If you don't like the iPad, that's fine, go buy an android tablet or a windows tablet or whatever and root it to your heart's desire, but don't come with BS. People who choose the iPad are the smart ones, the people who know what they're talking about and people who know quality when they see it. Some people laughed at the iPad and dismissed it when it first came out. Boy, those people look like real morons now.
Ignorant are the fools who like to spout off useless specs, like complaining that the iPad2 only has 512 mb Ram, even though it performs better than other tablets with 1 gig of Ram.
Ignorant are the fools who claim that the Xoom screen is better than the iPad screen because it has a higher resolution. The iPad screen is vastly superior to the Xoom display in every way, shape and form. It's brighter, the contrast is higher and it's sharper.
Ignorant are the fools who don't grasp and understand what a tablet is supposed to be and has prehistoric ideas where they still are stuck in their 1990's way of thinking about what a PC should be.
People collect Apple products and they always have a good resale value. The only people collecting those other tablets will be the garbage collectors, after the owners throw them in the trash bin a year from now.
You said this better than I could.
I would just like to address his point about consumers being "tricked" into spending more money (on newer models). The reason why folks are willing to upgrade so frequently is not because Apple is "tricking" them. It's because Apple is doing something right. Apple has been a disruptive force on 3 separate occasions - iPods/iTunes, iPhone, and now, iPad. Each time the established players doubted and laughed, and later found themselves scrambling to catch up.
Sure, Apple's products are not perfect, but as a shareholder I hope they continue doing what they're doing.
The truth is Apple has successfully poked holes in consumers wallets over and over, convincing them that they are spending less and resulting in them spending more. "Well an iPad 2 is cheaper than a Macbook I'll buy it!" (spend $500) ...1 year later... "O well I have to buy iPad 3!" (spend $500) Congratulations Apple you have successfully tricked the consumer into spending $1000 still. Another example is the App Store, "O my gosh I can buy a game for .99c, thats worth it" ... $100 later ... "there's an app for everything I love this!" ... next credit card bill "I SPENT HOW MUCH ON APPS?!?!" What we are really seeing is Apple taking advantage of ignorant people, which as from the numbers, 82% is a lot.
$100 isn't very much. You could have bought less then 2 games for your PS3 or one midrange priced application for your computer for the same amount of money. You are saying someone is ignorant for choosing a platform with many inexpensive applications? How is releasing products on a cycle tricking the consumer? You don't think they are aware that the product is upgraded over time? People typically upgrade on a three year cycle if you look at the statistics. I have a MacBook Pro that is almost three years old and I still don't feel like I need to rush out and replace it. The new airs look nice though. Maybe I would augment what I have with one of them. Nobody is buying an iPad in place of a MacBook because it is cheaper.
I would be interested to know how many of the users, especially the "very satisfied" had used both iOS and Android phones or tablets. After using both phones, I definitely prefer Android in almost every way except maybe the hardware. You have to get really picky to find Android hardware that comes close to the iOS hardware.
One thing in particular that really sets me against iOS is the app store. The search is crappy in comparison and it's a bit annoying to have to type a password for every free app. Then you have Apple's bizzare attempt to apply their 30% policy to nearly all transactions that take place on the phone.
Second is the lack of what Android calls widgets.
I think Android tablets probably need another year to catch up. But for those two reasons and about six others I'm willing to wait. I figure, I've lived 30 years without a tablet so far, another year won't hurt.
Logically one could say that Android tablets will likely do the same thing as Android Phones. i.e. Allow Apple a two year start and then surpass them in about that same amount of time.
That's kind of my point. iOS was rewritten for the iPad, not redesigned.
There's just many things on iOS that don't translate well to tablets, notifications and multitasking for example.
and for what its worth, I used those so called 'failed tablets' extensively a few years back. Yes they were bulky and ugly, but they worked extremely well.
It's interesting to me when people talk about Honeycomb this way-- as if the underlying system metaphors were something to desire as "more productive" or "more netbook like" in their own right, without ever talking about (or indeed, seeming to be very interested in) what applications, and how implemented, they might actually be interested in using.
