What's so fantastic about Apple?

[Brian-M]

You forgot...

• In certain circumstances, a tablet computer can function as an effective work tool, but in most cases they serve as little more than an overpriced toy.

(Just adding this option because that's what I'd answer if you were asking me the question.)

I can acknowledge they might be useful in some industries, like aviation for example, or inventory taking or parking enforcement where people are used to carrying tablets and notepads anyway. But I generally consider them a pointless fashion accessory. I'll stick with my notebook computer, thank you.

Ah, I nailed it.

 

[Stray Cat]

I guess maybe "work" was a poor choice of word.

I enjoy trying out new distros, so that aspect is really more like "play" to me. But the main upshot is that there are literally hundreds of different distros. If I choose, I can switch around from one to another to see if I find one that I like better, or I can easily modify the one I have. Sometimes the distro I'm using will introduce changes that I don't like in a newer version, but I don't strictly need to upgrade at all for several years if I don't want to, and there are always plenty of other options to choose from.

Yes, but I think when I find a screwdriver that does exactly what I want it to do, I stop looking for alternative screwdrivers.

And they're all free. I don't have to worry about giving out my credit card number over the Internet. I don't have my computer manufacturer shoving ads for Katy Perry or Toby Keith in my face when I'm trying to purchase software. I don't have to worry about buying some special dongle for USB or paying $35 extra for a special plug to hook my computer up to my TV.

Me neither.

 

[John Albert]

Yes, but I think when I find a screwdriver that does exactly what I want it to do, I stop looking for alternative screwdrivers.

That's a really bad analogy there.

A screwdriver is a single-use tool (though you might also use it to open a paint can), but a computer is a platform that supports a huge variety of applications. I use my computers for many purposes, including entertainment.

Me neither.

You're not fooling me. I've used iTunes before.

 

[Stray Cat]

That's a really bad analogy there.

A screwdriver is a single-use tool (though you might also use it to open a paint can), but a computer is a platform that supports a huge variety of applications. I use my computers for many purposes, including entertainment.

In the same way that a screwdriver is the most effective tool for a job it is designed for, so is my computer.
True I can use it for much more than just a tool, and luckily it also everything else I want it to do too (apart from opening paint tins, I think there is special iOpener plug in for that... it was certainly an eye opener for me when I saw the price of it. ).

You're not fooling me. I've used iTunes before.

We've been through this already. Apparently the Windows version of iTunes is different from the Mac version. I don't see unwanted ads unless I've opened iTunes and have actually clicked on the 'Store' tab... something I rarely do and I don't know of any other commercial download site or physical shop where you can enter without seeing ads for stuff you don't want... so I maintain; "Me neither".

 

[TheL8Elvis]

​

Nice try, but no.

You caught me, the rhetoric is only valid when you post it.

 

[TheL8Elvis]

I misunderstood what you meant by the term "cooking ROM."

Yes, I assumed we went different directions there.

Rooting/jailbreaking is one thing, but those kinds of mods are definitely beyond the capabilities of most cellphone users. They violate warranties, require specialized, highly-technical software and run the risk of bricking the phone if you don't know what you're doing. So I really don't see the relevance of making a general value judgment on one phone over another, based on the practices of hardware hackers.

The relevance has to do with your claims in this post, for example. You want to lump 'android' phones together when it's convenient for your point, and separate them when it's not.

I already told you that my phone has a microSD card slot.

You did - I missed where you said you had a nexus one - as you saw, i quoted you saying I have a google nexus phone - assumed that meant the galaxy nexus - not the nexus one. My bad.

I already pointed out that an SD card, or lack thereof, is not the single defining factor in the issue of consumer freedom. Why do you keep on repeating the same questions that I've already answered?

I just want to know if you consider lack of a SD slot in general a feature that limits your freedom. I'm interested in learning more about what counts and does not count as 'limiting freedom', since that seems to be one of your big problems with apple.

 

[OCaptain]

I feel that the tablet is generally a poorly-conceived form factor for a computer. It lacks the means to prop itself upright at a comfortable viewing angle the way a notebook does, so it must be held in the hand at all times, leaving only one hand free to type or navigate the workspace. If you lay it down flat, then you have to crane your neck over it. Even holding one in the lap while sitting requires one's legs to be propped up to provide a good viewing angle. Then there's the fact that you're sticking your fingers all over the viewing surface. I prefer even a small laptop keyboard over the aggravation of using a touchscreen keypad, getting finger smudges all over the screen. In my view, this combination of inconveniences makes tablets generally unsuitable for most kinds of work, and even annoying for entertainment purposes. I prefer not to have my fingers blocking my view when playing a video game, and I prefer watching a movie on a vertical surface instead of on some dinky little device with rounded edges that I have to worry about finding some way to prop upright.

