my 3 cts >> multi tasking in todays form is a battery killer and slows every thing down
apple wants a fast simple housewife proof device . people want what todays chips can't give us >>yet
if you want 5 things open and running at full speed at once then a MBP is for you
yet in the back ground all apple product multi task .. they also multi thread , in the dark thou
peace 9
Funny, the lack of multi-tasking is why my wife went from wanting an Apple tablet (she has a Macbook and an iPhone) to having zero interest in one. All she wants to be able to do is browse the web while instant messaging at the same time. Not too much to ask, but far too much for iPad to deliver on.
Multi-tasking has been standard since the late 1980s. It's absurd not to have it now.
This product may be great for what it is aimed for (entertainement black holes) but it seems to be designed almost as an App Store's extension and that makes Apple's greedy/totalitarian/populist evolution only more obvious...
Precisely. It is just another way for Apple to sell content to locked-in buyers. If it can play all normal media formats, I will admit my mistake. But at this point, running the dumbed-down iOS, I expect it to be just as limited in content consumption as the iPhone. IOW, it is a toy, and not a real computer.
You're right if the iPad were meant to be a true computing tablet, but it isn't.
I'm also right if the 'Pad was supposed to be a game-changing device. Or if the 'Pad was supposed to be better for some things than a netbook.
IMO, it fails using any of the three criteria we have mentioned.
Yesterday, I thought it was pretty cool as a web-surfing couch accessory.
But last night I was sitting on the couch with my laptop, watching the State of the Union, downloading content, surfing the 'web, and occasionally getting interrupted by my son's open AIM app. And then I realized: No multitasking means that the thing is practically useless for what I want/need.
I want my entertainment devices to work well be fast, and have a long battery life. Multitasking is for computers; the iPad is not a computer. Sure the Android wannabe iPad tablet will tout having 50 apps open at once. They won't tell you the batty will only last 30 minutes doing so, however.
So are you saying that the lack of functionality is a GOOD THING? A feature? An added benefit?
It really needed a single new app to come with it. Not that the improvements to the existing iPhone/Mac apps were nothing, but still. I suppose iBooks was it.
Yep. Pretty disappointing. iBook looks like a "me too" copy of established ereader software, right down to the stolen bookshelf paradigm.
I'm also right if the 'Pad was supposed to be a game-changing device. Or if the 'Pad was supposed to be better for some things than a netbook.
IMO, it fails using any of the three criteria we have mentioned.
Yesterday, I thought it was pretty cool as a web-surfing couch accessory.
But last night I was sitting on the couch with my laptop, watching the State of the Union, downloading content, surfing the 'web, and occasionally getting interrupted by my son's open AIM app. And then I realized: No multitasking means that the thing is practically useless for what I want/need.
OK - it's not for you - however, I don't think it was ever going to be a game-changing device. It is (and was designed to be) a device for the consumer - not the computer/laptop user.
So are you saying that the lack of functionality is a GOOD THING? A feature? An added benefit?
Stock answer No. 372?
Apologies - I should have included the following in my Stock answer
from Wilson Rothman at Giz.
"We can sit here in our geeky little dorkosphere arguing about it all day, but as much as Apple clearly enjoys our participation, the people Jobs wants to sell this to don't read our rants. They can't even understand them. My step-mother refuses to touch computers, but nowadays checks email, reads newspapers and plays Solitaire on an iPod Touch, after basically picking it up by accident one day. That's a future iPad user if I ever saw one.
Jobs doesn't care about the netbook business, or the ebook business. He's just aiming for the same people they were aiming at. The difference is, he's going to reach them. And the fight will be with whoever enters into the tablet business with him. Paging Mr. Ballmer..."
awesome tablet device, I can easily see myself buying the 32gb wifi version and it be great for college, completely replace what most people use netbooks for. you can get pages, calendar, buying the books u need and read them on the device, research things on the web, copy and paste to ur document, all this while listening to ur music collection or radio through pandora.
