The Droid X has a ~5 inch screen. It's a little too big for your pocket, so people clip them on their belt. And, at it's size; it is on the large side for a cell phone.
The iPad is at 9.7 inches and fits nicely in a case about the same size as a normal file. It's too big to fit on your belt, but is about the perfect size to carry. It's light weight, has a long battery life, and the design effort that went into it is amazing. Definitely a slam-dunk from half-court.
But, at 7 inches you are really too small to carry - but too large to clip on your belt. The screen isn't that much different from watching a movie or website on your Droid X. So, this unit is too large to be a phone, but too small to be a useful tablet.
This seems like a misfit appliance out of the gate.
You summed up exactly why Apple came out with what they did. I suspect the reason for most going for 7" is to desperately try to match the low cost of an iPad which Apple achieve by owning so much of their own technology. It will be a losing battle for the the 7" wannabes I suspect.
I am curious when Apple will sue all of the copycats that are using multi-touch input that Apple has been granted the patent on last January 2009. I am wondering if Apple is just waiting for all of the manufactures to have a few million devices sold and then Apple unleashes the lawyers. I can't wait to see what the stock does when that happens.
I have recently found it a little overwhelming when I look at the spaghetti sauces in the grocery store - way too many choices, which actually makes it unpleasant to choose. There is a tricky balance between having enough to satisfy most users and having too many choices.
You might be right, but then people take longer to decide and become confused.
"Should I get the 3" or the 4" Dell Tablet? ... I could always get the Streak? Oh, the 7" is only a little bit more money too, maybe I should get that? Or, I could just wait for the 10" coming later this year. Ah, screw it, I'll buy an iPad."
If I'm buying gadgets I tend to research into what I'm thinking of buying quite a lot before I get it. As I'm sure most people here will. The average consumer, who is likely not as tech-savvy as most of us, will see all of these Dell products and just be confused. They see the iPad, and they all look the same and they're easy to understand. Do you want a lot of music and video storage? Buy a bigger iPad. Do you want internet on the go? Buy a 3G iPad. Otherwise, they're all identical.
Choice is an amazing thing for people like us. It's not for the average consumer.
I agree, too much choice only causes confusion. I like Apple's approach, but I do think a 7" would be a nice size. I haven't had the chance to see anything that size, so it is hard to tell. I just know the current iPad is just a little heavy. But, the screen is fantastic and movies look great on it.
Well, they certainly look like they will be directly competing for developers, at least. One has to wonder what HP is up to with webOS, though. At this point it seems almost dead, although, hibernating might be more accurate.
I have to think they intend at some point soon for an HP iOS competitor to rise from WebOS and differentiate them and allow them a tighter integration between hardware and software (an idea they may have gleaned from Apple maybe? Android will become too generic and at the same time inconsistent with every manufacturer throwing something out there running it. Anything HP is making now is I assume a stop gap. Not a good selling point if true!
You summed up exactly why Apple came out with what they did. I suspect the reason for most going for 7" is to desperately try to match the low cost of an iPad which Apple achieve by owning so much of their own technology. It will be a losing battle for the the 7" wannabes I suspect.
speaking purely about screen size (not device...) I used an ipad and a 7" samsung tab, and I much prefered the tab. (not device, the size before anyone gets excited). It seemed common sentiment. But it'll come down to some will, some won't. I don't think anyone can say definitely that the 7" form will fail. I doubt it. It'll be something else that will cause that.
as far as Dell, well, he should give his shareholders their money back before they (dell) die.
I am curious when Apple will sue all of the copycats that are using multi-touch input that Apple has been granted the patent on last January 2009. I am wondering if Apple is just waiting for all of the manufactures to have a few million devices sold and then Apple unleashes the lawyers. I can't wait to see what the stock does when that happens.
