3 ms·

This is one thing I really don't get about the iPad. I learned a bit of ergonomics in college, and the iPad doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. If you are

This is one thing I really don't get about the iPad. I learned a bit of ergonomics in college, and the iPad doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. If you are sitting on your couch with your feet up dicking around on the internet (apparently the iPad primary use case), and you want to look at the screen at the proper viewing angle, either it needs to be tilted up by you holding it at an angle with your wrist (ergonomic no-no) or you need to tilt your head down (ergonomic no-no). Considering that you probably want to use your hands to tap on it, that means it is likely resting in your lap and your head is tilted down putting strain on your neck. Color me sensitive (broke my neck rock climbing about a year ago and still get some pains) but that doesn't sound fun over a long period of time. I really think the amazing thing about the iPad is the screen no the form factor. Give me a macbook pro with a multi-touch screen and dual boot Mac OS X and iPad OS. Tell me you wouldn't prefer that. When you want multitouch, you have it, when you want a keyboard, you have it. When you want to sit back and watch a movie you have a built in stand .

arohner 17y ago
Why dual boot? Why not 'just' make the iPhone OS an App on OSX? I hate rebooting on my MBP so much that I'll download Software Updates and then not reboot for weeks at a time.
jaaron 17y ago
What about the ergonomics of a book or magazine? Aren't those effectively the same as an iPad?
- dagw 17y ago
  A magazine is a lot lighter than the iPad, so that makes a huge difference. Also you don't have to continuously touch the pages of a magazine while using it, which is another significant difference. Finally a magazine is bendy meaning you can change it's size and shape if and when the need arises.
  - halostatue 17y ago
    Magazines may be lighter, but I'm fairly sure that the hardcover I'm reading right now (David Weber's A Mighty Fortress) is about as heavy as an iPad.
snom370 17y ago
When I want a keyboard, I have it with the external iPad keyboard. What I don't want is a half-assed multitouch implementation in OSX, and a half-assed mouse+keyboard implementation in iPhone OS, which is most likely what you'd get if Apple did such a thing. It's two different kinds of user interfaces, and they simply don't translate very well between each other. Then again, Microsoft may pull something magical out of its hat after 10 years of trying with their combo tablet laptops.

arohner 17y ago

Why dual boot? Why not 'just' make the iPhone OS an App on OSX? I hate rebooting on my MBP so much that I'll download Software Updates and then not reboot for weeks at a time.

jaaron 17y ago

What about the ergonomics of a book or magazine? Aren't those effectively the same as an iPad?

dagw 17y ago
A magazine is a lot lighter than the iPad, so that makes a huge difference. Also you don't have to continuously touch the pages of a magazine while using it, which is another significant difference. Finally a magazine is bendy meaning you can change it's size and shape if and when the need arises.
- halostatue 17y ago
  Magazines may be lighter, but I'm fairly sure that the hardcover I'm reading right now (David Weber's A Mighty Fortress) is about as heavy as an iPad.

snom370 17y ago

When I want a keyboard, I have it with the external iPad keyboard. What I don't want is a half-assed multitouch implementation in OSX, and a half-assed mouse+keyboard implementation in iPhone OS, which is most likely what you'd get if Apple did such a thing. It's two different kinds of user interfaces, and they simply don't translate very well between each other. Then again, Microsoft may pull something magical out of its hat after 10 years of trying with their combo tablet laptops.