5 ms·

The iPad is the first Personal Computer-- what you have is a work computer.

48 points by colinplamondon 17y ago

vgurgov 17y ago
Ok, after so many ppl explained why iPad is cool/suck, am i the only one who truly dont care at the moment and prefer to wait a bit to test how ppl will adopt it?
- KirinDave 17y ago
  Sorry, but we probably can't. Those of us waiting on Saturday orders are a little jumpy right now.
stcredzero 17y ago
You don’t sit it down in your lap, the screen doesn’t come up and block reality- it’s something you pick up and hold. And, like a book, you can simply put it down. A wonderfully concise way of putting the key difference. It’s the first Personal Computer- good for hanging out in the living room, terrible for ‘real’ work. That’s why it’s fantastic! However, this misses the mark. It's only a matter of time before we iron out the kinks and such interfaces are used for work.
- blhack 17y ago
  I still don't see this (the iPad as something for work, I mean). Does most people's version of "work" consist of setting something down on a table, and then never breathing on it? This idea of a tablet as a work device has been solved many many many times already and is already extremely successful; it's called a toughbook and it is a wonderful machine. I have guys drop their toughbooks, use them in the rain, use them when their fingers are covered in grease, I've had toughbook get run over, and left in hot cars for a day. There is absolutely no possible way that the iPad could survive in these conditions. Howabout doctors? Lots of people are claiming that doctors are going to be all over this...why? How is this different then the myriad of tablets that are already available? I've heard people praise the iPhone's interface as some marvel of modern design, but really? I've had mine for about a week and a half now and I cannot TELL you how much I miss buttons that do things. The phone's interface feels like there was a lot of shoehorning to get it to work with only a few buttons. I really miss my blackberry. My iPhone is great for updating my twitter status and making people laugh by having them sing into the "I am T-Pain" app, but it is absolutely not in any way something that is designed for work. We'll see, but I think that the iPad is just going to be an iPhone SUPER, and I think that we've already seen why the iPhone doesn't work as a business tool (at least not for the people I've met). I replaced a few people at work's blackberries with iPhones because they begged and begged for them [I talked to their boss and had them set up the iPhone as a sales incentive for them, it worked really well, actually :)] and after about a week they started crying for the return of their blackberry. My opinion is that the iPad will be the same story.
  - Tichy 17y ago
    Probably very good for traveling salesmen, who can use it to draw up fancy charts for their clients.
  - philwelch 17y ago
    Yeah, toughbooks tablets are pretty neat. They're also about 3 pounds and are full blown PC's, which sounds great but most workplaces have to endure much higher costs from maintaining and administering full blown PC's than they'd endure from a more limited device.
    - stcredzero 17y ago
      I've had to do a phenomenal amount of tinkering to get my tc1100 tablet to a lovable level of slickness. (A 3lb slate form factor PC.) We're talking about weeks of research, trying out software, buying components off of eBay and one afternoon of disassembling the thing. The iPad is just about as useful to me after just one hour or so of App Store downloading. It's a bit faster to write posts with, even typing one handed. I haven't been able to sync the Bluetooth with my Plantronics 510 headset, though.
  - stcredzero 17y ago
    Does most people's version of "work" consist of setting something down on a table, and then never breathing on it? Oh, come on! That's the current capability. If you can't see potential capabilities which can be introduced in software, especially if you saw the Brushes part of the keynote, then you lose designer acumen points right there!
