The iPAD will be a HUGE hit

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Some people are disappointed that the iPAD does not have more functions. Or a camera.

I think Apple made a smart distinction here. A laptop allows you to CREATE. The iPAD allows you to enjoy EXISTING MEDIA and not just at home but also on the go. So you get on a plane, you can have your New York times, business week and professional journals, all on one pleasant sized device. Some people are saying "I have a cell phone, why would I carry something else?" They don't get it. They already ARE carrying something else. The NEWSPAPER! The iPAD will replace the newspaper and in addition you will have ALL your media (journals you subscribe to as well as music and movies), all on one electronic device with a gorgeous screen. With 10 hour battery life you can get on a plane, read all your papers/journals and watch three movies and arrive in Hawaii and have a bit of battery power left. Remember the Enterprise on Star Trek? Other than the episode with the lawyer, you NEVER saw a book. They were all electronic!



Anyone in 1st or 2nd year of college today will get their first apt. in 3 years and instead of buying bookshelves to house their books and DVD's they will all be on their iPAD. The iPAD will do for electronic media what Gutenberg’s printing press did for books. True, they already had books in a sense i.e. they had scrolls, but they were written one copy at a time. The printing press meant the development cost and time were slashed by the ability to print books. Where else is this going? Within ten years no child in a private or even a reasonably well funded public school will carry a 15 pound knapsack loaded with books. ALL their books will be on the iPAD. EVERY university student will have all texts and course materials on their iPAD. Programs will be written by third party developers that will allow professors to administer exams in their classrooms on iPADS and they will be uploaded to the professors e-mail.



And let’s remember, that if you WANT to create on the iPAD Apple has facilitated that. Apple’s iWORK (word processor, spreadsheet and presentation program) will sell for $10 each.



So why didn't Apple include a camera? First of all, to keep the device thin the quality of a camera would be limited. Second, most of us already have a camera in a cell phone. And video-conferencing? I believe Apple has decided that if you want that functionality you need to buy a laptop. Hey, Apple is not here to satisfy the fantasy of every human. They also want to stay in business. You want video-conferencing? Then you'll need to buy a laptop.



People are also missing something that is very interesting. If you read marketing news the iPOD touch is selling like wildfire. Why? It has all the advantages of the iPhone plus a) you can keep your excellent phone service and stay with Verizon and b) many parents do NOT WANT to buy a cell phone for a 6,7,8,9, 10 or 11 year old child. So they buy the iPOD touch and the kid can listen to music and play games. And NOW all those people will be buying the iPAD because the bigger screen will make games AWESOME.



The portable DVD player will also die. Every parent who considers a DVD player for their kid... YES the iPAD will cost much more BUT it has so much more functionality they could actually say to the kid "Do you want several presents for Chanukah or Christmas or do you want one present, the iPAD?" And what do you think the kid will choose?



I believe this device is a game changer. Amazon has BULLIED the publishers to lower prices for e-books to $9.99. Apple told publishers we think between $12.99 - $14.99 is a fair price, PLUS there is a formula that takes into account the cost of the hard cover. So if a publisher releases a hard cover book for $100 the e-book price will reflect that and be substantially more than $14.99. At $9.99 the publishers have a noose around their neck. At $12.99 - $14.99 they can make money because they have saved the cost of hard printing of books.



Did you see what Amazon did to Macmillan this week? They stopped selling Macmillan's e-books bec. Macmillan is fighting them on the $9.99 price pressure. That's okay. Macmillan is one of the largest publishers in the world, and they have signed a deal with Apple for the iPAD. I predict the kindle is going to die a fast death.



The iPAD is an absolute game changer.



By the holiday season 2011 all the nay-sayers will be eating their words.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    I see Steve Jobs has finally registered.
  • Reply 2 of 19
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,310moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by goldsheld1 View Post


    So why didn't Apple include a camera? First of all, to keep the device thin the quality of a camera would be limited. Second, most of us already have a camera in a cell phone. And video-conferencing? I believe Apple has decided that if you want that functionality you need to buy a laptop. Hey, Apple is not here to satisfy the fantasy of every human. They also want to stay in business. You want video-conferencing? Then you'll need to buy a laptop.



