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Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore

arstechnica.com

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Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore

#51

Post by epochwolf »

jules wrote: post #29
ihodes wrote: post #19

The 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 h…

How is the ipad on the eyes? My eyes get tired from reading from a laptop screen at night. Is the ipad better?

iPad is definitely easier on the eyes. I can read continously for eight hours or more without eyestrain.

Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore

#52

Post by jordanb »

Groxx wrote: post #39
jordanb wrote: post #13

I 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 la…

> a year later it seems that the verdict is in: they're not. Not entirely sure what world it is you live in... how has touchable computing not been a game-changer? Just look at all the iDevice apps out there, and how frequently and powerfully the UI decisions there have changed desktop applications.

My argument isn't that touch devices haven't taken off, nor do I argue that ubiquitous internet isn't a huge deal for the pocket computing market. I love my new Nexus S for those reasons, and I'm sure if Palm had had those features ten years ago, we'd be in a different place today.

My argument is that---regardless of those features' importance for pocket computing---they haven't changed the game for tablet devices. Tablet devices remain wedged in that space where they're too big for the pocket and too small for the lap or desk. If you're going out, take your phone; if you're staying in, you might as well use your laptop and get some work done.

Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore

#53

Post by ugh »

jules wrote: post #29
ihodes wrote: post #19

The 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 h…

How is the ipad on the eyes? My eyes get tired from reading from a laptop screen at night. Is the ipad better?

It obviously is exactly the same because the iPad uses a laptop screen. (It has a higher quality IPS and not the usual TN panel [1] but I don’t think that matters a great deal. IPS panels have better color reproduction and better viewing angles, that’s the only difference to lower quality LCD panels.) The iPad screen has even a similar number of pixels per inch compared to current laptops. (A 15" laptop with a resolution of 1680×1050 has, like the iPad, about 130 ppi.)

As far as readability goes, it’s probably currently the best color video screen you can get in the market [2], you can probably do better if all you need is grayscale without video.

[1] You can get laptops with IPS panels but they are pretty exotic and more expensive.

[2] As in: the best technology for the job (compared to, for example, e-ink), not the best LCD panel in the market.

Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore

#54

Post by Zev »

joe_the_user wrote: post #43
Kylekramer wrote: post #4

I got to agree. I got caught up in the tablet fever like everyone last year, but in practice all the complaints that people had with the iPad release panned out. Tablets across the board are jacks of few trades, master of none. Terrible input, only so-so for web browsing/reading, and basically on par with a laptop for video and portability. To quote a very smart man in 2003 [1], tablets are still only good for "a bun…

In my unscientific survey, netbook usage far outstrips tablet usage in cafes. Moreover, the people who bring tablets don't seem to really use them, they just glance at them occasionally. An iPad just seems like a very expensive Kindle. If Tablet prices get down to say, $50, they'd be great to hang in the kitchen and get weather and recipes from!

In my unscientific survey, MacBook Pro's outrank iPads, which outrank generic Windows laptops in cafe's.

Moreover, in a further unscientific survey, paperback books outrank hardcover books, who's usage surpasses the Kindle and Nook, combined.

And I live in San Francisco. Moreover, the people who bring any of these items don't seem to drink their coffee! feigned shock

Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore

#55

Post by epochwolf »

beoba wrote: post #50
epochwolf wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I beg to differ on the production thing. I do some of my fiction writing on my iPad using a Bluetooth keyboard.

Where does the tablet go when you're not holding it? This setup rapidly turns into a series of kludges to make the thing work.

At home I do carry it everywhere. When I go out, I have a 10.1" netbook bag which holds my iPad, keyboard, camera, charging cables, and earbuds. It's easy to carry around everywhere even to resuarants and the local B&N store.

I only use the keyboard when I plan to do a lot of writing. Right now I'm just using the software keyboard.

Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore

#56

Post by EnderMB »

cletus wrote: post #21

> Don't get me wrong: I'll always have a tablet in my life... And how is this not a game changer? Would the author have said the before the iPad? The iPad has replaced a laptop or desktop for all casual browsing (I typed this comment on mine) and a lot of media consumption. It's great for technical books. And I play games on it. It is easily the most cost effective tech purchase I have ever made in terms of how much…

> The iPad has replaced a laptop or desktop for all casual browsing (I typed this comment on mine) and a lot of media consumption. It's great for technical books. And I play games on it.

I live in a large city in the UK, and throughout the past year I've only seen two iPad's. I wouldn't even remotely say that the iPad has "replaced the laptop" in any way, shape or form. When the iPhone was released it was near impossible to not see it outside, whereas the average iPad user will keep theirs at home.

Even if the figures are good I really cannot see the casual user deciding to ditch their laptop for the iPad, and I'd go as far as to say that the iPad has been a huge disappointment.

Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore

#57

Post by trustfundbaby »

jordanb wrote: post #52
Groxx wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a year later it seems that the verdict is in: they're not. Not entirely sure what world it is you live in... how has touchable computing not been a game-changer? Just look at all the iDevice apps out there, and how frequently and powerfully the UI decisions there have changed desktop applications.

My argument isn't that touch devices haven't taken off, nor do I argue that ubiquitous internet isn't a huge deal for the pocket computing market. I love my new Nexus S for those reasons, and I'm sure if Palm had had those features ten years ago, we'd be in a different place today. My argument is that---regardless of those features' importance for pocket computing---they haven't changed the game for tablet devices. T…

15 Million Ipads sold in one year would seem to handily contradict whatever argument you're trying to make. People love tablet pcs, because they simplify computing for them ... a lot of people on hacker news don't get that, because using computers (in all their delicious complexity) is generally second nature for us.

Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore

#58

Post by macrumor »

spanktheuser wrote: post #24

I think the author gets tripped up in the classic "all users look like me" cognitive trap. Just by mentioning OmniFocus, we know he is a power user of some type. Which means his article probably contains any number of very good points, but the title should have been "Why power users won't care very much about tablets soon." For regular users, the list of use cases the author proposes should also include: To do all th…

I think the author gets tripped up in the classic "all users look like me" cognitive trap.

Um, no he doesn't. Did you miss the title?: "Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore". This "all users look like me cognitive trap" line of yours is bullshit. The guy was only talking about himself, his own uses.

Also, I'm tired of seeing people like you say, "the title should've been this"... "the title should've been that". This title was fine and more than appropriate. Besides that, he can give his article whatever title he damn well pleases.

Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore

#59

Post by redthrowaway »

The points he raises are the reasons I never liked tablets. Sure, I respect the iPad, and I'd kind of like to have one, but for what? Productivity? Laptop. Web surfing? Laptop. Movies? Laptop or TV. Games? PS3. It simply isn't good enough at anything to make me want one. I still respect it, but I've never been able to get behind the idea of buying one. I've been counselling people to grab the Air, as it's a fantastic solution for some non-technical frequent travellers I know, but I've never told anyone to get an iPad. I simply just don't get the point.

Re: Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore

#60

Post by ugh »

jordanb wrote: post #52
Groxx wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a year later it seems that the verdict is in: they're not. Not entirely sure what world it is you live in... how has touchable computing not been a game-changer? Just look at all the iDevice apps out there, and how frequently and powerfully the UI decisions there have changed desktop applications.

My argument isn't that touch devices haven't taken off, nor do I argue that ubiquitous internet isn't a huge deal for the pocket computing market. I love my new Nexus S for those reasons, and I'm sure if Palm had had those features ten years ago, we'd be in a different place today. My argument is that---regardless of those features' importance for pocket computing---they haven't changed the game for tablet devices. T…

What’s your evidence for that conclusion? The iPad is selling much better than expected. You can’t yet buy other, similar devices but they will be coming to the market in large numbers very soon.

I agree that this is too little information to say anything definitive about the future of the tablet market but it is definitely not enough information to conclude that the iPad is not a “game changer”. Many people would, based on the phenomenal success of the iPad alone, argue that it is most definitely a game changer. I’m not prepared to make that statement just yet but it seems pretty weird to me to conclude the exact opposite, at least at this point in time.

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