Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore • Hacker News Board

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

#71

Post by epochwolf » Mon, Feb 21, 2011, 1:50 AM UTC

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…

The iPad is a game changer, anything called a tablet running Windows isn't in the same class.

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

#72

Post by jimbokun » Mon, Feb 21, 2011, 1:50 AM UTC

hammock wrote: post #46

cageface wrote: post #22

The thing is, most people aren't scribes. The iPad isn't a good laptop replacement. It's something new. Developers are still in the early stages of figuring out what this means.

Rule #1 of entrepreneurship? Make sure your product solves an existing problem. If tablets don't do this then they fail.

Apple is selling a ton of them, so by your logic they must be solving someone's existing problem. Unless your definition of entrepreneurship fail encompasses "selling a lot of product and making a lot of profits."

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

#73

Post by IsaacL » Mon, Feb 21, 2011, 1:55 AM UTC

EnderMB wrote: post #56

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 imposs…

I live in a large city in Asia, and I've seen a ton of ipads (and some knockoff chinese tablets).

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

#74

Post by veidr » Mon, Feb 21, 2011, 1:55 AM UTC

My iPad has been in my bathroom for all of 2011 so far. Like this piece's author, I don't find the iPad to be a very useful device, because it really isn't better than a computer at very many things (and does not fit in your pocket, unlike its far more useful siblings).

But, for dukey-time reading, I must say that it markedly outperforms my previous system (which consisted mainly of musty back issues of the Economist).

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

#75

Post by blocke » Mon, Feb 21, 2011, 2:08 AM UTC

trustfundbaby wrote: post #57

jordanb wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

$15 million impresses you?

Chump change.

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

#76

Post by knieveltech » Mon, Feb 21, 2011, 2:13 AM UTC

redthrowaway wrote: post #59

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…

Probably because there is no point once you peel back the layers of marketing and breathless fanboyism. I've seen two (2) of these things in the wild since they came out. I live in one of the top three tech hubs on the east coast and I've been to countless meetup groups, starbucks, panera and at least one international developer conference in that time.

Both of the people I saw with ipads where eager to breathlessly tell everyone around them how their shiny new $500 purchase had changed everything for all time. In both instances once the sales pitch was done the clunky gadget went back in the bag it came out of or sat unused on a conference room table.

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

#77

Post by trustfundbaby » Mon, Feb 21, 2011, 2:25 AM UTC

blocke wrote: post #75

trustfundbaby wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

$15 million impresses you? Chump change.

15 million iPads sold in one year certainly impresses me, that's 5% of the US population reached ... In one year.

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

#78

Post by fosk » Mon, Feb 21, 2011, 2:30 AM UTC

This actually a great idea, a display with a tactile experience. For example when you touch an icon, that portion of the screen could vibrate for a short time (let's say 200ms). Or when you're dragging something on the display there could be a persistent fast vibration (so that in reality is not a vibration anymore) on that specific area of the screen that makes you "feel" the dragged item on your finger.

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

#79

Post by brisance » Mon, Feb 21, 2011, 2:33 AM UTC

blocke wrote: post #75

trustfundbaby wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

$15 million impresses you? Chump change.

How did 15 million tablets become $15 million?

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

#80

Post by loire280 » Mon, Feb 21, 2011, 2:48 AM UTC

EnderMB wrote: post #56

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 imposs…

I think the grandparent was talking about home use.

Most of the time, anyone you see with a laptop in public is writing, coding, or some other type of "work" -- text-entry heavy activities that a device with a real keyboard will always be better for.

When I'm out, my phone is good enough for casual browsing, reading a few pages of my Kindle book while I'm waiting for something, or watching a YouTube video someone linked from Twitter. At home, picking up the tablet for a few minutes is much less hassle than going to my desk or opening up my laptop. Instead of buying a laptop for casual leisure computing, I imagine a lot of people opting for a tablet, with a cheap desktop relegated to the study for paying bills and catching up on work.