I have been asking this or similar questions for a while. SJ stated the iPhone was well protected by patents at its launch. At the time a BB was considered high tech! So there was nothing even close back then, not even Google's drawing board version of Android. Since iPhone's release we see so many copy cats ... were the patents useless or what ...is there a plan? We keep seeing threads about one law suit after another dating back to the 1990's yet here we are with the most tech savvy company there is stating it had patented the iPhone very well (SJ even smiled knowingly as he said it) ... I don't get it.
The profit or rather lack thereof amongst all those scrambling to get out pads running whatever OS will be horrific. As we have mentioned before they are all throwing together parts from various sources to make these things including the OS. It is going to be a blood bath out there except for Apple.
And yet they are more likely to make a profit now from the tablet market than they were a year ago because of Apple?s emergence into (and recreation of) this market. Just like with the iPhone, even if hate Apple and their products, if you are buying a RiM, HP, Dell anyone else?s tablet you should be glad Apple made it possible for these others to have a clear path to play follow the leader.
You might be forgetting the retailer. They choose which products to carry and which to highlight. Best Buy, for example, might use the "good, better, best" strategy, much as Apple does with its MBPs.
And big CE companies often make the same basic product with different SKUs for different retailers. TV sets often are available only at one chain, while an equivalent will be available at the next shopping center down the road, albeit merchandised as a different line.
And then it is up to the salesman to identify the factors that the customer cares about, and exclude the products which don't fit the bill. A good salesman can quickly steer a naive customer to a good choice.
I don't think choice is a bad thing. Experienced manufacturers and retailers know better than either of us about optimal product mix.
I don't think choice is a bad thing, not at all. I think too much choice is a bad thing. The scenario you provided with the salesman hinges on that salesman being honest. I think some salesmen would attempt to convince a naive consumer to buy a higher end product that exceeded their needs rather than meet them.
Going to buy an flat screen TV is a good example. If you go into an electrical retailer here in the UK, there are literally hundreds of TVs in the show room. So many differences to consider - resolution, refresh rate, screen size, LCD vs Plasma. This is a consumers worst nightmare. Sure, a salesman could help in this instance. But how many times have you gone in to a store and had a salesman try to talk you in to buying something cheaper? (Not saying it doesn't happen).
HTC have over-saturated the market with Android phones. I would say this is a very bad thing. But, as you said experienced manufacturers know what they're doing. More Android phones on the market, means more Android sales. But I'm arguing it's not consumer friendly, and I stand by that.
Can you name a couple of apps that support 11 multi-touches... 11 mutli-touches seems like a useless spec to me.
Why do you need an app that supports all eleven? If for each "multi-touch" that iOS provides there is at least one app that puts it to good use, then this is a good thing.
Update: Ah, now I see. I thought the point was that there were 11 different multi-touch "gestures" defined for use on iOS. Now I see that you're talking about how many simultaneous touches can be detected by the Pad. Someone mentioned the Piano app, and that clued me in.
speaking purely about screen size (not device...) I used an ipad and a 7" samsung tab, and I much prefered the tab. (not device, the size before anyone gets excited). It seemed common sentiment. But it'll come down to some will, some won't. I don't think anyone can say definitely that the 7" form will fail. I doubt it. It'll be something else that will cause that.
as far as Dell, well, he should give his shareholders their money back before they (dell) die.
Yep I agree, sorry I didn't mean they had a problem because of 7" so much rather the entire issue of trying to compete with Apple and the 7" is obviously cheaper thus I assume part of the equation to try to compete. The pros and cons of 7" I think are what Apple weighed and they went for a size they felt fit the widest range uses it is intended for best, I agree with them. However if the iPad had been 7" I am sure we would have all loved it all the same.
In any case, this is good news as Dell is going to push the price down.
In terms of competition, the Blackberry Playbook poses the biggest challenge in terms of specs and UI IMHO. Also, it looks like the majority of the newcomers are opting for the 7" format which is lighter and requires only one hand. I like it.
I do hope Apple revamps the UI of the iPAD. They were one of the first to implement Cover Flow and now everyone is copying them. So it makes sense to see it on the IPAD. The grid layout is getting old.
