4 ms·
> It’s the coolest new computer I’ve used since the iPad. It doesn't inspire much confidence in me to compare it to the product that everyone thought was cool
by hbn 4y ago
> It’s the coolest new computer I’ve used since the iPad.
It doesn't inspire much confidence in me to compare it to the product that everyone thought was cool when it came out but over a decade later, even the company making it still doesn't know exactly what it's for outside of a few niche use-cases.
- nikcub 4y agoI was speaking to a high school teacher who said students come through her computer classes now having no idea how to type or use desktop operating systems because they're the first generation who have largely, and almost exclusively, been on iPad's and phones.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- tomjakubowski 4y agoApple sold more than 500 million iPads over the product's first decade.
- hbn 4y agoI never said it was a failure. But it's certainly a supplementary device for most people. If all iPads disappeared off the face of the earth tomorrow, it wouldn't be nearly as big of a deal compared to if that happened with smartphones or laptops or PCs, etc. Meta has a big hurdle to overcome to make success out of a device with no real practical use so far, and one that you have to strap to your face.
- tomjakubowski 4y agoFor many people, and maybe most younger people, PCs are a supplemental device. I know a few folks who have an iPad and a smartphone but no personal laptop. To your point, though, I think more do get by with just the phone.
- silverlake 4y agoFor most of my family the iPad replaced their computer. Thankfully I no longer have to do tech support.
- micah94 4y agoI second this. The ipad has become the computer for several in my family as well.
- scarface74 4y agoThe watch and AirPods are also “accessory devices”. Most other companies would kill to have any of Apple’s divisions.
- jejeyyy77 4y agoYou’re living in a tech bubble my friend. Many people have replaced their laptops and computers with an iPad because they only check email/Facebook/watch youtube/surf the web.
- threeseed 4y ago> still doesn't know exactly what it's for It's a $30 billion a year business. Maybe they know a little more than you think.
- _jal 4y agoI understand the hardware manufacturer's business. I just don't understand why humans buy them. Sure, they're neat, but there are a lot of neat things at that price point.
- jejeyyy77 4y agoWhat? iPads have literally replaced computers and laptops for a huge segment of people. Every boomer in my life has an iPad. They don’t own computers anymore.
- fuckstick 4y agoBecause they serve the role of what used to often times filled by PCs. Turns out not everyone needs a PC and they also don’t want have to do everything on a tiny touchscreen. If they didn’t exist I think the alternative for many would be the Air. This shouldn’t be hard to understand.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- lumenwrites 4y agoI don't know about other people, but it's the 2nd most useful device I own (after my laptop), and it is the device I use the most by far (if you look at the time I'm using it). To me, an iPad is a notebook that's always with me, where I write down all my thoughts in my journal, practice writing and screenwriting, do task management and planning (most of that in Obsidian). I also watch video courses, listen to music, browse the internet, all the stuff everyone uses their mobile devices for. Smartphone is too small for typing, and not as convenient, no other tablet is anywhere near as convenient to use. iPad mini is the perfect form factor for me.
- fshbbdssbbgdd 4y agoI use an iPad as my main personal computer. It’s like what Google wants you to use a Chromebook for, but without the janky framerates. It’s the most pleasant web browsing device I’ve come across.
- mr_sturd 4y agoDid Apple and Microsoft know exactly what the PC was for in its early days? They certainly had their own ideas for it, but it was down to the rest of the world to decide that, ultimately.
- nytesky 4y agoPretty sure the killer app was spreadsheets. IBM was international business machines after all, and PC were IBM clones. Also word processing/publishing. Very clear applications with an existing market.
- bergenty 4y agoSpare me, what a pathetic insipid comment about something in every household, used by every age group and sells 7 of them every second. It’s such a silly comment I almost want to flag it.
- selfmodruntime 4y agoLow effort comments like the one above have been getting more and more popular lately. The mindless bashing of technologies and products that generate billions of dollars yearly really distracts from otherwise highly informed discussions I enjoy on HN.