As it stands, the iPad allows me to run really, really nice word processing, presentation creation, music creation, movie creation, photo editing, technical diagraming, database, etc., etc. applications. Most of these, particularly the Apple first party apps and apps by Apple exclusive outfits like the Omni Group have no peer on the Android platform.
Yet I'm to believe that an Android tablet running Honeycomb is a more productive solution because I can customize the home screen or see upcoming appointments in a widget. If what I need is to be able to see upcoming appointments in a widget (or weather updates or recent texts) wouldn't I just use my phone for that? Everything I hear about why an Android tablet might be a better choice than an iPad appears to be roughly "like an Android phone but more so." I don't see why I need to spend $800 for a device with almost no actual productivity software outside of Google's web stuff. There are easier ways to check your Gmail or be reminded of an appointment.
Really? All those years that Nokia had the popular Symbian OS, RiM had the popular BB OS, MS had the popular WM6 OS. They each had a certain level of market dominance. They each could have made a tablet OS that was familiar.
They didn?t!
The only reason Apple has the dominance is because they thought about the future, not the past or present. They took the risk and invested into making a complete device before coming to market, even if that meant having to can the project later on down the road.
Jobs is looking past the next quarter, probably even past his own lifetime in making Apple successful. Can the other HW and OS vendors say that? I don?t think they can.
My added emphasis is the only thing that scares me as an Apple investor. The day "the Dreamer" goes, we will see APPL stock being pulled from trading on the big board, without a doubt.
I hope he's able to pull himself along and stay somewhat healthy considering his condition, for many years to come.
Oh... and BTW... Apple knows what you will be buying at least 2 years from now. iPad 3 was already being worked on last year. The "wrench in the monkey", is getting all of the necessary parts and purchase agreements in order. They know what they want and need, and then go out and push their suppliers.
That's why they're perfectly satisfied with the iPad 2 at this point, because Retina just wasn't possible to deliver due to lack of production capacity. Also when it does come, the ARM chip and everything else will be faster and even more optimized, including battery life. Apple has set the minimum requirement at 10 hours. Look for them to "try" and add 10 - 15% to that with every iteration and update... and they're good.
Safe bet = 40 million + iPads; possible and quite likely = 60 mil. in 2011
It's all up to production know to come through with those numbers.
.... actually PROVES that Apple was thinking about how "the average user" uses a computer, and adopted that approach.
I have seen literally 1000's of user desktops, Macs and Wins, and I'd speculate that 95% look just like the Windows graphic below.
Apple is THE master of the GUI, and I don't think that anyone can contest that fact. They think and ponder how people have naturally evolved to be "comfortable" using computers, and then they go with that and evolve it.
Re: Info Widgets on the startup screen i.e. desktop - they'll come to iOS, and they're even possible now on OSX. Something that Apple could basically "turn on" with a simple preference setting.
HOWEVER: how many of those widgets on an Android device today, suck up unnecessary battery power, and bandwidth/data if you're not on Wi-Fi? Here in Germany, they're warning people about these things, because people are getting some nasty surprises on their Telekom bills.
I fully expect and hope that there will be *"tech-professional" tablets on the market. Surely there is a niche, need and use-case scenario for those devices. Would I recommend them to a "non-techy"? Not on your life. For the same reason that I don't recommend Windows or Android devices to average consumers or friends of mine.
Fact is: unless you have a full-time IT guru at your fingertips, or are not sufficiently tech-oriented yourself... you should most definitely NOT use a Windows computer or an Android device of any kind. Far too easy to screw it up... lose stuff... and in worse-case, even your identity and personal info.
I'm not going to get into a security discussion, but for all intents and purposes, as well as real world statistics and current events, Mac OSX and iOS systems are still safer than any alternative out there. (Yes I know about Safari being cracked at the SecWest "PWN-shop"... makes no diff).
