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To answer your three points: 1) Hindsight is always 20/20 right? People were predicting that the no keyboard thing was such a deal breaker than together with t

by nanairo 16y ago

To answer your three points: 1) Hindsight is always 20/20 right? People were predicting that the no keyboard thing was such a deal breaker than together with the no replaceable battery, it would make the iPhone a failure. Obviously nobody here it's arguing that the iPhone is better because it doesn't have a keyboard: hey, if you could have your cake and eat it too, why not? But the point is that you need to make compromises, and by removing the keyboard Apple bet that the inconvenience was going to be more than made up by the advantages. Apparently they were right. 2) Yes, they were considered to be lacking though not as much as you think. In fact, many people complained about the iPhone because it couldn't do everything their smartphone could. Also knowing you have a problem, and knowing how to solve it are two hugely different things. 3) The point was about netbooks. Many people bought them as a secondary computer, to carry around, browse the web, etc. The iPad may or may not be a netbook replacement, but it is not being considered as a replacement for your main computer. Apple had the balls to take a bet (as did Asus with the original netbook, imho) and won. Now suddenly it was obvious, not a big deal, etc.. etc...

kenjackson 16y ago
I disagree with your answers, but maybe in subtle ways. 1) The no keyboard thing was a deal breaker. But Apple did something no one had seen before. They introduced an exceptionally good onscreen keyboard. Miles ahead of the competition. They insight Apple had wasn't so much that we could just get rid of keyboards. It was that they could create a decent onscreen keyboard experience. To me, that is fundamentally different. Replaceable battery? The only people who cared about that are pundits who have to nitpick about everything. How many people do you know that have a backup battery. I think I literally know nobody who does. 2) My point with #2 was that smartphones as devices were considered to be extremely flawed. Satisfaction with their smartphone was very low. This would make it easy for a better device to effectively change the whole landscape as no one really had a high satisfaction device. 3) OK, I probably just read netbook as laptop. I do think you underestimate how big of a deal it is/was. Apple revolutionized the smartphone industry. My argument against the article is I think they did it via software, not by form factor.
- nanairo 16y ago
  Yeah, I think we kind of agree. Re: #1 personally I think the reason why Apple could make a good onscreen keyboard is because they tried, and tried hard. I don't think there was any secret sauce: it's kind of the only thing you can do if you decided to go full screen As for replaceable batteries I am with you... though when you read these sites it seems like everybody does mind. As for point #2 I think the point the author was making is along your same lines. Just that he feels netbooks have also got very poor satisfaction rates (and I actually think studies have shown that, unless you really know what you are getting or are a geek). As for hardware vs. software, I agree the secret sauce of Apple is in the software, but they also have a solid hardware, and in the hardware they often need to take the tough choices that others don't dare take.

by nanairo 16y ago

kenjackson 16y ago

I disagree with your answers, but maybe in subtle ways. 1) The no keyboard thing was a deal breaker. But Apple did something no one had seen before. They introduced an exceptionally good onscreen keyboard. Miles ahead of the competition. They insight Apple had wasn't so much that we could just get rid of keyboards. It was that they could create a decent onscreen keyboard experience. To me, that is fundamentally different. Replaceable battery? The only people who cared about that are pundits who have to nitpick about everything. How many people do you know that have a backup battery. I think I literally know nobody who does. 2) My point with #2 was that smartphones as devices were considered to be extremely flawed. Satisfaction with their smartphone was very low. This would make it easy for a better device to effectively change the whole landscape as no one really had a high satisfaction device. 3) OK, I probably just read netbook as laptop. I do think you underestimate how big of a deal it is/was. Apple revolutionized the smartphone industry. My argument against the article is I think they did it via software, not by form factor.

nanairo 16y ago
Yeah, I think we kind of agree. Re: #1 personally I think the reason why Apple could make a good onscreen keyboard is because they tried, and tried hard. I don't think there was any secret sauce: it's kind of the only thing you can do if you decided to go full screen As for replaceable batteries I am with you... though when you read these sites it seems like everybody does mind. As for point #2 I think the point the author was making is along your same lines. Just that he feels netbooks have also got very poor satisfaction rates (and I actually think studies have shown that, unless you really know what you are getting or are a geek). As for hardware vs. software, I agree the secret sauce of Apple is in the software, but they also have a solid hardware, and in the hardware they often need to take the tough choices that others don't dare take.