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Out Of Nowhere, The iPad Has A Real Competitor

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31–40 of 132 posts

Re: Out Of Nowhere, The iPad Has A Real Competitor

#31
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a competitor even if it addresses a subset of the iPad functionality. This one has e-book reading, something many people buy the iPad for. Different people weight different features differently (sory - had to do it) and this thingie may end up with a better value than an iPad for a lot of people. Me included, BTW. I could buy one of these and a Nook for less than what an iPad costs. For me, it's a winner. It's a…

Do you really think people buy the iPad for reading ebooks? I find it to be not significantly better than reading on a monitor. The iPad is great for some things for sure (Plants vs Zombies being first and foremost in my experience) but I think if I wanted to read books I'd get a Kindle or some eink device.

I read books on my iPad all the time.

Re: Out Of Nowhere, The iPad Has A Real Competitor

#32
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So your dad never browses Wal-mart, Target, Best Buy, or anywhere else? This is in the netbook range Best buy will throw next to the check-out aisle.

If you're looking for a tablet you probably already know which one you're going to buy before you set foot in a physical store.

What if you are not looking for a tablet? Few people were looking for a tablet before the iPad launch.

Re: Out Of Nowhere, The iPad Has A Real Competitor

#33

Ok, so supposedly this is a "real competitor" for the iPad, but the author lists the following downsides: 1) It’s a resistive screen. 2) It’s not a very bright screen, like the iPad. 3) It’s not a blazing fast CPU. 4) It’s limited for video. 5) It will be heavier than most eInk devices. 6) There’s no 3G, it’s WiFi-only. Here's why these matter. 1) There is a very good reason no one uses resistive touch for devices in…

With regard to point 1, my N900 has a resistive screen, and it feels almost exactly like an iphone (except I can use a stylus to click on tiny links on web pages instead of having to zoom).

I second this emotion. To me, there is no discernible difference between my N900 and the HTC Hero I had before it.

Re: Out Of Nowhere, The iPad Has A Real Competitor

#35
post #28
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love it when the faithful think that features and price are not competitive.

On features and price, a truck beats a Ferrari anytime. People (who can afford them) still prefer Ferrari.

When you need to haul something a truck is infinitely more useful than a Ferrari.

Re: Out Of Nowhere, The iPad Has A Real Competitor

#36

Ok, so supposedly this is a "real competitor" for the iPad, but the author lists the following downsides: 1) It’s a resistive screen. 2) It’s not a very bright screen, like the iPad. 3) It’s not a blazing fast CPU. 4) It’s limited for video. 5) It will be heavier than most eInk devices. 6) There’s no 3G, it’s WiFi-only. Here's why these matter. 1) There is a very good reason no one uses resistive touch for devices in…

Your points may not matter so much for the hobbyist/tinkerer. The $200 price point is workable for that crowd.

Your post sort of proves the point.

Hobbyists/tinkerers probably wouldn't consider an iPad because of who they are. That puts this device in a different market segment. Despite the fact that this device has similar features and form factor to the iPad, this device and the iPad aren't really competing for the same customers.

Re: Out Of Nowhere, The iPad Has A Real Competitor

#37
I talked to a Pandigital rep back in May about whether this platform was open and got this response:

Future versions of this product will be able to take advantage of Android applications. At this time w/ the ifirmware version at launch, the first Pandigital Novel eReaders are not designed to support additional Android applications.

Re: Out Of Nowhere, The iPad Has A Real Competitor

#38
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So your dad never browses Wal-mart, Target, Best Buy, or anywhere else? This is in the netbook range Best buy will throw next to the check-out aisle.

If you're looking for a tablet you probably already know which one you're going to buy before you set foot in a physical store.

Only if you are looking for an iPad.

Re: Out Of Nowhere, The iPad Has A Real Competitor

#39
post #28
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love it when the faithful think that features and price are not competitive.

On features and price, a truck beats a Ferrari anytime. People (who can afford them) still prefer Ferrari.

> People (who can afford them) still prefer Ferrari.

It really depends on whether I need to carry stuff from one place to another. Or whether I want to use a road to do it.

Re: Out Of Nowhere, The iPad Has A Real Competitor

#40
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On features and price, a truck beats a Ferrari anytime. People (who can afford them) still prefer Ferrari.

When you need to haul something a truck is infinitely more useful than a Ferrari.

True. And indeed those are the cases where you buy a truck. In the 90% of other cases, you get a Ferrari. Most people that need a car, not a truck.

Features that you don't need/use are not relevant and most people will prefer design/style/etc... to those extra features.

IMHO this is what Apple's success is based on. Quality and style over Feature lists.

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