But hey, I can acknowledge that some people like them. They're a new form for portable computers, and seem all futuristic with their glossy, integrated display/input device. They can't do a heck of a lot, but they're thin and light! You can surf the Web on them, but it's a bit of a pain to enter information or type anything longer than a tweet. They're great for playing all kinds of wacky little games, but they generally don't support Flash.

So, meh.

I can acknowledge they might be useful in some industries, like aviation for example, or inventory taking or parking enforcement where people are used to carrying tablets and notepads anyway. But I generally consider them a pointless fashion accessory. I'll stick with my notebook computer, thank you.

Adobe doesn't support Flash. First they killed it on mobile devices, and next will come desktops. Once HTML5 is the standard - which is only a matter of time now - Flash will have no reason to exist.

 

[kajata]

Serious question here for people with phones with SD slots...what do you use them for?

For example I would like a slot in my iPad because it would be nice to take the card out of my SLR and load pics up (without buying a separate dongle) but not sure when I would really need one on my phone? I guess transferring files but I really like DropBox. So when do you guys use it? Or is it one of those features on your phone that you never use? I had a Droid X and can't recall ever taking the card out (or the removable battery but I digress).

 

[TheL8Elvis]

Define "toy".

If you had asked him to define overpriced, i could have helped you with that.

It means priced too high.

Now, I'm still not sure how you determine what is too high.

Since apple sold every ipad they could manufacture last quarter, I don't know how they could be priced too high by any stretch .... but I guess that's just me.

 

[TheL8Elvis]

What about the 3Gs? I'm not sure what the criticism is that you are making, manufacturers all have different upgrade paths. Apple's route is to charge for minor upgrades to OSX and their usual upgrade path is to simply stop support for relatively recent hardware (my Mac Mini and my iPod touch for example). Other manufacturers have different upgrade paths, for example my Samsung phone was upgraded to Android 4 the day after it was released, but my other half's phone will only be upgraded at the start of next month.

Just because a new version or upgrade has been released does not mean that your phone or device stops working you know....

Darat, did you plan on responding to the questions I asked about this post ?

 

[jakesteele]

I've been fed up with the silly Mac V PC arguments for the majority of the 20 plus years I've been successfully using my various Macs to earn an easy living...

Would you mind sharing what you do to make an easy, successful living with Macs?

 

[Stray Cat]

Would you mind sharing what you do to make an easy, successful living with Macs?

I'm a freelance designer when I'm not being a mediocre musician.

 

[megaresp]

...tablet...lacks the means to prop itself upright at a comfortable viewing angle...so it must be held in the hand at all times...

I'm using an iPad to type this replay. Its £11 case provides 2 angles that prop it up just fine. And I'm using 2 hands to type right now.

My iPad is lighter and more portable than my laptop, and has SSH, FTP, a text editor and an image editor loaded on it. My laptop is usually left behind when I visit clients these days.

I bought it for work and it copes just fine.

 

[OCaptain]

That's a really bad analogy there.

A screwdriver is a single-use tool (though you might also use it to open a paint can), but a computer is a platform that supports a huge variety of applications. I use my computers for many purposes, including entertainment.





You're not fooling me. I've used iTunes before.

As SC and I have tried to tell you, the iTunes experience on Windows is VERY different than the iTunes experience on OS X. On Windows, iTunes runs molasses-slow and is a resource hog, especially as your library on your local drive grows.

Not so on OS X.

If your only use of iTunes has been on a Windows computer, I can sympathize and I get why it leaves you wanting to pull your hair out.

 

[BobTheDonkey]

I'm using an iPad to type this replay. Its £11 case provides 2 angles that prop it up just fine. And I'm using 2 hands to type right now.

My iPad is lighter and more portable than my laptop, and has SSH, FTP, a text editor and an image editor loaded on it. My laptop is usually left behind when I visit clients these days.

I bought it for work and it copes just fine.

...until you need a USB port to access a flash drive, etc.

