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Surface: Between a Rock and a Hardware Place

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Re: Surface: Between a Rock and a Hardware Place

#31

Post by pooriaazimi »

jroseattle wrote: post #8

I'm not sure I follow Gruber's post here, which ironically points out how Microsoft's presentation this week for a tablet was incoherent and all over the map (kind of like this post.) I guess he's trying to assess Microsoft's position in the market by comparing their product announcement presentation skills to Apple's. Really, when will the likes of Gruber learn that consumers will decide if they like those products,…

Did you even read past the first two paragraphs?! He ranted a bit about the presentation, but his take from this "mess" (as he called it) was completely different than yours...

Re: Surface: Between a Rock and a Hardware Place

#32

Post by ekianjo »

nielsandersen wrote: post #28
ekianjo wrote: post #22

These stories about the "post-PC future" always make me laugh, I still dont see people working on iPads in real offices where you do REAL work. The future of computing is going to be fragmented. Not unified by a single tablet model. Every time something new comes up we always get the same BS: "netbooks are going to replace computers". "iPhones are going to replace computers", "ipads are going to replace computers". G…

I agree with your idea that the future will be a fragmented one. And obviously there are still a lot of desktops and laptops at offices. In my work for a digital agency we have a lot of projects going with tablets (well let's be honest it's all iPads) to work as replacement for laptops for certain processes and situations. There are so many real-life processes happening today where toting a laptop around is really no…

> Don't mean to get carried away, but the world is really full of people doing "real work" where laptops and desktops are just not the best solution.

I'm sure there is. But by far, most businesses still need laptops and proper desktops to work. Sometime you need a big screen. Most of the time you want to have a keyboard, a good one, to type fast. You want to have the precision of the mouse of do things on screen. ANd you need power. A portable device, no matter how good it is, is constrained by ventilation, temperature limits, processor speed, space, and so on. For the price of an iPad you get a much more powerful desktop computer.

Tablets have advantages as consumer devices, as presentation devices, as "reader / browsing" devices. They are convenient. I do not deny that. But they simply won't replace everything else.

And the reason why the iPad sells so well is because it's a disposable device at heart. Whenever a new iPad comes out, most of the previous iPad owners drop their older version to get the new one. (same for the iPhone, by the way). Usually computer users keep their PCs active for way longer than that.

Re: Surface: Between a Rock and a Hardware Place

#33

Post by 2muchcoffeeman »

martinkallstrom wrote: post #24

As a regular Apple user (iphone/ipad/macbook air are my main tools), in my eyes Gruber is jumping the shark here. He comments on the structure of the event, his own feelings watching it. He comments on what information that has not yet been released. He clearly wants to move focus away from the hardware itself. Perhaps because it is just a little too awesome to come from MS?

It appears to be really good, but MS doesn't really have anything yet. You can't buy it, you can't pre-order and it appears that no journalist had any hands-on time with the keyboard. All we have are promises and anyone can do that.

Re: Surface: Between a Rock and a Hardware Place

#34

Post by keithpeter »

ekianjo wrote: post #22

These stories about the "post-PC future" always make me laugh, I still dont see people working on iPads in real offices where you do REAL work. The future of computing is going to be fragmented. Not unified by a single tablet model. Every time something new comes up we always get the same BS: "netbooks are going to replace computers". "iPhones are going to replace computers", "ipads are going to replace computers". G…

"I still dont see people working on iPads in real offices where you do REAL work."

I do see people working with iPads quite often. Some examples; building and plant surveyor specifying changes in our building; teaching inspectors making notes during a lesson observation; local middle managers pulling down reports from Intranet during meeting; managerial types on train every morning reading documents and annotating them on way into work.

I don't think these people only use iPads, but I do think they use their tablets as data gathering tools and annotation tools. I suspect desktops will morph into workstations with huge monitors and highish prices, and that laptops will become a high end option for those of us who prefer a keyboard/screen combo.

Some evidence for that could be the success of applications that make it easy to syncronise data.

Having a Windows tablet device might make things easier for people to move data along.

PS: Am I the only one worried by that strange pantographic construction that supports the tablet in 'laptop' mode?

Re: Surface: Between a Rock and a Hardware Place

#36

Post by keithpeter »

ekianjo wrote: post #32
nielsandersen wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with your idea that the future will be a fragmented one. And obviously there are still a lot of desktops and laptops at offices. In my work for a digital agency we have a lot of projects going with tablets (well let's be honest it's all iPads) to work as replacement for laptops for certain processes and situations. There are so many real-life processes happening today where toting a laptop around is really no…

> Don't mean to get carried away, but the world is really full of people doing "real work" where laptops and desktops are just not the best solution. I'm sure there is. But by far, most businesses still need laptops and proper desktops to work. Sometime you need a big screen. Most of the time you want to have a keyboard, a good one, to type fast. You want to have the precision of the mouse of do things on screen. ANd…

"But by far, most businesses still need laptops and proper desktops to work. Sometime you need a big screen. Most of the time you want to have a keyboard, a good one, to type fast. You want to have the precision of the mouse of do things on screen."