Coverflow looks cool and all that, but in my opinion it is terribly inefficient.
In any case, this is good news as Dell is going to push the price down.
you're correct. dell will push the price of apple's other competitor's products down. the ipad is a huge success for apple. why should they lower their price?
furthermore, dell doesn't offer the whole 'experience'. they built the thing and are perfectly happy to field calls for failing hardware, but the consumer has to go to android support for bugs, and other software problems.
while i don't think it will be a complete failure, it won't push dell much further in the market. besides, apple is already on their 2nd generation ipad (probably more like 3rd or 4th—rest assured, those are already in r&d). everyone else is playing catch up.
And yet they are more likely to make a profit now from the tablet market than they were a year ago because of Apple?s emergence into (and recreation of) this market. Just like with the iPhone, even if hate Apple and their products, if you are buying a RiM, HP, Dell anyone else?s tablet you should be glad Apple made it possible for these others to have a clear path to play follow the leader.
Apple's sure did open up a clear path where no one saw one before. I suspect they all (the other manufacturers that is) foresee a massive decline in old fashioned PC designs selling to the masses who only bought them because that was all there was. If 90% of people can do 90% of what they need on a iPad why buy a PC tower? They really have zero choice but to try to get a foot in this door before it closes on them.
Apple's sure did open up a clear path where no one saw one before. I suspect they all (the other manufacturers that is) foresee a massive decline in old fashioned PC designs selling to the masses who only bought them because that was all there was. If 90% of people can do 90% of what they need on a iPad why buy a PC tower? They really have zero choice but to try to get a foot in this door before it closes on them.
People might move back to a 1 ?PC? home again, but this time with multiple satellite computing devices for general use.
You summed up exactly why Apple came out with what they did. I suspect the reason for most going for 7" is to desperately try to match the low cost of an iPad which Apple achieve by owning so much of their own technology. It will be a losing battle for the the 7" wannabes I suspect.
I'm going to disagree. If I had the choice between 10" and 7", and even if they cost the same, I'd choose the 7". Another way too look at it... it's not so much that the 10" iPad is too big, it's that the iPod touch is too small (and limited in functionality because of it's size).
10" isn't a bad size, but if the "one-size-fits-all" mentality ruled, Apple would only have one size MBP. There are obviously different people with different needs.
Apple started with the 10" size because it was the logical place to start. They already had the low end covered with the touch and they need to show people the iPad wasn't just a larger touch. Maybe 7" isn't the right spot, I'd even go for something a wee bit smaller still to be more portable. But the touch is too small and too limited to be a truly useful multipurpose device.
I think once more of these competitor 7" devices hit the street, you'll find a lot of people choosing them intead of an iPad, not because the OS or user experience is better. Size will become a primary factor for many people.
People might move back to a 1 ?PC? home again, but this time with multiple satellite computing devices for general use.
I have a feeling the need for the base station (which iPad needs now) will soon be gone and the family can just have a few iPads if that's all they require. I have a suspicion the answer to this riddle of how to remove the base PC will be additional features in iOS and Apple's new secret building in the Carolinas.
Obviously a MacPros and MBPs will be needed by creators for the foreseeable future too.
I'm going to disagree. If I had the choice between 10" and 7", and even if they cost the same, I'd choose the 7". Another way too look at it... it's not so much that the 10" iPad is too big, it's that the iPod touch is too small (and limited in functionality because of it's size).
10" isn't a bad size, but if the "one-size-fits-all" mentality ruled, Apple would only have one size MBP. There are obviously different people with different needs.
Apple started with the 10" size because it was the logical place to start. They already had the low end covered with the touch and they need to show people the iPad wasn't just a larger touch. Maybe 7" isn't the right spot, I'd even go for something a wee bit smaller still to be more portable. But the touch is too small and too limited to be a truly useful multipurpose device.
I think once more of these competitor 7" devices hit the street, you'll find a lot of people choosing them intead of an iPad, not because the OS or user experience is better. Size will become a primary factor for many people.
