6 ms·

Ten Theses on Tablets

91 points by jackowayed 16y ago

stcredzero 16y ago
I can't decide if Apple is going to come out with a 7" tablet or not. There's definitely a place for something that fits into a labcoat but offers a lot more screen real estate than a phone. On the con side, there's also something to be said for concentrating one's efforts on just a few offerings.
- lukifer 16y ago
  I don't think it's an if, it's a how and a when. The advantages of a tablet that's easily held in one hand are just too many, and if they wait, the various Android devices are going to noticeably eat their lunch. I'm sure that Apple has had numerous sizes brewing in R&D since the beginning; the big obstacle is how they'll deal with the software platform. Will devs have three form factors to target when developing iOS, or will a 6-8" iPad have the exact same ratio and resolution as the old one so that everything "just works"?
  - stcredzero 16y ago
    I'd rather have a 7" tablet that works just like an iPod touch.
- cletus 16y ago
  I disagree that Apple are going to come out with a 7" iPad in the short or even medium term. Years from now? Who knows? I think the divide with form factors is: does it fit in your pocket? 3-4" phone? Yes. 10"? No. 7"? Still no. I believe there are so many more use cases for 10" that Apple didn't just pick that number out of a hat. For example, I own a Sony Reader (6"). Great for reading novels. Terrible for technical books (and, by extension, textbooks). I can hold my iPad on one hand. Thing is though, I don't. I really don't know what the use case is for holding it one handed. It's always sitting on a table or desk, on my lap or on my chest (if lying down).
  - natrius 16y ago
    I've recently acquired a... satchel? Man bag? Okay, it's basically a purse. My iPad is slightly too big to fit inside comfortably. A 7" tablet would probably be the perfect size for that.
    - cletus 16y ago
      Must be pretty small. I have a small backpack that can be used as a satchel. It fits a 13" Macbook Pro (or, obviously, an iPad comfortably).
      - natrius 16y ago
        It is pretty small: http://www.zappos.com/tumi-alpha-travel-small-flap-body-bag-black http://www.zappos.com/tumi-alpha-travel-small-flap-body-bag-...
        deleted 16y ago
        [deleted]
    - bruceboughton 16y ago
      I've recently bought a new wallet. The iPad doesn't fit in that either...
      - natrius 16y ago
        If we assume that most people want the largest screen that they can comfortably carry around with them, there are a lot of people who could fit 7" in a purse-like sack, but can't fit the 10" iPad.
  - mortenjorck 16y ago
    The problem that Apple faces here is one of fragmentation. The UI on the 9.7" iPad isn't just going to scale down to a 7" without any problems -- look at the difference between using the portrait and landscape keyboards, and now imagine that kind of difference in physical scale applied to everything else in the UI. So, that means they'll have to retool the iOS UI conventions once again. Which means a third target. Universal apps will now have to have usable interfaces on iPhones, big iPads, and small iPads. It seems like a lot of effort to support something bridging a relatively small gap, and I don't think Apple is going to see that as necessary until the tablet market has matured a lot more.
lionhearted 16y ago
Good article. You know how people tend to forget their stupid ideas over time and think they're smarter? I just want to publicly own that I thought tablets weren't going to be a big deal before the iPad launch. I thought Apple fans would buy it, but then it wouldn't take off. I was mistaken. I'm already starting to re-write my memory with, "Oh yeah, of course it was going to be big" so I wanted to publicly own my poor prediction before my mind conveniently rewrites itself.
- kenjackson 16y ago
  I think you're in good company. My thought process timeline: Before Apple announces: Tablets are dead. Typing is just too convenient, and I don't want an underpowered laptop (which a lot of tablets were, with touch screens). During the 1st half of the Apple announcement: This thing is ugly, and is really just a big iPhone. FAIL. During the 2nd half of the Apple announcement: Since when did the Apple tax become the Apple discount? At those prices, I'll take two! And it slowly began dawning on me that it being a "big iPhone" was actually genius. How did so few people grok that this was the exact right thing to do? Now it's just common knowledge that upsizing your touch phone OS is a smart thing to do. After getting my first one: Two heavy, but it was clear that at 7" the iPad is with me everywhere. Even at 10", while not ideal for me, I can see it being great for a lot of people. The evolution on how people feel about the tablet is an interesting and complex one. I give Apple the credit for making me a believer.
  - glhaynes 16y ago
    Your timeline made me smile and remember my experience on iPad introduction day. 5 minutes before keynote: "Well one thing we can be sure of, it's not just gonna be a big iPhone! haha" During: "Hmmmm... it's really just a big iPhone? Kinda cool for some people I guess, but it's certainly not for me." Later that evening, after thinking about it for a while: "Oh, of course! A big iPhone! What else would it be?"
- bruceboughton 16y ago
  BTW, I think the verb you're after is "own up (to)". I agree with your post though.
seltzered 16y ago
Let's assume the device is focused on creativity - drawing and writing (also assume the device records pen input well and has a retina screen): 10" tablet screen size ~~ display size of a legal pad. 7" tablet screen size ~~ display size of a large todo pad. I like using a legal pad already for drawing/note-taking, but if the fact that it's electronic let's me express what I want with less screen space, It may be worth getting something smaller. ### I also can't get around the author's idea of carrying an EVO in my pocket. Especially If I plan to use the same device while running/cramming into jeans/etc. It's definately a great purse-able phone for women though.
