7 ms·

It's amazing how many times I hear this same story about the iPad. When Jobs first introduced it I was skeptical. After seeing how adults and children alike hav

It's amazing how many times I hear this same story about the iPad. When Jobs first introduced it I was skeptical. After seeing how adults and children alike have taken to this device, it yet again proves that Jobs can see what others do not.

yalimgerger 15y ago
Indeed. He not only envision thinks but executes incredibly well. Microsoft's attempts to create tablet computers in the pre-iPad world look pretty embarrassing from where we are today.
- cmontgomeryb 15y ago
  I realise we were never able to hold the Microsoft Courier, but I think they were on the right track there and had they executed (yes - I realise this is where Apple won) the landscape may look different today. RIP Courier, you passed before your time.
  - yalimgerger 15y ago
    Oh I've forgotten about this completely. Thanks for reminding. Will read about it a little. :-)
  - emehrkay 15y ago
    From the couple of videos, that thing looked very confusing (cool though, but confusing). I would doubt that we'd hear stories like the one posted about the Courier.
- sjwright 15y ago
  Agreed. Gates had been pushing the tablet concept for 10 years, and it went nowhere. In contrast, the iPad smashed its way onto the marketplace within months of release. The only thing more astonishing than the iPad's success is that it comes off the heels of a dozen astonishing successes prior. The iPod was the first volley. The iTunes Store then revolutionised the entire freaking music industry. The iPhone then revolutionised the entire mobile marketplace. And how the #$*! is Apple dominating the laptop computer segment? Why is Apple the only ones making a compelling notebook that doesn't have a product name ripped from pages of a lawnmower parts supply catalogue?!?
  - yalimgerger 15y ago
    I am wondering the same. I actually wrote a blog about that as well, which outlines several way too obvious issues with laptops. :-) http://gerger.co/yalimslodge/2011/08/19/free-advice-to-the-remaining-pc-makers/ http://gerger.co/yalimslodge/2011/08/19/free-advice-to-the-r...
  - sid0 15y ago
    And how the #$! is Apple dominating the laptop computer segment?* Marketing obviously. The 2011 MacBook Pro I'm using right now is by far the most terrible laptop I've ever owned. It doesn't boot from USB, it doesn't sleep properly, brightness is broken, the WiFi antenna's range sucks... never again. Fuck Apple's shitty laptops. I'm getting a ThinkPad next time.
arethuza 15y ago
My wife's parents, both in their eighties, were both delighted when they played with one of our iPads even though they had previously shown no interest at all in any kind of computing device.
jinushaun 15y ago
I too was skeptical, having seen Microsoft fail at selling a tablet so many times, but bought one anyway so that I could use it as a "development device". I was shocked to find that only weeks later I preferred using the iPad over my computers most of the time. If it wasn't for coding, Office or Photoshop--aka making things--I would be iPad full time. Jobs really did what Gates couldn't with a tablet. Microsoft has been trying to sell tablets since Windows XP with absolutely no success. Jobs rightly showed that you can't cram a desktop OS into a tablet and call it a proper tablet. Their tablets never felt right because you always wished you had a mouse, keyboard and right click available to get anything done. With MS tablets, users felt like something was taken away. With the iPad, users felt like they had something added.
- WA 15y ago
  So what do you do on your iPad then except for surfing the web? I'm really curious as I don't see the point of an iPad right now.
  - roadnottaken 15y ago
    That's definitely one of the main things, but there are others. I suspect everyone has their own mix, like on a smartphone. For me it's probably: 35% web surfing 35% facetime chat with the wife 10% kindle app 10% random games and apps 10% watching shows and movies on the plane it's also fantastic if you have one of the video-out cables because you can just drag/drop hours and hours of movies onto it and then play them on any TV wherever you are. Netflix in bed (with the Netflix app) is also pretty good. There really is no "point" to having an iPad. It obviously doesn't do anything that you can't do without one. But it's a LOT easier to pick up and use than a laptop and if you have one you'll find it becoming your go-to device for a lot of things.
    - WA 15y ago
      Thanks for that. Well basically, most of the time I'm using a laptop (I'm a happy user of a new MacBook Air) for coding, surfing the web and, well, doing office stuff and that's it. I guess an iPad would be too much of a toy for me, but I'm curious anyways what people do with an iPad.
bluekeybox 15y ago
> When Jobs first introduced it I was skeptical We technologists are a jaded bunch; we underestimate the appeal that technology still holds to vast numbers of people outside of our narrow field. The potential for game-changing products like iPad is still there and is still huge. Our second biggest weakness is that we, having been either nerds or the "good kids" in school, hold dear a belief that the world is (or should be) a "fair" place where "pretty" is ranked below "smart" and where everything is judged on its own merit. Most people, for better or worse, do not think like that -- most people don't have the time to evaluate products on their own merit and, moreover, they don't even trust those who do (the logic goes: if you have so much time on your hands so as to compare products on their own merit, you must be doing something wrong with your life and therefore I will not follow your advice).