I posted an update to that comment you may now have seen and I don't necessarily disagree, I was saying the 7" in the competition maybe more about keeping the price down than the issue of user choice. Apple can easily add a 7" down the road if and when they feel there is a need / demand.
Comments
The Droid X has a ~5 inch screen. It's a little too big for your pocket, so people clip them on their belt. And, at it's size; it is on the large side for a cell phone.
The iPad is at 9.7 inches and fits nicely in a case about the same size as a normal file. It's too big to fit on your belt, but is about the perfect size to carry. It's light weight, has a long battery life, and the design effort that went into it is amazing. Definitely a slam-dunk from half-court.
But, at 7 inches you are really too small to carry - but too large to clip on your belt. The screen isn't that much different from watching a movie or website on your Droid X. So, this unit is too large to be a phone, but too small to be a useful tablet.
This seems like a misfit appliance out of the gate.
You summed up exactly why Apple came out with what they did.
Not saying the Dell stuff will do well (it will be a flop). But in general, people like choices... Lots of choices...
Not all people like an excessive number of choices:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sh..._choosing.html
I have recently found it a little overwhelming when I look at the spaghetti sauces in the grocery store - way too many choices, which actually makes it unpleasant to choose. There is a tricky balance between having enough to satisfy most users and having too many choices.
You might be right, but then people take longer to decide and become confused.
"Should I get the 3" or the 4" Dell Tablet? ... I could always get the Streak? Oh, the 7" is only a little bit more money too, maybe I should get that? Or, I could just wait for the 10" coming later this year. Ah, screw it, I'll buy an iPad."
If I'm buying gadgets I tend to research into what I'm thinking of buying quite a lot before I get it. As I'm sure most people here will. The average consumer, who is likely not as tech-savvy as most of us, will see all of these Dell products and just be confused. They see the iPad, and they all look the same and they're easy to understand. Do you want a lot of music and video storage? Buy a bigger iPad. Do you want internet on the go? Buy a 3G iPad. Otherwise, they're all identical.
Choice is an amazing thing for people like us. It's not for the average consumer.
I agree, too much choice only causes confusion. I like Apple's approach, but I do think a 7" would be a nice size. I haven't had the chance to see anything that size, so it is hard to tell. I just know the current iPad is just a little heavy. But, the screen is fantastic and movies look great on it.
Well, they certainly look like they will be directly competing for developers, at least. One has to wonder what HP is up to with webOS, though. At this point it seems almost dead, although, hibernating might be more accurate.
I have to think they intend at some point soon for an HP iOS competitor to rise from WebOS and differentiate them and allow them a tighter integration between hardware and software (an idea they may have gleaned from Apple maybe?
You summed up exactly why Apple came out with what they did.
speaking purely about screen size (not device...) I used an ipad and a 7" samsung tab, and I much prefered the tab. (not device, the size before anyone gets excited). It seemed common sentiment. But it'll come down to some will, some won't. I don't think anyone can say definitely that the 7" form will fail. I doubt it. It'll be something else that will cause that.
as far as Dell, well, he should give his shareholders their money back before they (dell) die.
I am curious when Apple will sue all of the copycats that are using multi-touch input that Apple has been granted the patent on last January 2009. I am wondering if Apple is just waiting for all of the manufactures to have a few million devices sold and then Apple unleashes the lawyers. I can't wait to see what the stock does when that happens.
I have been asking this or similar questions for a while. SJ stated the iPhone was well protected by patents at its launch. At the time a BB was considered high tech! So there was nothing even close back then, not even Google's drawing board version of Android. Since iPhone's release we see so many copy cats ... were the patents useless or what ...is there a plan? We keep seeing threads about one law suit after another dating back to the 1990's yet here we are with the most tech savvy company there is stating it had patented the iPhone very well (SJ even smiled knowingly as he said it) ... I don't get it.
