Why the iPad WILL succeed

[Bytor65]

I think you're confusing drama with sarcasm.

Actually it was both. I simply corrected your incorrect assumptions about display quality, nothing else about the iPad. You could have simply said, "Ok I am not up to date on displays".

But rather than simply recognize your mistake, you sarcastically started going on about the iPad being superior/winning.... followed with a snotty: "Will that make you feel better about buying one?"

Thus unnecessary drama from a simple correction of facts.

 

[RazHyena]

That is just one of the many reasons it will succeed.

In 20 minutes, you can have anyone on an iPad, trained, and surfing the web. Great box for young kids, non-tech people, seniors, ect.

On top of that you end up with the aps that appeal to a big cross section. Games, books, utilities, ect.... Lots of built in appeal.

Add on top of that the media consumption of the iPad. Movies, audio books, music, podcasts, all with a battery that can make it the best device to carry around all day.

The iPad doesn't appeal to the nuts and bolts tech guys, which is fine by me, they are often more nuts than bolts anyway.

So basically what you're saying is that the iPad is an overpriced toy for users unfamiliar with the internet? O RLY?

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/open_thread_the_internet_is_hard.php

Summary

ReadWriteWeb posted an article on Facebook Connect, Facebook's single-sign-on system. Somehow, within a few hours, that post on ReadWriteWeb became the #1 Google search result for "facebook login".

Thousands of users turned on their computers, clicked on "the big e button" to "open the web", and proceeded to type "facebook login" into Google, clicking on the first result, expecting to find Facebook.

Bizarelly, these users ignored the signs that the site they were looking at may not be Facebook. They ignored the big red pages, the "ReadWriteWeb" logo at the top of the page, and still thought it was Facebook. They even "signed into" Facebook using ReadWriteWeb's commenting system, which you guessed it, uses Facebook Connect.

The long and short of it is, that one post on ReadWriteWeb received thousands of comments from Facebook users complaining about how they "hated the new facebook", "why did they have to go and change it again", and "how can I see my friends wall".

How this related to the iPad

The iPad is not for us. Out here on the internet, we are the educated elite. We know the difference between the URL bar and the search box on the Google homepage.

The people will buy the iPad don't know what Flash is, nor do they care. They don't know what multitasking is, and don't care. In fact the most mainstream use for multitasking (Listening to a music service while browsing the web) will not apply to these people as they wont know what Last.fm or Spotify is. Even if they did they wouldn't know how to use it.

According to Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics), they have 400 million ACTIVE users. And I'm willing to bet that 80-90% of those users fall into the category I described above, who just want to "browse" the web, listen to music and videos, and login to their Facebook.

This is why I think the iPad will succed.

Educated elite, huh? I think those of us who are educated enough to see this thing as the gimmicky useless toy it is will have other uses for it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8KqD2JlzIA&feature=player_embedded

 

[jonesboy]

I am an IT guy and I want an IPAD as a second computer. Laptops are suppose to be mobile but I think we have come to realize they really are not. Is the Ipad just a big Ipod touch? Only if you are very short sighted. The Ipad is faster, bigger and will allow for more robust programs. Just look at IWorks.

No Hulu, well they are building an app for that

No multitasking, I am sure in the future it will. It will have to.

I just went on a family trip. I brought my Ipod and the video player it connects to so the kids could watch movies on the road. My ibook so my wife could keep updated on facebook and check our emails.

The Ipad will replace both of those items and provide even more functionality while being much funnier to play with all at the same time. My kids could have played games on the ipad instead of playing games on a leapster. Watched movies on a big screen instead of a small one connected to an ipod. Along with all the cables to power the unit in my car.

Netbooks are mini laptops thats all. An Ipad is something different and more than a netbook or a ipod touch.

 

[dgree03]

I am an IT guy and I want an IPAD as a second computer. Laptops are suppose to be mobile but I think we have come to realize they really are not. Is the Ipad just a big Ipod touch? Only if you are very short sighted. The Ipad is faster, bigger and will allow for more robust programs. Just look at IWorks.

No Hulu, well they are building an app for that

No multitasking, I am sure in the future it will. It will have to.

