That was one monster of a post Vinea! You definitely win the total tablet experience category, but perhaps not any awards in congeniality. Not that i've been nominated for any of those myself.
There are so many line-by-line rebutals in there that I'd rather not address them individually. It would likely take us down a minutia tit for tat road. Instead, backing off and reiterating general points would likely be more productive. Addabox has done that nicely in his last two posts. Couldn't have said it better myself!
The form factor and functionality of the iPad differ so drastically from a laptops (netbooks), that the two aren't any more related than are any of the other common computing forms, desktops and pocket computers. Because the usage is so different with tablet computers, the market really is distinct in the same way that the pocket computing market is distinct from laptops and desktops.
Perhaps it boils down to a difference of opinion on the primary motivation for purchasing a netbook. It is my opinion that netbooks are not being bought for ease-of-use, or because they provide a different/preferable user experience. Instead, they are being bought because they are basically full-blown but cheap laptops.
On the other hand, the iPad is not a full-blown computer. It is an auxiliary device meant to capitalize on a entirely separate market, the market for tablet computing. Tablet computers are not as flexible as laptops but are still desirable because they provide an totally different computing experience. Now that hardware is cheap enough, and apple has designed an elegant GUI, people will start adopting these auxiliary computing devices into their everyday computing life. This represents a new usage pattern and an entirely new market. Or at least as new as the pocket computing market was in comparison to laptops and desktops.
It is my prediction that once the iPad has been released and is in our grubby little hands, it will quickly become apparent that they are being used in a completely different fashion than are laptops (or netbooks). The biggest similarity will be web browsing, and it certainly is a biggie. But other than both being "computers", that is where the similarity ends. Usage will be so drastically different that the bafflingly frequent comparisons to netbooks will slowly dwindle away.
Only time will tell. Thanks for the engaging discussion. I can't wait to see how this all unfolds!
[Edit: All-in-one, rack mount, blade, and headless computers are also relatively common computing form factors. Hopefully leaving them out of the above discussion seems reasonable. For our purposes, laptops, desktops (including towers etc), pocket computers, and tablets seem like the appropriate categories to compare.]
That was one monster of a post Vinea! You definitely win the total tablet experience category, but perhaps not any awards in congeniality. Not that i've been nominated for any of those myself.
No, that's fine. You asked, I answered. Of course, I could just be making all that up but I've suffered enough with slates that...meh...another slate wasn't all that interesting to me until the iPad. My motion tablet is now 3ish years old. The convertibles younger.
Quote:
Perhaps it boils down to a difference of opinion on the primary motivation for purchasing a netbook. It is my opinion that netbooks are not being bought for ease-of-use, or because they provide a different/preferable user experience. Instead, they are being bought because they are basically full-blown but cheap laptops.
Yes, this is where we differ.
SOME folks do buy netbooks as cheap computers. And you are correct that Apple has zero interest in this market.
But some folks buy netbooks as something to do light web surfing, email and watch the occasional video or play a flash game. This is something (other than flash games) that the iPad will excel at and is a market that Apple is targetting.
Quote:
On the other hand, the iPad is not a full-blown computer. It is an auxiliary device meant to capitalize on a entirely separate market, the market for tablet computing.
I believe that all Apple laptops will become (convertible) tablets within 5 years as OS X will begin to incorporate multitouch direct manipulation into the core UI.
Thus I would not say that the iPad is targetted toward the tablet computing market as much as the auxilary computing market.
Quote:
Tablet computers are not as flexible as laptops but are still desirable because they provide an totally different computing experience.
Slates are not as flexible but convertibles are. Arguably, with a good enough dock, even a slate is as flexible as laptops.
Quote:
Now that hardware is cheap enough, and apple has designed an elegant GUI, people will start adopting these auxiliary computing devices into their everyday computing life. This represents a new usage pattern and an entirely new market. Or at least as new as the pocket computing market was in comparison to laptops and desktops.
