4 ms·

I think this is actually a fairly even-handed look at the potential (both positive and negative) of the iPad. Even if the iPad is simply the spark that kicks of

by jnoller 17y ago

I think this is actually a fairly even-handed look at the potential (both positive and negative) of the iPad. Even if the iPad is simply the spark that kicks off the touch-tablet craze (iphone to nexus one anyone?) - it's still a significant game-changer. Will it displace desktops and laptops? Not for people who use them to get work done. Anyone writing a book probably won't use an iPad - nor will someone writing software, or doing accounting/etc. It will, however, one day replace the things "most" people use computers for - consuming media, articles, videos, writing short blogs, etc. At it's heart - it's a consumption device with some capabilities of creating. The content creation capabilities will simply get stronger with time (UX mockup tools, Keynote/presentation tools, sketching applications, etc). As the tablet/touch-interface market expands and more companies get in the game, things will only get better. More tablets will come, more 3rd party hardware addons will come - creators will be enabled. Do I wish it ran OSX-Full, instead of iPhone OS? Yes, but while I wish that, I also see the fact that using an OS designed for a touch-based system is superior than a normal OS with touch-based interactivity "bolted on". Anyone doubting how intuitive and natural a touch-based system is to work with should try handing an iPhone to a two year old. They can figure it out much more quickly than a mouse and keyboard. My poor daughter (my guinea pig) can pick up my iphone, switch screens, find and start her game(s) in seconds. She's still flummoxed by my laptop/touchpad and the little mouse icon on the screen.

replicatorblog 17y ago
"Even if the iPad is simply the spark that kicks off the touch-tablet craze (iphone to nexus one anyone?) - it's still a significant game-changer." Great point. I disagree about the iPad not being good for writing books. Won't Incase or Mophie come up with a $100 keyboard/case that turns this into a laptop? I think the app ecosystem will be greatly augmented by a hardware eco-system. I'm bullish on the platform.
- jnoller 17y ago
  Later in that comment I pointed that out - content creators will be enabled by third-party add ons, and other companies building "competitors" which further enable creation. I don't think that there is anything blocking creation on it - just that that's not the short-term aim.
  - joe_the_user 17y ago
    Nothing is blocking creation on the iPad except maybe Apple as the arbitrary gatekeeper of the App Store.
    - jnoller 17y ago
      And in that; nothing is blocking apps aimed at creators from the app store. Day one will see a new version of Pages and Keynote and at least one artist/painter/sketching application. The applications will make or break the device ultimately.
- joe_the_user 17y ago
  I doubt a third party keyboard will change things. I'm amazed how much the success or failure of sophisticated computer products depends on their default configuration - this would seem especially true in Apple space where the reason to pay Apple's hefty prices is "it just works", not "it works once you go out and buy an accessory that you now have to carry around and worry about loosing or breaking".
joe_the_user 17y ago
I'm going to start calling this claim that "its-the-computer-for-most-people-since-most-people-don't-seriously-use-computers" fallacy. Even if what most people use a computer for doesn't seem serious, they do it seriously and don't want to have to stop doing it after ten minutes because their machine is completely unergonomic (the Ipad is 1.5 pounds, trying holding that with one hand http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/ http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/) Just as much, if you peel students, office workers, tech professionals and artists away from "everyone", you've got a smaller "everyone" than you'd think (especially office workers). A lot of people don't do that much word processing on their machines. But a lot of people would unhappy if they couldn't do any word processing on their machine. The Internet has been more successful than any walled garden because people's needs are actually more varied than concept "consumer-end" allows for. I expect the Ipad's failure to reinforce this concept.
- greendestiny 17y ago
  Ok but if we're inventing fallacies then I'm going for "every-device-must-fulfil-all-your-needs" fallacy. I don't think iPad like devices are for average people, I think they're for just about everyone. It won't replace every computer usage, but rather than people rueing having to use these simple limited devices they'll be rueing having to boot up their big ugly expensive machines.
  - jnoller 17y ago
    That's relatively close for why I'm buying one - I don't want a laptop replacement. I want something more portable that does "just enough" of what I need and want to do on the go.
- jnoller 17y ago
  To quote someone else in the thread later on: "Because no one ever held a book steady in their hand for more than 15-20 minutes without getting tired..." I will be very interested to hear real-world feedback about the usage patterns and ergonomics of it as people really use it - and people will, including tech people, writers, bloggers, etc.
pmccool 17y ago
To me, the question isn't whether it'll replace desktops and laptops, but whether it'll replace paper. I'm not interested in an iPad as a laptop replacement, let alone a desktop replacement. I'm interested in whether I can carry one around instead of various notebooks, magazines, textbooks and so on. Touch-based is an important consideration. I find it impossible to use a laptop when standing up, e.g. on the train. I can, however, write in a notebook, read a book or what-have-you.
- jnoller 17y ago
  I hadn't thought of it as a replacement to paper - that's actually pretty interesting a concept. Have you seen the show Caprica on Sci-Fi? They actually use thin sheets of "something" (looks like paper) as a computer - so maybe your thought is more apt than my idea of drawing the laptop-to-tablet idea.