    I think it will ship with a camera - at least the 3G model will. The software emulator has all the indications of camera support including phone calls. If it was ready, why would they wait 60-90 days before shipping- I know they said they are waiting for approval but they would have started the approval earlier? Obviously if they still don't make it in 60-90 days, they never claimed it would have one but suddenly it's a new feature to talk about when it launches.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by goldsheld1 View Post


    And NOW all those people will be buying the iPAD because the bigger screen will make games AWESOME.



    It still has a mobile GPU though. I agree in some cases the games will be awesome but accelerometer use is harder (think of the physics-type games that you have to spin the whole thing round - Super Monkey Ball wouldn't be that good on it).



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by goldsheld1 View Post


    The portable DVD player will also die. Every parent who considers a DVD player for their kid... YES the iPAD will cost much more BUT it has so much more functionality they could actually say to the kid "Do you want several presents for Chanukah or Christmas or do you want one present, the iPAD?" And what do you think the kid will choose?



    Um, the several presents option - you've met children before right? They'll want the PS3 ($350) + an ipod touch ($199) and more. By the time Christmas comes, the PS3 will be $250 because they actually lower their prices over time unlike Apple. So it will be PS3 + ipod touch + games etc for $499 or mediocre games and school work for $499 with the iPad.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by goldsheld1 View Post


    Did you see what Amazon did to Macmillan this week? They stopped selling Macmillan's e-books bec. Macmillan is fighting them on the $9.99 price pressure. That's okay. Macmillan is one of the largest publishers in the world, and they have signed a deal with Apple for the iPAD. I predict the kindle is going to die a fast death.



    But Amazon is right in this respect just like Apple was right to push the music companies into fixed pricing. It benefits the consumer. You can't defend Apple for fighting the music companies and then mock Amazon for doing the same to publishers. They were both fighting for the consumer respectively.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by goldsheld1 View Post


    By the holiday season 2011 all the nay-sayers will be eating their words.



    You may be right but it all depends on what the shipping product is like. In its current state, no I don't believe it will change anything and I don't see it being a huge hit, certainly not among students.



    Dell/Alienware is going to start shipping this 11" laptop soon for $799:



    http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/29/a...hrough-left-4/



    A student can afford one computer plus 1-2 mobile devices. I reckon laptop/netbook + iphone/ipod touch&phone. As you say, the iPad is not designed to replace the laptop - it's for entertainment. As much as students like entertainment, they still need to do their work and for art students that means Photoshop, for 3D students, that means Maya, for accountancy students, that means Sage/Quickbooks, for Mathematics/Physics students, that means Mathematica/Matlab/Maple, for music students, that means Logic, for film students, that means Avid/Final Cut and so on.



    This means they need a computer anyway. So if they've bought a laptop, would they by an iPad on top? Nope, they'll buy an ipod touch or iphone. I think the market here is the Kindle market where people just want more content on their ebook readers - it'll be a market of about 4-5 million in the first year.
  • Reply 3 of 19
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    I doubt it'll sell a million even in a year. Yay go down AAPL! I wonder if analysts are coming to their senses that the iPad sucks. I sold AAPL and I want back in!
  • Reply 4 of 19
    mr. memr. me Posts: 3,221member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Aquatic View Post


    I doubt it'll sell a million even in a year. Yay go down AAPL! I wonder if analysts are coming to their senses that the iPad sucks. I sold AAPL and I want back in!



    The reviews that I read in the popular media vary from glowing to ecstatic. The USA Today had stories on the iPad for three straight days last week. So, will the analysts come to their senses that the iPad sucks? My bet is on "No."
  • Reply 5 of 19
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    The thing is each of us had this image of what the tablet would be like. Some had totally unreasonable expectations thus a lot of disappointment. However if you back off of your dreams and look at iPad as it is it is pretty impressive.



