Tech experts and consumers dampen Apple iPad hype

[rpm]

Tech experts dampen Apple iPad hype

Tech experts and gadget fans dampened the early hype Thursday over Apple's new iPad, saying the touchscreen computer tablet is not the must-have device the company claims it is.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Time will tell.

 

[Ou grote]

"Tech experts and gadget fans" already have their gadgets, this one is geared at non "Tech experts and gadget fans".
And that market is 1000's of times bigger than just the geeks.

Millions of geeks will be needing therapy soon.

 

[PeterCH]

"Tech experts and gadget fans" already have their gadgets, this one is geared at non "Tech experts and gadget fans".
And that market is 1000's of times bigger than just the geeks.

But it's not. It's geared at consumers of Apple Itunes Store and associated vendors (eg NYT). The thing is that this device at present is not a very friendly internet appliance - it is only able to browse one site, the screen is pretty low resolution and small so you have to zoom in and out a lot and there is no FLASH. It's not very functional and people these days aren't stupid. They open up IM sessions, have MySpace/Facebook. Most internet users these days were in school in the 90s and they had their own Geocities, Neopets and GaiaOnline pages/avatars/pets. The Apple iPad is half-baked as is. It's not a great Ebook reader - because it's not comfortable (LCD screen), it's not a great browser because you can only browse one site at a time and there's no flash (and who knows what other functionality is missing), iPhone apps look stupid on it etc. It's a device for consuming Apple content and not everyone is a consumer of Apple content. You still need a PC to rip your CDs to MP3/AAC. You still need a PC (incl Macs) to do any serious work or play. Gaming - sure - if you're into sudoku.

Also seriously, Alf, most people DO NOT NEED A SMARTPHONE. In fact most users of the iPhone could get by with an ordinary phone - just that they've been fed a ton of marketing hype and BS - that they need some stupid GPS applet or some other thing they don't need at all. LOL. The iPhone is a gadget.

 

[bwana]

"Tech experts and gadget fans" already have their gadgets, this one is geared at non "Tech experts and gadget fans".
And that market is 1000's of times bigger than just the geeks.

Millions of geeks will be needing therapy soon.

I agree - the geeks already have their gear - anyone who was expecting a macbook in tablet clothing clearly missed the boat.

Still, if it's as easily hacked as the iPhone (and since they're running the same OS why wouldnt they be) it will keep us amused as well.

The iPhone is a gadget.

42 million units sold. I guess Apple got that one wrong too.

 

[Ou grote]

But it's not. It's geared at consumers of Apple Itunes Store and associated vendors (eg NYT). The thing is that this device at present is not a very friendly internet appliance - it is only able to browse one site, the screen is pretty low resolution and small so you have to zoom in and out a lot and there is no FLASH. It's not very functional and people these days aren't stupid. They open up IM sessions, have MySpace/Facebook. Most internet users these days were in school in the 90s and they had their own Geocities, Neopets and GaiaOnline pages/avatars/pets. The Apple iPad is half-baked as is. It's not a great Ebook reader - because it's not comfortable (LCD screen), it's not a great browser because you can only browse one site at a time and there's no flash (and who knows what other functionality is missing), iPhone apps look stupid on it etc. It's a device for consuming Apple content and not everyone is a consumer of Apple content. You still need a PC to rip your CDs to MP3/AAC. You still need a PC (incl Macs) to do any serious work or play. Gaming - sure - if you're into sudoku.

Also seriously, Alf, most people DO NOT NEED A SMARTPHONE. In fact most users of the iPhone could get by with an ordinary phone - just that they've been fed a ton of marketing hype and BS - that they need some stupid GPS applet or some other thing they don't need at all. LOL. The iPhone is a gadget.

Looks like you'll be needing therapy soon.

Not having FLASH is a good thing.

What resolution did u want? 2048 x 1546 ok?

IM sessions, have MySpace/Facebook - it can do those sites - there even free iPhone apps for those sites and lots of free IM tools.

Have you tried using it as an Ebook?

Only browse one site at a time? How many do you want to browse at a time on a tablet? If you have a look at Safari on the iPhone you'll see that you can have 8 or so tabs open at a time - button at the bottom right.

It's a device for consuming Apple content - you're starting to get the picture. Where you expecting it to host Microsoft content?

