[Chooglin']

Saw the iPad. Was not impressed. Why buy this when a laptop is much better? Apple is a mess if it thinks this is the future.

[turtle777]

-t

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

-t

I dunno. That was a pretty lame and blatant troll attempt. Bronze trophy at best ... certainly not the gold one.

[besson3c]

Is it well established that everybody (or the majority of people) in here thinks that the iPad is the future of computing? If not, how is this trolling?

[-Q-]

I'm looking forward to the productive discourse that will come from such a quality thought starter.

[Andy8]

Originally Posted by Chooglin' 

Saw the iPad. Was not impressed. Why buy this when a laptop is much better? Apple is a mess if it thinks this is the future.

2 million iPad owners would disagree with you so far.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by Chooglin' 

Saw the iPad. Was not impressed. Why buy this when a laptop is much better? .

Ah. The trick is to buy it when it's better than a laptop.

That point may not have arrived for your use yet, but it will.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Is it well established that everybody (or the majority of people) in here thinks that the iPad is the future of computing? If not, how is this trolling?

not at all. but it seems pretty likely that the op came in here looking to rile up the Apple folk.

[imitchellg5]

Well, to be honest, I did think that I'd rather have a netbook when I used the iPad. Because no matter how you cut it, a netbook has a better browsing experience than the iPad's when you can use any plugin you'd like, run nearly any app you'd like, etc. "The best way to experience the web hands down" I think not, Apple.

[Dork.]

To me, it's quite obvious to anyone who has been paying attention. The iPad is not the device for people who are used to being in control of their computing experience. It's for people who are happy to cede a significant amount of control to Apple, in exchange for a much more streamlined and simpler computing experience. Apple is betting that the vast majority of consumers are in this category. They would rather optimize their devices for these people than complicate it for users who can handle the complication. (They're winning that bet, BTW).

The iPad is nothing more than a big iPod Touch. But that alone is very significant: it takes the interface developed for the iPhone and makes it big enough to be useful in many more situations. If this interface takes off, it will push general-purpose computers (which generally run in Windows) out of the home in favor of these devices, which are optimized to do common things at the expense of being able to do anything you want with them. That will turn Apple into Microsoft overnight (monopoly and all).

In fact, the Apple monopoly will be much worse than Microsoft's, since they control the software, the hardware, and the only avenue with which to sell applications to consumers. Microsoft narrowly avoided getting broken up. I don't think Apple can avoid getting broken up if their new computing model takes off to the extent Microsoft's did back in the day.

[Spheric Harlot]

I think Android (and hopefully, HP's WebOS) will do an okay job at keeping Apple's dominance in check.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Is it well established that everybody (or the majority of people) in here thinks that the iPad is the future of computing? If not, how is this trolling?

Saying "I was not impressed" is not trolling. Saying "it's a turd" is. I haven't been impressed by a great many things that later wound up being fantastic. And I've been impressed with things that later turned out to be not so great. I'm willing to keep an open mind. Saying "it's a turd" sure doesn't sound like there's anything open in the poster's mind...

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Saying "I was not impressed" is not trolling. Saying "it's a turd" is. I haven't been impressed by a great many things that later wound up being fantastic. And I've been impressed with things that later turned out to be not so great. I'm willing to keep an open mind. Saying "it's a turd" sure doesn't sound like there's anything open in the poster's mind...

You bring up my main point about the iPad, and perhaps what the OP is getting at. It's got a while to go before it winds up really being the best web browsing experience ever, but until then, for a lot of people, it's not their yet.

Personally for me, I would be fine with the current hardware, but OS 3 doesn't do it justice. I think OS 4.0 will bring this baby to life, if the low RAM ceiling is enough.

[::maroma::]

I can't think of any tech product that got it completely right the first time. Why would anyone in their right mind claim that for the iPad? In fact, it very well may never be perfect. Too many variables. But for the first draft, the iPad is pretty damn incredible. Even Apple doesn't claim that the iPad should replace a traditional computer (see the keynote address).

The OP's "argument" is not very solid if he's complaining the the iPad isn't as good as a laptop. It's a silly argument and the way he posted and worded it makes him sound like a classic troll to me.

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by ::maroma:: 

I can't think of any tech product that got it completely right the first time.

I can. The 128k, iMac, and iPod.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

iPod.

Really?

I remember tons of controversy with the iPod: high price, support for few codecs, Firewire etc.