    Personally I'm less disappointed than many because iPad is close to what I was expecting. It is far bigger than expected but when you where hoping for a 7" device, a fat ten incher is a surprise. The other thing that is obvious is that iPhone OS 3.2 is transitional and that the tablet will come into its own with 4.0.



    As to some of the complaints the number one item seems to be the lack of cameras, but such focus is really negative and uninformed. Think about it, how many people are going to walk around with a ten inch device @ 1.5 pounds and take casual snaps. The reality is zip, the camera would be unused hardware. Like wise with a front facing camera which admittedly would have more usage if it wasn't for the human factors issues. It would be very difficult to keep the camera on target. This doesn't even take into account that a camera would make the unit unsalable in many industries or corporate settings.



    Now that doesn't eliminate the need for a web cam but what it does do is highlight the need for a standard USB port which would allow for a web cam. It is really to bad that Apple didn't see this as important, that is a standard port that works with existing hardware as it would have significantly reduced the whinning about iPad. In any event I'm not seating over the lack of any camera as I suspect they wouldn't be used by many and not at all by most. Sort of like the camera on my MBP. Apple does no one any favors when going after a small minority of users.



    As to the many other complaints I'd have to say wait and see. One thing that is obvious is the lack of info about the hardware. This is leading to many complaints being lodged based on guess work and speculation instead of facts. The same can be said about the software which seems to indicate that iPhone OS 4.0 is where we need to focus our energies.



    In any event yes I do think Apple has a winner on their hands. Not for the reasons that started this thread but because the feature set is very compelling for many users. A feature set that by the way can only get better.



    Dave
  • Reply 6 of 19
    my argument exactly....thats what i have been telling everyone asking .



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by goldsheld1 View Post


    Some people are disappointed that the iPAD does not have more functions. Or a camera.

    I think Apple made a smart distinction here. A laptop allows you to CREATE. The iPAD allows you to enjoy EXISTING MEDIA and not just at home but also on the go. So you get on a plane, you can have your New York times, business week and professional journals, all on one pleasant sized device. Some people are saying "I have a cell phone, why would I carry something else?" They don't get it. They already ARE carrying something else. The NEWSPAPER! The iPAD will replace the newspaper and in addition you will have ALL your media (journals you subscribe to as well as music and movies), all on one electronic device with a gorgeous screen. With 10 hour battery life you can get on a plane, read all your papers/journals and watch three movies and arrive in Hawaii and have a bit of battery power left. Remember the Enterprise on Star Trek? Other than the episode with the lawyer, you NEVER saw a book. They were all electronic!



    Anyone in 1st or 2nd year of college today will get their first apt. in 3 years and instead of buying bookshelves to house their books and DVD's they will all be on their iPAD. The iPAD will do for electronic media what Gutenberg?s printing press did for books. True, they already had books in a sense i.e. they had scrolls, but they were written one copy at a time. The printing press meant the development cost and time were slashed by the ability to print books. Where else is this going? Within ten years no child in a private or even a reasonably well funded public school will carry a 15 pound knapsack loaded with books. ALL their books will be on the iPAD. EVERY university student will have all texts and course materials on their iPAD. Programs will be written by third party developers that will allow professors to administer exams in their classrooms on iPADS and they will be uploaded to the professors e-mail.



    And let?s remember, that if you WANT to create on the iPAD Apple has facilitated that. Apple?s iWORK (word processor, spreadsheet and presentation program) will sell for $10 each.



    So why didn't Apple include a camera? First of all, to keep the device thin the quality of a camera would be limited. Second, most of us already have a camera in a cell phone. And video-conferencing? I believe Apple has decided that if you want that functionality you need to buy a laptop. Hey, Apple is not here to satisfy the fantasy of every human. They also want to stay in business. You want video-conferencing? Then you'll need to buy a laptop.