Tycho 17y ago
'The iPad's killer app is chilling out!' That's exactly what I think. I can picture this thing being passed casually around the living room so that family members or friends can look at photos or check out something on a webpage ('look at this!'). You can't really do that with a laptop, and it's not very appealing with a smartphone. I can imagine it becoming a staple of the lounge just like TV&remote or newspaper. Also I can see many workplaces adopting it to kit out their practices/garages/surgeries/kitchens like Star Trek... iPads bolted to the walls or mounted on stands etc.
kilian 17y ago
Nonsense, I have various everything-machines that can "transform" into either work computers or personal computers, depending on what I want them to do ;) Still, I want one.
rriepe 17y ago
I think "personal" was attached to let people know that it was a computer, but not the size of your living room. And not something you'd have to rent out by the hour. But still, good points. I don't know if I'm ready to shell out 500 bucks to chill and read stuff, but I know there are tons of people who will be.
mgcross 17y ago
Find and replace all instances of "iPad" with "netbook" and the article describes my netbook usage.
- KirinDave 17y ago
  The same is true for me and “laptop.” That doesn't mean either of our use cases are optimal.
  - mgcross 17y ago
    Agreed, but a small form factor netbook shares many more similarities with the iPad than a full-fledged laptop. My 9" EeePC is light and comfortable to use on the couch, in bed or even standing in line at the DMV. The keyboard is too small to do a lot of typing, but it's fine for quick emails or chat. The screen is too small and the processor too slow for Photoshop. Granted the iPad surely has a nicer screen. And if a netbook keyboard isn't being used, it's "dead weight" so to speak. But I've also used my netbook for work in a pinch (ftp, notepad++, vnc). So I suppose my EeePC falls _between_ an iPad and a laptop, which is good enough for me.
jasonlbaptiste 17y ago
Actually I think it's going to change how we work just as much. Think about it. iPad 3G + HTML 5 business web apps? No more software to install, constant connectivity, dynamic touch driven interfaces,etc. If that's not some Jetsons shit, then I don't know what is.
- jrockway 17y ago
  Dunno about this. Most of the spreadsheets I look at on a regular basis don't even fit onto a 30" display. "Real work" does not happen on 10" tablets.
- njharman 17y ago
  Exactly. Enterprise IT doesn't want "computers" for it's employees. They spend so much time locking down, reconfiguring, managing etc. PC's in the workplace. Build the few in house apps employees need as iPad apps or web pages and freakin be done. iPad with a keyboard and maybe bigger screen will be the netPC et al, done right.
peterwwillis 17y ago
Oh, jesus christ. Listen. Just because you can't do any actual work on an iPad doesn't mean I only have a "work computer." It's very rare I use my laptop for work. I use it for my personal tasks and entertainment and thus it is a personal computer. Now can we please stop with ridiculous comparisons like this?
- glhaynes 17y ago
  "you can't do any actual work on an iPad" That's a ridiculous claim. (Not that the article was of a much higher level of quality.)
  - mgcross 17y ago
    True, after all, there is an iWork suite of apps for the iPad.
    - glhaynes 17y ago
      Yep. And OmniGraffle (think Visio) and Brushes for painting and Evernote and on and on. Somehow this meme got started that this device is only capable of consumption and it just doesn't make a bit of sense.
- KirinDave 17y ago
  That's not what the article is saying. The article is saying that the iPad is optimized for personal tasks. A personal computer is (implicitly) optimized for work-related tasks. While you certainly can use your laptop/desktop/netbook to perform the same functions as an iPad, it may not be as natural or as comfortable to do so. I'm not sure I believe the author's analysis either. But the least we can do is represent it faithfully and not argue to straw men.