* I still say RIM is dead by the end of the year, and will be begging at MS's doorstep to be saved (kinda like Nokia), even IF their PlayBook might have a place in this tablet game.
Show me a statistic showing how many people consider themselves, "tech knowledgable and efficient", and I'll show you within a few percentage points, how much of the tablet market they will have vs. how much Apple will have at the end of 2011. Let's push that out to 2013.
PS: consumer related, not enterprise... although that could also be surprising for Apple devices this time around.
Quite honestly I think these reports are a joke. Of COURSE Apple has a majority of the market! Mainly two reasons so:
1) Made the first tablet that came with familiarity to an already popular device
2) Lucrative competition hasn't had time to respond to the market
Say what!? Apple was ten years late, maybe more. Everyone else already had a tablet with a familiar and popular interface. The problem was that it was the wrong familiar and popular interface.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shavex
The truth is Apple has successfully poked holes in consumers wallets over and over, convincing them that they are spending less and resulting in them spending more. "Well an iPad 2 is cheaper than a Macbook I'll buy it!" (spend $500) ...1 year later... "O well I have to buy iPad 3!" (spend $500) Congratulations Apple you have successfully tricked the consumer into spending $1000 still. Another example is the App Store, "O my gosh I can buy a game for .99c, thats worth it" ... $100 later ... "there's an app for everything I love this!" ... next credit card bill "I SPENT HOW MUCH ON APPS?!?!" What we are really seeing is Apple taking advantage of ignorant people, which as from the numbers, 82% is a lot.
I personally am annoyed by several things the iOS does as a whole.
1) No UI customization (I would like this because as much as Apple thinks everyone will be happy with the same design, I am not, I would like my upcoming events on the lock screen and not have to open the damn calendar app after I unlock the device)
2) Until I default to using the search everytime, I am looking at a cluster fuck of icons even if they are in folders! I think this picture appropriately reflects how I feel
So I will PROUDLY not buy an iPad because it's not practical to being an efficient and effective tool, its a sit down and play a game toy which is good for children but those of you who consider yourselves working adults will need to grow up and get something more productive and mature and will have support for more than 3 years.
Truly mature adults don't ridicule childish joy. They realize that it is one of life's most cherished emotions. Productivity is good. But mature adults don't pretend that everything they do is soley for productivity. If you're telling people to grow up because they're interested in having fun, chances are you haven't fully matured. Just ask an elderly person what is important in life... the answer wont be productivity.
There are literally only a few reasons to buy something other than an iPad 2 RIGHT NOW (to emphasize that I am talking about the current market).
1) Form factor (this may be a reason to go for the Tab over the iPad 2, but not the Xoom).
2) Openness (You (a) have moral reasons to only buy open, or (b) think its a more successful model in the long run)
3) Flash (You cannot live without Flash)
4) You are an Apple hater (these exist. Just like quite a few mac buyers were MS haters, although they largely had better justifications)
5) You develop an Android app.
That is it. There is currently literally NO OTHER reason to buy a tablet other than the iPad.
Apple beats everyone else in almost everything else (I may be forgetting a couple of advantages of Honeycomb, but I don't think so).
Oh you silly, silly person. Never underestimate the inanity (yes, I typed that correctly) of people. Ahem.
6) Lightweight and thinness? That's for cheap toys! I need a REAL machine with some heft! For MANLY MEN! Not some dainty featherweight for wimpy girly men!
7) The fact that Apple is the only company that can sell a tablet for as low as $499 makes it clear that they've cheated in some way. I don't trust them. I'm gonna go for a more realistically priced tablet, like the Xoom.
8) Tablets are very difficult to make—to get the software and hardware to play nice together. Bugs and crashes are to be expected. The fact that Apple's tablet runs smoothly and well, again, is cause for suspicion.*
9) No stylus input? Bleh. I eat lots of chips. I don't want greasy fingerprints all over my tablet!
