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

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

Because there are a lot of operations you can do that are not specific to a particular document/window, or in some cases don't apply to any windows at all. And, even more importantly, sometimes you want to close all the windows for an application without closing the whole application!

I've run into this problem in a variety of applications, including DrRacket and Logisim as well as more widespread ones like Word: I want to go through several documents sequentially. Naturally I want to close one before I open the next, so that I don't have a whole pile of old windows open. But if I close the only open window I quit the whole application, so I have to leave one of the docs open as I sequence through the rest. The behaviour of several "close" operations (e.g. clicking the window's close button) varies according to whether there are other windows (close window) or not (quit app). Some apps get around this by opening a dummy "new document" window if you close the last open window, but that's still a little jarring and counts more as a workaround hack than anything else. I don't have these problems when I'm working on a Mac.

Oh, and I almost forgot: Fitts's Law. The global menu bar is a mile high, and it's way way WAY easier to acquire than a menu bar inside a window.

I never had a problem with that. With a 13" device it's possible to have 2 to 4 windows open at the same time, since the windows themselves use space efficiently. So at best this argument is subjective to the user.

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

Not being accustomed to the keyboard layout is rather an excuse than an argument. Also my impression of the key bindings is that they are well done and consistent. Do you have examples to prove your case?

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.

As an developer you should be able to tackle more difficult tasks than finding out that the custom fn keys can be disabled in the system preferences->keyboard pane(if it is important enough for you to write about publicly).

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

Window management is a problem for me too. Tools like Shiftit make it easier, but it does't feel like THE solution. I'm curious though if that problem is considered solved on any other platform. The last times I used Windows (XP to 7) it did not do any better.

Try have someone who doesn't know iTunes burn a cd

At some point it was easier to do that(e.g. dedicated button), but given that disc-drives are on the leave in PCs, burning is of less importance to users (at least I can't remember someone burning cd's recently). As one of the most used peaces of software iTunes has a pretty good help documentation, which describes how to burn a cd nicely. The procedure is also quite reasonable, introducing few concepts apart from standard procedures(creating a playlist).

From this, I get that there are two kinds of problems with a product or service: A weakness, which is something bad that is orthogonal to a product's value proposition, and a drawback, which is an integral part of the value proposition. An example of an Apple drawback would have been its one button mouse for many years: During the period when many Mac buyers were first-time computer users, the single button was part of the simplicity of the interface, but it also was annoying to those who had more experience and wanted more power at their fingertips.

I remember this when thinking about tethering my iPad. This is a weakness, not a drawback. It can certainly be fixed without undermining the iPad's value proposition. If somebody starts selling a lot of tablets that sync to the cloud, Apple can release a firmware or iOS update that syncs to the cloud and boom, no more weakness.

It's annoying but it isn't deeply tied to the iPad's value proposition. So I predict that if and when Apple thinks it is more of a hinderance than a help, it will be changed, and the change will be fairly painless.

I started Parallels on my macBook, plugged in the iPad and let it connect to the virtual XP that was running: "Not Charging". Shut down Parallels without even unplugging the iPad, well, boy howdy, its charging now. No OSX/iTunes? Purposely broken.