    People are also missing something that is very interesting. If you read marketing news the iPOD touch is selling like wildfire. Why? It has all the advantages of the iPhone plus a) you can keep your excellent phone service and stay with Verizon and b) many parents do NOT WANT to buy a cell phone for a 6,7,8,9, 10 or 11 year old child. So they buy the iPOD touch and the kid can listen to music and play games. And NOW all those people will be buying the iPAD because the bigger screen will make games AWESOME.



    The portable DVD player will also die. Every parent who considers a DVD player for their kid... YES the iPAD will cost much more BUT it has so much more functionality they could actually say to the kid "Do you want several presents for Chanukah or Christmas or do you want one present, the iPAD?" And what do you think the kid will choose?



    I believe this device is a game changer. Amazon has BULLIED the publishers to lower prices for e-books to $9.99. Apple told publishers we think between $12.99 - $14.99 is a fair price, PLUS there is a formula that takes into account the cost of the hard cover. So if a publisher releases a hard cover book for $100 the e-book price will reflect that and be substantially more than $14.99. At $9.99 the publishers have a noose around their neck. At $12.99 - $14.99 they can make money because they have saved the cost of hard printing of books.



    Did you see what Amazon did to Macmillan this week? They stopped selling Macmillan's e-books bec. Macmillan is fighting them on the $9.99 price pressure. That's okay. Macmillan is one of the largest publishers in the world, and they have signed a deal with Apple for the iPAD. I predict the kindle is going to die a fast death.



    The iPAD is an absolute game changer.



    By the holiday season 2011 all the nay-sayers will be eating their words.



  • Reply 7 of 19
    olternautolternaut Posts: 1,376member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post


    The thing is each of us had this image of what the tablet would be like. Some had totally unreasonable expectations thus a lot of disappointment. However if you back off of your dreams and look at iPad as it is it is pretty impressive.



    Personally I'm less disappointed than many because iPad is close to what I was expecting. It is far bigger than expected but when you where hoping for a 7" device, a fat ten incher is a surprise. The other thing that is obvious is that iPhone OS 3.2 is transitional and that the tablet will come into its own with 4.0.



    As to some of the complaints the number one item seems to be the lack of cameras, but such focus is really negative and uninformed. Think about it, how many people are going to walk around with a ten inch device @ 1.5 pounds and take casual snaps. The reality is zip, the camera would be unused hardware. Like wise with a front facing camera which admittedly would have more usage if it wasn't for the human factors issues. It would be very difficult to keep the camera on target. This doesn't even take into account that a camera would make the unit unsalable in many industries or corporate settings.



    Now that doesn't eliminate the need for a web cam but what it does do is highlight the need for a standard USB port which would allow for a web cam. It is really to bad that Apple didn't see this as important, that is a standard port that works with existing hardware as it would have significantly reduced the whinning about iPad. In any event I'm not seating over the lack of any camera as I suspect they wouldn't be used by many and not at all by most. Sort of like the camera on my MBP. Apple does no one any favors when going after a small minority of users.



    As to the many other complaints I'd have to say wait and see. One thing that is obvious is the lack of info about the hardware. This is leading to many complaints being lodged based on guess work and speculation instead of facts. The same can be said about the software which seems to indicate that iPhone OS 4.0 is where we need to focus our energies.



    In any event yes I do think Apple has a winner on their hands. Not for the reasons that started this thread but because the feature set is very compelling for many users. A feature set that by the way can only get better.



    Dave



    This woulda been cool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS4U6...layer_embedded



    That would have made me wait on a 6 hour line to get version 1.0. Now instead I'll wait to maybe buy version 2.0.....maybe. And don't tell me that concept can't work because the Apple A4 chip can certainly run a UI like that.
  • Reply 8 of 19
    vineavinea Posts: 5,585member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Olternaut View Post


    This woulda been cool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS4U6...layer_embedded



    That would have made me wait on a 6 hour line to get version 1.0. Now instead I'll wait to maybe buy version 2.0.....maybe. And don't tell me that concept can't work because the Apple A4 chip can certainly run a UI like that.