You still need a PC to rip your CDs to MP3/AAC. You still need a PC (incl Macs) to do any serious work or play. Gaming - sure - if you're into sudoku. - Uhm yes, that's kinda what pc's are for. What's the issue there?


Btw, I'm not interested in buying one of these for many many reasons, but I'll buy one for my mom, dad and gran.
And they'll get the hang of it much quicker than if I were showing them how to use a pc.

 

[Rudimental]

42 million units sold. I guess Apple got that one wrong too.

17% of smartphone market, 2.5% of cellphone market. I did the math and it is about a 6% penetration of US consumers (12 million - doubled 6 month old figures - of 203 million - 2/3 total population).

Nothing in the numbers suggests (widespread) use by users that would not have otherwise bought a smartphone (niche market targetting businesspersons/wealthy/geeks), if that is what is being suggested by using the term 'gadget'.

Anyway, rumours are that Apple will only ship 2 million iPads this year. Those numbers mean it cannot possibly be 'game-changer' (estimated 350 million PCs to be shipped this year).

 

[PeterCH]

Looks like you'll be needing therapy soon.

I'll give you therapy. I'm qualified. You're not.

Not having FLASH is a good thing.

Not if you find it useful.

What resolution did u want? 2048 x 1546 ok?

720p minimum would be nice for 2010.

IM sessions, have MySpace/Facebook - it can do those sites - there even free iPhone apps for those sites and lots of free IM tools.

Yes but you can only do ONE at a time. Unless of course multitasking is a feature of the thing. Also have you seen how stupid these iPhone apps look on a screen that size?

Have you tried using it as an Ebook?

I have used LCD screens for reading text including more expensive S-IPS ones and YES, they suck.

Only browse one site at a time? How many do you want to browse at a time on a tablet? If you have a look at Safari on the iPhone you'll see that you can have 8 or so tabs open at a time - button at the bottom right.

I usually browse at least 12 or more sites at a time. I click a link in new tab/window. How do you do it?

It's a device for consuming Apple content - you're starting to get the picture. Where you expecting it to host Microsoft content?

I expect it to host the content of MY choice. Besides, have you bought music or video from iTunes in SA?

You still need a PC to rip your CDs to MP3/AAC. You still need a PC (incl Macs) to do any serious work or play. Gaming - sure - if you're into sudoku. - Uhm yes, that's kinda what pc's are for. What's the issue there?

It kind of doesn't kill the netbook/notebook then. Ne? What did Job-so say?

Btw, I'm not interested in buying one of these for many many reasons, but I'll buy one for my mom, dad and gran.

So they can buy iTunes content and view the NYT?

And they'll get the hang of it much quicker than if I were showing them how to use a pc.

Mac OSX on a full blown Mac is easy enough. Now you're just finding excuses.

Besides, they can have a crippled iPad if we can have a full blown OSX Tablet PC. The two are not mutually exclusive and for $829 with the 3G it is an expensive, cripped piece of kit. The SA price will be about R9,999 for the 3G model which is almost what a Macbook costs.

 

[PeterCH]

I agree - the geeks already have their gear - anyone who was expecting a macbook in tablet clothing clearly missed the boat.

Why?

Still, if it's as easily hacked as the iPhone (and since they're running the same OS why wouldnt they be) it will keep us amused as well.

Apple does not want you to hack it. Why should you? It's like ripping DVDs and Blurays - technically it is illegal. Why force something Apple doesn't want.

42 million units sold. I guess Apple got that one wrong too.

Tell me, what do you really use your iPhone for? I know plenty of professionals - doctors, engineers, uni lecturers who are perfectly successful without a smartphone. They just use an ordinary cell phone. So what makes an iPhone so indispensable? (Any other smartphone for that matter). A normal phone with email read/write/send and address book and basic browser capability is already too much - heck most of the professionals I know - don't even use that.

bwana just because something is a gadget, it doesn't mean it won't sell well. Avatar sold $2 billion profits but the movie is a gimmick. What positive cultural influence does that trash possibly bring?

 

[PeterCH]

17% of smartphone market, 2.5% of cellphone market. I did the math and it is about a 6% penetration of US consumers (12 million - doubled 6 month old figures - of 203 million - 2/3 total population).

Nothing in the numbers suggests (widespread) use by users that would not have otherwise bought a smartphone (niche market targetting businesspersons/wealthy/geeks), if that is what is being suggested by using the term 'gadget'.