I agree that Apple has developed an elegant GUI and that the iPad will be successful at capturing this market. I just disagree that the market didn't already exist as a segment of the netbook market.
Quote:
Usage will be so drastically different that the bafflingly frequent comparisons to netbooks will slowly dwindle away.
I dunno why you find it bafflling that some of us bought netbooks entirely to fill the role that the iPad is intended to fill. Netbooks just sucked at it...so other than as cheap laptops I think it will be netbooks that dwindle away rather than the comparisons.
Apple doesn't so much create a need for something as addresses a need so much better than everyone else. It didn't create the need for portable music. It just met that need better than any other device of the time with the iPod. It didn't create the need for smartphone functionality. It just met that need so much better than anyone else at the time.
I think that it is more accurate to say that the iPad is far more likely to meet some of the uses that folks intended to be filled by a netbook than a netbook because of the ease of use of the platform.
Worded differently, it doesn't mean that the iPad IS A netbook but it does mean it IS targetted squarely at those users that have purchased netbooks but have been, thus far, poorly served. Meaning it isn't a new market but yet another one that Apple has seen a way to profitably address in a new fashion.
Apple doesn't so much create a need for something as addresses a need so much better than everyone else. It didn't create the need for portable music. It just met that need better than any other device of the time with the iPod. It didn't create the need for smartphone functionality. It just met that need so much better than anyone else at the time.
And in so doing, everyone forgot what music players were like before iPod and what smartphones were like before iPhone. And going further back, everyone has forgotten what computers were like before the Mac-inspired WIMP-based GUI.
I hope people are beginning to understand what Apple's secret sauce is all about - no matter what the products in the market were before, Apple comes in and prunes away non-essential functionalities, adds in (converging) some new functionalities, and wraps it all in an altered user interface and product form (size, shape) that fits exactly with what the user should (and possibly wanted to) do with it (just where the puck was going).
They did it with Macintosh, Powerbook, iMac, iPod, iPhone, and now iPad.
I'm excited for launch day. Reserved mine for pickup at Apple, thinking it's going to be a smooth process... No activation means no unboxing, no bogged down iTunes servers, credit checks, etc.. And no one in line that hasn't reserved. Should be a fast line.
Comments
There are so many line-by-line rebutals in there that I'd rather not address them individually. It would likely take us down a minutia tit for tat road. Instead, backing off and reiterating general points would likely be more productive. Addabox has done that nicely in his last two posts. Couldn't have said it better myself!
The form factor and functionality of the iPad differ so drastically from a laptops (netbooks), that the two aren't any more related than are any of the other common computing forms, desktops and pocket computers. Because the usage is so different with tablet computers, the market really is distinct in the same way that the pocket computing market is distinct from laptops and desktops.
Perhaps it boils down to a difference of opinion on the primary motivation for purchasing a netbook. It is my opinion that netbooks are not being bought for ease-of-use, or because they provide a different/preferable user experience. Instead, they are being bought because they are basically full-blown but cheap laptops.
On the other hand, the iPad is not a full-blown computer. It is an auxiliary device meant to capitalize on a entirely separate market, the market for tablet computing. Tablet computers are not as flexible as laptops but are still desirable because they provide an totally different computing experience. Now that hardware is cheap enough, and apple has designed an elegant GUI, people will start adopting these auxiliary computing devices into their everyday computing life. This represents a new usage pattern and an entirely new market. Or at least as new as the pocket computing market was in comparison to laptops and desktops.
It is my prediction that once the iPad has been released and is in our grubby little hands, it will quickly become apparent that they are being used in a completely different fashion than are laptops (or netbooks). The biggest similarity will be web browsing, and it certainly is a biggie. But other than both being "computers", that is where the similarity ends. Usage will be so drastically different that the bafflingly frequent comparisons to netbooks will slowly dwindle away.
Only time will tell. Thanks for the engaging discussion. I can't wait to see how this all unfolds!