    Except the concept tells you zero as to how the user experience really would be. The key to the iPad is that Apple has a user interface design that appears to work well for multitouch apps.
  • Reply 9 of 19
    I'll tell you why it'll be a huge hit. My friend told his mum/mom - a 60 something, book devouring, technophobe - about the iPad. She wanted to watch the 5min iPad video. When she finished that, SHE PROCEEDED TO WATCH THE ENTIRE KEYNOTE!



    But wait it gets better, then she got him to burn it to DVD to go and show her 5 book swapping friends. Five grans sitting in a lounge room watching a Steve Jobs keynote. Now THAT'S magical.
  • Reply 10 of 19
    I think it will be because it will be supported widely and boot quickly.



    I boot Windows and log in so that I can fire up Firefox and browse the web. I use computers for other things, but 80+% of the time, I just get into a browser.



    I tried linux and found that there were 2 real show stoppers for me: lack of Itunes and lack of support for things like espn360. I think this kills a lot of non-windows/mac internet devices.



    The Ipad will have Itunes (obviously), but it will also get a lot of support from the espn's and such of the world. If not for the Ipad exclusively, then because of the ubiquity of the Iphone/Ipod touch. Support from major web sites and services is what will sell this thing.



    I also thought the painting app was cool as hell and would love to see what my 6 year old would do with that.



    Booting a full blown OS to run things like Itunes/Browser/Email is overkill and I think when people start to realize how nice it is to use a fast booting internet device with lots of cool apps, this will become a big seller. And it is pretty damn cheap for a nice piece of hardware with pretty amazing battery life.



    I think it is going to be a hit.
  • Reply 11 of 19
    daveswdavesw Posts: 406member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin;1563121



    Dell/Alienware is going to start shipping this 11" laptop soon for $799:



    [url



    http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/29/alienwares-phantom-concept-became-m11x-cranks-through-left-4/[/url]



    A student can afford one computer plus 1-2 mobile devices. I reckon laptop/netbook + iphone/ipod touch&phone. As you say, the iPad is not designed to replace the laptop - it's for entertainment. As much as students like entertainment, they still need to do their work and for art students that means Photoshop, for 3D students, that means Maya, for accountancy students, that means Sage/Quickbooks, for Mathematics/Physics students, that means Mathematica/Matlab/Maple, for music students, that means Logic, for film students, that means Avid/Final Cut and so on.



    This means they need a computer anyway. So if they've bought a laptop, would they by an iPad on top? Nope, they'll buy an ipod touch or iphone. I think the market here is the Kindle market where people just want more content on their ebook readers - it'll be a market of about 4-5 million in the first year.







    the iPad is not a replacement for a laptop or netbook. for all the things you mentioned, you use a Mac/PC. I agree with some of the things you said, but I think you're missing the big picture.





    1) Comic books. Disney now owns Marvel. And God knows how many millions of Marvel/DC/Naruto/Anime/etc. comic book enthusiasts are out there.



    2) Once textbooks are available on the iBookstore. Students will not have to carry 3-6 textbooks everyday to school. they'll bring an iPad instead. (an iPad they can use to surf the web/play games on/chat/etc. if the class is boring).



    3) Games are easily accessible on the iPad thanks to the Appstore. One of the iPads main advantages over Sony/Nintendo/MS. the iPad is going to be an awesome gaming device.



    4) Alot of people with kids (less than 6 yrs old perhaps) are absolutely interested in buying an iPad as both an entertainment and educational device for their children. interactive childrens games, puzzles, books, etc. they can touch, zoom, pinch, rotate, etc. with their own hands and fingers are going to be a hit at home and school. if you're a parent or educator you will love the iPad.





