3 ms·

You can't convince fanboys that lack of features will eventually lead to pain for the users.

pyre 17y ago
To be fair, Apple might buckle on some of these issues in the future, but you're still making a gamble on that if you get the iPad thinking that those features will come later.
mechanical_fish 17y ago
You also can't convince nerds that excessive degrees of freedom are a serious usability problem. After all, doing six things at once while remembering the state of a bunch of invisible stateful objects -- tabs, background apps, file hierarchies -- is the nerd core skill. Meanwhile, I would note that Apple has apparently sold about 35 million iPod Touches: http://theappleblog.com/2010/01/28/ipod-touch-now-outselling-iphone/ http://theappleblog.com/2010/01/28/ipod-touch-now-outselling... ... which exhibit the exact same set of "missing features" as the iPad.
- jacquesm 17y ago
  But they exhibit at least two features the ipad lacks: - sub $300 pricing - fit in pockets
  - mechanical_fish 17y ago
    Pricing is a question of time. The iPod Touch launched at $300 and $400 price points. Now it starts at $199. You're right about the pocket factor: The iPad is a gamble, of course, which is what makes it interesting. It's hard to know, without trying, how many people will trade the inconvenience of a larger device for much more screen real estate, higher performance, and optional 3G networking. All we know is that there's a market for netbooks, a market for Kindles, and a market for iPod Touches, which seems to suggest that the potential market for the iPad -- which is both like and not like each of these things -- is worth sampling.
    - jacquesm 17y ago
      The problem I see with that is if you're going to lug something that size around a macbook air is 3 times as expensive, but a run-of-the-mill netbook is more powerful and a lot cheaper.
      - easp 17y ago
        The problem I see is that any netbook I lug around is going to be less useful than an iPad. The netbook screen is short and you pretty much have to use it in landscape orientation. The keyboard and trackpad are small and cramped. Also, I question "a lot more powerful." if you mean powerful in terms of range of apps or peripherals, then I see your point. If you are talking about raw performance, you are probably right, but I doubt the difference is going to be that significant. I have access to a netbook, but I almost never use it. There aren't many situations that I'd choose it over either my iPhone or my laptop. The size, runtime and interaction model of the iPad, on the other hand, suggests advantages over both a laptop and my iPhone for situations I'm in every day (not that I won't have me iPhone with me a. The same time).

pyre 17y ago

To be fair, Apple might buckle on some of these issues in the future, but you're still making a gamble on that if you get the iPad thinking that those features will come later.

mechanical_fish 17y ago

You also can't convince nerds that excessive degrees of freedom are a serious usability problem. After all, doing six things at once while remembering the state of a bunch of invisible stateful objects -- tabs, background apps, file hierarchies -- is the nerd core skill. Meanwhile, I would note that Apple has apparently sold about 35 million iPod Touches: http://theappleblog.com/2010/01/28/ipod-touch-now-outselling-iphone/ http://theappleblog.com/2010/01/28/ipod-touch-now-outselling... ... which exhibit the exact same set of "missing features" as the iPad.

jacquesm 17y ago
But they exhibit at least two features the ipad lacks: - sub $300 pricing - fit in pockets
- mechanical_fish 17y ago
  Pricing is a question of time. The iPod Touch launched at $300 and $400 price points. Now it starts at $199. You're right about the pocket factor: The iPad is a gamble, of course, which is what makes it interesting. It's hard to know, without trying, how many people will trade the inconvenience of a larger device for much more screen real estate, higher performance, and optional 3G networking. All we know is that there's a market for netbooks, a market for Kindles, and a market for iPod Touches, which seems to suggest that the potential market for the iPad -- which is both like and not like each of these things -- is worth sampling.
  - jacquesm 17y ago
    The problem I see with that is if you're going to lug something that size around a macbook air is 3 times as expensive, but a run-of-the-mill netbook is more powerful and a lot cheaper.
    - easp 17y ago
      The problem I see is that any netbook I lug around is going to be less useful than an iPad. The netbook screen is short and you pretty much have to use it in landscape orientation. The keyboard and trackpad are small and cramped. Also, I question "a lot more powerful." if you mean powerful in terms of range of apps or peripherals, then I see your point. If you are talking about raw performance, you are probably right, but I doubt the difference is going to be that significant. I have access to a netbook, but I almost never use it. There aren't many situations that I'd choose it over either my iPhone or my laptop. The size, runtime and interaction model of the iPad, on the other hand, suggests advantages over both a laptop and my iPhone for situations I'm in every day (not that I won't have me iPhone with me a. The same time).