10) I'm pretty sure that "Ives" dude is gay. No "real" man would talk their products the way he does. "Real" men would high-five and chest-bump each other about the awesome, kick-ass, monster machine they've made that will DEMOLISH the competition. And afterward, go to the bar to pick up hot chicks with big boobs.
</SARCASM>
* Years ago, I sold Macs at a computer store. One customer came in and actually told me that the fact there were virtually no Mac viruses and that Mac OS X crashes less frequently than Windows was "proof" that a Mac is not a "real" computer.
It's a shame, because the iPad is far from a perfect product, and it'd be nice to see some genuine competition in the tablet market to force Apple to truly innovate. But why should Apple bother, when it's watching one consumer-unfriendly farce after another unfold whilst laughing all the way to the bank? You could feel Apple's confidence throughout Jobs' iPad 2 presentation. Some would call it smugness. But few would deny that this is a company which knows it's got this market wrapped up for the time being.
I agree with everything you said except this last bit. "...force Apple to truly innovate"?? Looking at Apple product development over the past 10 years, it's clear that Apple has done nothing but innovate. Apple's relationship to the rest of the industry is the classic "Tortoise v Hare" race. Since Steve came back and took the helm at Apple, I have the sense that a culture of innovation has been nurtured there. Think of all the wild ideas that have come out over the past 10 years—not all of them successful: "lampshade iMac" and the Cube come to mind. But that's okay, because that same culture produced the iPod, the iPhone, Mac OS X, the Mac Pro (a machine that hasn't received much love lately, but that has been engineered so well that its basic design architecture is still around after more than 10 years—unheard of in the computer industry!), MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and now iOS and the iPad. There are a many, many other innovations that I haven't even mentioned. And not only the computers themselves, but Apple has designed their own custom chips, they've developed their own machining process for the MacBook Pro line. The list goes on and on.
But let me be clear about this: there's a difference between "innovation" and "invention". Apple didn't invent most of the products they brought to market. Back when the iPhone was just a rumor, most industry pundits were saying, there's no way Apple could succeed in a market already flooded with too many phones. Similar things were said about the iPod—why does Apple want to make an MP3 player? There are tons of MP3 players on the market! And the iPad? There's no way Apple could make a tablet for under $1000, this project is gonna be doomed before it starts. The "tablet computer" has been tried before. Clearly no one wants a tablet. Apple didn't invent any of these devices or technologies. But they were innovative enough that they developed a way to make them work, where others had failed.
I believe they're not doing this merely because of "the competition". I think they're doing this because they want to build products that they are proud to build. What some may think of as smug, I think is simple pride in their accomplishments. There's someone at Apple who can say, see unibody MacBook Pros? I was on the team that designed the CNC process. See the iPad 2? I was on the team that designed the A5 chip. You like your iPhone 4? I'm one of the engineers who developed iOS.
I think one of the fundamental differences between Apple and "the competition" is, Apple employees don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about their competitors. Whereas, I'm fairly certain that the managers of the other companies drill into their employees the need to "beat the competition!" So, employees of other companies think of little else besides the competition, and when you're focused on that, it's hard to focus on your own work.
I think most Apple employees go home every night thinking, "I did something good and meaningful today". That's something to be proud of—even if some would (mis)interpret that pride as "smugness".
As far as the "force Apple to truly innovate" thing goes, here's how it works:
In Phase 1, Apple does something different (graphical UI, all-in-one, iPod, iPhone, iPad, sealed batteries, all touch UI, whatever's next) and is widely derided by "in-the-know" geeks and pundits for making toys that only appeal to sheep who like shiny stuff. "I'll take my Windows Phone/Blackberry/Archos for Real Work/Real Customizability/Real Quality!" they cry. "Too expensive! Lame! What's the point? Have fun doodling in your baby Apple world!"
The industry then promptly duplicates everything Apple is doing, from the broad strategy to product details such as a sealed battery (at which point a formally horrible gaff becomes perfectly acceptable).
