The Tablet Is Being Squeezed Out • Hacker News Board

Re: The Tablet Is Being Squeezed Out

#41

Post by ghaff » Thu, Apr 30, 2015, 2:42 PM UTC

melling wrote: post #17

ghaff wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First of all, Gruber is absolutely right that there are still a whole lot of tablets being sold. That said, sales have plateaued at best and there are probably a lot of contributors: - Slow upgrade cycle as you suggest. I have a 2nd or 3rd gen iPad and I have absolutely zero reason to upgrade at this point. - They are probably being squeezed to a certain degree. I find that, even with just an iPhone 6 rather than a P…

Nah, tablets will be huge again. The key will be making them a better input device. Voice recognition, stylus, haptics, keyboards, touchless gestures: http://youtu.be/qKQCjwMDiPM At the very least, sliding a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse next to your tablet then having it turn into "laptop mode" would solve the problem.

>At the very least, sliding a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse next to your tablet then having it turn into "laptop mode" would solve the problem.

I don't really disagree. This might well be what the reconvergence looks like--in combination with software changes that better bridge different modes of operation.

That said, you may also be right that enhancements to interfaces could make a tablet-type device qualitatively better than today while also pushing it in directions that are fundamentally different from the type of device needed to do the types of tasks we mostly use laptops for today.

Re: The Tablet Is Being Squeezed Out

#42

Post by jader201 » Thu, Apr 30, 2015, 2:43 PM UTC

weego wrote: post #16

Shivetya wrote: post #5

My observation has always been, tablets; specifically iPads; are too expensive for what they are doing. That and just because its an Apple tablet doesn't mean I need to pair it up against an apple laptop. Hence cost comparison is done against other laptops which are priced even lower than the iPad at times. Its hard to get excited by technology when every price point is four hundred and up. How many items do they wan…

I'm not going to deny they are expensive, which slightly taints my take on it, but I see tablets as the ideal consumer device and a terrible retailer device. Once you purchase a sufficiently powerful device there is no need to upgrade it in anything like the sales cycle that people like Apple are hoping for. A yearly product update is useless for a device that is primarily used to view the internet, check email and w…

While I agree with this, the unfortunate reality is that with the iPad specifically, older versions become useless as Apple pushes OSes that demand more from the hardware, and performance becomes a huge issue. And if it's not performance, it's storage space.

And opting out of the upgrade isn't much of an option, due to app upgrades that require the latest OS. And I guess you can also opt out of app upgrades, but then you're left with a 2-year-old+ device and 2-year-old+ software.

Maybe this is intentional. But for me, at least, rather than upgrading, I've learned to just move on to using a combination of my iPhone and MPB, and my iPad (3rd gen) mostly collects dust now.

Re: The Tablet Is Being Squeezed Out

#43

Post by TillE » Thu, Apr 30, 2015, 2:45 PM UTC

The 12-13" iPad Pro could be a big deal, assuming it comes with a real multitasking interface in the OS. We've amply covered the market with portable 7-10" tablets, but I think there's space for a device that stays at home or in the office and does more.

Personally, I just want a bigger screen for reading large-format books. Tilting a laptop sideways is not a good solution for that.

Re: The Tablet Is Being Squeezed Out

#44

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Apr 30, 2015, 2:46 PM UTC

techstrategist wrote: post #25

I honestly think that Apple will be able to reinvigorate iPad sales when they offer some new capability. The iPhone has (almost) always had a compelling reason to upgrade. My wife's iPad 3 Retina doesn't seem to perform better than my non-retina iPad 2. While I'm itching to replace the iPad (it's getting slow, app crashing, etc.) I'll be moving to a Surface Pro 4 (or 3 if I can't wait that long) or a $200-300 Android…

[deleted]

Re: The Tablet Is Being Squeezed Out

#45

Post by jdietrich » Thu, Apr 30, 2015, 2:47 PM UTC

Whenever this topic comes up, I'm reminded of a line from the BBC drama "Micro Men", referring to a slump in sales of home computers:

"In December 1983, every child wanted one for Christmas; By December 1984, every child who wanted one had one."