The iPod was by far not as successful (in terms of sales) than the iPad is.

If you look at the acceptance by consumers, the iPad got it much "righter".

-t

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak 

not at all. but it seems pretty likely that the op came in here looking to rile up the Apple folk.

I'd say then that the problem is not in his having an opinion, but with the notion that an opinion like this is something worth getting riled up over.

I know that this sounds condescending, but I remember when I used to care about the Mac/PC/whatever wars/battles/debates/whatever, but since becoming more immersed in IT I've become jaded and unattached to my tools. Whatever represents the least amount of work for me and produces the best results I'm cool with. If it's the iPad, great, if not, great. I reserve my passion for the stuff I build/program/create and the techniques I use to do so. To me, hardware and operating systems and the stuff that drives this sort of stuff is not terribly exciting anymore from an ideological standpoint.

I don't know if I'm the only one.

[::maroma::]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

I can. The 128k, iMac, and iPod.

You still use any of those? (original releases of course)

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by ::maroma:: 

You still use any of those? (original releases of course)

Still have an original bondi iMac doing home server duties in the basement with original BTO 6Gb drive!

[Drakino]

The main benefits of my iPad are:

1. Battery life (So high, I never think about it, and only charge it from time to time)
2. Speed of completing simple tasks
3. Portability
4. Screen and sound quality

Now I'm not saying some of these aspects are better then a laptop, but they all tie in together to make a great experience. At any time, I can pick it up and access a web site quickly. Or check my e-mail, or other similar tasks. With a laptop, even a Macbook, there is always that delay from waking out of sleep, loading the browser if it was closed, delaying some update that wants your attention, and so on. For simple quick tasks, the iPad works well. And it gives me access to media similar to how I used the MacBook Air in the past. It's small and light, and works well as a device to use in bed.

Is it the future of computing for me? Nope, not yet. But it's a great companion device and works so much better then a random laptop for around the house or on the go use when the tasks I want to complete are simple. And the iPad certainly didn't cause my other computers to just implode, so I can still rely on them when I need to complete heavier tasks.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

Really?

I remember tons of controversy with the iPod: high price, support for few codecs, Firewire etc.

The iPod was by far not as successful (in terms of sales) than the iPad is.

If you look at the acceptance by consumers, the iPad got it much "righter".

-t

You make a good point.

However: Acceptance, as we know, is only tangentially related to quality.

BTW: My original 5GB iPod still runs, and the mechanical scroll wheel has a "direct" feel to it that none of the solid-state/click wheels ever achieved.

And it still brings a grin to my face every time i switch it on (still gets a couple hours on the original battery).

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

I can. The 128k, iMac, and iPod.

The 128K was very limited, the iMac didn't have Firewire and the iPod was relatively overpriced.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

I know that this sounds condescending, but I remember when I used to care about the Mac/PC/whatever wars/battles/debates/whatever, but since becoming more immersed in IT I've become jaded and unattached to my tools. Whatever represents the least amount of work for me and produces the best results I'm cool with.

I believe this is called "maturity." Both in a personal and professional sense, being less interested in the process than the results is a good thing that leads to less drama and angst. Note that many executives are not (at least professionally) "mature" in this regard, and they cling to things they "know have a good track record," in spite of having their hired experts provide them with tons of hard data supporting the ability to do things with a variety of tools. This is not at all a uniquely IT issue, by the way.

Kudos on noticing that you've gotten over "but this is a Mac and thus awesome," especially at work. It's like learning that locally made wine tastes just as good as the snooty, expensive imported stuff. Maturation and growth are very positive things.

On the flip side of this, it seems that our esteemed OP was hoping that the iPad would be "the super device that Does Everything for Everyone." The post has a strong hint of disappointment to it, indicating that he is not ready for something made by Apple to be anything but "the ultimate super product."

[cgc]

Originally Posted by Andy8 

2 million iPad owners would disagree with you so far.

Sales numbers are not indicative of quality.

While the iPad is a very good iPod Touch replacement, it seems clumsy to be used as a laptop replacement right now. I want one only because they're so cool but will opt for an iPod Touch when Apple updates it (hopefully June 7th but probably September timeframe as usual).

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by cgc 

Sales numbers are not indicative of quality.

But we're not discussing quality. We're discussing people's needs and interest in a non-laptop portable internet device (incl. its known limitations).