yalimgerger 15y ago

Indeed. He not only envision thinks but executes incredibly well. Microsoft's attempts to create tablet computers in the pre-iPad world look pretty embarrassing from where we are today.

cmontgomeryb 15y ago
I realise we were never able to hold the Microsoft Courier, but I think they were on the right track there and had they executed (yes - I realise this is where Apple won) the landscape may look different today. RIP Courier, you passed before your time.
- yalimgerger 15y ago
  Oh I've forgotten about this completely. Thanks for reminding. Will read about it a little. :-)
- emehrkay 15y ago
  From the couple of videos, that thing looked very confusing (cool though, but confusing). I would doubt that we'd hear stories like the one posted about the Courier.
sjwright 15y ago
Agreed. Gates had been pushing the tablet concept for 10 years, and it went nowhere. In contrast, the iPad smashed its way onto the marketplace within months of release. The only thing more astonishing than the iPad's success is that it comes off the heels of a dozen astonishing successes prior. The iPod was the first volley. The iTunes Store then revolutionised the entire freaking music industry. The iPhone then revolutionised the entire mobile marketplace. And how the #$*! is Apple dominating the laptop computer segment? Why is Apple the only ones making a compelling notebook that doesn't have a product name ripped from pages of a lawnmower parts supply catalogue?!?
- yalimgerger 15y ago
  I am wondering the same. I actually wrote a blog about that as well, which outlines several way too obvious issues with laptops. :-) http://gerger.co/yalimslodge/2011/08/19/free-advice-to-the-remaining-pc-makers/ http://gerger.co/yalimslodge/2011/08/19/free-advice-to-the-r...
- sid0 15y ago
  And how the #$! is Apple dominating the laptop computer segment?* Marketing obviously. The 2011 MacBook Pro I'm using right now is by far the most terrible laptop I've ever owned. It doesn't boot from USB, it doesn't sleep properly, brightness is broken, the WiFi antenna's range sucks... never again. Fuck Apple's shitty laptops. I'm getting a ThinkPad next time.

arethuza 15y ago

My wife's parents, both in their eighties, were both delighted when they played with one of our iPads even though they had previously shown no interest at all in any kind of computing device.

jinushaun 15y ago

I too was skeptical, having seen Microsoft fail at selling a tablet so many times, but bought one anyway so that I could use it as a "development device". I was shocked to find that only weeks later I preferred using the iPad over my computers most of the time. If it wasn't for coding, Office or Photoshop--aka making things--I would be iPad full time. Jobs really did what Gates couldn't with a tablet. Microsoft has been trying to sell tablets since Windows XP with absolutely no success. Jobs rightly showed that you can't cram a desktop OS into a tablet and call it a proper tablet. Their tablets never felt right because you always wished you had a mouse, keyboard and right click available to get anything done. With MS tablets, users felt like something was taken away. With the iPad, users felt like they had something added.

WA 15y ago
So what do you do on your iPad then except for surfing the web? I'm really curious as I don't see the point of an iPad right now.
- roadnottaken 15y ago
  That's definitely one of the main things, but there are others. I suspect everyone has their own mix, like on a smartphone. For me it's probably: 35% web surfing 35% facetime chat with the wife 10% kindle app 10% random games and apps 10% watching shows and movies on the plane it's also fantastic if you have one of the video-out cables because you can just drag/drop hours and hours of movies onto it and then play them on any TV wherever you are. Netflix in bed (with the Netflix app) is also pretty good. There really is no "point" to having an iPad. It obviously doesn't do anything that you can't do without one. But it's a LOT easier to pick up and use than a laptop and if you have one you'll find it becoming your go-to device for a lot of things.
  - WA 15y ago
    Thanks for that. Well basically, most of the time I'm using a laptop (I'm a happy user of a new MacBook Air) for coding, surfing the web and, well, doing office stuff and that's it. I guess an iPad would be too much of a toy for me, but I'm curious anyways what people do with an iPad.

bluekeybox 15y ago

> When Jobs first introduced it I was skeptical We technologists are a jaded bunch; we underestimate the appeal that technology still holds to vast numbers of people outside of our narrow field. The potential for game-changing products like iPad is still there and is still huge. Our second biggest weakness is that we, having been either nerds or the "good kids" in school, hold dear a belief that the world is (or should be) a "fair" place where "pretty" is ranked below "smart" and where everything is judged on its own merit. Most people, for better or worse, do not think like that -- most people don't have the time to evaluate products on their own merit and, moreover, they don't even trust those who do (the logic goes: if you have so much time on your hands so as to compare products on their own merit, you must be doing something wrong with your life and therefore I will not follow your advice).