I just went on a family trip. I brought my Ipod and the video player it connects to so the kids could watch movies on the road. My ibook so my wife could keep updated on facebook and check our emails.

The Ipad will replace both of those items and provide even more functionality while being much funnier to play with all at the same time. My kids could have played games on the ipad instead of playing games on a leapster. Watched movies on a big screen instead of a small one connected to an ipod. Along with all the cables to power the unit in my car.

Netbooks are mini laptops thats all. An Ipad is something different and more than a netbook or a ipod touch.

how is a 10in touch screen device andy more or less portable than a laptop? You cant fit either in your pocket... both require a case or holder of some sort.. Ipad is lighter of course.. but thats where it ends..

 

[samcraig]

how is a 10in touch screen device andy more or less portable than a laptop? You cant fit either in your pocket... both require a case or holder of some sort.. Ipad is lighter of course.. but thats where it ends..

I'll add that people have been saying that you can get an external keyboard for the iPad to assist with heavy typing/taking notes when you don't want to use the touch interface.

And you can also have other dongles for cameras, etc.

You'll need a case to carry all that and the weight/form factor is going to change if you do.

I'm not arguing against the iPad here. But I know how *I* am and if I get these peripherals, I'm not going to want to decide every time I leave (if I leave) the house with the iPad to determine which accessories I might or might not use - so I'll want them all locally convenient.

The cast you'll carry the iPad in will no doubt also be padded or at least firm enough (if you plan to leave the house with it) which will perhaps double the thickness of the device when carrying it + add weight.

Again - I'm not arguing against. And "in home" usage won't be too too affected. But as a portable device outside the home - sure you can use it without any accessories and cases - but anything you add to it will affect usage/weight/etc

 

[jonesboy]

Would you trust an Ibook in the back seat of a car with a 5 and 6 yrs. old? I just think of all the ways it could get damaged. The weight and the angles of where you would need to put it. Not to mention the battery life.

In that sense, the ipad is much more mobile. It is like carrying a book compared to a laptop bag and all the junk that goes with it.

 

[Night Spring]

But as a portable device outside the home - sure you can use it without any accessories and cases - but anything you add to it will affect usage/weight/etc

The point is, with an iPad, you have a choice to bring all the accessories, or to leave them behind, depending on your usage requirements for the particular situation. With a netbook/laptop, the keyboard is always attached, whether you need it or not.

 

[samcraig]

The point is, with an iPad, you have a choice to bring all the accessories, or to leave them behind, depending on your usage requirements for the particular situation. With a netbook/laptop, the keyboard is always attached, whether you need it or not.

That's the point? That's a point? Doesn't matter. I wasn't arguing for or against either position other than to state that the iPad alone might be slim and light - but if you plan on taking it out of the house - most people will be "bulking" it up.

 

[Night Spring]

That's the point? That's a point? Doesn't matter. I wasn't arguing for or against either position other than to state that the iPad alone might be slim and light - but if you plan on taking it out of the house - most people will be "bulking" it up.

Um, so what was your "point" in mentioning that?

 

[jonesboy]

That's the point? That's a point? Doesn't matter. I wasn't arguing for or against either position other than to state that the iPad alone might be slim and light - but if you plan on taking it out of the house - most people will be "bulking" it up.

A power cord maybe. With 10 hrs. of battery life you really wouldn't have to worry. I think about the people who bring there laptops to starbucks or to the library. It is always with a laptop bag and power cord. Most are doing light work or showing someone else something. With the ipad all you need is it. I know i will be buying one of those nice protective cover/stands that apple or someone is selling. Again, ease of use. If you are trying to sell someone something by using a powerpoint for example. Do you want to rotate a laptop around so they can see it or have them squint at a netbook or hold the presentation and interact with it on an ipad.

An Ipad is a sells mans dream!

 

[marksman]

how is a 10in touch screen device andy more or less portable than a laptop? You cant fit either in your pocket... both require a case or holder of some sort.. Ipad is lighter of course.. but thats where it ends..

You slide your iPad into a portfolio or you can put your laptop/notebook in some kind of bag or case.

The size difference and ability to carry is significant.

I am not sure why people are having a hard time understanding how much more awkward a netbook is compared to the form factor of an iPad.