PC sales have been steadily declining for years, because there are few new users and existing users see little reason to upgrade. Tablets have reached a similar point of market saturation and sales are starting to stall. Smartphones are the exception, because of natural churn - smartphones are far more likely to be lost or damaged, and they are "free" at the point of purchase.

Re: The Tablet Is Being Squeezed Out

#46

Post by thirsteh » Thu, Apr 30, 2015, 2:47 PM UTC

ghaff wrote: post #41

melling wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah, tablets will be huge again. The key will be making them a better input device. Voice recognition, stylus, haptics, keyboards, touchless gestures: http://youtu.be/qKQCjwMDiPM At the very least, sliding a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse next to your tablet then having it turn into "laptop mode" would solve the problem.

>At the very least, sliding a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse next to your tablet then having it turn into "laptop mode" would solve the problem. I don't really disagree. This might well be what the reconvergence looks like--in combination with software changes that better bridge different modes of operation. That said, you may also be right that enhancements to interfaces could make a tablet-type device qualitatively b…

Do you guys know you're actually describing the Surface 3 in detail? ;)

Re: The Tablet Is Being Squeezed Out

#47

Post by onion2k » Thu, Apr 30, 2015, 2:49 PM UTC

josteink wrote: post #33

There's several things to disagree with here. I see a trend where people want smaller phones. The current phone are getting too big and people are getting fed up. Secondly, I bought my wife a tablet 6 months ago, and she haven't used the laptop since. Tablets have clearly peaked, but I don't think they will be going away anytime soon.

"Man Bag" sales are going up. People are changing their lifestyle to incorporate bigger phones. Phones won't be getting smaller.

Re: The Tablet Is Being Squeezed Out

#48

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Apr 30, 2015, 2:49 PM UTC

techstrategist wrote: post #25

I honestly think that Apple will be able to reinvigorate iPad sales when they offer some new capability. The iPhone has (almost) always had a compelling reason to upgrade. My wife's iPad 3 Retina doesn't seem to perform better than my non-retina iPad 2. While I'm itching to replace the iPad (it's getting slow, app crashing, etc.) I'll be moving to a Surface Pro 4 (or 3 if I can't wait that long) or a $200-300 Android…

[deleted]

Re: The Tablet Is Being Squeezed Out

#49

Post by mynegation » Thu, Apr 30, 2015, 2:49 PM UTC

jcadam wrote: post #18

I still don't "get" tablets. What are they good for again? If I need/want to code (or type anything longer than a text message), I want (at least) a laptop. If I want to consume media while on the go, I care more about portability than anything else, so I use my smartphone -- it fits in my pocket so I always have it with me (unlike a tablet). If I want to sit up in bed (or on the couch) and read a novel, I use an e-r…

I use iPad Air to read tons of technical papers, books, and magazines - and no - phone - just will not do for it, let alone lugging stacks of paper. I occasionally read fiction on an iPhone 6, but anything that has charts, formulae, source code, or good typography and photos (as in magazine articles) is a pain to read on a phone.

I also watch TV shows, videos and movies on iPad when I feel like doing it on a couch, as laptop is a bit too heavy and bulky and I just do not bother buying a TV set.

Re: The Tablet Is Being Squeezed Out

#50

Post by bluedino » Thu, Apr 30, 2015, 2:50 PM UTC

Shivetya wrote: post #5

My observation has always been, tablets; specifically iPads; are too expensive for what they are doing. That and just because its an Apple tablet doesn't mean I need to pair it up against an apple laptop. Hence cost comparison is done against other laptops which are priced even lower than the iPad at times. Its hard to get excited by technology when every price point is four hundred and up. How many items do they wan…

I think tablets are appropriately prices for what they do. A $399 iPad is a much better device than a $299 or $399 laptop. Better screen, longer battery life, doesn't get viruses, easier to use...

Plus, an iPad is 1/2 to 1/3rd the cost of an Apple laptop.