone OS it has small features, such as being able to be activated without a data plan, maybe you can turn it on and use it without syncing...we'll see in twenty days.

If not, Apple has flubbed this up beyond anything even Chum E. Flubabuba could imagine with his chum grubbing flub. Effing expletives...

HA! Funny! Apple may have flubbed up then, or Chum E. Flubabuba works on the iPad development team.

Exactly! We can all hope it's different, but I just have this feeling that it's going to be a year full of the traditional Apple hardware, software, and reality distortion fields.

When I say the iPad is a big iPod Touch, I mean it's an iPod Touch made to be a tablet with some minor productivity shoved in there. I don't think Apple ever made the iPad to be a workhorse, just an entertainment device like half of the stuff coming out of Apple right now.

Yeah, some pros can do some iWork stuff, and show off some images and video, and read a book, but in the end it's still not what Jobs claimed . . . a product that's SO MUCH better than a netbook.

Fancier? YES!
More fun to use? YES!
Better screen? YES!
More thought put into the design and application? YES!
Better than any netbook currently on the market? NO!

 

[MrCheeto]

The adaptation of the iPhone OS is just...ass...half ass...

It would be like running a watch's ROM on a full-sized computer, it just doesn't work well.

They should have started from scratch and said "what would you need in an iPad?" and then follow the iPhone scheme, not the other way around, jackasses.

I'm just peesed as hell at Apple right now. They seem to just not care, they're becoming hungry for money and forgetting that only good products can work their way into the Microsoft-axiom affixed population.

Well, the iPhone was just a phone when it was released. The iPad is just an iPod now, maybe in version 2 they'll get SOMETHING right. The OS is a complete loss but the execution of it all could be salvaged.

I think it is better than a netbook if you JUST use the internetz...except...oh yeah, A BERJILLION webpages need FLASH PLAYER!!! -.-'

Of the fifty Apple portables I've repaired, I would say 80% of the people that own them are first-time Apple users and say "I only use it for internet and email" because they don't care about the iApps and such. The iPad is zero maintenance, and to install and uninstall things it takes zero thought process. The iPad is idiot-proof, so for those people it seems to be perfect. Hell, the next gen just might suck me in if I have the scratch to dish.

Working on a BlackBook now for a guy that says he bought it ONLY because he likes Safari's interface on the MacOS...yeah...iPad, ladies and gents.

 

[Mac'nCheese]

I sure could have used an ipad yesterday when the power was out and I had no internet.

 

[gazzamac]

Yes imagine that....in a country where people are losing their homes, they lives, their jobs, cars, boats, and their dignity, the iPad will prevail.....

Wow, the Ipad is beating all expectations

 

[FlashHead]

HA! Funny!

Yeah, some pros can do some iWork stuff, and show off some images and video, and read a book, but in the end it's still not what Jobs claimed . . . a product that's SO MUCH better than a netbook.

If you're going to say what somebody claimed is false, you should really start out by stating what they said CORRECTLY! The actual quote was:

"In order to really create a new category of devices (between a laptop and a smartphone), those devices are going to have to be far better at doing SOME KEY TASKS. They're going to have to be far better at doing some really important things. Better than the laptop. Better than the smartphone." He goes on to list those tasks: Browsing, Email, Photos, Video, Music, Games, eBooks. He continues, "Some people have said that that is a Netbook. The problem is, Netbooks aren't better at anything. They're slow. They have low quality displays and they run clunky old PC software. They're not better at a laptop than anything. They're just cheaper. They're just cheap laptops"

Can anyone seriously argue that Netbooks are anything but cheap laptops? That's pretty much their whole reason for being, along with being more portable. And that's not always a bad thing. It has been what a lot of needed/wanted. That still doesn't mean that actually performing any task on a Netbook is preferable to doing it on a laptop. They're NOT better, they're just arguably "capable".

It's difficult to make universal statements, as everyone has different needs, desires and tastes. You might even find that person who actually prefers Netbooks to Laptops (aside from cost, weight and size).

However, a strong case can be made that the iPad IS better at all those key tasks. Photos, Videos, Games, eBooks all seem like a very nice fit for this device. Even browsing the web without flash could easily be a faster, more engrossing experience on a touch screen tablet. There are a lot of users who already disable flash on their current devices and don't miss it one bit.

I totally understand if someone says the iPad does not meet their needs/wants and so it is not for them. But, it is equally understandable that someone would prefer the experience of accomplishing SOME KEY TASKS on the ipad. In addition to the size, weight, (reported) speed, (reported) responsiveness and attractive form factor there's (optional) 3G + GPS, and the entire app store.

Jobs never said it would be as capable in all areas as your Netbook, or a laptop or even a smartphone. And he certainly never said it was better than ANY of those devices...thus the mention of A THIRD CATEGORY!!!

The iPad claims (and appears) to accomplish SOME KEY TASKS (perhaps MANY) extraordinarily well. That is what Jobs Said. That is what the iPad is meant for. That's ALL it is meant for. PLEASE stop putting words in his mouth. PLEASE stop whining that it doesn't do everything YOU want it to do. It's like complaining a Porsche can't haul as much as a pick-up, or even a bottom of the line pick-up (Netbook reference). Can we PLEASE stop blaming Apple for not making a perfect do-everything tablet at under $500.