Geeks/pundits then reset their indignation via the Magic Apple Cone of Forgetting and decide that Apple's template is obvious and necessary, so Phase 2 consists of strenuously denying that Apple has ever "invented anything", with the formally loopy, pointless and eccentric offerings now seen as "stealing" or "wrapping existing technology in a pretty shell for the fanboys." Failed and/or irrelevant products (such as the LG Prada, generations of Windows tablets, or various "obviously superior" Archos media players) are cited as prior art, with the specific, widely copied improvements on those devices achieved by Apple denigrated as the merest decorative embellishment.
Phase 3 then extends on the Magic Forgetting by pretending Apple isn't competing in a market it invented, and somehow just sort of blundered into an area rightfully dominated by the people that cloned their wares. Now Apple is portrayed as "woefully out of date" or "falling behind" because CE manufacturers are willing to take the Apple template and throw specs at it.
So now tablets, exactly as conceived and executed by Apple and entirely nonexistent prior to the iPad (the same iPad that was "just a big iPhone" and probably had no reason to exist) are a "product category" that Apple is merely a player in. Geeks reverently intone things like "Tegra 2" or "1 gig of RAM" to ward off any idea that Apple was actually right, or that they did anything smart, innovative or interesting with the iPad. They casually make it known that "tablets" were around for a long time before the iPad, and that, anyway, HONEYCOMB, DUDE.
It has always been this way. As far as I can see, it always will.
Didn't any of you read the previous article?! iPad took 83% of the tablet market in 2010...but only 82% of tablet buyers say they will buy an iPad in the future! The iPad is in free-fall! It's all over!
I just wanted to see what it felt like to be a fandroid.
Didn't any of you read the previous article?! iPad took 83% of the tablet market in 2010...but only 82% of tablet buyers say they will buy an iPad in the future! The iPad is in free-fall! It's all over!
I just wanted to see what it felt like to be a fandroid.
As far as the "force Apple to truly innovate" thing goes, here's how it works:
In Phase 1, Apple does something different (graphical UI, all-in-one, iPod, iPhone, iPad, sealed batteries, all touch UI, whatever's next) and is widely derided by "in-the-know" geeks and pundits for making toys that only appeal to sheep who like shiny stuff. "I'll take my Windows Phone/Blackberry/Archos for Real Work/Real Customizability/Real Quality!" they cry. "Too expensive! Lame! What's the point? Have fun doodling in your baby Apple world!"
The industry then promptly duplicates everything Apple is doing, from the broad strategy to product details such as a sealed battery (at which point a formally horrible gaff becomes perfectly acceptable).
Geeks/pundits then reset their indignation via the Magic Apple Cone of Forgetting and decide that Apple's template is obvious and necessary, so Phase 2 consists of strenuously denying that Apple has ever "invented anything", with the formally loopy, pointless and eccentric offerings now seen as "stealing" or "wrapping existing technology in a pretty shell for the fanboys." Failed and/or irrelevant products (such as the LG Prada, generations of Windows tablets, or various "obviously superior" Archos media players) are cited as prior art, with the specific, widely copied improvements on those devices achieved by Apple denigrated as the merest decorative embellishment.
Phase 3 then extends on the Magic Forgetting by pretending Apple isn't competing in a market it invented, and somehow just sort of blundered into an area rightfully dominated by the people that cloned their wares. Now Apple is portrayed as "woefully out of date" or "falling behind" because CE manufacturers are willing to take the Apple template and throw specs at it.
So now tablets, exactly as conceived and executed by Apple and entirely nonexistent prior to the iPad (the same iPad that was "just a big iPhone" and probably had no reason to exist) are a "product category" that Apple is merely a player in. Geeks reverently intone things like "Tegra 2" or "1 gig of RAM" to ward off any idea that Apple was actually right, or that they did anything smart, innovative or interesting with the iPad. They casually make it known that "tablets" were around for a long time before the iPad, and that, anyway, HONEYCOMB, DUDE.
It has always been this way. As far as I can see, it always will.
As per usual, good insights. Oh, and I'd forgotten about the "iPad is just a big iPod touch" meme. That reminder was good for a laugh.