- jrockway 16y ago
  Not sure what you're saying about the Evo. I have one and it fits into my jeans pocket just fine. It's not even that awkward to shove a Blackberry in there with it.
  - bruceboughton 16y ago
    If you're saying you can fit 2 phones in your pocket, you're kind of missing the point.
    - jrockway 16y ago
      The point being that you are three feet tall and have a 12" waist?
- smackfu 16y ago
  What kind of legal pad are you talking about? My iPad screen is about half the size of a piece of paper, so that would be a junior legal pad at best.
  - glhaynes 16y ago
    I had to hold up a piece of letter sized paper to my iPad to verify this. Funny, I think of the iPad as more like 80% of the size of a piece of paper, but in actuality, you're right: it's more like 50%.
cletus 16y ago
When the iPad was announced I was on the fence but what became apparent rather quickly was that there was an clear divide in opinion between those who had used the device and those that hadn't. Many pundits argued against its success on the basis that it couldn't replace any existing niche. While true, it created its own niche and replaced several devices for some of their functions. But in no way did I predict the runaway success of the iPad. After that became apparent I did make one prediction that I'll stand by: many clones will be announced, only a few of them will ship and they'll suck for at least the first year. Maybe two. We're in year what? 9? of the iPod and yet the competition still isn't as slick. I see the same future for the iPad. There will be the iPad and "the rest". As for Tim's arguments: 1. Phones aren't going away: agreed. 2. Pocket creep: disagree. I like the size of the iPhone 4. The 4"+ phones just seem a little too big; 3. 10" for sharing: I don't really accept the premise. I view the iPad as a very personal (even intimate) computing device. Passing it back and forth isn't really what I'd call sharing. You can do that with anything you can pick up. Sharing I would view as two or more people looking at it at the same time; 4. 7" for personal: disagree. Many people, myself include, love the size of the iPad. Eyesight comes into this as well, particularly for older users. 7" to me fails the pocket test and (imho) the pocket test will be the differentiator in form factors. Also regarding weight: on the couch it sits on your lap. When lying down you rest it on your chest. When at a desk or table it's on that surface. On a plane I rest my arm on the armrest or lap and hold the iPad. Basically I'm never holding it in the air. I believe this is a common "beginner mistake". It's natural but you quickly learn better. Another common error: holding it by it's edge rather than your hand underneath in the center of gravity, which is much much easier. 5. No bigger: agree. 6. Battery life: agree. It seems Apple will be the king of battery life for some time to come. 7. Cameras: disagree. Cameras work for PCs and notebooks because the position (at the top of the screen, typically) is eye level. In none of the aforementioned positions would a front facing camera be at a natural or flattering position. I'm not saying cameras won't be added but I don't think the use case is as compelling as some make out. Basically, who wants to look up someone's nostrils? As for rear cameras, the weight issue once again comes into play. No one wants to hold it up. 8. Creativity: creative people will do creative things on tablets. Uncreative people won't. It's really as simple as that. Frankly, I found the argument that the iPad is purely a consumption device to be condescending, even pretentious. I do agree that you won't see any serious programming done on tablets. You need a keyboard, mouse and large display for that. 9. Aspect ratio: I can't see these things going to 16:10 or 16:9. They simply don't have the height for it (I make the same argument when some people inexplicably buy 19" widescreen monitors: they're letter boxes). 10. Games: tablets are great for these. I certainly play Angry Birds on my iPad. Where I believe the Galaxy Tab really falls down is that it seems to be tied to carriers and a 2 year contract. That's a big fail right there and something the iPad got absolutely right. Leaked prices also suggest it's $399... on a 2 year contract.
jrockway 16y ago
Copenhagen has a wrong part?
zacharypinter 16y ago
I'd be curious to try out a 7" tablet. Right now, the iPad seems like the perfect size for reading technical PDF's. I don't think (but am not sure) that a 7" tablet would accomplish that well.
- smackfu 16y ago
  Even on the iPad, the display is only the size of a half-sheet of paper.
glhaynes 16y ago
I found it surprising how little experience he seems to have with the iPad — he even says he hasn't played any games on one. If I were in his position I'd have dabbled with every major genre of app at least a little bit to get a feel for what this new category of devices is like and what the possibilities/strengths/weaknesses are... hell, I've done that and I'm just a consumer/pretend-iPad-developer.
bergie 16y ago
I've completely stopped using my laptop at home in favor of the iPad. Tablet is for casual browsing and eBooks, the laptop is for "real work". This distinction helps quite a bit with the work-life balance. Now tablets are obviously quite a new form factor, and so I'm waiting with interest on when there will be actual "work apps" for one of them. I've already done a bit of on-device software development with my N900 phone (there is even Git available there!), but the input devices can be limited for this. Maybe a win for "special character -free" languages like Python and Genie ;-)

