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If iPads are “post-pc devices” why must I sync with iTunes before I can use one?

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Re: If iPads are “post-pc devices” why must I sync with iTunes before I can use one?

#101

Post by darklajid »

rbarooah wrote: post #49
zaphar wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The author mentions the data center and it's likelihood as a solution. His point was that until that DC comes on line and is used as a solution it's disingenuous to call the iPad a post-pc device because it isn't, it's a peripheral. If and when they fix that then you can start calling a post-pc device. Meanwhile an Android pad really is a post-pc device right now no waiting.

What can you do with an Android pad that you can't do with an iPad bought unlocked from the store?

Transfer music and data from/to the device using your favorite OS and well-known applications, for one.

Re: If iPads are “post-pc devices” why must I sync with iTunes before I can use one?

#102

Post by darklajid »

rbarooah wrote: post #52
patrickaljord wrote: post #4

Android devices are post-pc.

Serious question - if you buy an unlocked iPad from the store, what can't you do with it that you can do with an Android tablet?

You asked it in another part of the thread [1] already, see the answer there.

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2292474

Re: If iPads are “post-pc devices” why must I sync with iTunes before I can use one?

#103

Post by DaveMebs »

w1ntermute wrote: post #73
code_duck wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hear a lot of complaints about iTunes, but it works pretty well for me - on a Mac. Are you using the Windows version?

> I hear a lot of complaints about iTunes, but it works pretty well for me - on a Mac. Are you using the Windows version? even after I secured a windows computer to run itunes

Apple's version of iTunes on Windows is so much worse than the Mac version, that I can only assume it is intentional. For example, only one user may run iTunes at one time on a PC while multiple users can run it on a Mac. It also shits all over your registry. As a long time Mac iTunes user, I've been pretty frustrated with the Windows version, which I started using 6 months ago.

The counter point, however, would be my experience with iTunes and the iPad. Before I had a PC I borrowed an iPad which had just been reset. When I hooked it up to my Mac to connect it with iTunes, I discovered that it was incompatible with OS X 10.4. My mind was blown; how could the iPad not work with their computer when I only bought it 4 and a half years ago?! It works with XP!

So I don't know, maybe iTunes sucks everywhere, just in different ways.

Re: If iPads are “post-pc devices” why must I sync with iTunes before I can use one?

#104

Post by rbarooah »

code_duck wrote: post #60

Do iPads actually let you manage your music without using iTunes on a desktop? I know my iPod doesn't. You can add music to it directly by purchasing in the iTunes store, but not delete music. I can't see any clear reason why, but this restriction must do something for Apple.

No - iPad's don't let you manage your music collection.

I assume the no-delete is to reduce the risk of people accidentally deleting things they've just paid for, given that that's the only way to get things on to the device.

Interestingly, you can delete videos.

Re: If iPads are “post-pc devices” why must I sync with iTunes before I can use one?

#105

Post by eitland »

SwellJoe wrote: post #85
code_duck wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hear a lot of complaints about iTunes, but it works pretty well for me - on a Mac. Are you using the Windows version?

iTunes is, perhaps, the least intuitive piece of software I've used in the past decade. I have, on three separate occasions now, deleted my entire music collection on the PC while trying to get music from the machine onto the iPod or iPhone. It's happened once on a Mac and twice on the Windows version of iTunes. I no longer even install iTunes, because I'm afraid of it. (I use an Android phone now, don't have an iPad…

You are not alone. I've been using Mac OS X for two years and can't belive why the company that came up with iPad and iPhone still

- have global menus (who really wants that with todays screen resolutions and two monitors?)

- needs the worlds best trackpads because their laptop keyboards have misplaced ctrl and their default keybindings are so inconsistent that users would be lost without a good pointing device.

- forces developers to use the fn key to reach the function keys, but even then, maps some of the F-keys to operating system functions.

- doesn't get multiple desktops? Don't ask me why they ship them, because their window management is so broken that multiple desktops just doesn't work, at least not for me.

This becomes increasingly frustrating as

- none of the other manufacturers "gets" tablets even less ships them,

- none of them was capable of coming up with mag safe,

- Microsoft doesn't have the balls to stop OEMs from crippling a perfectly good enough (for less advanced users at least) operating system

- and Canonical have crippled Gnome to the point where you can't shut down your computer without either using a pointing device or resorting to a shell.

Edit: Forgot iTunes. Try have someone who doesn't know iTunes burn a cd. (Hint: You have to make a playlist out of it, then burn that playlist to a cd.) Also tried to tidy up this rant.

Re: If iPads are “post-pc devices” why must I sync with iTunes before I can use one?

#106

Post by rbarooah »

czhiddy wrote: post #76
code_duck wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Android phones will have monitor outs, though, not just the tablets. How about the iPhone or iPod Touch? They could fit an Apple monitor connector in the side of an iPhone, but I think it will be a long time before we see that.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC552ZM/A "Watch slideshows and movies on the big screen by connecting your iPad, iPhone 4, or iPod touch (4th generation) to a TV, monitor, projector, or LCD display that uses a VGA connector." I haven't really looked into it much, so I don't know if apps are limited to mirroring content, or if they can display another screen worth of UI/etc through the cable.

They can't mirror automatically - it always appears to the app as a second window.

There are games (e.g. The incident) that use this to let you play on a TV, and things like Keynote can display the presentation on the output and presenter notes on the device itself.

Re: If iPads are “post-pc devices” why must I sync with iTunes before I can use one?

#107

Post by rbarooah »

darklajid wrote: post #101
rbarooah wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What can you do with an Android pad that you can't do with an iPad bought unlocked from the store?

Transfer music and data from/to the device using your favorite OS and well-known applications, for one.

So, you can't sync your music with a Linux machine. That's it, really?

Re: If iPads are “post-pc devices” why must I sync with iTunes before I can use one?

#108

Post by rbarooah »

recoiledsnake wrote: post #47
SoftwareMaven wrote: post #42

We talk a lot about "lean startups" here. I think this is an example of Apple being lean and going where the market has taken them. My guess is that, as they were building the iPad, they had a hunch things could go this way (e.g. "post-pc device"), but weren't sure. Rather than spend billions building out an infrastructure on a hunch, they build the device and have followed the market. The market is saying the iPad i…

>The market is saying the iPad is "post-pc" It is? How?

Because the growth in devices that Jobs describes as Post-PC (which incidentally includes android) is much greater than the growth of the PC now.

Re: If iPads are “post-pc devices” why must I sync with iTunes before I can use one?

#109

Post by Skroob »

recoiledsnake wrote: post #79
Skroob wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're wrong about that, but we'll have to wait to find out. So how about Brushes, which was used to make two New Yorker covers?

And this was made in MS Paint --> http://diamonster.deviantart.com/art/powerdraw-17908194?full... Should people ditch photoshop now? Just because there a few examples doesn't make it a suitable tool for most people.

Who said anything was a replacement for anything? I'm giving examples of content creation on the iPad to someone who said it couldn't do content creation "at all". It doesn't mean everybody should switch to it completely for everything, that's ridiculous.

Re: If iPads are “post-pc devices” why must I sync with iTunes before I can use one?

#110

Post by rbarooah »

code_duck wrote: post #68
czhiddy wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"And the big question is will the iOS devices have monitor outs?" They've already had 30-pin to VGA output for quite a while now, and now HDMI out with the latest dongle accessory.

Android phones will have monitor outs, though, not just the tablets. How about the iPhone or iPod Touch?

They already do.
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