As per usual, good insights. Oh, and I'd forgotten about the "iPad is just a big iPod touch" meme. That reminder was good for a laugh.
That ended as soon as itvwas known the Tab was being shipped with Andrpid 2.x and Google said it wouldn't be until 2011 that a tablet version of Android would be available.
Comments
If you don't like the iPad, that's fine, go buy an android tablet or a windows tablet or whatever and root it to your heart's desire, but don't come with BS. People who choose the iPad are the smart ones, the people who know what they're talking about and people who know quality when they see it. Some people laughed at the iPad and dismissed it when it first came out. Boy, those people look like real morons now.
Ignorant are the fools who like to spout off useless specs, like complaining that the iPad2 only has 512 mb Ram, even though it performs better than other tablets with 1 gig of Ram.
Ignorant are the fools who claim that the Xoom screen is better than the iPad screen because it has a higher resolution. The iPad screen is vastly superior to the Xoom display in every way, shape and form. It's brighter, the contrast is higher and it's sharper.
Ignorant are the fools who don't grasp and understand what a tablet is supposed to be and has prehistoric ideas where they still are stuck in their 1990's way of thinking about what a PC should be.
People collect Apple products and they always have a good resale value. The only people collecting those other tablets will be the garbage collectors, after the owners throw them in the trash bin a year from now.
You said this better than I could.
I would just like to address his point about consumers being "tricked" into spending more money (on newer models). The reason why folks are willing to upgrade so frequently is not because Apple is "tricking" them. It's because Apple is doing something right. Apple has been a disruptive force on 3 separate occasions - iPods/iTunes, iPhone, and now, iPad. Each time the established players doubted and laughed, and later found themselves scrambling to catch up.
Sure, Apple's products are not perfect, but as a shareholder I hope they continue doing what they're doing.
As I said to Skater... it's spelled "Xoon".
You may be on to something. You should copyright it.
The truth is Apple has successfully poked holes in consumers wallets over and over, convincing them that they are spending less and resulting in them spending more. "Well an iPad 2 is cheaper than a Macbook I'll buy it!" (spend $500) ...1 year later... "O well I have to buy iPad 3!" (spend $500) Congratulations Apple you have successfully tricked the consumer into spending $1000 still. Another example is the App Store, "O my gosh I can buy a game for .99c, thats worth it" ... $100 later ... "there's an app for everything I love this!" ... next credit card bill "I SPENT HOW MUCH ON APPS?!?!" What we are really seeing is Apple taking advantage of ignorant people, which as from the numbers, 82% is a lot.
$100 isn't very much. You could have bought less then 2 games for your PS3 or one midrange priced application for your computer for the same amount of money. You are saying someone is ignorant for choosing a platform with many inexpensive applications? How is releasing products on a cycle tricking the consumer? You don't think they are aware that the product is upgraded over time? People typically upgrade on a three year cycle if you look at the statistics. I have a MacBook Pro that is almost three years old and I still don't feel like I need to rush out and replace it. The new airs look nice though. Maybe I would augment what I have with one of them. Nobody is buying an iPad in place of a MacBook because it is cheaper.
One thing in particular that really sets me against iOS is the app store. The search is crappy in comparison and it's a bit annoying to have to type a password for every free app. Then you have Apple's bizzare attempt to apply their 30% policy to nearly all transactions that take place on the phone.
Second is the lack of what Android calls widgets.
I think Android tablets probably need another year to catch up. But for those two reasons and about six others I'm willing to wait. I figure, I've lived 30 years without a tablet so far, another year won't hurt.
Logically one could say that Android tablets will likely do the same thing as Android Phones. i.e. Allow Apple a two year start and then surpass them in about that same amount of time.
but xoom's got megahertzes!!!
lol...
The iPad on the other hand... pure magic.
That's kind of my point. iOS was rewritten for the iPad, not redesigned.