Nope. It doesn't multitask. It cannot walk and chew gum at the same time, nor can it do any of the things you identify at the same time.
OK - it's not for you - however, I don't think it was ever going to be a game-changing device. It is (and was designed to be) a device for the consumer - not the computer/laptop user.
So was iSteve full of it when he said it was the most important thing he'd ever done?
And what sort of fictional dichotomy are you constructing with the "consumer" on one side and the "computer/laptop user" on the other? As far as I know, the overlap between the two approaches 100%.
Apologies - I should have included the following in my Stock answer
from Wilson Rothman at Giz.
"We can sit here in our geeky little dorkosphere arguing about it all day, but as much as Apple clearly enjoys our participation, the people Jobs wants to sell this to don't read our rants. They can't even understand them. My step-mother refuses to touch computers, but nowadays checks email, reads newspapers and plays Solitaire on an iPod Touch, after basically picking it up by accident one day. That's a future iPad user if I ever saw one.
Jobs doesn't care about the netbook business, or the ebook business. He's just aiming for the same people they were aiming at. The difference is, he's going to reach them. And the fight will be with whoever enters into the tablet business with him. Paging Mr. Ballmer..."
OK, fine. It is a device suitable for folks who refuse to touch a computer. It is a device for them, and not us?
So was iSteve full of it when he said it was the most important thing he'd ever done?
And what sort of fictional dichotomy are you constructing with the "consumer" on one side and the "computer/laptop user" on the other? As far as I know, the overlap between the two approaches 100%.
I disagree - the Consumer(s) are some of (lets say 10% = about 10M in a year) the 30M odd people that purchased iPods/iPhones last quarter.
the computer/laptop User(s) are those of us that can't get it 'all' done without at least 4g of ram.
Yep. Apple may have jumped the shark with this one...
As far as I've seen, the only thing Apple said before the product launch was "Come see our latest creation." Everything else you've heard in the build-up was from rumor sites. You really can't blame Apple for that. I thought Jobs's intro was surprisingly humble, in fact: "We're not sure if there's room for a new product between the smartphone and the notebook, but we thought we'd try it and find out." (paraphrasing)
I agree with earlier posters mentioning this would be great for their parents or grandparents. My aunt always has her six-year-old iBook in her lap, just idly surfing the web, whenever she watches TV. This would be perfect for her. These people don't care about tech specs or multitasking. I'm not saying a lack of multitasking is good, I'm saying that for most users, it's irrelevant.
For myself, if I weren't already set up with a MacBook Pro and an iPod touch, I might want to get an iPad and an iMac instead. If I had an iPad now, it would be hard to decide which device to bring to different events. It's just another option. It might replace one or another of these devices for different people, but it's not meant to replace all of them.
I see this with almost every product launch -- a lot of really focused tech geeks showing outrage that the latest product doesn't have a few of their most anticipated features. Meanwhile Apple takes in billions of dollars selling their products to people who can still see the forest for the trees.
It's easier if you look at it like it's the iPad beta... which it totally is. Even the most devout of Apple fans will admit to you it's lacking the features it needs to be a truly useful device.
At a minimum it needs a software update... iPhone OS 4.0, multi-tasking, Flash, document management, a plug-in model for Safari and a driver framework. This could come in March\\April but I doubt it.
I think the iPad will be like the iPod\\iPhone in that a second generation will be released and it will be released soon (i.e. this time next year). Faster CPU\\GPU, camera, more inputs\\outputs (HDMI!!!), proximity screen and any other gadgets Apple can come up with along with another OS update.
Just like iPod\\iPhone everyone will dump their beta iPads without a second thought for the real iPad.
That said, the iPad was still somewhat of a rushed release. The market will be flooded with eReaders and tablets over the next 12 months and Apple simply couldn't afford to hang around and do nothing. They needed to get in and mark their territory in the new market. I think the Gen1 iPad, regardless of its faults, will do that.
I think you are right for most of us its just not ready for primetime yet. At least for me and I would say for many others the lack of multi-tasking is a major issue.