  - mquander 17y ago
    You're being way too kind to the author. He never tries to demonstrate any of the ways in which a personal computer is "optimized for work-related tasks." He just takes it as a given: "you can’t kick back and relax with a laptop." It's just bullshit, not an analysis.
mikeyur 17y ago
My mom wants one and that's how I know it's going to do well. Sidenote: Anyone order 2 and are willing to let the other go? Or are going to pick up in store and could grab another? I'd really like to get it 3 weeks before the international launch :P My friend tried to order 6 and Apple canceled all 3 of his orders :( If anyone can help me out @yurechko on twitter or m[]mikeyur[]com
- gloob 17y ago
  My experience has been rather the other way around: I've only heard two people so much as mention the iPad irl; one was an engineering student and the other is a techy as a hobby. The former wants one because its made by Apple, and the latter can't see the point. I don't think my mom's ever heard of it.
- glhaynes 17y ago
  I was absolutely convinced that my mom would never so much as send an email in her life. Last time I saw her, she brought up the iPad.
- Tichy 17y ago
  Could it just be the result of efficient advertising, though? Arguably iPods are very useless things, too (except for the iPod Touch maybe), yet they sold like hot cakes. Again I suspect it's because of advertising. Marketing is something Apple is REALLY good at. Also iPods were good for displaying status (maybe the only real use) - the same isn't true for an iPad you keep at home on your couch.
  - aero142 17y ago
    Wait, what? Useless? They play music. Or at least that is what I used mine for. YMMV.
    - Tichy 17y ago
      There were plenty of options for playing music otherwise. I think playing music while on the road is useless. Except maybe for some commuters on the train. But I don't think most buyers were commuters.
juhgfcgvhnjm 17y ago
The iPad isn't a computer. It has a cpu, but so does my toaster, it's a portable cableTV box. The point of a personal computer is that you are in charge, you create content, with an iPad you pay to download and watch other people's content. It's the difference between writing your own blog and reading the national enquirer
- jrockway 17y ago
  But... the icons have rounded corners. And unlimited 3G is only $30 a month. Don't you see that this is revolutionary?
  - juhgfcgvhnjm 17y ago
    Yes as a way of consuming content it's great (but so is any $100 screen with 3G - there is nothing iApple great) The point is that there is a fundemental difference. The first home computers let you create your own books/fanzines, then they let you make your own websites, then make your own albums and videos. This is going back to the 50s, you buy the hardware and pay to watch content made by large studios.
    - glhaynes 17y ago
      Why do you say I can't create a book or a fanzine on an iPad? What about Pages would keep a user from making a book? Mobile devices like iPads contribute heavily to websites by uploading text/photo content. Are they the best way to start from a blank new .html file and build your whole website by hand? No, but why do they need to be? We've got computers for that. There will be a ton of content created on iPads. I don't know why the fact that one of their main usages is likely to be for content consumption (seems like there's a hell of a lot of that going on on "computers", too) makes you think that's all they can do.
      - jrockway 17y ago
        Connect up a keyboard and a bigger screen, and sure, you can create a book on an iPad. There is nothing software-intensive about creating a book. The hard part is typing it in. (If you don't have a keyboard, that is.)
jcromartie 17y ago
I really want to work on it, too, though.
- jasonlbaptiste 17y ago
  Three words: Google Apps HTML5
Tichy 17y ago
