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Why the iPad isn't for me

macworld.com

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Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#41

Post by csomar »

From the beginning, I knew this device won't go so far. I'm more optimistic with the new HP slate.

When I get a device bundled with Windows 7, with the ability to run any windows application and not only Flash, it's just like tele-porting my computer to this little device.

The iPad OS is a phone OS, whatever powerful it is, it'll be always way behind any desktop OS.

Point 2 is multi-tasking. And about iPhone OS 4.0 multi-tasking, it just made me laugh, it just proved me Apple failed to support real multi-tasking.

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#43

Post by crux_ »

troystribling wrote: post #36
akadien wrote: post #6

Neither is it for me. I'm sending mine back. Things I don't like: (a) Eye strain, (b)It doesn't provide enough utility for me to justify another device in my life, and I don't want another media consumption device. In short, it's another toy. (c) An awkward device angle when touch-typing and trying to read what I'm typing.

That the iPad is consistently classified as a media consumption device seems an attempt to trivialize its significance by people who consider themselves power users. I agree that currently the use cases of most applications fall into this category, that it is expensive and I doubt you will ever do application development on a device of its form factor, but it is clearly not just a media consumption device. A few exam…

> That the iPad is consistently classified as a media consumption device seems an attempt to trivialize its significance by people who consider themselves power users.

Not really. It comes from an idealism that technology (especially the internet) would, speaking broadly, shift our society away from a centralized model where the many are beholden to the few and towards something more distributed and egalitarian.

If you cherish that goal, you're fairly likely to see the iPad as a step backwards -- it is not about the size of the step ("significance") but its direction.

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#45

Post by pohl »

Psyonic wrote: post #40
Tichy wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Funny you mention your 3-year-old. I have been thinking exactly that, that there might be a way to create fun apps for babies and kids. I am firmly against wooden toys and want to give my kid a computer asap (OK, nothing against wooden toys, but you get the idea). So I wondered if the iPad is durable enough for a kid. Ultimately I expect cheaper variants to appear, with special kids durability (of course not from App…

As is, $500 for a 3-year old's toy seems a little crazy. By her a leap-frog instead? But cheaper, more durable options would make a lot of sense.

Isn't it more likely that the pad would belong to the parents and a $1.99 app would be the child's toy?

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#46

Post by [deleted] »

cwilson wrote: post #30
donjaime_hn wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

erm... sounds like you would be better off with a laptop/netbook ;) Would be a good bit cheaper too.

I have a Macbook Pro, I just don't like lugging it around on trips when it's overkill (the sucker is 5 - 6 pounds easily). A netbook? I hope that's a joke. Why would I want a cheaply built, underpowered (I'll bet the iPad out performs most netbooks), mini laptop that doesn't run OSX or iPhone OS (as in I can't stand Windows or any linux distro)? At risk of sounding like a fanboy I'm going to quote Steve Jobs himself:…

[deleted]

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#47

Post by [deleted] »

cwilson wrote: post #30
donjaime_hn wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

erm... sounds like you would be better off with a laptop/netbook ;) Would be a good bit cheaper too.

I have a Macbook Pro, I just don't like lugging it around on trips when it's overkill (the sucker is 5 - 6 pounds easily). A netbook? I hope that's a joke. Why would I want a cheaply built, underpowered (I'll bet the iPad out performs most netbooks), mini laptop that doesn't run OSX or iPhone OS (as in I can't stand Windows or any linux distro)? At risk of sounding like a fanboy I'm going to quote Steve Jobs himself:…

[deleted]

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#48

Post by Psyonic »

cwilson wrote: post #30
donjaime_hn wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

erm... sounds like you would be better off with a laptop/netbook ;) Would be a good bit cheaper too.

I have a Macbook Pro, I just don't like lugging it around on trips when it's overkill (the sucker is 5 - 6 pounds easily). A netbook? I hope that's a joke. Why would I want a cheaply built, underpowered (I'll bet the iPad out performs most netbooks), mini laptop that doesn't run OSX or iPhone OS (as in I can't stand Windows or any linux distro)? At risk of sounding like a fanboy I'm going to quote Steve Jobs himself:…

There are quite a few netbooks that are more powerful than the iPad, and cheaper to boot. Intel Atom stuff can actually output 1080p video... imagine that? And actually, if you buy the right one, its not all that hard to set one up as a hackintosh either.

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#49

Post by megaduck »

cwilson wrote: post #30
donjaime_hn wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

erm... sounds like you would be better off with a laptop/netbook ;) Would be a good bit cheaper too.

I have a Macbook Pro, I just don't like lugging it around on trips when it's overkill (the sucker is 5 - 6 pounds easily). A netbook? I hope that's a joke. Why would I want a cheaply built, underpowered (I'll bet the iPad out performs most netbooks), mini laptop that doesn't run OSX or iPhone OS (as in I can't stand Windows or any linux distro)? At risk of sounding like a fanboy I'm going to quote Steve Jobs himself:…

I've been using a Dell Mini 9 as my primary development machine for over a year now. There's more than enough power to fire up emacs, chrome, and a jvm (we're a JRuby shop). I love the amazing portability, and the ergonomics are adequate.

'Piece of Junk' is in the eyes of the beholder. In my experience, a $300 netbook has been the most productive machine I've ever owned.

edit: Sorry about the dupes, for some reason my phone freaked out and sent this three times. Fixed now.

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#50

Post by glhaynes »

blhack wrote: post #35
MWinther wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But apparently, having Adobe dictating the very same thing is fine, then?

Assume adobe released a hardware platform and it didn't support javascript. If somebody were to suggest that the entire web development community was going to abandon javascript in order to allow adobe's platform to reach the saturation required to make it the "standard", then your argument might make sense. As it stands, the iPad exists in a state that makes it almost unusable for the overwhelming majority of web us…

Perhaps unusable as their only machine. That by no means makes it merely a novelty.
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