The complaints here are just silly. For example, who wants a rear-facing camera in a device that’s 8″ x 12″? Are you really going to take pictures with something that size?
The problem is that people had absurd expectations. The iPad isn’t for everyone, but for a lot of people, it will be great. For example, I’m going to buy one as soon as it’s out and use it to present information to customers at trade shows. It’s far more convenient than having a conventional notebook.
As for the netbook comparison, that’s silly. As near as I can tell, this is superior in almost every way – unless you’re typing a novel, and even then, the iPad with external keyboard probably beats the netbook’s cramped keyboard.
Kindle? Under some lighting conditions, Kindle will be superior, but for all-around use, I’d go with the iPad (particularly for magazines and textbooks where color is important).
Bezel? Apple had two choices - run the picture right to the edge (in which case your hands would cover part of the picture and you'd activate things by mistake) or have a bezel. I prefer the bezel.
The multitasking complaints are just plain wrong, as well. First, like the iPhone, it WILL multitask with Apple apps. Thus, you can check the email while using Skype to converse with someone. More importantly, my DVD player doesn't multitask, either. Who cares? Do you really expect to be playing Mario Chases Rodents while reading a book or while preparing a book report? I sure don't want to trade off the battery life and performance for a theoretical advantage with no real benefit.
Those of you saying it's no more than an iPod Touch obviously have no imagination. iWork alone changes things immensely (see above). Not to mention that there are things that are practical on a 10" screen that just don't make sense on a 3.5" screen.
And for those of you whining about 'missing' slots, you might as well complain about the fact that it doesn't have a floppy drive. The thing is 1/2" thick - just how many slots do you expect to fit in there? And why should Apple include them standard when 99% of users don't care. If you really need USB, there's an adapter, but I can't see myself ever using it.
You can’t please everyone – and fortunately Apple knows enough not to try. Don’t confuse “I don’t want one of these” with “No one will want one of these”
When I try to figure out a role for it, my brain always comes down to its too big to replace an iPod touch and too limited to replace a Macbook. The only thing I'd really want it for would be an iBook reader, but its twice as much (minimum) as the kindle and I'm not so sure that feature won't end up on the next generation of iPhone and iPod touch.
When it comes right down to it.
-Can't run multiple applications.
-Can't watch hulu because of a complete lack of flash. Yes, it sucks, but many many things use it.
-Can't do video conferencing
-Too big to fit in your pocket.
I'm sure there will be some kind of market for it, but unless something drastically changes with the next one, I just don't see this being the next big thing. I wouldn't mind having one, but its a complete luxury item behind Macs and iPhones.
In terms of who will buy this I think it makes most students needs for a laptop completely irrelevant as you can do all the functions you need to write essays, look at pdf files etc but you can also use the device as an entertainment device. It also has flexibility for the needs of business with easy use for presentations with the vga output dongle as just two markets to exploit at the moment.
No student is going to churn out a 5000 worder on an iPad... if they try I suspect the last few hundred words may be written with the blood of their cracked and dismembered finger tips.
Assuming they have parents that have enough money to buy them one, it would be more likely they'll sit under a tree or lay in bed reading textbooks and researching on the internet using the iPad before going back to an iMac\\Macbook to actually write the essay.
For business... well some maybe. Assuming the iPad actually supports whatever you have written the presentation in it would be fine. However you won't be creating the presentation using the iPad, which would essentially make it a $499 input device for your projector. Something the higher up execs would go for, but I can't see many businesses accepting it across the board.
Kindle loving upper-middle-class wasps will love this thing, but I am not neither upper-middle-class nor a wasp.
Wow, you managed to roll class, ethnicity and religion into one bigoted sentence there. Congrats.
I guess in your world African-Americans, Catholics, Jews, Asians, Indians, rich people, middle class folks, etc don't like to read or surf the web, huh? Nice place.