Obviously the iPad hit a nerve, otherwise it wouldn't be selling like hot cakes.

-t

[::maroma::]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

Still have an original bondi iMac doing home server duties in the basement with original BTO 6Gb drive!

Dayum! Well then, point taken.

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by cgc 

Sales numbers are not indicative of quality.

While the iPad is a very good iPod Touch replacement, it seems clumsy to be used as a laptop replacement right now. I want one only because they're so cool but will opt for an iPod Touch when Apple updates it (hopefully June 7th but probably September timeframe as usual).

If you want to see proof of the iPad's power, though, take a look at what Howard Stern is saying about it. He's been very anti-Apple for a long time. A lot of people told him that the iPhone was great, but he didn't want to try it because of a lack of a physical keyboard. But he recently got an iPad as a present and is now completely hooked on it. The way he gushes about it, he makes it sound like it's the best gadget ever. That's an impressive conversion.

[cgc]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

If you want to see proof of the iPad's power, though, take a look at what Howard Stern is saying about it. He's been very anti-Apple for a long time. A lot of people told him that the iPhone was great, but he didn't want to try it because of a lack of a physical keyboard. But he recently got an iPad as a present and is now completely hooked on it. The way he gushes about it, he makes it sound like it's the best gadget ever. That's an impressive conversion.

The iPad is cool but I don't think it's as useful as a notebook or netbook. I want one but I can't find anything I want to do with it I can't do on the iPod Touch.

[Big Mac]

It seems to me that a person probably won't appreciate the iPad until he or she has had the opportunity to use it for a while. For the most part I don't see how it's a better choice than a low-end laptop, aside from built-in 3G capability, but then again I know that the iPad apps and their unique types of interactivity must make it a really compelling choice. I haven't used one yet because I'm well acquainted with my iPod touch and don't really feel a compelling urge to go play with one, but I have to say that sometimes when I'm seated at a table away from my laptop, I do feel like picking up an iPad.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

For the most part I don't see how it's a better choice than a low-end laptop

The key here is that the OS and applications are designed for low powered hardware vs. a netbook which will most likely be running an OS designed for high powered hardware. Running Windows XP, or even Ubuntu, is painful on a netbook.

Now, if you're actually talking about a low-end laptop (not netbook), then you're probably right. Except, a low-end laptop isn't nearly as portable as an iPad.

[-Q-]

Originally Posted by cgc 

The iPad is cool but I don't think it's as useful as a notebook or netbook. I want one but I can't find anything I want to do with it I can't do on the iPod Touch.

I completely disagree. I've been on 3 trips now where I haven't needed to take my laptop thanks to having an iPad, even giving a presentation during one of the trips. Other than some app shortcomings, I'm finding it particularly useful (and doing things an iPod Touch can't).

[LEStudios]

I disagree and I don't even own a iPad yet. I think the iPad is great. Better than Windows XP Tablet that was $1500 - $2000! That could get a virus like other Microsoft products. Look at Adobe and Microsoft they are not having a good weekend. Malware with Windows Mobile and security vulnerabilities with Flash. You not impressed with a iPad yet?

[turtle777]

There is exactly two groups of people that are not impressed with the iPad:

Windows fanbois and hardcore geeks.

They make up about 10% of the user base.

Apple decided to f$&k it and not cater to those groups. Best decision ever.

-t

[solofx7]

Originally Posted by -Q- 

I completely disagree. I've been on 3 trips now where I haven't needed to take my laptop thanks to having an iPad, even giving a presentation during one of the trips. Other than some app shortcomings, I'm finding it particularly useful (and doing things an iPod Touch can't).

I agree. I think that a case can be made for either, but the ipad has taken over a huge portion of my computing even when I do not travel.
Picture traveling with a 1.5lbs computer over a 7lb computer.
A 4 day trip looks a whole lot different.
Though there may be some shortcomings, the ipad does what it sets out to do better than a lot of 1st gen products.

[Eriamjh]

Is that troll sporting a camel toe?

[driven]

FWIW: When the iMac first came out (G3) I thought it was a stupid idea. Then, when the first iPod came out I thought it was a stupid idea.

Now I can't live without the descendants of both devices.

I've learned that Apple's vision of what I need is often greater than my own.

