I would like to see him write that post on an iPad. On second thought, I have better things to do with six hours.
Bluetooth keyboard support much?
I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer
11–20 of 33 posts
Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer
#12[deleted]
What experience does an iPad deliver that I can't get from an iPhone, a netbook or a laptop?
who knows really as it's barely out, but I agree with the principle that there is far too much technical bullshit in most modern computers. Things should just work.
If I were to break it down, you get a bigger screen over the iphone so you have a better web experience. You'll get a more portable device so you'll have a less weighty experience compared to a laptop. Dunno about netbooks.
Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer
#13"I really don't want a computer. I hate computers. But, what I do like is the power and convenience that a computer gives me."
Same. I want carefreeness of the 60s, with the convenience of the 10s.
Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer
#14This guy's like the author's friend in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer
#15The author of this article is interesting because he is so obvious: "It's about giving people a great experience."
In other words: it's all about selling stuff to consumers. Which is a great thing to say if - like Baekdal - you are marketing yourself as a guru to people to want to sell stuff.
Many "usability" discussions have the implicit (sometimes explicit goal) of making it easy for users to do things without having to learn anything first. This may be fine for generic routine tasks that everyone has to do from time to time. We are all thrilled about our shiny new phones. But consider this:
1. Not long ago, most things were hard, confusing or impossible to do on any phone 2. Even if 80% of all things you can do on an iPhone are dead simple - are these things that really matter to you?
Things worth well are usually not generic routine tasks. When you love what you are doing and try to make it as good as you can, using the right tools in the right way is a major part of the experience. But that kind of experience is impossible without making an effort to learn new things.
My personal belief is that those of us who want to create our own experiences benefit from getting our hands dirty with technology now and then.
Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer
#16[deleted]
What experience does an iPad deliver that I can't get from an iPhone, a netbook or a laptop?
Some real life experience might throw some light on this. I've been using an old HP tc1100 slate computer for the past couple of months. Executive summary: it is much more intimate to have a tablet/slate form factor. It's just a more useful and flexible form factor.
I can do everything I do on an iPhone, but much more comfortably with the larger screen. XP Tablet's handwriting recognition is great. (1) And I can do even more than the iPhone, since I can just install whatever Windows program I want. (Chrome with synced bookmarks on all my machines FTW!)
I can attach a keyboard/mouse and do everything I do on the netbook/laptop. But I can do even more. I can use it as a slate and recline in an easy chair or on my bed, just continuing what I was doing before. I can carry it into meetings and refer to my information or references on the network while maintaining intimacy with whoever I am talking to. It's more like referring to my notes, an agenda, or a reference book than having all of my attention soaked up by a portable workstation. Someone can come into my cube to talk, and we can just slip into a conference room while casually taking all of my information resources with me. I don't even have to pause and tell my colleague "Wait a moment, I need to bring my laptop." I just always casually take it with me like I would a notepad. (2)
I can walk around and take notes without looking like a total dork: http://amzn.com/B001G713NO (The case HP made for it is nice and looks like a big agenda. So maybe I look like a clipboard/planner dork, just not a total one.)
With Skype and my USB 3G, it has replaced all of my daytime cellphone use. I was paying overage on my anytime minutes, but now I'm racking up rollover minutes. I'm even considering going prepaid on my iPhone just so I can have it in a pinch but relying primarily on the tc1100 and Skype.
Incidentally, I do most of my HN posts with the tc1100 now. But this is a long one, so I'm sitting at my desk with the MacBook. And yes, I am planning to get an iPad. (Commensurate with Windows XP, I have spent a lot of time tinkering with the tc1100 to get it where I like it.)
(1) - But I'm a geek and I can figure out gadgets easily. I can see how average users would find this frustrating. Also, I print and never write cursive.
(2) - Battery life is old-school laptop: 2 hours in real life. But I just keep it plugged in at my desk at work or home. If I get a 2nd battery, I can hot swap it in suspend mode.
Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer
#17[deleted]
What experience does an iPad deliver that I can't get from an iPhone, a netbook or a laptop?