[Edit: All-in-one, rack mount, blade, and headless computers are also relatively common computing form factors. Hopefully leaving them out of the above discussion seems reasonable. For our purposes, laptops, desktops (including towers etc), pocket computers, and tablets seem like the appropriate categories to compare.]
That was one monster of a post Vinea! You definitely win the total tablet experience category, but perhaps not any awards in congeniality. Not that i've been nominated for any of those myself.
No, that's fine. You asked, I answered. Of course, I could just be making all that up but I've suffered enough with slates that...meh...another slate wasn't all that interesting to me until the iPad. My motion tablet is now 3ish years old. The convertibles younger.
Perhaps it boils down to a difference of opinion on the primary motivation for purchasing a netbook. It is my opinion that netbooks are not being bought for ease-of-use, or because they provide a different/preferable user experience. Instead, they are being bought because they are basically full-blown but cheap laptops.
Yes, this is where we differ.
SOME folks do buy netbooks as cheap computers. And you are correct that Apple has zero interest in this market.
But some folks buy netbooks as something to do light web surfing, email and watch the occasional video or play a flash game. This is something (other than flash games) that the iPad will excel at and is a market that Apple is targetting.
On the other hand, the iPad is not a full-blown computer. It is an auxiliary device meant to capitalize on a entirely separate market, the market for tablet computing.
I believe that all Apple laptops will become (convertible) tablets within 5 years as OS X will begin to incorporate multitouch direct manipulation into the core UI.
Thus I would not say that the iPad is targetted toward the tablet computing market as much as the auxilary computing market.
Tablet computers are not as flexible as laptops but are still desirable because they provide an totally different computing experience.
Slates are not as flexible but convertibles are. Arguably, with a good enough dock, even a slate is as flexible as laptops.
Now that hardware is cheap enough, and apple has designed an elegant GUI, people will start adopting these auxiliary computing devices into their everyday computing life. This represents a new usage pattern and an entirely new market. Or at least as new as the pocket computing market was in comparison to laptops and desktops.
I agree that Apple has developed an elegant GUI and that the iPad will be successful at capturing this market. I just disagree that the market didn't already exist as a segment of the netbook market.
Usage will be so drastically different that the bafflingly frequent comparisons to netbooks will slowly dwindle away.
I dunno why you find it bafflling that some of us bought netbooks entirely to fill the role that the iPad is intended to fill. Netbooks just sucked at it...so other than as cheap laptops I think it will be netbooks that dwindle away rather than the comparisons.
Apple doesn't so much create a need for something as addresses a need so much better than everyone else. It didn't create the need for portable music. It just met that need better than any other device of the time with the iPod. It didn't create the need for smartphone functionality. It just met that need so much better than anyone else at the time.
I think that it is more accurate to say that the iPad is far more likely to meet some of the uses that folks intended to be filled by a netbook than a netbook because of the ease of use of the platform.
Worded differently, it doesn't mean that the iPad IS A netbook but it does mean it IS targetted squarely at those users that have purchased netbooks but have been, thus far, poorly served. Meaning it isn't a new market but yet another one that Apple has seen a way to profitably address in a new fashion.
Nicely and succinctly put!
Apple doesn't so much create a need for something as addresses a need so much better than everyone else. It didn't create the need for portable music. It just met that need better than any other device of the time with the iPod. It didn't create the need for smartphone functionality. It just met that need so much better than anyone else at the time.
And in so doing, everyone forgot what music players were like before iPod and what smartphones were like before iPhone. And going further back, everyone has forgotten what computers were like before the Mac-inspired WIMP-based GUI.
I hope people are beginning to understand what Apple's secret sauce is all about - no matter what the products in the market were before, Apple comes in and prunes away non-essential functionalities, adds in (converging) some new functionalities, and wraps it all in an altered user interface and product form (size, shape) that fits exactly with what the user should (and possibly wanted to) do with it (just where the puck was going).
They did it with Macintosh, Powerbook, iMac, iPod, iPhone, and now iPad.