6 ms·

IPad screenshots make this thing seem less like a giant iPhone

39 points by Flemlord 17y ago

aresant 17y ago
Most people that have handled an iPad dismiss that it's just a larger iPod Touch - the old axiom a picture is worth a thousand words certainly applies here. For education / gaming / medicine / industrial / etc etc the apps we see for this format are going to be incredible.
- paulgb 17y ago
  > For education / gaming / medicine / industrial / etc etc the apps we see for this format are going to be incredible. I wonder how long Apple will be able to sustain the advantage though. In a year or so when Android tablets are available, I'd predict that any new medicine or industry projects would be more inclined to use an open-source tablet. If I were building, say, an e-ticket redemption system for events, and I decided to use off-the-shelf hardware, I would much prefer to build it on Android than iPhone or iPad simply because I would have more control of the devices and not be stuck with a single hardware supplier.
  - callmeed 17y ago
    "I'd predict that any new medicine or industry projects would be more inclined to use an open-source tablet." Really? What % of those industries have done that with operating systems and other past decisions?
    - vetinari 17y ago
      what % of those industries have used Macs in the past? There's a reason for that. The Android tablets have advantages, that are only indirectly caused by open source. Having a lot more control over the software, hardware and not to be beholden to a single supplier is invaluable in industrial use.
      - rubinelli 17y ago
        And the API is Java, not some strange language decision makers have never heard of. Big selling point for large corporations and government agencies.
    - paulgb 17y ago
      I'm not aware of any analogous examples. Apple controls the OS, the hardware, and the application distribution channel (I do know about enterprise distribution, but they still control that IIRC.) They've developed a reputation for not being the most friendly to developers, too. Why would you risk a business on that when there is an open source alternative with lots of hardware vendors and a huge corporate backer (Google)?
      - ErrantX 17y ago
        Google as a backer is a red herring. They aren't going to be necessairily any use in fixing your problems at 5am on a Monday morning... On the other hand apple will at least answer the phone when your developer rings them.
- zephjc 17y ago
  "Most people that have handled an iPad dismiss that it's just a larger iPod Touch" Is that a typo ("have handled" -> "haven't handled")? Because reports of actual hands-on use I've read have been glowing. First example I found from google: The iPad is something to be held and experienced, because so many of its advantages are tactile: how it feels in the hand, of course, but also how the software responds. (Where our opinions differ, we break them out.) - http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960 http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960
  - aresant 17y ago
    To clarify what I meant was: "dismiss the perception that it's just a larger iPod Touch" As in I've heard multiple times the iPad is just a big iPad touch, when in fact, it's quite a bit more.
    - zephjc 17y ago
      Gotcha, thank you!
- tel 17y ago
  A friend of mine at JHU is working on iPad integration in health system informatics. It's a great device and all, but the first thing doctors ask: Can this thing be autoclaved? I don't think Steve Jobs is thinking about that one. Android might be better off.
  - JoeAltmaier 17y ago
    Very interesting observation. This thing will be useful for "commercial/industrial" clients with a job to do e.g. people who already go around holding a clipboard. Its NOT a wanna-be IPod/IPhone/Kindle/Laptop.
johnrob 17y ago
Not being dreadfully slow will also make it unlike an iphone.
- iamcalledrob 17y ago
  I can attest to this. It seems that the new OS updates are really rather demanding, and my meagre 2G iPhone lags and stutters constantly. I had to disable shake-to-shuffle, because the poor little thing would lag for 5 or 10 seconds, and seemed to condense accelerometer input during that time, making it think it had been shaken when it had actually just been sitting in my pocket. I'm switching to Android next month hopefully, but that has little to do with hardware quality.
commieneko 17y ago
Brushes is going to be a big deal among people who can draw. The iPhone version is incredible, and the larger screen will make it more so.
- aaronblohowiak 17y ago
  kind of like a cintiq, only without pressure sensitivity
  - ugh 17y ago
    … and for half the price.
  - wollw 17y ago
    When the iPad was first announced it seemed like it could be a great digital sketchbook... until I found out it lacked pressure sensitivity. I know a lot of people have shown off the drawing abilities of the iPhone/iPod Touch but as long as it lacks this Apple is pretty much snubbing artists.