Absolutely, I need those things... for about 15% of my working time.

I suspect lot of people in roles where access to information is needed with minimal modification or addition to the data could work with other devices.

Re: Surface: Between a Rock and a Hardware Place

#37

Post by gwright »

ekianjo wrote: post #32
nielsandersen wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with your idea that the future will be a fragmented one. And obviously there are still a lot of desktops and laptops at offices. In my work for a digital agency we have a lot of projects going with tablets (well let's be honest it's all iPads) to work as replacement for laptops for certain processes and situations. There are so many real-life processes happening today where toting a laptop around is really no…

> Don't mean to get carried away, but the world is really full of people doing "real work" where laptops and desktops are just not the best solution. I'm sure there is. But by far, most businesses still need laptops and proper desktops to work. Sometime you need a big screen. Most of the time you want to have a keyboard, a good one, to type fast. You want to have the precision of the mouse of do things on screen. ANd…

I doubt that most (i.e. > 50%) of iPad and iPhone users replace them on an annual basis. Would love to see some solid data on the actual numbers though.

Re: Surface: Between a Rock and a Hardware Place

#38

Post by ekianjo »

keithpeter wrote: post #34
ekianjo wrote: post #22

These stories about the "post-PC future" always make me laugh, I still dont see people working on iPads in real offices where you do REAL work. The future of computing is going to be fragmented. Not unified by a single tablet model. Every time something new comes up we always get the same BS: "netbooks are going to replace computers". "iPhones are going to replace computers", "ipads are going to replace computers". G…

"I still dont see people working on iPads in real offices where you do REAL work." I do see people working with iPads quite often. Some examples; building and plant surveyor specifying changes in our building; teaching inspectors making notes during a lesson observation; local middle managers pulling down reports from Intranet during meeting; managerial types on train every morning reading documents and annotating th…

> I do see people working with iPads quite often.

Maybe I should clarify what I mean by "working". For me, reading information on a screen is not working. Work is when you add value, so when you actually produce something with the information you have. An iPad may be a great tool to READ informatio, at the most take notes, but to produce something it is pretty poor and limited in many aspects. Yes, you can always manage to do something with it, but it's just a big compromise versus using the right device for the right job.

> I suspect desktops will morph into workstations with huge monitors and highish prices, and that laptops will become a high end option for those of us who prefer a keyboard/screen combo.

There is no reason for desktops to become more expensive, though. As long as they are built with mass-market technology, of course.

Re: Surface: Between a Rock and a Hardware Place

#39

Post by nielsandersen »

ekianjo wrote: post #32
nielsandersen wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with your idea that the future will be a fragmented one. And obviously there are still a lot of desktops and laptops at offices. In my work for a digital agency we have a lot of projects going with tablets (well let's be honest it's all iPads) to work as replacement for laptops for certain processes and situations. There are so many real-life processes happening today where toting a laptop around is really no…

> Don't mean to get carried away, but the world is really full of people doing "real work" where laptops and desktops are just not the best solution. I'm sure there is. But by far, most businesses still need laptops and proper desktops to work. Sometime you need a big screen. Most of the time you want to have a keyboard, a good one, to type fast. You want to have the precision of the mouse of do things on screen. ANd…

I agree with you completely that desktops and laptops aren't going anywhere for the forseeable future.

For a lot of job functions power is just not necessary.

There is a lot happening right now with especially the iPad as a tool for mobile professionals, service sector jobs and for blue-collar work functions where access to data and light data entry is needed but a quad core is total overkill.

An easy to use OS and a decent touchscreen is a great way of streamlining a lot of processes which currently involve filling out forms and carrying around manuals and forms and what not.

Us office types still see it as that third device that does nothing that our laptop or smartphone can't do, but for those who have neither of those provided by the workplace it's a real boon.

Re: Surface: Between a Rock and a Hardware Place

#40

Post by ekianjo »

gwright wrote: post #37
ekianjo wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Don't mean to get carried away, but the world is really full of people doing "real work" where laptops and desktops are just not the best solution. I'm sure there is. But by far, most businesses still need laptops and proper desktops to work. Sometime you need a big screen. Most of the time you want to have a keyboard, a good one, to type fast. You want to have the precision of the mouse of do things on screen. ANd…

I doubt that most (i.e. > 50%) of iPad and iPhone users replace them on an annual basis. Would love to see some solid data on the actual numbers though.

I don't know. I may be suffering from sample bias, but around me, everyone who have iPads and iPhone change models as soon as one comes out. And they feel an URGE to do it. For reasons I cannot understand.

I've also heard the same story from other friends in different places, so I can only assume that a large amount of pre-iPad owners seem to buy a new one systematically. I don't have market research data to prove anything, however.

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