 

[samcraig]

You slide your iPad into a portfolio or you can put your laptop/notebook in some kind of bag or case.

The size difference and ability to carry is significant.

I am not sure why people are having a hard time understanding how much more awkward a netbook is compared to the form factor of an iPad.

It might be because you're egocentric. And I don't mean that in a derogatory sense. Quite clearly you have difficulty understanding any else's needs or wants vs your own. More specifically - you think that others fail to understand instead of realizing they just have a differing opinion.

If you're going to carry a device - any device - it's going to have some level of awkwardness whether the iPad or a netbook. It's not like you're just going to throw your iPad into a bag or backback without protection.

Yes - it's thinner than netbooks. But you'd still have to have something to protect it. I'd say - even MORE than a netbook - which when folded against itself could just be thrown into a bag. I know I'd feel "safer" throwing a laptop into a knapsack without a case on it more than a "naked" iphone, ipod or in this case - iPad.

 

[jonesboy]

Isn't this all the protection you need?

or this:

The ipad to me is a mobile device. Can it do some moderate lifting, i.e. work... yes. It is not a laptop nor meant to replace one. I think the desktop/laptops are kinda like servers now with regard to an iphone or an ipad. You let the server to the real work not it's extensions.

 

[Eso]

I am an IT guy and I want an IPAD as a second computer. Laptops are suppose to be mobile but I think we have come to realize they really are not. Is the Ipad just a big Ipod touch? Only if you are very short sighted. The Ipad is faster, bigger and will allow for more robust programs. Just look at IWorks.

If you think the iPad is "second computer" you are going to be out $500 for nothing, my friend.

While iPad apps may be more robust than iPod Touch apps, they will still be far less capable than programs for a full-fledged OS - the type you'd find on a laptop.

Here's some examples of the limitations of the iPad compared to a laptop:

There are no windows (or multi-tasking). You can't have the browser open on one side of the screen and a little iPod or IM client (or both) open on the other side.

There is no access to internal storage or external media. You can't manage your documents or files. Even within an app you can only manage files for that particular app. You can't use any USB device beyond a camera (which requires an accessory). No external hard drives, no thumb drives, no CD drives, no printers, no wireless connect cards, no USB headsets, no webcam, no keyboard, no mouse, no external speakers, etc.

You can't install software outside of the app store. All available apps are sandboxed (isolated from one another) so one app can't use files or data from another. You can't receive an mp3 from an IM chat and play it with the iPod. You can't download a PDF from the web and open it with a PDF viewing app. If you delete an app it deletes all the user data with it. Imagine if you uninstalled iTunes on your desktop and it also deleted all your music

There is no desktop where you can create shortcuts, view widgets, or manage apps. The layout of the dock and home screen are even identical to the iPod touch! Despite the extra space, there is still the same grid of icons and 4 apps across the dock. What is that, a practical joke?

This is basic, basic stuff for a laptop.

No multitasking, I am sure in the future it will. It will have to.

Good luck with waiting for that.

Netbooks are mini laptops thats all. An Ipad is something different and more than a netbook or a ipod touch.

More than an iPod Touch, sure, a little bit. More than a netbook? I think not.

 

[dave1812dave]

An Ipad is something different and more than a netbook or a ipod touch.

LOL! Are you serious?? "More" than a netbook?? How so? It doesn't even have a computer OS on it, for craps sakes! It's got a phone OS. It doesn't do Flash. doesn't multitask. It is NOT a computer. Yes, it has a CPU. That doesn't make it a computer. My PS3 is more of a "computer" than the iPad.

 

[admanimal]

My PS3 is more of a "computer" than the iPad.

That's odd, because I will be able to do about 80% of the things I would normally do on my iMac on an iPad, yet I can only do one or two things on my PS3 that I do on my iMac.

 

[samcraig]

That's odd, because I can do about 80% of the things I would normally do on my iMac on an iPad, yet I can only do one or two things on my PS3 that I do on my iMac.

Not for nothing - but when did you get your iPad? Ahhh.. you're speculating. Got it.

 

[admanimal]

Not for nothing - but when did you get your iPad? Ahhh.. you're speculating. Got it.