    - angumagu 17y ago
      This could be solved with a wireless pressure sensitive stylus with a capacitive tip. I think such a product would make digital artwork a killer app for the iPad.
      - allenp 17y ago
        This is pretty smart. I was thinking about cannibalizing an old Wacom and making a case for the iPad to sit in for drawing - your solution sounds more elegant.
    - ja2ke 17y ago
      Do the touch APIs let you look at the actual dimension of a finger press, or is it just an x/y coordinate? I mean, does the information come across as a circle or as total surface area lit up by the touch or anything? I don't know the tech behind the Apple touch stuff at all.
ARR 17y ago
"People thought Apple will revolutionize tablets, but they got an iPad. But to make a revolutionary tablet Apple just needed to increase the size of the iPhone." I don't remember where I read it but that line is awesome.
- stcredzero 17y ago
  Increasing screen real-estate has a non-linear effect on lots of UIs.
  - sumeeta 17y ago
    Example?
    - jacabado 17y ago
      I am not sure, and nobody can be, but isn't the web an example? When the most common resolution was 800x600 the graphical interface patterns were really bleh.
      - jraines 17y ago
        This is a good point. Sorry, I accidentally downvoted you while trying to upvote on my G1. Kind of ironic given the discussion.
      - wmf 17y ago
        IMO Web pages wider than 800px generally use the extra space for junk or whitespace.
        jacabado 17y ago
        That's true and probably the reason why interfaces improved so much. Whitespaces are a design element and what you call junk is somebody business need. The fact that the blank canvas got bigger on the web allowed to much better interface patterns, or maybe it was just a question of maturity. But I guess the most interesting discussion is not the visual part but the utilization scenarios of the Ipad. I'm not sold on it as a mobile device, but how many people use a laptop as a mobile device? Mobile phones are the first truly mobile devices. I'm just starting to notice Iphone owners on the middle of a crowd trying to text somebody, you have to hold it closer to the horizontal plane to have better accuracy making it less natural. I'm not sold on the Ipad as a mobile device, in the mobile phones sense, but I also don't think its success depends on it.
davidedicillo 17y ago
I also think that given the size we'll start see many more apps supporting more than 3 fingers at the same time
amatriain 17y ago
It's still crippleware. A lot of people have serious problems with the concept of "single-channel only" software.
- vetinari 17y ago
  This is something I also don't understand. Many people were opposed to introducing DRM, TC etc into Windows and PCs by Microsoft, Intel & co. But when Apple comes and takes the trusted computing much further than the original TC alliance dared to go (they didn't even think about not allowing running unsigned executables or being the only entity with root certificate), it makes eveything allright? Makes me wonder what happened to thought process of techies during last years.
  - yellowbkpk 17y ago
    On the contrary: I've heard nothing but criticism from "techies" about Apple's trusted computing model, but it doesn't matter: the majority of the people that pay for Apple products don't care because it Just Works(tm) for them.
    - glhaynes 17y ago
      Exactly. Provide a "rootable" platform that works as well and is as delightful for average customers as iPhone OS is and then you've got my interest. But until somebody shows that, this theoretical world of 'total device freedom' with users still having a worry-free experience sounds to me just like more of the same "Linux on the desktop is going to happen when the next release of Gnome comes out!" that I've been hearing for over a decade now. Users are asking for easy to use, fun devices. Not root. It's astonishing how many people working in the software industry look at something their customers are clamoring for, say to themselves "I don't want that!" and, because of that, ignore it. I used to think that this industry was worse off for being largely run by business/marketing people instead of techies, but the older I get, the less strongly I think that. The point of business is to make things for your customers. When you make things for yourself, that's a hobby. Yes, obviously, when you're your own customer and thus your work is also your hobby, that's a wonderful thing: for you and for your work. So here's a hint for techies: quit taking so much pride in how superior your taste is and how much smarter you are than your customers. That just means it's harder for you to "get into their head" and build what they want in a way they'll want it.