91 points by jackowayed 16y ago

I can't decide if Apple is going to come out with a 7" tablet or not. There's definitely a place for something that fits into a labcoat but offers a lot more screen real estate than a phone. On the con side, there's also something to be said for concentrating one's efforts on just a few offerings.

lukifer 16y ago
I don't think it's an if, it's a how and a when. The advantages of a tablet that's easily held in one hand are just too many, and if they wait, the various Android devices are going to noticeably eat their lunch. I'm sure that Apple has had numerous sizes brewing in R&D since the beginning; the big obstacle is how they'll deal with the software platform. Will devs have three form factors to target when developing iOS, or will a 6-8" iPad have the exact same ratio and resolution as the old one so that everything "just works"?
- stcredzero 16y ago
  I'd rather have a 7" tablet that works just like an iPod touch.
cletus 16y ago
I disagree that Apple are going to come out with a 7" iPad in the short or even medium term. Years from now? Who knows? I think the divide with form factors is: does it fit in your pocket? 3-4" phone? Yes. 10"? No. 7"? Still no. I believe there are so many more use cases for 10" that Apple didn't just pick that number out of a hat. For example, I own a Sony Reader (6"). Great for reading novels. Terrible for technical books (and, by extension, textbooks). I can hold my iPad on one hand. Thing is though, I don't. I really don't know what the use case is for holding it one handed. It's always sitting on a table or desk, on my lap or on my chest (if lying down).
- natrius 16y ago
  I've recently acquired a... satchel? Man bag? Okay, it's basically a purse. My iPad is slightly too big to fit inside comfortably. A 7" tablet would probably be the perfect size for that.
  - cletus 16y ago
    Must be pretty small. I have a small backpack that can be used as a satchel. It fits a 13" Macbook Pro (or, obviously, an iPad comfortably).
    - natrius 16y ago
      It is pretty small: http://www.zappos.com/tumi-alpha-travel-small-flap-body-bag-black http://www.zappos.com/tumi-alpha-travel-small-flap-body-bag-...
      - deleted 16y ago
        [deleted]
  - bruceboughton 16y ago
    I've recently bought a new wallet. The iPad doesn't fit in that either...
    - natrius 16y ago
      If we assume that most people want the largest screen that they can comfortably carry around with them, there are a lot of people who could fit 7" in a purse-like sack, but can't fit the 10" iPad.
- mortenjorck 16y ago
  The problem that Apple faces here is one of fragmentation. The UI on the 9.7" iPad isn't just going to scale down to a 7" without any problems -- look at the difference between using the portrait and landscape keyboards, and now imagine that kind of difference in physical scale applied to everything else in the UI. So, that means they'll have to retool the iOS UI conventions once again. Which means a third target. Universal apps will now have to have usable interfaces on iPhones, big iPads, and small iPads. It seems like a lot of effort to support something bridging a relatively small gap, and I don't think Apple is going to see that as necessary until the tablet market has matured a lot more.