I wonder how many people will bother to carry their iPad AND their notebook/netbook on the train or air plane. Maybe iPads will kill off netbooks, but at the moment I still doubt it somehow.
- Tycho 17y ago
  To be honest I'm amazed that anyone can be bothered carrying laptops or even netbooks about. To me they're good because you can move them easily from desk to desk, but the prospect of using a laptop 'out and about' and carrying it all day is singularly unappealing.
  - Tichy 17y ago
    The iPad is actually heavier than my subnotebook from 4 years ago, and I suppose also heavier than most present day netbooks. It's also heavier than a MB Air. I sometimes carry my notebook along when traveling. Not so much for just going to work at a cafe, but that might be because there are no really nice cafes around where I live.
    - Tycho 17y ago
      Are you sure about those weights? I thought the iPad weighed 1.5 pounds, which is surely lighter than a MB Air and judging by a quick Google search lighter than the lightest netbooks ("just under 2 pounds").
dpcan 17y ago
The key phrase in this article is "when you pick it up". Just think of how important it really is to be able to set your laptop down in front of you somewhere. Anywhere. What about holding a cup of coffee while browsing? Or writing? Just because people "want" one doesn't mean they are going to get "used". A lot will be purchased, sure, a lot of apps will be sold, but will it change personal computing forever? Nope. People will realize the laptop keyboard and form factor is a pretty sweet thing. Imagine trying to type your comments on HN using that keyboard on the iPad? Hmm.
- colinplamondon 17y ago
  I don't think the keyboard issue is really there- if you read the reviews thus far, most brand it as either good or acceptable. Apple is lightyears beyond anyone else in virtual keyboards, which will be shown off big time with iPad.
  - doron 17y ago
    Its interesting, i have been using swype beta on my droid for the last month or so, and it completely changed the way i type on the phone, i just had to type again on the iphone, and it struck me as almost anachronistic. A Swype like feature on the ipad can have great potential.
deleted 17y ago
[deleted]
deleted 17y ago
[deleted]
elblanco 17y ago
Yes, let's co-opt words so we can confuse consumers.
khelloworld 17y ago
To the all the people whining here and else where on the inter-webs: Is the iPad special? Heck yes it is. Show me a tablet computer other than the iPad that is as polished, has as much of a vibrant app store and does most of the things you'd expect from a freaking 10 inch small slate, I'll join you side. Is the iPad revolutionary and magical? Of course its all a joke -- never heard about marketing before? Bonus: """ The iPad isn't a computer. It has a cpu, but so does my toaster, it's a portable cableTV box. The point of a personal computer is that you are in charge, you create content, with an iPad you pay to download and watch other people's content. It's the difference between writing your own blog and reading the national enquirer """ The iPad is a 10 inch slate. Even if it had full blown OSX on it, I doubt it could be used for full blown "content creation." For light editing / writing work, there are apps on the app store to help you do that. If the iPad were to be a bigger slate, thats something different. But, for a 10 inch tablet..c'mon.
mmagin 17y ago
It seems like the downsides of the "work computer" as he's characterizing it are the fact that it encourages multitasking behavior. On the other hand, with the iPad/iPhone/iTouch platform multitasking is severely restricted, applications appear full-screen and there's a small (time) penalty in switching from one application to another (it's not as easy as alt/cmd-tab). It is ironically a good limitation for some situations. But, you can achieve the same thing by just doing one thing at a time. (And I think that's a lot better for a lot of work activities too.)
njharman 17y ago
> what you have is a work computer The 20+hours/wk playing games would beg to differ.