Anyway, rumours are that Apple will only ship 2 million iPads this year. Those numbers mean it cannot possibly be 'game-changer' (estimated 350 million PCs to be shipped this year).

Exactly. And even then, MOST people who buy these iPhones or Samsung Touch HDs etc - DON'T NEED THEM. Somehow they survived well until then with a normal cell phone. Are they somehow more productive with an iPhone? Do they just monkey around with apps on their iPhone/competitor vs monkeying around on their previous cell phone?

Some of us want function from our devices. If their main purpose does not justify their existence for the individual other than a TOY or a nifty thing to have - it is a gadget.

 

[PeterCH]

I agree - the geeks already have their gear - anyone who was expecting a macbook in tablet clothing clearly missed the boat.

Please, Macs and the OS is not punted as a GEEK OS. It is punted for everyday people - to download video from camera, edit it, burn to DVD; write letters in iWork including CVs and recipes, watch DVDs on iDVD,
compose simple songs in GarageBand etc.... that's NOT GEEK. Granted a GEEK can use OSX - maybe develop for it but OSX is the most user friendly OS out of Linux and Windows and it has until now been punted as an intuitive, easy to learn OS for the user who doesn't want to work under the hood. Has Apple shifted the goal posts now?

 

[bwana]

Why?

Apple 101. Generally speaking, they don't cannibalise from their other product lines.

Apple does not want you to hack it. Why should you? It's like ripping DVDs and Blurays - technically it is illegal. Why force something Apple doesn't want.

If they didnt want it hacked they could make it a darn sight harder to do so. Have they? Nope.

Tell me, what do you really use your iPhone for? I know plenty of professionals - doctors, engineers, uni lecturers who are perfectly successful without a smartphone. They just use an ordinary cell phone. So what makes an iPhone so indispensable? (Any other smartphone for that matter). A normal phone with email read/write/send and address book and basic browser capability is already too much - heck most of the professionals I know - don't even use that.

I'm sure you know lots of people without iphones - well done. Thanks to this country's telecommunications pricing my main phone is a blackberry - I know, you dont have to say it, plenty of professionals dont use those either

I use my iPhone primarily to watch videos and listen to music, as a GPS, as a book reader, to listen to audio books and podcasts in the car, as photographic tool, as a modem for my netbook, as a mobile portfolio, for voip, as a trackpad for my netbook, it's the remote control for my home entertainment system, and to play games when I'm waiting in the queue. But as I said - when I'm in SA it's not my main phone so I probably dont use it for as much as I should.

Some of us want function from our devices. If their main purpose does not justify their existence for the individual other than a TOY or a nifty thing to have - it is a gadget.

I'd love it if they added some functionality to my iPhone.

 

[Keeper]

you use an iphone to read books? that's just weird man...

 

[cerebus]

OSX is easy to learn - for a desktop OS. It has been made for desktop/notebook users. It offers a feature set that is intuitive and simple - but it isn't simple ENOUGH for a tablet device. It isn't even really appropriately featured. iPhone OS is hugely successful - it was the natural choice for porting to the device. The same featureset that works for an iMac doesn't work on a tablet - because the requirements are very different.

I'm not even sure what your point is in all this ranting? You're anti-iPhone, anti-smartphones in general apparently, anti-gadgets, anti-windows, anti-Avatar. Some of us love gadgets. So what's your point?

Keeper I use my itouch to read books - actualy it was the primary reason I got it.

 

[bwana]

you use an iphone to read books? that's just weird man...

Sure - there are so many free books available why not?

 

[Jabberwocky]

I would buy one for R9,999 if it had a 42" screen, a remote, and a dvi input.

 

[Keeper]

Sure - there are so many free books available why not?

it's just a small screen, that's all....

 

[cerebus]

It works quite nicely - I'm esp fond of Stanza.

 

[Keeper]

how much is it for a kindle? because IMO the iPad pwns the kindle. I don't have a problem reading off an LCD.

PS: can you page through PDF's, or is that some other type of ebook file only available at the apple book store?

 

[bwana]

how much is it for a kindle? because IMO the iPad pwns the kindle. I don't have a problem reading off an LCD.

PS: can you page through PDF's, or is that some other type of ebook file only available at the apple book store?

I keep all my camera manuals on my iPhone - they're in pdf format and it handles them well. I dont expect the iPad to be any different.