There's just many things on iOS that don't translate well to tablets, notifications and multitasking for example.
and for what its worth, I used those so called 'failed tablets' extensively a few years back. Yes they were bulky and ugly, but they worked extremely well.
It's interesting to me when people talk about Honeycomb this way-- as if the underlying system metaphors were something to desire as "more productive" or "more netbook like" in their own right, without ever talking about (or indeed, seeming to be very interested in) what applications, and how implemented, they might actually be interested in using.
As it stands, the iPad allows me to run really, really nice word processing, presentation creation, music creation, movie creation, photo editing, technical diagraming, database, etc., etc. applications. Most of these, particularly the Apple first party apps and apps by Apple exclusive outfits like the Omni Group have no peer on the Android platform.
Yet I'm to believe that an Android tablet running Honeycomb is a more productive solution because I can customize the home screen or see upcoming appointments in a widget. If what I need is to be able to see upcoming appointments in a widget (or weather updates or recent texts) wouldn't I just use my phone for that? Everything I hear about why an Android tablet might be a better choice than an iPad appears to be roughly "like an Android phone but more so." I don't see why I need to spend $800 for a device with almost no actual productivity software outside of Google's web stuff. There are easier ways to check your Gmail or be reminded of an appointment.
Really? All those years that Nokia had the popular Symbian OS, RiM had the popular BB OS, MS had the popular WM6 OS. They each had a certain level of market dominance. They each could have made a tablet OS that was familiar.
They didn?t!
The only reason Apple has the dominance is because they thought about the future, not the past or present. They took the risk and invested into making a complete device before coming to market, even if that meant having to can the project later on down the road.
Jobs is looking past the next quarter, probably even past his own lifetime in making Apple successful. Can the other HW and OS vendors say that? I don?t think they can.
My added emphasis is the only thing that scares me as an Apple investor. The day "the Dreamer" goes, we will see APPL stock being pulled from trading on the big board, without a doubt.
I hope he's able to pull himself along and stay somewhat healthy considering his condition, for many years to come.
Oh... and BTW... Apple knows what you will be buying at least 2 years from now. iPad 3 was already being worked on last year. The "wrench in the monkey", is getting all of the necessary parts and purchase agreements in order. They know what they want and need, and then go out and push their suppliers.
That's why they're perfectly satisfied with the iPad 2 at this point, because Retina just wasn't possible to deliver due to lack of production capacity. Also when it does come, the ARM chip and everything else will be faster and even more optimized, including battery life. Apple has set the minimum requirement at 10 hours. Look for them to "try" and add 10 - 15% to that with every iteration and update... and they're good.
Safe bet = 40 million + iPads; possible and quite likely = 60 mil. in 2011
It's all up to production know to come through with those numbers.
I have seen literally 1000's of user desktops, Macs and Wins, and I'd speculate that 95% look just like the Windows graphic below.
Apple is THE master of the GUI, and I don't think that anyone can contest that fact. They think and ponder how people have naturally evolved to be "comfortable" using computers, and then they go with that and evolve it.
Re: Info Widgets on the startup screen i.e. desktop - they'll come to iOS, and they're even possible now on OSX. Something that Apple could basically "turn on" with a simple preference setting.
MacOSXHints
WidgetRunner
HOWEVER: how many of those widgets on an Android device today, suck up unnecessary battery power, and bandwidth/data if you're not on Wi-Fi? Here in Germany, they're warning people about these things, because people are getting some nasty surprises on their Telekom bills.
I fully expect and hope that there will be *"tech-professional" tablets on the market. Surely there is a niche, need and use-case scenario for those devices. Would I recommend them to a "non-techy"? Not on your life. For the same reason that I don't recommend Windows or Android devices to average consumers or friends of mine.
Fact is: unless you have a full-time IT guru at your fingertips, or are not sufficiently tech-oriented yourself... you should most definitely NOT use a Windows computer or an Android device of any kind. Far too easy to screw it up... lose stuff... and in worse-case, even your identity and personal info.