Comments
nice post
my 3 cts >> multi tasking in todays form is a battery killer and slows every thing down
apple wants a fast simple housewife proof device . people want what todays chips can't give us >>yet
if you want 5 things open and running at full speed at once then a MBP is for you
yet in the back ground all apple product multi task .. they also multi thread , in the dark thou
peace 9
Funny, the lack of multi-tasking is why my wife went from wanting an Apple tablet (she has a Macbook and an iPhone) to having zero interest in one. All she wants to be able to do is browse the web while instant messaging at the same time. Not too much to ask, but far too much for iPad to deliver on.
Multi-tasking has been standard since the late 1980s. It's absurd not to have it now.
[CENTER]Please stop being so petty over trivialities and try to stay on topic... Thanks
In case you forgot, we're discussing the Apple iPad.[/CENTER]
No, STOP POSTING CENTRE ALIGNED TEXT.
It makes your posts virtually impossible to read. You are behaving foolishly, STOP IT.
Wonder what dell is going to do with their pathetic 5in tablet without the benefit of the app store behind it?
Doesn't it run Win7? There is no need for "an" appstore - there are zillions of them all over the internets.
That's a huge problem with the iOS: There's only one place to get apps.
This product may be great for what it is aimed for (entertainement black holes) but it seems to be designed almost as an App Store's extension and that makes Apple's greedy/totalitarian/populist evolution only more obvious...
Precisely. It is just another way for Apple to sell content to locked-in buyers. If it can play all normal media formats, I will admit my mistake. But at this point, running the dumbed-down iOS, I expect it to be just as limited in content consumption as the iPhone. IOW, it is a toy, and not a real computer.
You're right if the iPad were meant to be a true computing tablet, but it isn't.
I'm also right if the 'Pad was supposed to be a game-changing device. Or if the 'Pad was supposed to be better for some things than a netbook.
IMO, it fails using any of the three criteria we have mentioned.
Yesterday, I thought it was pretty cool as a web-surfing couch accessory.
But last night I was sitting on the couch with my laptop, watching the State of the Union, downloading content, surfing the 'web, and occasionally getting interrupted by my son's open AIM app. And then I realized: No multitasking means that the thing is practically useless for what I want/need.
I want my entertainment devices to work well be fast, and have a long battery life. Multitasking is for computers; the iPad is not a computer. Sure the Android wannabe iPad tablet will tout having 50 apps open at once. They won't tell you the batty will only last 30 minutes doing so, however.
So are you saying that the lack of functionality is a GOOD THING? A feature? An added benefit?
Stock answer No. 372?
It really needed a single new app to come with it. Not that the improvements to the existing iPhone/Mac apps were nothing, but still. I suppose iBooks was it.
Yep. Pretty disappointing. iBook looks like a "me too" copy of established ereader software, right down to the stolen bookshelf paradigm.
I'm also right if the 'Pad was supposed to be a game-changing device. Or if the 'Pad was supposed to be better for some things than a netbook.
IMO, it fails using any of the three criteria we have mentioned.
Yesterday, I thought it was pretty cool as a web-surfing couch accessory.
But last night I was sitting on the couch with my laptop, watching the State of the Union, downloading content, surfing the 'web, and occasionally getting interrupted by my son's open AIM app. And then I realized: No multitasking means that the thing is practically useless for what I want/need.
OK - it's not for you - however, I don't think it was ever going to be a game-changing device. It is (and was designed to be) a device for the consumer - not the computer/laptop user.
So are you saying that the lack of functionality is a GOOD THING? A feature? An added benefit?
Stock answer No. 372?
Apologies - I should have included the following in my Stock answer
from Wilson Rothman at Giz.
"We can sit here in our geeky little dorkosphere arguing about it all day, but as much as Apple clearly enjoys our participation, the people Jobs wants to sell this to don't read our rants. They can't even understand them. My step-mother refuses to touch computers, but nowadays checks email, reads newspapers and plays Solitaire on an iPod Touch, after basically picking it up by accident one day. That's a future iPad user if I ever saw one.