    Software and Content is going to make the iPad a hit.
  • Reply 12 of 19
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    The thing is I'm hearing about iPad from all sorts of people that aren't what you would call Apple fans or even people inclined to hang out at places like Appleinsider. Just last night a woman running a Thai resturant asked about my iPhone and wondered if I was getting the new one. After bridging the comms barrier i realized she was talking about iPad. Big surprise!





    What will drive iPad sales is the units suitability for multiple niche usages. So iBooks could be one factor, but the support of web standards will always be a contributing factor. In other words access to color and E-Mail & Safari makes for a powerful combo.



    Dave
  • Reply 13 of 19
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,310moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by davesw View Post


    1) Comic books. Disney now owns Marvel. And God knows how many millions of Marvel/DC/Naruto/Anime/etc. comic book enthusiasts are out there.



    I agree that's a market and comics will look great on the IPS screen but it's down to content. It's much more easily subjected to piracy too.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by davesw View Post


    2) Once textbooks are available on the iBookstore. Students will not have to carry 3-6 textbooks everyday to school. they'll bring an iPad instead. (an iPad they can use to surf the web/play games on/chat/etc. if the class is boring).



    But students rarely carry textbooks any more. You carry printed course notes and the whole internet. My textbooks were 5.5 pounds each - that's like carrying a Macbook Pro per textbook - no way I took those around with me. I just had my laptop + notes and never needed the textbooks.



    Again, piracy is an issues here. Textbook publishers just won't digitize their textbooks because when someone cracks Apple's encryption, it will be distributed around campus free. The iPad could take over the role of the laptop/netbook for notes but it won't because it's more expensive, less functional and harder to type on than a netbook.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by davesw View Post


    3) Games are easily accessible on the iPad thanks to the Appstore. One of the iPads main advantages over Sony/Nintendo/MS. the iPad is going to be an awesome gaming device.



    I think it will be a terrible gaming device. Imagine holding a 10" screen in place and turning the whole thing while using a racing game. Or having to move your hand all the way up a 10" screen to change weapons in NOVA.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by davesw View Post


    4) Alot of people with kids (less than 6 yrs old perhaps) are absolutely interested in buying an iPad as both an entertainment and educational device for their children. interactive childrens games, puzzles, books, etc. they can touch, zoom, pinch, rotate, etc. with their own hands and fingers are going to be a hit at home and school. if you're a parent or educator you will love the iPad.



    Let's not forget it's still $500 though. I don't think budget-conscious parents would even consider it over a bargain-basement $200 netbook.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hill60


    Unless your iPad is syncing over the air via wifi or 3G all the time and files are stored remotely.



    Did you think of that possibility?



    I can think of any number of possibilities but you also have to consider how likely they will be. I don't think iPad will rely on remote storage or even allow you to access one except possibly MobileMe storage.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by brucep


    So you guys will see many medical SW programs die A WELCOME death . THE COMING CLOUD BASED STORM will save us billions of dollars ..Well thats the plan anyway .



    There certainly ought to be a major change in healthcare but I can't imagine why Apple's product would be used over competing products. An HP Slate for example could be the only device a doctor needs. The iPad will have to complement the desktop tower. Hospitals would save billions by just supplying HP Slates instead of Dell mini-towers + iPads.
  • Reply 14 of 19
    mr. memr. me Posts: 3,221member
    You are arguing for the present. The iPad is an enabling technology. What this means is that if it is not a game changer, then it will be a flop. I believe that my responses before are natural evolutions of electronic publishing from where it is today:

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    ...

    But students rarely carry textbooks any more. You carry printed course notes and the whole internet. My textbooks were 5.5 pounds each - that's like carrying a Macbook Pro per textbook - no way I took those around with me. I just had my laptop + notes and never needed the textbooks.



    Individual mileage may vary, but the two major reasons that students don't carry their books to class are cost and weight. A third and by no means minor reason is that the textbook is not used in class.