I value my tablets, they're wonderful for what they are - in my case, my favorite is my Windows tablet. Even if typing a long reply is more difficult, it's certainly easier to do in bed on the tablet than on my 18" laptop...

That being said, one of the features I absolutely required on my tablet was a USB port and this is why I wouldn't touch an iPad. I do agree that the iPad is a great toy. But given it's OS and hardware limitations, becoming more than merely a toy is going to be quite the challenge. Whereas my Windows tablet has a full Windows OS and multiple input ports so it's ready to be more than merely an overgrown iPod

 

[TheL8Elvis]

...until you need a USB port to access a flash drive, etc.

And you don't have a micro usb host cable ....

Or an ultrabook is great until you need a cd/dvd drive ...

And a laptop with wifi is great until you need cellular data ...

Etc.

Since we can probably agree:

1) there are many workarounds- dropbox or any 'cloud' based share. Local network share. ad hoc wifi network. etc. I guess if it's just you, a flash drive, and your ipad you are screwed, though.

2) your use case of requiring USB host is still only supported on a minority of tablets, and is probably not a requirement for a most people

Choice is great. I approve of it. But I think your requirement of full size usb host is not a requirement or show stopper for most people.

 

[Brian-M]

Serious question here for people with phones with SD slots...what do you use them for?

My phone has a micro-SD slot. So far, I've used it to transfer a ringtone to my phone from my computer and... that's about it. If I took some pictures with my phone that I wanted to transfer to my computer, I'd probably use the micro-SD card for that too. (Because I can't be bothered figuring out how to connect it directly to my computer. Presumably I'd need some kind of special cable. There might be one still in the box the phone came in, I can't remember.)

Mostly I just use my phone as a pocket watch. And occasionally I use it to make and receive telephone calls, but that's about it.

But if I had a some kind smart phone which I was using as a pocket computer, I'd probably be using the slot as an auxiliary hard-drive where I'd keep all my personal files I don't want to lose if my phone breaks down. (Which is what I currently do with my notebook computer.)

 

[megaresp]

...until you need a USB port to access a flash drive, etc

So far, no need has presented itself. As I say, I have FTP. Two FTP clients as it happens, one dedicated and the other built into Textastic - which is a lot more useful for editing PHP, CSS, HTML and JavaScript.

I also have Dropbox. And email. All provide simple ways to get files onto the device.

And LogMeIn, which allows me to drive my Windows Desktop from elsewhere. So there's essentially nothing I can't do using my iPad.

If I really wanted USB (and SD) on my iPad, I can have it for £25 from Apple. And probably half that via an after-market product. If I needed to get a lot of files on there it would be worth the £25. But I use it for running repairs when visiting clients.

I like the fact it's a 1/3rd the weight of my laptop, and takes up less than half the space in my bag. Especially when the tube is full and I can't get a seat.

I value my tablets...Even if typing a long reply is more difficult, it's certainly easier to do in bed on the tablet than on my 18" laptop

Heh - another unexpected benefit of getting a tablet. Especially when reading this very forum late at night. The Atomic Web Browser can dim the screen down very low by darkening the colours (e.g. white becomes increasingly grey), which allows me to read in the dark without illuminating the entire room and disturbing Mrs Megaresp.

...But given it's OS and hardware limitations...

Considering the incredibly limited nature of the iPad, it's absolutely amazing that I can do everything I need to as a web developer.

I must be some kind of genius^TM or something!

Whereas my Windows tablet has a full Windows OS...

Oh I am sorry. Please accept my condolences

 

[catsmate]

Perhaps I've been missing something given that the only Apple product I've ever used is my iPod, but I don't see what's so great about Apple, or what sets them apart from any other of the big tech companies (like Google and Microsoft). Back in my early school days, owning a Mac instead of a PC meant to be cut off from computer games and the surrounding discussion of them at the schoolyard, so that has always tainted my view of Apple a little (even though it's not their fault computer games companies at least then almost exclusively made their games for Windows).

But congratularions for outstanding branding, Apple!

Apple is excellent at hype and persuading people that its products are superior. The reality is somewhat different.

 

[John Albert]

You caught me, the rhetoric is only valid when you post it.

"Rhetoric"?

I posted a valid criticism of your style of discourse, based on your own replies to my statements. Then, you just projected my words back at me later, without any appropriate context or reasoning. The criticisms I pointed out to you in that post do not reflect my own behavior in this discussion.