Convenience and price is how disruption starts. Why did anyone buy a cell phone if they had a landline? It was worse in every way, except portability.
To be fair, portability is a huge deal.
Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore
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Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore
#12I like the point about hands being in the way. That was the first thing that turned me away from iPad when I tried typing an email. I still think tablets are best for information consumption such as browsing internet and simple tasks such as making an order at a restaurant. The best uses of an iPad I've seen are mounted in the dashboard of a car, back of the car seat, table in a restaurant, and magazine basket.
Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore
#13I got in a lot of fights with Apple fans over this last year. :) My point is that tablets have never ever taken off---even though various companies have been trying for decades.
Of course the argument that the iPad is different from every other device in history due to ubiquitous internet access and multi-touch. And I admit that I couldn't even convince myself entirely that those weren't game changers, but a year later it seems that the verdict is in: they're not.
PS: One of my Apple friends just bought a Macbook Air and was trying to sell his iPad to me last week. :)
Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore
#14I love my iPad. It's taken over as my mobile computing solution in most cases. I think there are more possibilities left to explore with tablets in general, and I think exercising more innovation will only lead to greater things in that arena. I use my tablet for reading, mailing, surfing, and communicating while not having to be tethered to a terminal. I honestly can ask this question now after having experienced the joys of this computing platform : Where has this been my entire life?
Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore
#15Convenience and price is how disruption starts. Why did anyone buy a cell phone if they had a landline? It was worse in every way, except portability.
Yeah, but what one way are tablets better than other things? You get to use your fingers? I'm still wholly unconvinced that is 'better'.
One way? Simplicity.
My feeling is that the iPad is considered better than laptops and netbooks because the Big Three operating systems (Windows, Mac, and Linux) are too complex for the vast majority of users. Of course, a simple OS should be possible on a non-tablet, non-phone device, but there's just too much baggage to just start from scratch. The iPhone/iPad had a clean slate.
Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore
#16Because his hands are in the way? Really? I guess he doesn't use a touch based phone either..
Not when he's in his own house he wont, no.
Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore
#17I love my iPad. It's taken over as my mobile computing solution in most cases. I think there are more possibilities left to explore with tablets in general, and I think exercising more innovation will only lead to greater things in that arena. I use my tablet for reading, mailing, surfing, and communicating while not having to be tethered to a terminal. I honestly can ask this question now after having experienced th…
I think the author misses a key point of tablets: they're not for information production. I can't think of anyone who prefers tablets for writing or coding, but I do know a bunch of people who like getting stock quotes, reading the news, using Instapaper, and consuming content. The analogy with the scribe doesn't really work because the purpose of the tablet is to consume content, and actual user input is minimal.
Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore
#18Because his hands are in the way? Really? I guess he doesn't use a touch based phone either..
You think a phone is a good way to interact with a computer? There is exactly one reason why I love my phone: it fits in my pocket. When I'm in a location where a larger device is convenient, rest assured that I am not working on my phone. Tablets have always seemed silly to me: they don't do anything well and they don't fit in my pocket.
Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore
#19The thing is, nothing beats a tablet (well, I use an iPad) for reading.
Instapaper (articles, news), iBooks (pdf, ebooks), Reeder (rss), Safari (everything else) are all excellent. I can't lay in bed with my laptop or desktop, nor does reading on my phone cut it. The Kindle is nice, but it's black and white, and for me the lack of backlight makes it harder to read (esp. since I'm reading at night, and don't want to have a light on).
Not only is it the best way to read, but it also can handle emails (you get used to the keyboard quickly, just like people got used to touch-screen phone keyboards, but I can type at a reasonable speed on the iPad).
And it can play games…and a lot more.
So, I like it. I'll continue to buy tablets.
Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore
#20I like the point about hands being in the way. That was the first thing that turned me away from iPad when I tried typing an email. I still think tablets are best for information consumption such as browsing internet and simple tasks such as making an order at a restaurant. The best uses of an iPad I've seen are mounted in the dashboard of a car, back of the car seat, table in a restaurant, and magazine basket.
Agree. Hands-in-the-way bothers me on phones as well. Plus keyboard device users don't have to worry about the fingerprint-smear effect.