Why the iPad isn't for me • Hacker News Board

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#51

Post by ZeroGravitas » Tue, Apr 13, 2010, 5:43 PM UTC

Tichy wrote: post #23

briancooley wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife is dubious. She doesn't like the lack of Flash. She doesn't like trying to type on the software keyboard. Her parents, definite technophobes, were intimidated by it. The first thing they wanted to look at was a slideshow on smugmug.com, some pictures of their granddaughter. Also Flash. They looked at me incredulously as I explained to them that you couldn't view the slideshow on the iPad. They tried to use th…

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…

Maybe Apple should think about making a smaller version might work for kids? It would be kind of like an iPod Touch except... actually it would be an iPod Touch.

Seriously, my 2 year old kid enjoys my iPhone. I'm just annoyed that they don't support HTML5 audio to the degree that I (and others) could be building the type of simple interaction apps he enjoys with HTML.

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#52

Post by buster » Tue, Apr 13, 2010, 5:48 PM UTC

blhack wrote: post #18

ubernostrum wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

a slideshow on smugmug.com, some pictures of their granddaughter I have a feeling that if the iPad sells well, the "why do it in HTML when we could do it in Flash" style of site will die out. It's no consolation right now, of course, but I wouldn't complain if that ends up happening (and, really? Flash just to show some pictures one after another?).

Ehh...I'd say that, if anything, web developers don't want apple dictating how they design their websites. The reality is that the overwhelming majority of people aren't HN readers and really don't care that adobe has changed their CS5 pre-order app to flash. They like going to smugmug and having it just work.

Also people tend to forget that Adobe pretty much owns the whole creativity/content creation chain. Magazines, Books, Websites, Images, HTML, CSS, JS, Flash, whatnot. All those things are currently done pretty well with Adobes products alone. Granted, i'm no magazine editor and i don't do flash. I wouldn't use Dreamweaver for writing websites, but i can understand quite well when designers like to use Adobes tools as they provide them with pretty much everything they need.

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#53

Post by MrRage » Tue, Apr 13, 2010, 5:50 PM UTC

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…

>The typing problem you mentioned can be solved by a case that holds it an an angle, such as http://www.goincase.com/products/detail/CL57512.

That seems to be an extremely awkward angle for typing.

> Also heavy duty typing can be handled with a bluetooth attached keyboard though for my needs the the onscreen keyboard has been adequate.

Kinda ruins the mobility of the device compared with a lap top. You'll have to carry around the iPad, a stand, and a keyboard, which you could only reasonably use on some sort of table.

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#54

Post by illumin8 » Tue, Apr 13, 2010, 6:01 PM UTC

Terretta wrote: post #15

> Just think about it on an airplane. I could load it up with movies and watch for an entire flight, thanks to the iPad's excellent battery life. Of course, because of the lousy keyboard I can't use it in place of a laptop, so I would have to carry the iPad and my MacBook. How is it that, for years, I've pined for a lighter laptop, and now I'm considering carrying an extra pound-and-a-half just to watch videos on an…

Good point. Also, the iPad + charger + Bluetooth keyboard is only 2.1 pounds. I challenge you to fit 10 hours of mobile productivity in a smaller footprint.

For anyone that travels a lot and writes, the iPad is a godsend. Please see http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/4/11/856114/-My-iPad-...

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#55

Post by towndrunk » Tue, Apr 13, 2010, 6:04 PM UTC

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.

I'm suprised you jumped in and bought one so quickly. Seems like "just another media consumpion device" could have been determined before purchasing.

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#56

Post by briancooley » Tue, Apr 13, 2010, 6:04 PM UTC

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.

My kid has a leapfrog, but that doesn't curb her curiosity about other devices.

I don't know how it is with others, but my kid is fascinated with all my computers. My netbook, my MBP, my Droid, my Touch, and now my iPad. I don't discourage her curiosity. We had a VIC-20 when I was a kid and later a Commodore 64, and that's probably the reason I love programming to this day.

What she wants most of all is for her parents to sit with her as she discovers. The iPad is really good for that - the best computer I own for that use case, I think. I can't stand the Leapfrog for long, but watching her with the iPad is fun. It helps that I have the chops to build little apps to distribute on my own devices.

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#57

Post by mikepurvis » Tue, Apr 13, 2010, 6:04 PM UTC

jimbokun wrote: post #29

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…

"I am firmly against wooden toys and want to give my kid a computer asap" Less chance of splinters.

Is that actually a concern? I can't tell if you're being flippant or serious...

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#58

Post by briancooley » Tue, Apr 13, 2010, 6:07 PM UTC

Tichy wrote: post #23

briancooley wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife is dubious. She doesn't like the lack of Flash. She doesn't like trying to type on the software keyboard. Her parents, definite technophobes, were intimidated by it. The first thing they wanted to look at was a slideshow on smugmug.com, some pictures of their granddaughter. Also Flash. They looked at me incredulously as I explained to them that you couldn't view the slideshow on the iPad. They tried to use th…

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…

It feels solid, but wouldn't call it durable. It definitely feels like the kind of thing you wouldn't want to drop. I'm constantly worried about the screen getting scratched, though I know it is inevitable.

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#59

Post by akadien » Tue, Apr 13, 2010, 6:07 PM UTC

crux_ wrote: post #43

troystribling wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 y…

For me, the iPad does not provide more utility compared to other devices I use to warrant carrying around and maintaining yet another device (Yad? iYad?). If it did or I thought it would, I would keep it. That it makes me physically uncomfortable is another factor. YMMV.

Re: Why the iPad isn't for me

#60

Post by akadien » Tue, Apr 13, 2010, 6:09 PM UTC

towndrunk wrote: post #55

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.

I'm suprised you jumped in and bought one so quickly. Seems like "just another media consumpion device" could have been determined before purchasing.

You don't know me, so why are you surprised? I thought I would like it and could use it, it's not working out, I don't expect it to work out, so I'm returning it. It's not a political statement.