iPad Reactions

[HarryKeogh]

I have to say I think the iPad is ugly and that is usually not a criticism I can make in regards towards a modern Apple product.

I think that black bezel that rings around the screen is pretty ugly but I guess you need some neutral space to grab onto without activating any touch sensors.

As an aside, I wonder how many people will shatter their screens as they try to type on it while standing or while balancing it on their lap?

 

[Darat]

I think that black bezel that rings around the screen is pretty ugly but I guess you need some neutral space to grab onto without activating any touch sensors.

As an aside, I wonder how many people will shatter their screens as they try to type on it while standing or while balancing it on their lap?

It's interesting how they show it being used in the video, pretty much always with someone leaning back and the iPad being on their thighs.

 

[TriskettheKid]

It's interesting how they show it being used in the video, pretty much always with someone leaning back and the iPad being on their thighs.

If I had to use one, I'd probably hold it like a clipboard: gripping it with my hand while resting against the same forearm. Without a stylus, you just have to type with your free hand.

Seems to me to be the best way to type on it while standing/moving.

 

[WildCat]

This will do for tablet computing what the Segway did for personal mobility. Truly revolutionary!

 

[Darat]

This will do for tablet computing what the Segway did for personal mobility. Truly revolutionary!

I think you have summed up my reaction.

 

[PhreePhly]

Fair enough. I don't have much experience in hospitals.

But my point remains - a tablet device is less of a replacement for a normal deskop or laptop computer, and more of a mobile specialised information-processing tool. Another application I thought of was for architects or building foremen, so that they can carry about the complete blueprints. Or field scientists, for recording data on the fly. The list goes on. An iPad could fill all these niche markets, depending on how cleverly its apps are programmed. Of course, as you point out, it's not the only available device that can do that. The iPhone isn't the only available mobile phone device either, nor is the iPod the only portable music player.

Not to pile on, as i am a bit late in responding, but there already exists this niche market. My technicians use tabletPC's to collect field data on remote systems weekly. These tablets are far superior to the iPad, in that they run existing apps, i.e. word, excel and custom .Net apps. They integrate extremely well with our existing data collection infrastructure and when not in the field, the tablet plugs into a docking station on their desk and they have a computer available to them.

Best of all, with OneNote, and the handwriting recognition software, they can take great field notes and have those dump right into our database.

Many of my competitors also use this setup. While the iPad is certainly lighter, the fact that it is a completely different OS, non-multitasking and has no real notetaking (via handwriting) capabilities makes this a non-starter in that niche.

Ironically, Apple is not great at bringing out a new paradigm. What Apple excels at is taking an existing tool and making it better. iPods. There was already an existing MP3 player market when the iPods came out, but Apple looked at the situation and created, not only well designed hardware, but via iTunes and the iTunes Store, an entire infrastructure for music downloads. The iPhone was not the first smartphone, but its well designed touch interface and especially the AppStore made it a hit. Even looking back at the original Mac. It was not the first PC, but it was the first to be truly consumer friendly.

The iPad is more akin to the Newton, a novel, new concept, but a failure. While i think the iPad will sell well initially, this is a concept that I believe Asus, MSI, Google, etc. can actually beat Apple.

PhreePhly

 

[StanBearclaw]

a novel, new concept, but also a failure.

Except, as we've discussed, for grandmothers and chronic masturbators.

 

[dudalb]

The more I read about IPAD the more I think it's a product that simply falls between the cracks in the market.
And lack of Flash support is a really stupid move. I am amazed that Apple made a error that big.
Of course the Mac Fanboys will explain why this is really an advantage.......

 

[Marquis de Carabas]

The more I read about IPAD the more I think it's a product that simply falls between the cracks in the market.
And lack of Flash support is a really stupid move. I am amazed that Apple made a error that big.
Of course the Mac Fanboys will explain why this is really an advantage.......

I had one on Facebook tell me Apple won't "waste time" on Flash because it's dying out.

 

[PhreePhly]

Except, as we've discussed, for grandmothers and chronic masturbators.

Sorry for the stealth edit. My text reads a bit differently now.

PhreePhly

 

[Davidlpf]

Except, as we've discussed, for grandmothers and chronic masturbators.

Hopefully there is no one that is both of those camps.

 

[PhreePhly]

The more I read about IPAD the more I think it's a product that simply falls between the cracks in the market.
And lack of Flash support is a really stupid move. I am amazed that Apple made a error that big.
Of course the Mac Fanboys will explain why this is really an advantage.......