Ok, after so many ppl explained why iPad is cool/suck, am i the only one who truly dont care at the moment and prefer to wait a bit to test how ppl will adopt it?

KirinDave 17y ago
Sorry, but we probably can't. Those of us waiting on Saturday orders are a little jumpy right now.

stcredzero 17y ago

You don’t sit it down in your lap, the screen doesn’t come up and block reality- it’s something you pick up and hold. And, like a book, you can simply put it down. A wonderfully concise way of putting the key difference. It’s the first Personal Computer- good for hanging out in the living room, terrible for ‘real’ work. That’s why it’s fantastic! However, this misses the mark. It's only a matter of time before we iron out the kinks and such interfaces are used for work.

blhack 17y ago
I still don't see this (the iPad as something for work, I mean). Does most people's version of "work" consist of setting something down on a table, and then never breathing on it? This idea of a tablet as a work device has been solved many many many times already and is already extremely successful; it's called a toughbook and it is a wonderful machine. I have guys drop their toughbooks, use them in the rain, use them when their fingers are covered in grease, I've had toughbook get run over, and left in hot cars for a day. There is absolutely no possible way that the iPad could survive in these conditions. Howabout doctors? Lots of people are claiming that doctors are going to be all over this...why? How is this different then the myriad of tablets that are already available? I've heard people praise the iPhone's interface as some marvel of modern design, but really? I've had mine for about a week and a half now and I cannot TELL you how much I miss buttons that do things. The phone's interface feels like there was a lot of shoehorning to get it to work with only a few buttons. I really miss my blackberry. My iPhone is great for updating my twitter status and making people laugh by having them sing into the "I am T-Pain" app, but it is absolutely not in any way something that is designed for work. We'll see, but I think that the iPad is just going to be an iPhone SUPER, and I think that we've already seen why the iPhone doesn't work as a business tool (at least not for the people I've met). I replaced a few people at work's blackberries with iPhones because they begged and begged for them [I talked to their boss and had them set up the iPhone as a sales incentive for them, it worked really well, actually :)] and after about a week they started crying for the return of their blackberry. My opinion is that the iPad will be the same story.
- Tichy 17y ago
  Probably very good for traveling salesmen, who can use it to draw up fancy charts for their clients.
- philwelch 17y ago
  Yeah, toughbooks tablets are pretty neat. They're also about 3 pounds and are full blown PC's, which sounds great but most workplaces have to endure much higher costs from maintaining and administering full blown PC's than they'd endure from a more limited device.
  - stcredzero 17y ago
    I've had to do a phenomenal amount of tinkering to get my tc1100 tablet to a lovable level of slickness. (A 3lb slate form factor PC.) We're talking about weeks of research, trying out software, buying components off of eBay and one afternoon of disassembling the thing. The iPad is just about as useful to me after just one hour or so of App Store downloading. It's a bit faster to write posts with, even typing one handed. I haven't been able to sync the Bluetooth with my Plantronics 510 headset, though.
- stcredzero 17y ago
  Does most people's version of "work" consist of setting something down on a table, and then never breathing on it? Oh, come on! That's the current capability. If you can't see potential capabilities which can be introduced in software, especially if you saw the Brushes part of the keynote, then you lose designer acumen points right there!

Tycho 17y ago

'The iPad's killer app is chilling out!' That's exactly what I think. I can picture this thing being passed casually around the living room so that family members or friends can look at photos or check out something on a webpage ('look at this!'). You can't really do that with a laptop, and it's not very appealing with a smartphone. I can imagine it becoming a staple of the lounge just like TV&remote or newspaper. Also I can see many workplaces adopting it to kit out their practices/garages/surgeries/kitchens like Star Trek... iPads bolted to the walls or mounted on stands etc.

kilian 17y ago

Nonsense, I have various everything-machines that can "transform" into either work computers or personal computers, depending on what I want them to do ;) Still, I want one.

rriepe 17y ago

I think "personal" was attached to let people know that it was a computer, but not the size of your living room. And not something you'd have to rent out by the hour. But still, good points. I don't know if I'm ready to shell out 500 bucks to chill and read stuff, but I know there are tons of people who will be.

mgcross 17y ago

Find and replace all instances of "iPad" with "netbook" and the article describes my netbook usage.

KirinDave 17y ago
The same is true for me and “laptop.” That doesn't mean either of our use cases are optimal.
- mgcross 17y ago
  Agreed, but a small form factor netbook shares many more similarities with the iPad than a full-fledged laptop. My 9" EeePC is light and comfortable to use on the couch, in bed or even standing in line at the DMV. The keyboard is too small to do a lot of typing, but it's fine for quick emails or chat. The screen is too small and the processor too slow for Photoshop. Granted the iPad surely has a nicer screen. And if a netbook keyboard isn't being used, it's "dead weight" so to speak. But I've also used my netbook for work in a pinch (ftp, notepad++, vnc). So I suppose my EeePC falls _between_ an iPad and a laptop, which is good enough for me.

jasonlbaptiste 17y ago

Actually I think it's going to change how we work just as much. Think about it. iPad 3G + HTML 5 business web apps? No more software to install, constant connectivity, dynamic touch driven interfaces,etc. If that's not some Jetsons shit, then I don't know what is.

jrockway 17y ago
Dunno about this. Most of the spreadsheets I look at on a regular basis don't even fit onto a 30" display. "Real work" does not happen on 10" tablets.
njharman 17y ago
Exactly. Enterprise IT doesn't want "computers" for it's employees. They spend so much time locking down, reconfiguring, managing etc. PC's in the workplace. Build the few in house apps employees need as iPad apps or web pages and freakin be done. iPad with a keyboard and maybe bigger screen will be the netPC et al, done right.

