Live data from Hacker News

iPad mini

apple.com

281–290 of 358 posts

Re: iPad mini

#281
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what apple haters say about every Apple product. They said the iPhone would be a total flop and never sell the 10 million units Steve Jobs said they hoped to sell-- because it didn't have a hardware keyboard. They said it about the iPod too- claiming that having less capacity than the creative nomad and no built in radio made it "lame" (CmdrTaco famously said this.) They said it about the iMac as well, callin…

Could you enlighten us about how apple products aren't expensive?

It's a disagreement about the definition of "expensive." Apple products are more expensive than other products in the same general category. They are not more expensive than their direct competitors.

For example, while there are laptops much cheaper than the Air, the ultra books with similar specs, weight, battery life, and build quality aren't really cheaper. Another way to look at is that while Apple doesn't sell a $500 laptop, you don't get less in a $1,200 MBA than comparable $1,200 PC laptops.

Re: iPad mini

#282
For me the iPad Mini highlights what I think is a serious problem with iBooks: Landscape orientation should give me the option to read a single page at full screen width. I have never found the two page display to be useful. When looking at PDF files online it is great to rotate to landscape and read full width with nice-big type. This is particularly true at night after a long day in front of the computer.

The other thing that iBooks is sorely missing is the ability to use two fingers to zoom in and out of a page. I really don't understand why we have to look at a page with a one inch white border all the way around the page on a digital device, which forces a smaller font to fit the same content.

I think that the iPad mini might just stress the need or a better user experience in software such as iBooks.

Re: iPad mini

#283
post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same here. The fact that I can slide the Nexus into an inside jacket pocket makes it so much more practical than the iPad, which you have to explicitly carry.

I feel the same, and was excited when the Nexus 7 was released. But no LTE on a portable device is just ridiculous. I'm going to jump on the iPad mini as soon as it releases. I'm not sure how representative of any market I am, but Google could have had me as a customer from day 1 if they had had LTE on the Nexus; instead, I'll be giving more money to Apple.

Don't you also have a phone? I can 1-click tether my Nexus 7 to my iPhone (which is always on me). In fact that is how I'm composing this reply. It doesn't seem necessary for every device to have its own cellular connection when they're so easy to network.

Re: iPad mini

#284
Oh look it's my Nexus 7 with more marketing speak.

Apple is now on the back foot and is heading towards market saturation and commoditisation via Android and intense foreign competition. Consequently I have held a large short position from 700 and will continue to do so following my sale of AAPL stock following the Samsung case - unless something changes.

You can only win in the brutal consumer electronics space by inventing the future. Otherwise you're just another commodity producer. You can't defeat the entire market by just doing more of the same.

Not impressed.

Re: iPad mini

#285

How underwhelming. At 7.9 inches, it’s perfectly sized to deliver an experience every bit as big as iPad What does that even mean? Either it's perfectly sized, and the iPad is the wrong size. Or it's not. There can surely only be one perfect size to deliver an iPad experience??? Either it's 10" or it's 7.9". I think Apple's marketing has always been the same - it's just that for a while they were ahead of the curve a…

It's almost as if all apple marketing is emotionally targeted bullshit that has no basis on reality whatsoever.

Re: iPad mini

#286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the best alternative to the iPad mini is well below the $300-$500 range: the N7 is in the $200-$250 range.

Yeah, I think they made a mistake here. Of course I have no idea what their margins are, but $299 looks a whole lot better than $329. Would $30 really make or break them? [edit: math (doh!)]

$329 might not be a disadvantage. It might send a slight signal that they aren't competing on price.

Re: iPad mini

#287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agree. I have an iPad 3. I found it too damn heavy for comfortable reading. So I bought a Google Nexus 7. Which is exactly the right size, and a delight ... except that most (not all) Android apps look like they were beaten with the ugly stick. The aesthetics are terrible . I read on the thing for 4-20 hours a week and it's just increasingly grating. I'll be buying an iPad Mini. I won't be ditching the Nexus 7 -- if…

On a slight tangent - does anyone else see Google pushing the Chrome OS onto the tablets? It seems like the Chrome OS is geared towards media consumption and productivity, while Android is kind of the "low cost open source" solution.

Chrome OS is not designed for touch, and it seems like Google isn't interested in making it so- they relatively recently introduced a windowing system.

I'd argue that Android is already far more capable than Chrome OS is- I'm not entirely sure where Google are going with it.

Re: iPad mini

#288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the best alternative to the iPad mini is well below the $300-$500 range: the N7 is in the $200-$250 range.

Yeah, I think they made a mistake here. Of course I have no idea what their margins are, but $299 looks a whole lot better than $329. Would $30 really make or break them? [edit: math (doh!)]

The difference between $329 and $299 is $30, not $20.

Re: iPad mini

#289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You triggered something: I have been wondering why Apple does not have iPads support multiple user accounts that are easy to switch between? With iCloud, it would seem reasonable for a family to have a min, a standard iPad, and perhaps a future "iPad whopper" (with perhaps a 14 inch screen). They could be left laying around the house and anyone could just pick up the appropriate device as-needed. I can answer my own…

I find not having user accounts drastically reduces how much the iPad gets used in my house. In my case, I'm sure this affects sales in the app store.

The sale of one iPad makes up for a LOT of lost sales in the app store. I'm sure it doesn't bother them yet.
Post reply on HN