    The iPad flips the weight calculation. It will allow each student to carry textbooks, supplemental materials from the publisher and professor, class notes, and much of the functionality of a laptop all in a package of the size and weight of the iPad.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    Again, piracy is an issues here. Textbook publishers just won't digitize their textbooks because when someone cracks Apple's encryption, it will be distributed around campus free. The iPad could take over the role of the laptop/netbook for notes but it won't because it's more expensive, less functional and harder to type on than a netbook.



    You don't need electronic data to make piracy an issue. The greatest threat of piracy to the textbook publisher is something called the photocopier, often called the Xerox machine. As for your assertion that publishers will not digitize their textbooks, you are flat-out wrong. Many current current-edition textbooks are available on their publishers' websites in electronic form. Using the publishers' Web-based ebook reader, you have the exact same material as the student carrying the 5.5 pounds of dead trees seated next to you.



    What you are ignoring is that textbook publishers appear to be enthusiastic about moving their titles to the iPad. From where I sit, there is no question about whether or not textbook publishers will digitize their books. They are doing so already. The only question is whether or not the effort will be successful from a business viewpoint. I believe that it will be successful unless the publishers, Apple, or both screw-up. The economics that are driving publishers to epublishing eliminate failure as an option.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    I think it will be a terrible gaming device. Imagine holding a 10" screen in place and turning the whole thing while using a racing game. Or having to move your hand all the way up a 10" screen to change weapons in NOVA.



    You seem to believe that gaming is one thing. Measured as lost productivity, the most popular game is Windows Solitaire. I would imagine that Minesweeper follows closely behind. I can remember when computer games had titles like FOOTBALL and MOONLANDING. The most popular gaming console today is the Nintendo Wii. It is the least expensive of the Big 3. However, it also targets a market that no previous gaming console targeted--fitness. As a result, the Nintendo Wii has crossed-over from strictly the domain of time-wasters to a professional physical therapy tool.



    Without question, the iPad will suck at many games that a PS-1 can handle with aplomb. However, there are other games for which it will be a natural.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    Let's not forget it's still $500 though. I don't think budget-conscious parents would even consider it over a bargain-basement $200 netbook.



    Not all of the iPads used in schools and colleges will be purchased by budget-conscious parents. At many universities, they are purchased on time and with the payment assessed as part of each student's fees. At some universities, the school purchases computers using grant funds and then issues one to each student. In the public schools, they are often purchased in much the same way.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    I can think of any number of possibilities but you also have to consider how likely they will be. I don't think iPad will rely on remote storage or even allow you to access one except possibly MobileMe storage.



    I am not sure what point you are trying to make here. We know that the iPad will exchange files with a Mac or Windows PC via a drop folder. We also know that it will synchronize via iTunes and MobileMe. The question is what additional options will it have. The education market appears to be a target market for the iPad. I do not assume that Apple will follow a strategy that will ensure failure. Therefore, I assume that we will like the options available for synchronization.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    There certainly ought to be a major change in healthcare but I can't imagine why Apple's product would be used over competing products. An HP Slate for example could be the only device a doctor needs. The iPad will have to complement the desktop tower. Hospitals would save billions by just supplying HP Slates instead of Dell mini-towers + iPads.



    If an HP Slate could be the only device that a doctor needs, then why has HP not sewn-up the market already?
  • Reply 15 of 19
    daveswdavesw Posts: 406member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post




    But students rarely carry textbooks any more. You carry printed course notes and the whole internet. My textbooks were 5.5 pounds each - that's like carrying a Macbook Pro per textbook - no way I took those around with me. I just had my laptop + notes and never needed the textbooks.




    that's your experience. i know a lot of high school and college students are required to bring their text books.



    Quote:

    Again, piracy is an issues here. Textbook publishers just won't digitize their textbooks because when someone cracks Apple's encryption, it will be distributed around campus free. The iPad could take over the role of the laptop/netbook for notes but it won't because it's more expensive, less functional and harder to type on than a netbook.



    as Mr. Me pointed out, text book publishers are very interested in the iPad.