by jnoller 17y ago

replicatorblog 17y ago

"Even if the iPad is simply the spark that kicks off the touch-tablet craze (iphone to nexus one anyone?) - it's still a significant game-changer." Great point. I disagree about the iPad not being good for writing books. Won't Incase or Mophie come up with a $100 keyboard/case that turns this into a laptop? I think the app ecosystem will be greatly augmented by a hardware eco-system. I'm bullish on the platform.

jnoller 17y ago
Later in that comment I pointed that out - content creators will be enabled by third-party add ons, and other companies building "competitors" which further enable creation. I don't think that there is anything blocking creation on it - just that that's not the short-term aim.
- joe_the_user 17y ago
  Nothing is blocking creation on the iPad except maybe Apple as the arbitrary gatekeeper of the App Store.
  - jnoller 17y ago
    And in that; nothing is blocking apps aimed at creators from the app store. Day one will see a new version of Pages and Keynote and at least one artist/painter/sketching application. The applications will make or break the device ultimately.
joe_the_user 17y ago
I doubt a third party keyboard will change things. I'm amazed how much the success or failure of sophisticated computer products depends on their default configuration - this would seem especially true in Apple space where the reason to pay Apple's hefty prices is "it just works", not "it works once you go out and buy an accessory that you now have to carry around and worry about loosing or breaking".

joe_the_user 17y ago

I'm going to start calling this claim that "its-the-computer-for-most-people-since-most-people-don't-seriously-use-computers" fallacy. Even if what most people use a computer for doesn't seem serious, they do it seriously and don't want to have to stop doing it after ten minutes because their machine is completely unergonomic (the Ipad is 1.5 pounds, trying holding that with one hand http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/ http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/) Just as much, if you peel students, office workers, tech professionals and artists away from "everyone", you've got a smaller "everyone" than you'd think (especially office workers). A lot of people don't do that much word processing on their machines. But a lot of people would unhappy if they couldn't do any word processing on their machine. The Internet has been more successful than any walled garden because people's needs are actually more varied than concept "consumer-end" allows for. I expect the Ipad's failure to reinforce this concept.

greendestiny 17y ago
Ok but if we're inventing fallacies then I'm going for "every-device-must-fulfil-all-your-needs" fallacy. I don't think iPad like devices are for average people, I think they're for just about everyone. It won't replace every computer usage, but rather than people rueing having to use these simple limited devices they'll be rueing having to boot up their big ugly expensive machines.
- jnoller 17y ago
  That's relatively close for why I'm buying one - I don't want a laptop replacement. I want something more portable that does "just enough" of what I need and want to do on the go.
jnoller 17y ago
To quote someone else in the thread later on: "Because no one ever held a book steady in their hand for more than 15-20 minutes without getting tired..." I will be very interested to hear real-world feedback about the usage patterns and ergonomics of it as people really use it - and people will, including tech people, writers, bloggers, etc.

pmccool 17y ago

To me, the question isn't whether it'll replace desktops and laptops, but whether it'll replace paper. I'm not interested in an iPad as a laptop replacement, let alone a desktop replacement. I'm interested in whether I can carry one around instead of various notebooks, magazines, textbooks and so on. Touch-based is an important consideration. I find it impossible to use a laptop when standing up, e.g. on the train. I can, however, write in a notebook, read a book or what-have-you.

jnoller 17y ago
I hadn't thought of it as a replacement to paper - that's actually pretty interesting a concept. Have you seen the show Caprica on Sci-Fi? They actually use thin sheets of "something" (looks like paper) as a computer - so maybe your thought is more apt than my idea of drawing the laptop-to-tablet idea.