Whoops...meant to use the future tense there. But it is not at all speculation that I will be able to do 80% of what I normally do on my iMac on an iPad. I know what I do and I know what an iPad will do.

 

[samcraig]

Whoops...meant to use the future tense there. But it is not at all speculation that I will be able to do 80% of what I normally do on my iMac on an iPad. I know what I do and I know what an iPad will do.

Then perhaps we should discuss the fact that you bought an iMac which was complete overkill for most of what you do

 

[admanimal]

Then perhaps we should discuss the fact that you bought an iMac which was complete overkill for most of what you do

As a matter of fact, most people's computers are overkill for most of what they do. I would say that's pretty much the underlying design principle behind devices like the iPhone or iPad.

Personally it's just that bit of other stuff that I need to extra power for, and the huge screen is always nice.

 

[SteveSparks]

As a matter of fact, most people's computers are overkill for most of what they do. I would say that's pretty much the underlying design principle behind devices like the iPhone or iPad.

Personally it's just that bit of other stuff that I need to extra power for, and the huge screen is always nice.

You mean the 27" i5 8GB iMac I use for checking email and surfing the web is overkill?

Please DON'T TELL MY WIFE!!

 

[Night Spring]

It might be because you're egocentric. And I don't mean that in a derogatory sense. Quite clearly you have difficulty understanding any else's needs or wants vs your own. More specifically - you think that others fail to understand instead of realizing they just have a differing opinion.

If you're going to carry a device - any device - it's going to have some level of awkwardness whether the iPad or a netbook. It's not like you're just going to throw your iPad into a bag or backback without protection.

Can we at least agree that an iPad is at least somewhat easier to carry than a netbook, if only because it is lighter? And that for some of us, the difference is significant? You are coming off as saying that the difference shouldn't matter to anyone. I do hope that isn't your intention, is it?

 

[samcraig]

Can we at least agree that an iPad is at least somewhat easier to carry than a netbook, if only because it is lighter? And that for some of us, the difference is significant? You are coming off as saying that the difference shouldn't matter to anyone. I do hope that isn't your intention, is it?

My only intention is to "argue" the point that the iPad isn't "just" the iPad when it goes truly mobile. I'm not talking around the house. I'm saying that the form factor will be bulkier "on the road." I'm also of the belief that netbooks are probably sturdier in this fashion left unprotected as the screen folds over the keyboard. This is not a "judgement" but an observation.

I'm not saying that the difference is HUGE or TINY or that it doesn't matter. I'm simply stating for those that want to insist that the iPad is SO much easier to carry around that until they have it in hand and are commuting with it - they don't know how "easy" it is.

 

[Night Spring]

I'm not saying that the difference is HUGE or TINY or that it doesn't matter. I'm simply stating for those that want to insist that the iPad is SO much easier to carry around that until they have it in hand and are commuting with it - they don't know how "easy" it is.

True, there are details we won't know until we actually hold the thing. I'm actually a bit concerned how comforable it will be to hold the iPad in my hands for extended reading/viewing, as I do often read hours at a time. Another thing I'm wondering about is how usable the virtual keyboard would be for text input. But I have to say that, based on what I know about the dimensions and weight of the iPad, and considering that most iPad accessories are same/similar to other existing Apple accessories, I feel pretty comfortable in postulating that the iPad, even with all its accessories, would be lighter than most netbooks I've seen, and therefore much easier for me to carry around.

 

[samcraig]

True, there are details we won't know until we actually hold the thing. I'm actually a bit concerned how comforable it will be to hold the iPad in my hands for extended reading/viewing, as I do often read hours at a time. Another thing I'm wondering about is how usable the virtual keyboard would be for text input. But I have to say that, based on what I know about the dimensions and weight of the iPad, and considering that most iPad accessories are same/similar to other existing Apple accessories, I feel pretty comfortable in postulating that the iPad, even with all its accessories, would be lighter than most netbooks I've seen, and therefore much easier for me to carry around.

And I wonder - without the keyboard accessory - how "easy" will typing really be when you're holding it or propping it on your lap. With a curved back, it's not going to sit flush when flat on a table - so again, how "easy" or comfortable will it be for typing - say an email...