    Quote:

    I think it will be a terrible gaming device. Imagine holding a 10" screen in place and turning the whole thing while using a racing game. Or having to move your hand all the way up a 10" screen to change weapons in NOVA.



    again, that's your opinion. we already saw it in the iPhone/iPod Touch, the iPad will be an even better gaming device. second, you can dock the iPad. what's preventing startups/Apple/etc. from creating gaming controllers for the iPad?



    Quote:

    Let's not forget it's still $500 though. I don't think budget-conscious parents would even consider it over a bargain-basement $200 netbook.



    there are families that can afford a $500 device. a $200 netbook just doesn't provide the level of interactivity, features and content that the iPad can provide. Interactive games, puzzles and childrens books that children can manipulate with their fingers are going to be a hit with parents. you have access to thousands of children apps, movies, tv shows, etc.





    I would definitely spend $500 (or more) so my son can experience the iPad.
  • Reply 16 of 19
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,310moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post


    You don't need electronic data to make piracy an issue. The greatest threat of piracy to the textbook publisher is something called the photocopier



    Hardly. Some textbooks are over 1,000 pages long and photocopies of those books don't get converted into digital text easily and they don't always come out properly either - color images etc. A digital book is a few MB that can be duplicated thousands of times in seconds.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post


    The only question is whether or not the effort will be successful from a business viewpoint. I believe that it will be successful unless the publishers, Apple, or both screw-up.



    But they could screw it up and if they do, it's all over. The publishers decide that the platform is too risky financially and either revert to physical print or they go to another platform.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post


    I am not sure what point you are trying to make here. We know that the iPad will exchange files with a Mac or Windows PC via a drop folder.



    Say you are in class and you have a note-taking app that is deciding to crash or isn't working very well and you want to open your notes in another app to continue taking notes. You can't do this without going all the way back to your computer and moving the documents from one app to another.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post


    If an HP Slate could be the only device that a doctor needs, then why has HP not sewn-up the market already?



    The HP Slate just came out before the iPad.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by davesw


    the iPad will be an even better gaming device.



    In what way will the iPad be better for gaming? All games are optimized for the iphone because of the 60 million target audience.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by davesw


    second, you can dock the iPad. what's preventing startups/Apple/etc. from creating gaming controllers for the iPad?



    You can dock it in portrait mode but even with the holder set in landscape, the controller idea won't take off. Developers won't support a given controller input exclusively and without support, people won't by the controller. This is what happens with controllers on the PC.
  • Reply 17 of 19
    daveswdavesw Posts: 406member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    In what way will the iPad be better for gaming? All games are optimized for the iphone because of the 60 million target audience.



    -games specifically designed to take advantage of Multitouch and the iPad's larger screen.



    -way better than other portable gaming devices (larger screen, instant access to thousands of games via the app store).



    Quote:

    You can dock it in portrait mode but even with the holder set in landscape, the controller idea won't take off. Developers won't support a given controller input exclusively and without support, people won't by the controller. This is what happens with controllers on the PC.





    Why wouldn't developers support a controller if it's approved/tested/certified(or even manufactured) by Apple?. And pls. don't compare the iPad to the PC.
  • Reply 18 of 19
    mr. memr. me Posts: 3,221member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    Hardly. Some textbooks are over 1,000 pages long and photocopies of those books don't get converted into digital text easily and they don't always come out properly either - color images etc. A digital book is a few MB that can be duplicated thousands of times in seconds.



    ....



    You appear to be laboring under the delusion that only high-quality high-speed digital piracy of complete works matters.
  • Reply 19 of 19
    Despite all the criticisms that iPad is getting, I believe it will still be a massive success.



    It fits the needs of its niche market and people will buy it. Sure, it may not be 'useful' as other devices in its category but given its pricepoint, people will surely take a look at it, if not get it.



    Even these parodies do nothing but make the iPad more popular:

    iPad MadTV Parody, other spoofs
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