The profit or rather lack thereof amongst all those scrambling to get out pads running whatever OS will be horrific. As we have mentioned before they are all throwing together parts from various sources to make these things including the OS. It is going to be a blood bath out there except for Apple.
And yet they are more likely to make a profit now from the tablet market than they were a year ago because of Apple?s emergence into (and recreation of) this market. Just like with the iPhone, even if hate Apple and their products, if you are buying a RiM, HP, Dell anyone else?s tablet you should be glad Apple made it possible for these others to have a clear path to play follow the leader.
You might be forgetting the retailer. They choose which products to carry and which to highlight. Best Buy, for example, might use the "good, better, best" strategy, much as Apple does with its MBPs.
And big CE companies often make the same basic product with different SKUs for different retailers. TV sets often are available only at one chain, while an equivalent will be available at the next shopping center down the road, albeit merchandised as a different line.
And then it is up to the salesman to identify the factors that the customer cares about, and exclude the products which don't fit the bill. A good salesman can quickly steer a naive customer to a good choice.
I don't think choice is a bad thing. Experienced manufacturers and retailers know better than either of us about optimal product mix.
I don't think choice is a bad thing, not at all. I think too much choice is a bad thing. The scenario you provided with the salesman hinges on that salesman being honest. I think some salesmen would attempt to convince a naive consumer to buy a higher end product that exceeded their needs rather than meet them.
Going to buy an flat screen TV is a good example. If you go into an electrical retailer here in the UK, there are literally hundreds of TVs in the show room. So many differences to consider - resolution, refresh rate, screen size, LCD vs Plasma. This is a consumers worst nightmare. Sure, a salesman could help in this instance. But how many times have you gone in to a store and had a salesman try to talk you in to buying something cheaper? (Not saying it doesn't happen).
HTC have over-saturated the market with Android phones. I would say this is a very bad thing. But, as you said experienced manufacturers know what they're doing. More Android phones on the market, means more Android sales. But I'm arguing it's not consumer friendly, and I stand by that.
Can you name a couple of apps that support 11 multi-touches... 11 mutli-touches seems like a useless spec to me.
Why do you need an app that supports all eleven? If for each "multi-touch" that iOS provides there is at least one app that puts it to good use, then this is a good thing.
Update: Ah, now I see. I thought the point was that there were 11 different multi-touch "gestures" defined for use on iOS. Now I see that you're talking about how many simultaneous touches can be detected by the Pad. Someone mentioned the Piano app, and that clued me in.
Thompson
speaking purely about screen size (not device...) I used an ipad and a 7" samsung tab, and I much prefered the tab. (not device, the size before anyone gets excited). It seemed common sentiment. But it'll come down to some will, some won't. I don't think anyone can say definitely that the 7" form will fail. I doubt it. It'll be something else that will cause that.
as far as Dell, well, he should give his shareholders their money back before they (dell) die.
Yep I agree, sorry I didn't mean they had a problem because of 7" so much rather the entire issue of trying to compete with Apple and the 7" is obviously cheaper thus I assume part of the equation to try to compete. The pros and cons of 7" I think are what Apple weighed and they went for a size they felt fit the widest range uses it is intended for best, I agree with them. However if the iPad had been 7" I am sure we would have all loved it all the same.
Let the clone war begin!
In any case, this is good news as Dell is going to push the price down.
In terms of competition, the Blackberry Playbook poses the biggest challenge in terms of specs and UI IMHO. Also, it looks like the majority of the newcomers are opting for the 7" format which is lighter and requires only one hand. I like it.
I do hope Apple revamps the UI of the iPAD. They were one of the first to implement Cover Flow and now everyone is copying them. So it makes sense to see it on the IPAD. The grid layout is getting old.
Coverflow looks cool and all that, but in my opinion it is terribly inefficient.
Thompson
Let the clone war begin!