In the end, it appears to be exactly what Jobs claimed. (magical hyperbole aside).

It is what it is. Take it or leave it.

 

[MrCheeto]

This explains what the iPad is more thoroughly than anything else I've found on the net.

 

[ilp]

This explains what the iPad is more thoroughly than anything else I've found on the net.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Having spent all my working career in software development, I can spot the Second-System Effect from miles apart. The iPad is a focused device that has lots of features cut from it, especially in initial release stages. You can't possibly compare it to Second-System Effect.

 

[MrCheeto]

Looks to me like they said "the iPhone is good, let's blow it up".

Besides, they CLEARLY didn't focus on it because such things as the Slide to Unlock button are farked beyond repair. It's awkward and half baked. *cough, Windows*

 

[ilp]

This is my input on the subject.

The iPad is the “uncomputer computer.” It lets people do most things that anyone wants to do with a computer, without the overhead of a full-blown operating system. Just think about how much overhead Mac OS X has. Many Windows floating around… boot up process… some kind of a file structure. The concept of having a window of different sizes that you can resize and move around. The concept of windows layered on top of each other. The concept of saving files (OK, not sure if the iPad will do away with it, but Google Docs has). The concept of having a multi-level folder structure in which to store your files. The Finder. The concept of closing applications! These are all things that users don’t have to deal with in the iPad and the iPhone. Think of how liberating it is not to have to think about all of these things.

Think of how much less someone will have to learn to be able to “word process” or make a spreadsheet. Going from a zero computer newbie to writing a letter will be much faster on the iPad (that is my prediction).

What Apple has done is opened the floodgates that herald the end of the domination of generic OS computing as we know it. The iPhone OS, Google Android, perhaps the new mobile Windows OS, are the waves in this flood. The generic OS computing is not going away, but will be marginalized into specialty applications.

MrCheeto, your "cloud computing" device comment is actually another reason that this device is great. Most people want their files accessible wherever they go (which is why I love Google Docs). They don't care what buzzword is behind the technology.

On a side, I think that's the reason that Jobs is so proud of this. If the iPad does succeed, it will significantly change the personal computing landscape.

 

[ilp]

Looks to me like they said "the iPhone is good, let's blow it up".

Besides, they CLEARLY didn't focus on it because such things as the Slide to Unlock button are farked beyond repair. It's awkward and half baked. *cough, Windows*

Sure, it certainly seems like they said "the iPhone is good, let's blow it up." However, that is a very iterative approach (keep most things the same, change the form factor and the software some). It is still nowhere near "Second System Effect," which defines a complete rewrite that encompasses the creator's wishes to fix everything that he perceived to be wrong with the original system (and thereby creating an overly complicated monster.)

They focused on the big picture and most functionality, and they missed little details (such as the prompt when you plug an iphone into a dock that doesn't support it... that part sucks). They didn't go and throw a camera into it, make it a two-pager booklet, add a usb port, make it run OS X, etc... You can hardly accuse this device of being bloated or full of useless "just-in-case" features.

 

[4DThinker]

What is a tablet good for? Hospitals and many doctor offices have been using them for several years now, as an easy way to have quick access to medical charts and patient info. It hasn't been pretty though, and the world of electronic medical records is still a pile of hurt. Nice idea though, and when it works it's a time-saver.

Touch-screen media players have been around a few years now, and when they get too large to be pocketable they don't seem to do well in the market.

I've had an Archos 9 to play with for a month or so now, and I promise you all that any old task that uses a typical keyboard will be much harder using any touchscreen keyboard.

A better photo/video/ebook experience? Yes, a bigger screen will always be better for visual content. The iPad's 4:3 screen is bigger than most of the 16:9 screens netbooks come with. It should be better for photos than any iphone or small netbook. It may also be a better format for the pages of a book. Any 16:9 movie will make better use of a 16:9 screen though, so I'll give the iPad a loss there.

Web browsing "anywhere" is another reason to get an ipad, but I've got to give it a loss here too. It will definitely be an improvement over web browsing on an iPhone or Touch. It's non-standard non-flash version of safari still leaves out web content, and that alone is "less than" what every netbook can do using it's choice of browser.

Apps? I have no doubt Apps will be your best reason to have an iPad. Some clever developer will come up with the perfect app that alone justifies spending $500 for one. Those developers and their apps are what made the iPhone and the Touch so popular. The g-sensor and multi-touch screen are what separates the iPad from every netbook. You can find great apps for any Windows or Android system, but there is not yet one device that has both the hardware and the software to best it.

So... Don't buy an iPad if all you want it for is web browsing. If you trust that developers will come through with amazing iPad-specific apps, then get one for that reason alone.

Sure, you can use it as a digital picture frame. You can get a dedicated one for far less than $500 though. The same is true of it's ebook capability. There remain lighter, longer lasting alternatives though, and nothing the ipad will bring to ebooks has yet proven itself profound enough to be the best at that one thing.

Buy one for the Apps store, or don't buy one at all. JMHO