Jobs doesn't care about the netbook business, or the ebook business. He's just aiming for the same people they were aiming at. The difference is, he's going to reach them. And the fight will be with whoever enters into the tablet business with him. Paging Mr. Ballmer..."
awesome tablet device, I can easily see myself buying the 32gb wifi version and it be great for college, completely replace what most people use netbooks for. you can get pages, calendar, buying the books u need and read them on the device, research things on the web, copy and paste to ur document, all this while listening to ur music collection or radio through pandora.
Nope. It doesn't multitask. It cannot walk and chew gum at the same time, nor can it do any of the things you identify at the same time.
OK - it's not for you - however, I don't think it was ever going to be a game-changing device. It is (and was designed to be) a device for the consumer - not the computer/laptop user.
So was iSteve full of it when he said it was the most important thing he'd ever done?
And what sort of fictional dichotomy are you constructing with the "consumer" on one side and the "computer/laptop user" on the other? As far as I know, the overlap between the two approaches 100%.
Apologies - I should have included the following in my Stock answer
from Wilson Rothman at Giz.
"We can sit here in our geeky little dorkosphere arguing about it all day, but as much as Apple clearly enjoys our participation, the people Jobs wants to sell this to don't read our rants. They can't even understand them. My step-mother refuses to touch computers, but nowadays checks email, reads newspapers and plays Solitaire on an iPod Touch, after basically picking it up by accident one day. That's a future iPad user if I ever saw one.
Jobs doesn't care about the netbook business, or the ebook business. He's just aiming for the same people they were aiming at. The difference is, he's going to reach them. And the fight will be with whoever enters into the tablet business with him. Paging Mr. Ballmer..."
OK, fine. It is a device suitable for folks who refuse to touch a computer. It is a device for them, and not us?
iPass.
So was iSteve full of it when he said it was the most important thing he'd ever done?
And what sort of fictional dichotomy are you constructing with the "consumer" on one side and the "computer/laptop user" on the other? As far as I know, the overlap between the two approaches 100%.
I disagree - the Consumer(s) are some of (lets say 10% = about 10M in a year) the 30M odd people that purchased iPods/iPhones last quarter.
the computer/laptop User(s) are those of us that can't get it 'all' done without at least 4g of ram.
Yep. Apple may have jumped the shark with this one...
As far as I've seen, the only thing Apple said before the product launch was "Come see our latest creation." Everything else you've heard in the build-up was from rumor sites. You really can't blame Apple for that. I thought Jobs's intro was surprisingly humble, in fact: "We're not sure if there's room for a new product between the smartphone and the notebook, but we thought we'd try it and find out." (paraphrasing)
I agree with earlier posters mentioning this would be great for their parents or grandparents. My aunt always has her six-year-old iBook in her lap, just idly surfing the web, whenever she watches TV. This would be perfect for her. These people don't care about tech specs or multitasking. I'm not saying a lack of multitasking is good, I'm saying that for most users, it's irrelevant.
For myself, if I weren't already set up with a MacBook Pro and an iPod touch, I might want to get an iPad and an iMac instead. If I had an iPad now, it would be hard to decide which device to bring to different events. It's just another option. It might replace one or another of these devices for different people, but it's not meant to replace all of them.
I see this with almost every product launch -- a lot of really focused tech geeks showing outrage that the latest product doesn't have a few of their most anticipated features. Meanwhile Apple takes in billions of dollars selling their products to people who can still see the forest for the trees.
The iPad's key innovation is its ability to continue exciting fanboys and those addicted to consumption.
Based on reading the hundreds of comments here, I'm not sure it was able to even do that.
I'm slowly getting over my disappointment.
It's easier if you look at it like it's the iPad beta... which it totally is. Even the most devout of Apple fans will admit to you it's lacking the features it needs to be a truly useful device.
At a minimum it needs a software update... iPhone OS 4.0, multi-tasking, Flash, document management, a plug-in model for Safari and a driver framework. This could come in March\\April but I doubt it.
I think the iPad will be like the iPod\\iPhone in that a second generation will be released and it will be released soon (i.e. this time next year). Faster CPU\\GPU, camera, more inputs\\outputs (HDMI!!!), proximity screen and any other gadgets Apple can come up with along with another OS update.