In any case, this is good news as Dell is going to push the price down.
you're correct. dell will push the price of apple's other competitor's products down. the ipad is a huge success for apple. why should they lower their price?
furthermore, dell doesn't offer the whole 'experience'. they built the thing and are perfectly happy to field calls for failing hardware, but the consumer has to go to android support for bugs, and other software problems.
while i don't think it will be a complete failure, it won't push dell much further in the market. besides, apple is already on their 2nd generation ipad (probably more like 3rd or 4th—rest assured, those are already in r&d). everyone else is playing catch up.
And yet they are more likely to make a profit now from the tablet market than they were a year ago because of Apple?s emergence into (and recreation of) this market. Just like with the iPhone, even if hate Apple and their products, if you are buying a RiM, HP, Dell anyone else?s tablet you should be glad Apple made it possible for these others to have a clear path to play follow the leader.
Apple's sure did open up a clear path where no one saw one before. I suspect they all (the other manufacturers that is) foresee a massive decline in old fashioned PC designs selling to the masses who only bought them because that was all there was. If 90% of people can do 90% of what they need on a iPad why buy a PC tower? They really have zero choice but to try to get a foot in this door before it closes on them.
Apple's sure did open up a clear path where no one saw one before. I suspect they all (the other manufacturers that is) foresee a massive decline in old fashioned PC designs selling to the masses who only bought them because that was all there was. If 90% of people can do 90% of what they need on a iPad why buy a PC tower? They really have zero choice but to try to get a foot in this door before it closes on them.
People might move back to a 1 ?PC? home again, but this time with multiple satellite computing devices for general use.
You summed up exactly why Apple came out with what they did.
I'm going to disagree. If I had the choice between 10" and 7", and even if they cost the same, I'd choose the 7". Another way too look at it... it's not so much that the 10" iPad is too big, it's that the iPod touch is too small (and limited in functionality because of it's size).
10" isn't a bad size, but if the "one-size-fits-all" mentality ruled, Apple would only have one size MBP. There are obviously different people with different needs.
Apple started with the 10" size because it was the logical place to start. They already had the low end covered with the touch and they need to show people the iPad wasn't just a larger touch. Maybe 7" isn't the right spot, I'd even go for something a wee bit smaller still to be more portable. But the touch is too small and too limited to be a truly useful multipurpose device.
I think once more of these competitor 7" devices hit the street, you'll find a lot of people choosing them intead of an iPad, not because the OS or user experience is better. Size will become a primary factor for many people.
People might move back to a 1 ?PC? home again, but this time with multiple satellite computing devices for general use.
I have a feeling the need for the base station (which iPad needs now) will soon be gone and the family can just have a few iPads if that's all they require. I have a suspicion the answer to this riddle of how to remove the base PC will be additional features in iOS and Apple's new secret building in the Carolinas.
Obviously a MacPros and MBPs will be needed by creators for the foreseeable future too.
I'm going to disagree. If I had the choice between 10" and 7", and even if they cost the same, I'd choose the 7". Another way too look at it... it's not so much that the 10" iPad is too big, it's that the iPod touch is too small (and limited in functionality because of it's size).
10" isn't a bad size, but if the "one-size-fits-all" mentality ruled, Apple would only have one size MBP. There are obviously different people with different needs.
Apple started with the 10" size because it was the logical place to start. They already had the low end covered with the touch and they need to show people the iPad wasn't just a larger touch. Maybe 7" isn't the right spot, I'd even go for something a wee bit smaller still to be more portable. But the touch is too small and too limited to be a truly useful multipurpose device.
I think once more of these competitor 7" devices hit the street, you'll find a lot of people choosing them intead of an iPad, not because the OS or user experience is better. Size will become a primary factor for many people.
I posted an update to that comment you may now have seen and I don't necessarily disagree, I was saying the 7" in the competition maybe more about keeping the price down than the issue of user choice. Apple can easily add a 7" down the road if and when they feel there is a need / demand.
"a whole slew"
these people just don't get it.
Not just half a slew. Nossir. We're taking it to the max, thinking outside the box, and giving 110%!
Hey, I'm convinced.