peterwwillis 17y ago

Oh, jesus christ. Listen. Just because you can't do any actual work on an iPad doesn't mean I only have a "work computer." It's very rare I use my laptop for work. I use it for my personal tasks and entertainment and thus it is a personal computer. Now can we please stop with ridiculous comparisons like this?

glhaynes 17y ago
"you can't do any actual work on an iPad" That's a ridiculous claim. (Not that the article was of a much higher level of quality.)
- mgcross 17y ago
  True, after all, there is an iWork suite of apps for the iPad.
  - glhaynes 17y ago
    Yep. And OmniGraffle (think Visio) and Brushes for painting and Evernote and on and on. Somehow this meme got started that this device is only capable of consumption and it just doesn't make a bit of sense.
KirinDave 17y ago
That's not what the article is saying. The article is saying that the iPad is optimized for personal tasks. A personal computer is (implicitly) optimized for work-related tasks. While you certainly can use your laptop/desktop/netbook to perform the same functions as an iPad, it may not be as natural or as comfortable to do so. I'm not sure I believe the author's analysis either. But the least we can do is represent it faithfully and not argue to straw men.
- mquander 17y ago
  You're being way too kind to the author. He never tries to demonstrate any of the ways in which a personal computer is "optimized for work-related tasks." He just takes it as a given: "you can’t kick back and relax with a laptop." It's just bullshit, not an analysis.

mikeyur 17y ago

My mom wants one and that's how I know it's going to do well. Sidenote: Anyone order 2 and are willing to let the other go? Or are going to pick up in store and could grab another? I'd really like to get it 3 weeks before the international launch :P My friend tried to order 6 and Apple canceled all 3 of his orders :( If anyone can help me out @yurechko on twitter or m[]mikeyur[]com

gloob 17y ago
My experience has been rather the other way around: I've only heard two people so much as mention the iPad irl; one was an engineering student and the other is a techy as a hobby. The former wants one because its made by Apple, and the latter can't see the point. I don't think my mom's ever heard of it.
glhaynes 17y ago
I was absolutely convinced that my mom would never so much as send an email in her life. Last time I saw her, she brought up the iPad.
Tichy 17y ago
Could it just be the result of efficient advertising, though? Arguably iPods are very useless things, too (except for the iPod Touch maybe), yet they sold like hot cakes. Again I suspect it's because of advertising. Marketing is something Apple is REALLY good at. Also iPods were good for displaying status (maybe the only real use) - the same isn't true for an iPad you keep at home on your couch.
- aero142 17y ago
  Wait, what? Useless? They play music. Or at least that is what I used mine for. YMMV.
  - Tichy 17y ago
    There were plenty of options for playing music otherwise. I think playing music while on the road is useless. Except maybe for some commuters on the train. But I don't think most buyers were commuters.

juhgfcgvhnjm 17y ago

The iPad isn't a computer. It has a cpu, but so does my toaster, it's a portable cableTV box. The point of a personal computer is that you are in charge, you create content, with an iPad you pay to download and watch other people's content. It's the difference between writing your own blog and reading the national enquirer

jrockway 17y ago
But... the icons have rounded corners. And unlimited 3G is only $30 a month. Don't you see that this is revolutionary?
- juhgfcgvhnjm 17y ago
  Yes as a way of consuming content it's great (but so is any $100 screen with 3G - there is nothing iApple great) The point is that there is a fundemental difference. The first home computers let you create your own books/fanzines, then they let you make your own websites, then make your own albums and videos. This is going back to the 50s, you buy the hardware and pay to watch content made by large studios.
  - glhaynes 17y ago
    Why do you say I can't create a book or a fanzine on an iPad? What about Pages would keep a user from making a book? Mobile devices like iPads contribute heavily to websites by uploading text/photo content. Are they the best way to start from a blank new .html file and build your whole website by hand? No, but why do they need to be? We've got computers for that. There will be a ton of content created on iPads. I don't know why the fact that one of their main usages is likely to be for content consumption (seems like there's a hell of a lot of that going on on "computers", too) makes you think that's all they can do.
    - jrockway 17y ago
      Connect up a keyboard and a bigger screen, and sure, you can create a book on an iPad. There is nothing software-intensive about creating a book. The hard part is typing it in. (If you don't have a keyboard, that is.)

