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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?

#181

Post by chalst »

mckoss wrote: post #112
jsz0 wrote: post #84

We're in a transitional period. The vast majority of people who have iPads do have a PC of some kind also. For now it's the most practical way of doing backups, updates, and syncing large amounts of content. I do think Apple will move in the direction of not requiring a PC for these things but it's non-trival. How do you sync 16-64GB of data over 3G? Do you push 300MB+ updates to someone with a 150MB/month data cap?…

I'll have to disagree with most of what you say here. I would attribute Apple's decision not to divorce the iPad from a PC to their desire to assert some presence onto the PC ecosystem. They don't want to be be JUST your tablet OS, they want to be on the desktop, by forcing installation of iTunes onto Windows machines as well. This way, both products reenforce each other, and they can get increased market share on de…

hey do not want to cede any niche of the market that they have managed to gain.

Gruber and others have claimed that Apple is unusual in being willing to develop new products at the expense of old products. I think this might be true.

That's that only logical explanation for maintaining this extra complexity by a company that is otherwise brilliant at simplifying the user experience.

In fact, Apple have a track record of poor UX with complex network services. I'll guess that they have always intended for the Ipad to be a stand-alone device, but haven't ironed out the problems with their cloud storage.

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

#182

Post by mckoss »

ryanwaggoner wrote: post #178
mckoss wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll have to disagree with most of what you say here. I would attribute Apple's decision not to divorce the iPad from a PC to their desire to assert some presence onto the PC ecosystem. They don't want to be be JUST your tablet OS, they want to be on the desktop, by forcing installation of iTunes onto Windows machines as well. This way, both products reenforce each other, and they can get increased market share on de…

Updates also work very well over the WiFi network - no need to use your low-bandwidth data plan. If you don't have a computer, you're unlikely to have a wifi router.

Interesting point. But WiFi networks are available in coffee shops, etc. And I think the main point of simplification I would be looking for is not that I won't have a computer as well, but I don't want my devices to be dependent on that computer.

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

#183

Post by bad_user »

ryanwaggoner wrote: post #178
mckoss wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll have to disagree with most of what you say here. I would attribute Apple's decision not to divorce the iPad from a PC to their desire to assert some presence onto the PC ecosystem. They don't want to be be JUST your tablet OS, they want to be on the desktop, by forcing installation of iTunes onto Windows machines as well. This way, both products reenforce each other, and they can get increased market share on de…

Updates also work very well over the WiFi network - no need to use your low-bandwidth data plan. If you don't have a computer, you're unlikely to have a wifi router.

Hotels have wifi routers, coffee shops have wifi routers, libraries have wifi routers, airports have wifi routers, conference rooms have wifi routers - even the park area I'm visiting with my kid has open wifi access.

Heck, when I have jailbroken my iPhone with jailbreakme a couple of months ago; I was drinking coffee in a coffee shop that had wifi; and I had no laptop and no wifi router with me ;)

Suggesting that Apple requires iOS to sync with the PC for any reason other than keeping customers locked in iTunes is silly.

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

#184

Post by jpr »

rglullis wrote: post #169
drivebyacct2 wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I will cry the day that a closed ecosystem device becomes peoples' primary computing device.

Compared to the current situation, with 90%+ of the population using Windows or Mac?

Windows, which is by itself in the ~90% range, is not and has never been a closed ecosystem. You can easily install any piece of software you find anywhere. MS is even falling over themselves to give you free developer tools.

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

#185

Post by suprgeek »

The primary reason I have not purchased the iPad is iTunes (the software). It is an abomination on Windows as others have noted and most puzzling is so badly designed that most common consumers make several basic mistakes wile trying to figure it out. For a company that has "intuitive in their DNA", I find it very strange that a piece of Garbage like iTunes is the crucial bridge between PC and the "Post-PC" products. Something is very wrong somewhere.

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

#186

Post by bad_user »

rglullis wrote: post #169
drivebyacct2 wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I will cry the day that a closed ecosystem device becomes peoples' primary computing device.