++ I am not a big Flash fan/advocate, but to think that it is not important to the web today is short-sighted. Yes, HTML5 is on the way, but that kind of change takes a long time (at least 3 versions of the iPad based on typical Apple updates).

PhreePhly

 

[dudalb]

I had one on Facebook tell me Apple won't "waste time" on Flash because it's dying out.

That guy must sacrifice lambs daily on his altar to Steve Jobs.
And that is what gets to me about the Apple fanbois. Apple, to them, can simply do not wrong. And it is a noble organization dedicated only to improving Technology, and does not care about profits.
And then there is the "Death To The Infidels" side. Guaranteed, 80% of the time somebody who uses Windows asks for help on a website with a Windows problem or has gotten a virus, some smartbutt Apple fanboy will butt in with a "Get A mac, Idiot!".

 

[dtugg]

"Waste time"?

LOL. All they would have to do is let Adobe make it and from what I've read they would be glad to. But no, Steve Jobs has to have absolute control over everything. And, of course, they cannot let any of their precious revenue from iTunes and the app store go to Hulu and free online flash games.

 

[GreNME]

"Waste time"?

LOL. All they would have to do is let Adobe make it and from what I've read they would be glad to. But no, Steve Jobs has to have absolute control over everything. And, of course, they cannot let any of their precious revenue from iTunes and the app store go to Hulu and free online flash games.

Adobe would be more than glad to. The last I heard from some people I know is that Adobe wrote a Flash version for the iPhone and it was turned down by Apple. I can see if there's any news corroboration on the web.

 

[quadraginta]

<snip>

Best of all, with OneNote, and the handwriting recognition software, they can take great field notes and have those dump right into our database.

<snip>

I really liked OneNote. The more I used it, the more I liked it. Anyone who has become accustomed to using legal pads as data storage over the years will fall in love with it almost instantly.



ETA: The handwriting recognition software is surprisingly good. Most people who haven't actually used it won't really believe it. Be that as it may, I didn't take as much advantage of that as I could have, and my OneNote folders were like an infinitely deep pile of legal pads. But I could find stuff!

 

[Roma]

Except, as we've discussed, for grandmothers and chronic masturbators.

Not even ,

I'm a grandmother and I would rather use a lap top than that.

And wouldn't chronic masturbators want a camera and phone on that?
Seriously, if it had those then it would sell a million to all the perverts out there.

 

[PhreePhly]

I really liked OneNote. The more I used it, the more I liked it. Anyone who has become accustomed to using legal pads as data storage over the years will fall in love with it almost instantly.



ETA: The handwriting recognition software is surprisingly good. Most people who haven't actually used it won't really believe it. Be that as it may, I didn't take as much advantage of that as I could have, and my OneNote folders were like an infinitely deep pile of legal pads. But I could find stuff!

Absolutely agree. One of my techs has handwriting that is almost impossible to decipher, but OneNote has learned his chicken scratch and I can actually read what he has written.

I wish this technology existed whenI was in school. I can't imagine having all of my notes at my fingertips on a single device.

PhreePhly

 

[commandlinegamer]

If you want reasoned analysis on Apple I would suggest Daring Fireball. Gruber, the author, is an Apple enthusiast, and does a fair job of separating out the hyperbole from the fact. I'm not going to comment on the iPad's shortcomings, if it has any, until I get one in my cold, dead hands.

I can say this though: the iPad will sell.

I do computer retail and repair and almost without fail the first couple of sentences my customers utter when they come into my shop include the phrase "I'm not computer literate"*. They want me to fix their PCs and laptops to be sure, but above all they want devices that just work; maintenance they couldn't care less about. Anything that makes it easier to browse the web, send email, manage their photos, music and videos will be welcome.

Power users, tinkerers like me will still want PCs where we control every aspect of the machine, but like it or lump it, Joe Public isn't interested. If we can get rid of the fear of computers as mentioned in this article maybe that might change, though I'd hedge my bets on that.

 

[quadraginta]

Absolutely agree. One of my techs has handwriting that is almost impossible to decipher, but OneNote has learned his chicken scratch and I can actually read what he has written.

I wish this technology existed whenI was in school. I can't imagine having all of my notes at my fingertips on a single device.

PhreePhly

Apps like OneNote really set the tablet apart from other computer interface approaches, but until someone has an opportunity for hands-on experience with it there is no good way to explain the difference. I thnik that this has slowed the general acceptance of tablets. Many people who like them only began to use them because of work related obligations, and then the price premium due to limited acceptance continued to be an impediment to buying their own for personal use.

Without that experience there is no good way to convince someone that the price bump is worth it. Not in a market where $100 or so can make or break a laptop sale.