[Phileas]

Things I use my iPad for:

Reading forums
Reading the paper - The Globe and Mail
RSS feeds - Pulse is probably the finest reader there is, on any platform
Books, via the Kindle app
Email, the app is excellent
Watching videos stored on my Mac Mini, via Air Video
Watch ABC
Post the occasional blog update
Listen to Pandora

As predicted, the iPad is a consumption device, and as such it excels. I leave my laptop at work now, most evenings, only schlepping it back when I want to work on photos. It's amazing how heavy a MBP feels once you're used to the weight of an iPad.

I've also got dropbox installed, so if I need to check any work files from home I can.

[driven]

Originally Posted by Phileas 

Things I use my iPad for:


RSS feeds - Pulse is probably the finest reader there is, on any platform

I cannot find this "Pulse" app to which you refer.

Dropbox is one of my essential tools. I too have been leaving my laptop behind much more frequently. Dropbox is part of what makes that possible.

[Cold Warrior]

Pulse News Reader on iTunes store

[driven]

Thanks. But, this explains it: "The item that you requested it not available in the US store."

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by Chooglin' 

Why buy this when a laptop is much better?

So get a laptop. Problem fixed.

[Phileas]

Originally Posted by driven 

Thanks. But, this explains it: "The item that you requested it not available in the US store."

That's ridiculous. The New York Times requested that Apple remove it from the app store because it violated copyright. It's an RSS reader and can only display content the New York Times puts out. Idiots.

http://kara.allthingsd.com/20100608/...mes-complaint/

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Phileas 

That's ridiculous. The New York Times requested that Apple remove it from the app store because it violated copyright. It's an RSS reader and can only display content the New York Times puts out. Idiots.

Pulse iPad App Gets Steve Jobs’ Praise in Morning…Then Booted From App Store Hours Later After NYT Complains | Kara Swisher | BoomTown | AllThingsD

Makes me wonder what idiots work at Apple that grant every request from someone who feels infringed.

What's next, they remove all web browsers, incl. Mobile Safari ?

-t

[scaught]

Originally Posted by Phileas 

That's ridiculous. The New York Times requested that Apple remove it from the app store because it violated copyright. It's an RSS reader and can only display content the New York Times puts out. Idiots.

Pulse iPad App Gets Steve Jobs’ Praise in Morning…Then Booted From App Store Hours Later After NYT Complains | Kara Swisher | BoomTown | AllThingsD

God what a bunch of . Once Pulse removes their feeds from it, it should be available again. It's a really great app. God forbid they do the NYT (and newspaper journalism in general) a favor and include their feeds by default.

[driven]

Originally Posted by scaught 

God what a bunch of . Once Pulse removes their feeds from it, it should be available again. It's a really great app. God forbid they do the NYT (and newspaper journalism in general) a favor and include their feeds by default.

The only thing the NYT is good for lately is to line my bird cage. (At least then my subscription isn't a total waste.)

[::maroma::]

The issue isn't that Pulse is using NYT feeds, its that Pulse is charging for their app that aggregates another companies information. That's a no-no on the App Store and has been for some time now. Why was it approved in the first place? I have no idea.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by ::maroma:: 

The issue isn't that Pulse is using NYT feeds, its that Pulse is charging for their app that aggregates another companies information. That's a no-no on the App Store and has been for some time now. Why was it approved in the first place? I have no idea.

What ?

That would mean *ANY* app that accesses the internet had to be free ?

No, you are mistaken. That's NOT the issue here.

-t

[Phileas]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

What ?

That would mean *ANY* app that accesses the internet had to be free ?

No, you are mistaken. That's NOT the issue here.

-t

Legally that IS the issue, unfortunately.

The problem isn't that the app costs money, the problem is that they used the NYT content to advertise it. I agree that it is 100% ridiculous, but the developers should have known better.

[andi*pandi]

It's a really well done app; I thought it was worth the money I paid for the interface.

[slugslugslug]

The NYT needs to eff the eff off. They’re being ridiculous. If you put out an RSS feed, you can expect aggregators to aggregate it. I’m certainly happy to pay for good developers’ hard work, and in doing so, I’m certainly not paying for the feed (like andi*pandi says). I could get the feed anywhere. Hell, I could probably set up something that pulls down the feed and republishes it without charging money or taking credit, which you could then subscribe to using Pulse.

I can maybe see them trying to make this argument about apps that display RSS without any user control over the feed list (though I’d still disagree), but AFAIK Pulse lets you edit your list, it just comes with NYT by default.

Really really ridiculous.