lionhearted 16y ago

Good article. You know how people tend to forget their stupid ideas over time and think they're smarter? I just want to publicly own that I thought tablets weren't going to be a big deal before the iPad launch. I thought Apple fans would buy it, but then it wouldn't take off. I was mistaken. I'm already starting to re-write my memory with, "Oh yeah, of course it was going to be big" so I wanted to publicly own my poor prediction before my mind conveniently rewrites itself.

kenjackson 16y ago
I think you're in good company. My thought process timeline: Before Apple announces: Tablets are dead. Typing is just too convenient, and I don't want an underpowered laptop (which a lot of tablets were, with touch screens). During the 1st half of the Apple announcement: This thing is ugly, and is really just a big iPhone. FAIL. During the 2nd half of the Apple announcement: Since when did the Apple tax become the Apple discount? At those prices, I'll take two! And it slowly began dawning on me that it being a "big iPhone" was actually genius. How did so few people grok that this was the exact right thing to do? Now it's just common knowledge that upsizing your touch phone OS is a smart thing to do. After getting my first one: Two heavy, but it was clear that at 7" the iPad is with me everywhere. Even at 10", while not ideal for me, I can see it being great for a lot of people. The evolution on how people feel about the tablet is an interesting and complex one. I give Apple the credit for making me a believer.
- glhaynes 16y ago
  Your timeline made me smile and remember my experience on iPad introduction day. 5 minutes before keynote: "Well one thing we can be sure of, it's not just gonna be a big iPhone! haha" During: "Hmmmm... it's really just a big iPhone? Kinda cool for some people I guess, but it's certainly not for me." Later that evening, after thinking about it for a while: "Oh, of course! A big iPhone! What else would it be?"
bruceboughton 16y ago
BTW, I think the verb you're after is "own up (to)". I agree with your post though.

seltzered 16y ago

Let's assume the device is focused on creativity - drawing and writing (also assume the device records pen input well and has a retina screen): 10" tablet screen size ~~ display size of a legal pad. 7" tablet screen size ~~ display size of a large todo pad. I like using a legal pad already for drawing/note-taking, but if the fact that it's electronic let's me express what I want with less screen space, It may be worth getting something smaller. ### I also can't get around the author's idea of carrying an EVO in my pocket. Especially If I plan to use the same device while running/cramming into jeans/etc. It's definately a great purse-able phone for women though.

jrockway 16y ago
Not sure what you're saying about the Evo. I have one and it fits into my jeans pocket just fine. It's not even that awkward to shove a Blackberry in there with it.
- bruceboughton 16y ago
  If you're saying you can fit 2 phones in your pocket, you're kind of missing the point.
  - jrockway 16y ago
    The point being that you are three feet tall and have a 12" waist?
smackfu 16y ago
What kind of legal pad are you talking about? My iPad screen is about half the size of a piece of paper, so that would be a junior legal pad at best.
- glhaynes 16y ago
  I had to hold up a piece of letter sized paper to my iPad to verify this. Funny, I think of the iPad as more like 80% of the size of a piece of paper, but in actuality, you're right: it's more like 50%.