Compared to the current situation, with 90%+ of the population using Windows or Mac?

I can install on those Windows / Mac machines whatever I want, from whatever source I want; and to build stuff for them I don't have to suffer that $99 registration process and I'm also free to use whatever tools I want, as I don't have Apple's EULA to worry about.

That 90% of the population you're talking about really is using "personal computers". The iPad is just a "rented" piece of hardware, which you can use only in ways that pass Apple's approval. That's pretty far from "personal" to me.

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

#187

Post by trotsky »

rbarooah wrote: post #177
trotsky wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm going to skip most of your comments, because if you're trying to equate "download amazon mp3s" with "run (binary emulated) windows apps (built for a different cpu)" you're clearly just looking to score points for the home team. But as far as the "at least 54% of streaming video is html5" I had to laugh. Yes, I realize you linked to someone who said it was true so it must be. I take it, though, that you don't actu…

Why isn't weighting for volume appropriate? Sure, fewer than 54% of sites may support HTML5 video. But who cares if those sites aren't where most of the videos are? You're trying to claim that your handpicked list of sites which deliberately avoids sites that have publicly stated support for the iPad is a better methodology? Who's looking to score one for the home team now? I'd take this seriously if you found any 3r…

Weighting for volume isn't appropriate because if I started up html5videosofmybackyard.com and placed 5 second clips in 10 bitrates each of the last 3 years of my backyard 24/7 the web wouldn't have magically become 25% less dependent on flash overnight.

I get it though. You really, really like your iPad. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you really, really like your MacBook Pro as well. It's cool, they are both nice gadgets. I am sure Apple appreciates your efforts as far as discounting any criticisms of the platform as invalid.

The lesson here is probably "don't ask questions you don't want the answers to".

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

#188

Post by b0sk »

raganwald wrote: post #136

In "Marketing Warfare," Al Reis and Jack Trout give a rule of thumb: Never build your strategy around an opponent's weakness. Build it around their strength. Why? because weaknesses can be fixed. Strengths cannot be fixed without undermining an opponent's own strategy. 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…

That's a good observation. I think of cables as an anti-feature. ( as defined by Benjamin Mako-Hill ).

In that, the devices are perfectly capable of syncing and tethering wirelessly, but Apple hasn't enabled that functionality yet. They are going to add that at some point for an extra 9.99$ and going to call it AirTether. Brand new feature of iPad3. You pay a premium for getting rid of cables.

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

#189

Post by rglullis »

drivebyacct2 wrote: post #173
rglullis wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Compared to the current situation, with 90%+ of the population using Windows or Mac?

Those aren't closed ecosystems. OS != ecosystem.

You are correct. Sorry I misinterpreted what you meant.

However, I wouldn't be too surprised to see a completely closed Mac/PC ecosystem in the future. Not now, but in the the next 5-10 years. As things move more and more "to the cloud" and the desktop becomes a dumb terminal, the easier it is for Apple to just tell everyone that they must go through the App Store.

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

#190

Post by richbradshaw »

trotsky wrote: post #172
rbarooah wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The 90% of streaming video claim is utterly false - it's at least 54% and climbing very fast. If we're going to do this, let's at least not just make stuff up. ( http://www.loopinsight.com/2010/10/27/54-of-web-video-is-now... ) The closed platform argument is perfectly valid, but has nothing to do with whether we're moving into the world of Post PC devices or not. It's pretty obvious that we're never going to get awa…

I'm going to skip most of your comments, because if you're trying to equate "download amazon mp3s" with "run (binary emulated) windows apps (built for a different cpu)" you're clearly just looking to score points for the home team. But as far as the "at least 54% of streaming video is html5" I had to laugh. Yes, I realize you linked to someone who said it was true so it must be. I take it, though, that you don't actu…

Remember that some sites redirect to a different iPad version, and that the HTML5 video is only on that site, not the main one.

I'm not sure if that's true on any of those sites, as I'm not American, so haven't visited any apart from Youtube and Vimeo.

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