39 points by Flemlord 17y ago

Most people that have handled an iPad dismiss that it's just a larger iPod Touch - the old axiom a picture is worth a thousand words certainly applies here. For education / gaming / medicine / industrial / etc etc the apps we see for this format are going to be incredible.

paulgb 17y ago
> For education / gaming / medicine / industrial / etc etc the apps we see for this format are going to be incredible. I wonder how long Apple will be able to sustain the advantage though. In a year or so when Android tablets are available, I'd predict that any new medicine or industry projects would be more inclined to use an open-source tablet. If I were building, say, an e-ticket redemption system for events, and I decided to use off-the-shelf hardware, I would much prefer to build it on Android than iPhone or iPad simply because I would have more control of the devices and not be stuck with a single hardware supplier.
- callmeed 17y ago
  "I'd predict that any new medicine or industry projects would be more inclined to use an open-source tablet." Really? What % of those industries have done that with operating systems and other past decisions?
  - vetinari 17y ago
    what % of those industries have used Macs in the past? There's a reason for that. The Android tablets have advantages, that are only indirectly caused by open source. Having a lot more control over the software, hardware and not to be beholden to a single supplier is invaluable in industrial use.
    - rubinelli 17y ago
      And the API is Java, not some strange language decision makers have never heard of. Big selling point for large corporations and government agencies.
  - paulgb 17y ago
    I'm not aware of any analogous examples. Apple controls the OS, the hardware, and the application distribution channel (I do know about enterprise distribution, but they still control that IIRC.) They've developed a reputation for not being the most friendly to developers, too. Why would you risk a business on that when there is an open source alternative with lots of hardware vendors and a huge corporate backer (Google)?
    - ErrantX 17y ago
      Google as a backer is a red herring. They aren't going to be necessairily any use in fixing your problems at 5am on a Monday morning... On the other hand apple will at least answer the phone when your developer rings them.
zephjc 17y ago
"Most people that have handled an iPad dismiss that it's just a larger iPod Touch" Is that a typo ("have handled" -> "haven't handled")? Because reports of actual hands-on use I've read have been glowing. First example I found from google: The iPad is something to be held and experienced, because so many of its advantages are tactile: how it feels in the hand, of course, but also how the software responds. (Where our opinions differ, we break them out.) - http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960 http://db.tidbits.com/article/10960
- aresant 17y ago
  To clarify what I meant was: "dismiss the perception that it's just a larger iPod Touch" As in I've heard multiple times the iPad is just a big iPad touch, when in fact, it's quite a bit more.
  - zephjc 17y ago
    Gotcha, thank you!
tel 17y ago
A friend of mine at JHU is working on iPad integration in health system informatics. It's a great device and all, but the first thing doctors ask: Can this thing be autoclaved? I don't think Steve Jobs is thinking about that one. Android might be better off.
- JoeAltmaier 17y ago
  Very interesting observation. This thing will be useful for "commercial/industrial" clients with a job to do e.g. people who already go around holding a clipboard. Its NOT a wanna-be IPod/IPhone/Kindle/Laptop.

johnrob 17y ago

Not being dreadfully slow will also make it unlike an iphone.

iamcalledrob 17y ago
I can attest to this. It seems that the new OS updates are really rather demanding, and my meagre 2G iPhone lags and stutters constantly. I had to disable shake-to-shuffle, because the poor little thing would lag for 5 or 10 seconds, and seemed to condense accelerometer input during that time, making it think it had been shaken when it had actually just been sitting in my pocket. I'm switching to Android next month hopefully, but that has little to do with hardware quality.

commieneko 17y ago

Brushes is going to be a big deal among people who can draw. The iPhone version is incredible, and the larger screen will make it more so.