To clarify, as the original post I replied to has been deleted. Premptively I'd like to say thanks to stdcredzero because his experiences with an HP tc1100 were very interesting.
a) If I want to surf the web seriously or do some real work, I'm sitting down somewhere. At this point I want a decent keyboard, something that stands up by itself so I can use the keyboard and the ability to use more than one application at once.
b) If I'm out then I care about portability. can put an iPhone in my pocket without ruining the line of my suit. I can make calls, listen to music, watch video, read books, play games, surf the web and more. It weighs ~130gm. I'm going to have to carry a phone anyway because there's no way I'm whipping out at 10" tablet to make calls.
An iPad is much less portable. The line between "something I can put in my pocket" and "something I can't put in my pocket" is much larger than the line between "something I can't put in my pocket" and "something larger that I can't put in my pocket" because now I have to carry a bag around with me to hold the thing and keep track my bag while I'm out. Yes, I get a larger screen but that's only really good for more web browsing. If I'm out, and not sitting at a cafe by myself or something I don't care to browse beyond looking up answers to quick questions ("how do I get to the cafe?")
So basically all I'm seeing is a large, kludgy iPhone that is a hassle to tote around. The big screen doesn't make up for the fact that I now have a 10" device with me at all times when I'm out and something that's less efficient than a laptop when I'm sitting down somewhere.
Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer
#18> I even tell my dealer to change my tires twice a year > I even drilled a hole my wall, and bought a 60 feet cable, at the cost of $300 What?! Is this guy completely oblivious to the way he spends his money? > Yep, I am one of the drooling mac fanatics. Oh. Well, there you have it.
That's actually more insightful than I first realized. You have to be oblivious to the vendor lock-in that results from Apple's control and the resulting costs. The 'no usb, no SD slot' complaint about the iPad? Thats because to get the 32 gigbyte iPad vs. the 16 gigabyte iPad is another $100.
But I already have a 16 gigabyte USB stick, or a 16 gigabyte SD card I bought from Frys, on sale, for $40. Apple's going to charge me $100 for something I already have, and they're gonna charge me two times the price? If there was an SD slot, I could buy the 16 gigabyte iPad and use the SD card I already have, instead of buying the $600, 32-gigabyte iPad vs. the $500, 16-gigabyte version. It's a nickel-and-dime to the tune of 99-cents an app, and I don't like it. Nor can I really argue against the current success of the iPhone. If it costs me extra to get something that actually works, I'll actually get it, because it'll actually work.
(edit: clarified '...charge me $100...')
Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer
#19> I even tell my dealer to change my tires twice a year > I even drilled a hole my wall, and bought a 60 feet cable, at the cost of $300 What?! Is this guy completely oblivious to the way he spends his money? > Yep, I am one of the drooling mac fanatics. Oh. Well, there you have it.
That's actually more insightful than I first realized. You have to be oblivious to the vendor lock-in that results from Apple's control and the resulting costs. The 'no usb, no SD slot' complaint about the iPad? Thats because to get the 32 gigbyte iPad vs. the 16 gigabyte iPad is another $100. But I already have a 16 gigabyte USB stick, or a 16 gigabyte SD card I bought from Frys, on sale, for $40. Apple's going to c…
Apple's going to charge me $100 for something I already have, and they're gonna charge me two times the price?
Could you explain what you mean by this? I don't understand how Apple fits in to your previous purchases.
Re: I Don’t Want a Freaking Computer
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's actually more insightful than I first realized. You have to be oblivious to the vendor lock-in that results from Apple's control and the resulting costs. The 'no usb, no SD slot' complaint about the iPad? Thats because to get the 32 gigbyte iPad vs. the 16 gigabyte iPad is another $100. But I already have a 16 gigabyte USB stick, or a 16 gigabyte SD card I bought from Frys, on sale, for $40. Apple's going to c…
Apple's going to charge me $100 for something I already have, and they're gonna charge me two times the price? Could you explain what you mean by this? I don't understand how Apple fits in to your previous purchases.
He's saying that Apple has a large markup on the flash storage options for the iPad, and if it supported USB or SD like most computers then they wouldn't be able to have such a price differential between models. (Or maybe they would; Apple has previously charged 2-3x market prices for RAM upgrades in build-to-order Macs, when users could save hundreds of dollars by buying their RAM elsewhere.)