Just like iPod\\iPhone everyone will dump their beta iPads without a second thought for the real iPad.
That said, the iPad was still somewhat of a rushed release. The market will be flooded with eReaders and tablets over the next 12 months and Apple simply couldn't afford to hang around and do nothing. They needed to get in and mark their territory in the new market. I think the Gen1 iPad, regardless of its faults, will do that.
I think you are right for most of us its just not ready for primetime yet. At least for me and I would say for many others the lack of multi-tasking is a major issue.
The problem is that people had absurd expectations. The iPad isn’t for everyone, but for a lot of people, it will be great. For example, I’m going to buy one as soon as it’s out and use it to present information to customers at trade shows. It’s far more convenient than having a conventional notebook.
As for the netbook comparison, that’s silly. As near as I can tell, this is superior in almost every way – unless you’re typing a novel, and even then, the iPad with external keyboard probably beats the netbook’s cramped keyboard.
Kindle? Under some lighting conditions, Kindle will be superior, but for all-around use, I’d go with the iPad (particularly for magazines and textbooks where color is important).
Bezel? Apple had two choices - run the picture right to the edge (in which case your hands would cover part of the picture and you'd activate things by mistake) or have a bezel. I prefer the bezel.
The multitasking complaints are just plain wrong, as well. First, like the iPhone, it WILL multitask with Apple apps. Thus, you can check the email while using Skype to converse with someone. More importantly, my DVD player doesn't multitask, either. Who cares? Do you really expect to be playing Mario Chases Rodents while reading a book or while preparing a book report? I sure don't want to trade off the battery life and performance for a theoretical advantage with no real benefit.
Those of you saying it's no more than an iPod Touch obviously have no imagination. iWork alone changes things immensely (see above). Not to mention that there are things that are practical on a 10" screen that just don't make sense on a 3.5" screen.
And for those of you whining about 'missing' slots, you might as well complain about the fact that it doesn't have a floppy drive. The thing is 1/2" thick - just how many slots do you expect to fit in there? And why should Apple include them standard when 99% of users don't care. If you really need USB, there's an adapter, but I can't see myself ever using it.
You can’t please everyone – and fortunately Apple knows enough not to try. Don’t confuse “I don’t want one of these” with “No one will want one of these”
When it comes right down to it.
-Can't run multiple applications.
-Can't watch hulu because of a complete lack of flash. Yes, it sucks, but many many things use it.
-Can't do video conferencing
-Too big to fit in your pocket.
I'm sure there will be some kind of market for it, but unless something drastically changes with the next one, I just don't see this being the next big thing. I wouldn't mind having one, but its a complete luxury item behind Macs and iPhones.
In terms of who will buy this I think it makes most students needs for a laptop completely irrelevant as you can do all the functions you need to write essays, look at pdf files etc but you can also use the device as an entertainment device. It also has flexibility for the needs of business with easy use for presentations with the vga output dongle as just two markets to exploit at the moment.
No student is going to churn out a 5000 worder on an iPad... if they try I suspect the last few hundred words may be written with the blood of their cracked and dismembered finger tips.
Assuming they have parents that have enough money to buy them one, it would be more likely they'll sit under a tree or lay in bed reading textbooks and researching on the internet using the iPad before going back to an iMac\\Macbook to actually write the essay.
For business... well some maybe. Assuming the iPad actually supports whatever you have written the presentation in it would be fine. However you won't be creating the presentation using the iPad, which would essentially make it a $499 input device for your projector. Something the higher up execs would go for, but I can't see many businesses accepting it across the board.
Kindle loving upper-middle-class wasps will love this thing, but I am not neither upper-middle-class nor a wasp.
Wow, you managed to roll class, ethnicity and religion into one bigoted sentence there. Congrats.
I guess in your world African-Americans, Catholics, Jews, Asians, Indians, rich people, middle class folks, etc don't like to read or surf the web, huh? Nice place.