cletus 16y ago

When the iPad was announced I was on the fence but what became apparent rather quickly was that there was an clear divide in opinion between those who had used the device and those that hadn't. Many pundits argued against its success on the basis that it couldn't replace any existing niche. While true, it created its own niche and replaced several devices for some of their functions. But in no way did I predict the runaway success of the iPad. After that became apparent I did make one prediction that I'll stand by: many clones will be announced, only a few of them will ship and they'll suck for at least the first year. Maybe two. We're in year what? 9? of the iPod and yet the competition still isn't as slick. I see the same future for the iPad. There will be the iPad and "the rest". As for Tim's arguments: 1. Phones aren't going away: agreed. 2. Pocket creep: disagree. I like the size of the iPhone 4. The 4"+ phones just seem a little too big; 3. 10" for sharing: I don't really accept the premise. I view the iPad as a very personal (even intimate) computing device. Passing it back and forth isn't really what I'd call sharing. You can do that with anything you can pick up. Sharing I would view as two or more people looking at it at the same time; 4. 7" for personal: disagree. Many people, myself include, love the size of the iPad. Eyesight comes into this as well, particularly for older users. 7" to me fails the pocket test and (imho) the pocket test will be the differentiator in form factors. Also regarding weight: on the couch it sits on your lap. When lying down you rest it on your chest. When at a desk or table it's on that surface. On a plane I rest my arm on the armrest or lap and hold the iPad. Basically I'm never holding it in the air. I believe this is a common "beginner mistake". It's natural but you quickly learn better. Another common error: holding it by it's edge rather than your hand underneath in the center of gravity, which is much much easier. 5. No bigger: agree. 6. Battery life: agree. It seems Apple will be the king of battery life for some time to come. 7. Cameras: disagree. Cameras work for PCs and notebooks because the position (at the top of the screen, typically) is eye level. In none of the aforementioned positions would a front facing camera be at a natural or flattering position. I'm not saying cameras won't be added but I don't think the use case is as compelling as some make out. Basically, who wants to look up someone's nostrils? As for rear cameras, the weight issue once again comes into play. No one wants to hold it up. 8. Creativity: creative people will do creative things on tablets. Uncreative people won't. It's really as simple as that. Frankly, I found the argument that the iPad is purely a consumption device to be condescending, even pretentious. I do agree that you won't see any serious programming done on tablets. You need a keyboard, mouse and large display for that. 9. Aspect ratio: I can't see these things going to 16:10 or 16:9. They simply don't have the height for it (I make the same argument when some people inexplicably buy 19" widescreen monitors: they're letter boxes). 10. Games: tablets are great for these. I certainly play Angry Birds on my iPad. Where I believe the Galaxy Tab really falls down is that it seems to be tied to carriers and a 2 year contract. That's a big fail right there and something the iPad got absolutely right. Leaked prices also suggest it's $399... on a 2 year contract.

jrockway 16y ago

Copenhagen has a wrong part?

zacharypinter 16y ago

I'd be curious to try out a 7" tablet. Right now, the iPad seems like the perfect size for reading technical PDF's. I don't think (but am not sure) that a 7" tablet would accomplish that well.

smackfu 16y ago
Even on the iPad, the display is only the size of a half-sheet of paper.

glhaynes 16y ago

I found it surprising how little experience he seems to have with the iPad — he even says he hasn't played any games on one. If I were in his position I'd have dabbled with every major genre of app at least a little bit to get a feel for what this new category of devices is like and what the possibilities/strengths/weaknesses are... hell, I've done that and I'm just a consumer/pretend-iPad-developer.

bergie 16y ago

I've completely stopped using my laptop at home in favor of the iPad. Tablet is for casual browsing and eBooks, the laptop is for "real work". This distinction helps quite a bit with the work-life balance. Now tablets are obviously quite a new form factor, and so I'm waiting with interest on when there will be actual "work apps" for one of them. I've already done a bit of on-device software development with my N900 phone (there is even Git available there!), but the input devices can be limited for this. Maybe a win for "special character -free" languages like Python and Genie ;-)