jcromartie 17y ago

I really want to work on it, too, though.

jasonlbaptiste 17y ago
Three words: Google Apps HTML5

Tichy 17y ago

I wonder how many people will bother to carry their iPad AND their notebook/netbook on the train or air plane. Maybe iPads will kill off netbooks, but at the moment I still doubt it somehow.

Tycho 17y ago
To be honest I'm amazed that anyone can be bothered carrying laptops or even netbooks about. To me they're good because you can move them easily from desk to desk, but the prospect of using a laptop 'out and about' and carrying it all day is singularly unappealing.
- Tichy 17y ago
  The iPad is actually heavier than my subnotebook from 4 years ago, and I suppose also heavier than most present day netbooks. It's also heavier than a MB Air. I sometimes carry my notebook along when traveling. Not so much for just going to work at a cafe, but that might be because there are no really nice cafes around where I live.
  - Tycho 17y ago
    Are you sure about those weights? I thought the iPad weighed 1.5 pounds, which is surely lighter than a MB Air and judging by a quick Google search lighter than the lightest netbooks ("just under 2 pounds").

dpcan 17y ago

The key phrase in this article is "when you pick it up". Just think of how important it really is to be able to set your laptop down in front of you somewhere. Anywhere. What about holding a cup of coffee while browsing? Or writing? Just because people "want" one doesn't mean they are going to get "used". A lot will be purchased, sure, a lot of apps will be sold, but will it change personal computing forever? Nope. People will realize the laptop keyboard and form factor is a pretty sweet thing. Imagine trying to type your comments on HN using that keyboard on the iPad? Hmm.

colinplamondon 17y ago
I don't think the keyboard issue is really there- if you read the reviews thus far, most brand it as either good or acceptable. Apple is lightyears beyond anyone else in virtual keyboards, which will be shown off big time with iPad.
- doron 17y ago
  Its interesting, i have been using swype beta on my droid for the last month or so, and it completely changed the way i type on the phone, i just had to type again on the iphone, and it struck me as almost anachronistic. A Swype like feature on the ipad can have great potential.

deleted 17y ago

[deleted]

deleted 17y ago

[deleted]

elblanco 17y ago

Yes, let's co-opt words so we can confuse consumers.

khelloworld 17y ago

To the all the people whining here and else where on the inter-webs: Is the iPad special? Heck yes it is. Show me a tablet computer other than the iPad that is as polished, has as much of a vibrant app store and does most of the things you'd expect from a freaking 10 inch small slate, I'll join you side. Is the iPad revolutionary and magical? Of course its all a joke -- never heard about marketing before? Bonus: """ The iPad isn't a computer. It has a cpu, but so does my toaster, it's a portable cableTV box. The point of a personal computer is that you are in charge, you create content, with an iPad you pay to download and watch other people's content. It's the difference between writing your own blog and reading the national enquirer """ The iPad is a 10 inch slate. Even if it had full blown OSX on it, I doubt it could be used for full blown "content creation." For light editing / writing work, there are apps on the app store to help you do that. If the iPad were to be a bigger slate, thats something different. But, for a 10 inch tablet..c'mon.

mmagin 17y ago

It seems like the downsides of the "work computer" as he's characterizing it are the fact that it encourages multitasking behavior. On the other hand, with the iPad/iPhone/iTouch platform multitasking is severely restricted, applications appear full-screen and there's a small (time) penalty in switching from one application to another (it's not as easy as alt/cmd-tab). It is ironically a good limitation for some situations. But, you can achieve the same thing by just doing one thing at a time. (And I think that's a lot better for a lot of work activities too.)

njharman 17y ago

> what you have is a work computer The 20+hours/wk playing games would beg to differ.