aaronblohowiak 17y ago
kind of like a cintiq, only without pressure sensitivity
- ugh 17y ago
  … and for half the price.
- wollw 17y ago
  When the iPad was first announced it seemed like it could be a great digital sketchbook... until I found out it lacked pressure sensitivity. I know a lot of people have shown off the drawing abilities of the iPhone/iPod Touch but as long as it lacks this Apple is pretty much snubbing artists.
  - angumagu 17y ago
    This could be solved with a wireless pressure sensitive stylus with a capacitive tip. I think such a product would make digital artwork a killer app for the iPad.
    - allenp 17y ago
      This is pretty smart. I was thinking about cannibalizing an old Wacom and making a case for the iPad to sit in for drawing - your solution sounds more elegant.
  - ja2ke 17y ago
    Do the touch APIs let you look at the actual dimension of a finger press, or is it just an x/y coordinate? I mean, does the information come across as a circle or as total surface area lit up by the touch or anything? I don't know the tech behind the Apple touch stuff at all.

ARR 17y ago

"People thought Apple will revolutionize tablets, but they got an iPad. But to make a revolutionary tablet Apple just needed to increase the size of the iPhone." I don't remember where I read it but that line is awesome.

stcredzero 17y ago
Increasing screen real-estate has a non-linear effect on lots of UIs.
- sumeeta 17y ago
  Example?
  - jacabado 17y ago
    I am not sure, and nobody can be, but isn't the web an example? When the most common resolution was 800x600 the graphical interface patterns were really bleh.
    - jraines 17y ago
      This is a good point. Sorry, I accidentally downvoted you while trying to upvote on my G1. Kind of ironic given the discussion.
    - wmf 17y ago
      IMO Web pages wider than 800px generally use the extra space for junk or whitespace.
      - jacabado 17y ago
        That's true and probably the reason why interfaces improved so much. Whitespaces are a design element and what you call junk is somebody business need. The fact that the blank canvas got bigger on the web allowed to much better interface patterns, or maybe it was just a question of maturity. But I guess the most interesting discussion is not the visual part but the utilization scenarios of the Ipad. I'm not sold on it as a mobile device, but how many people use a laptop as a mobile device? Mobile phones are the first truly mobile devices. I'm just starting to notice Iphone owners on the middle of a crowd trying to text somebody, you have to hold it closer to the horizontal plane to have better accuracy making it less natural. I'm not sold on the Ipad as a mobile device, in the mobile phones sense, but I also don't think its success depends on it.

davidedicillo 17y ago

I also think that given the size we'll start see many more apps supporting more than 3 fingers at the same time

amatriain 17y ago

It's still crippleware. A lot of people have serious problems with the concept of "single-channel only" software.

vetinari 17y ago
This is something I also don't understand. Many people were opposed to introducing DRM, TC etc into Windows and PCs by Microsoft, Intel & co. But when Apple comes and takes the trusted computing much further than the original TC alliance dared to go (they didn't even think about not allowing running unsigned executables or being the only entity with root certificate), it makes eveything allright? Makes me wonder what happened to thought process of techies during last years.
- yellowbkpk 17y ago
  On the contrary: I've heard nothing but criticism from "techies" about Apple's trusted computing model, but it doesn't matter: the majority of the people that pay for Apple products don't care because it Just Works(tm) for them.
  - glhaynes 17y ago
    Exactly. Provide a "rootable" platform that works as well and is as delightful for average customers as iPhone OS is and then you've got my interest. But until somebody shows that, this theoretical world of 'total device freedom' with users still having a worry-free experience sounds to me just like more of the same "Linux on the desktop is going to happen when the next release of Gnome comes out!" that I've been hearing for over a decade now. Users are asking for easy to use, fun devices. Not root. It's astonishing how many people working in the software industry look at something their customers are clamoring for, say to themselves "I don't want that!" and, because of that, ignore it. I used to think that this industry was worse off for being largely run by business/marketing people instead of techies, but the older I get, the less strongly I think that. The point of business is to make things for your customers. When you make things for yourself, that's a hobby. Yes, obviously, when you're your own customer and thus your work is also your hobby, that's a wonderful thing: for you and for your work. So here's a hint for techies: quit taking so much pride in how superior your taste is and how much smarter you are than your customers. That just means it's harder for you to "get into their head" and build what they want in a way they'll want it.