I'm not going to get into a security discussion, but for all intents and purposes, as well as real world statistics and current events, Mac OSX and iOS systems are still safer than any alternative out there. (Yes I know about Safari being cracked at the SecWest "PWN-shop"... makes no diff).
* I still say RIM is dead by the end of the year, and will be begging at MS's doorstep to be saved (kinda like Nokia), even IF their PlayBook might have a place in this tablet game.
Show me a statistic showing how many people consider themselves, "tech knowledgable and efficient", and I'll show you within a few percentage points, how much of the tablet market they will have vs. how much Apple will have at the end of 2011. Let's push that out to 2013.
PS: consumer related, not enterprise... although that could also be surprising for Apple devices this time around.
Quite honestly I think these reports are a joke. Of COURSE Apple has a majority of the market! Mainly two reasons so:
1) Made the first tablet that came with familiarity to an already popular device
2) Lucrative competition hasn't had time to respond to the market
Say what!? Apple was ten years late, maybe more. Everyone else already had a tablet with a familiar and popular interface. The problem was that it was the wrong familiar and popular interface.
The truth is Apple has successfully poked holes in consumers wallets over and over, convincing them that they are spending less and resulting in them spending more. "Well an iPad 2 is cheaper than a Macbook I'll buy it!" (spend $500) ...1 year later... "O well I have to buy iPad 3!" (spend $500) Congratulations Apple you have successfully tricked the consumer into spending $1000 still. Another example is the App Store, "O my gosh I can buy a game for .99c, thats worth it" ... $100 later ... "there's an app for everything I love this!" ... next credit card bill "I SPENT HOW MUCH ON APPS?!?!" What we are really seeing is Apple taking advantage of ignorant people, which as from the numbers, 82% is a lot.
I personally am annoyed by several things the iOS does as a whole.
1) No UI customization (I would like this because as much as Apple thinks everyone will be happy with the same design, I am not, I would like my upcoming events on the lock screen and not have to open the damn calendar app after I unlock the device)
2) Until I default to using the search everytime, I am looking at a cluster fuck of icons even if they are in folders! I think this picture appropriately reflects how I feel
So I will PROUDLY not buy an iPad because it's not practical to being an efficient and effective tool, its a sit down and play a game toy which is good for children but those of you who consider yourselves working adults will need to grow up and get something more productive and mature and will have support for more than 3 years.
Truly mature adults don't ridicule childish joy. They realize that it is one of life's most cherished emotions. Productivity is good. But mature adults don't pretend that everything they do is soley for productivity. If you're telling people to grow up because they're interested in having fun, chances are you haven't fully matured. Just ask an elderly person what is important in life... the answer wont be productivity.
There are literally only a few reasons to buy something other than an iPad 2 RIGHT NOW (to emphasize that I am talking about the current market).
1) Form factor (this may be a reason to go for the Tab over the iPad 2, but not the Xoom).
2) Openness (You (a) have moral reasons to only buy open, or (b) think its a more successful model in the long run)
3) Flash (You cannot live without Flash)
4) You are an Apple hater (these exist. Just like quite a few mac buyers were MS haters, although they largely had better justifications)
5) You develop an Android app.
That is it. There is currently literally NO OTHER reason to buy a tablet other than the iPad.
Apple beats everyone else in almost everything else (I may be forgetting a couple of advantages of Honeycomb, but I don't think so).
Oh you silly, silly person. Never underestimate the inanity (yes, I typed that correctly) of people. Ahem.
6) Lightweight and thinness? That's for cheap toys! I need a REAL machine with some heft! For MANLY MEN! Not some dainty featherweight for wimpy girly men!
7) The fact that Apple is the only company that can sell a tablet for as low as $499 makes it clear that they've cheated in some way. I don't trust them. I'm gonna go for a more realistically priced tablet, like the Xoom.
8) Tablets are very difficult to make—to get the software and hardware to play nice together. Bugs and crashes are to be expected. The fact that Apple's tablet runs smoothly and well, again, is cause for suspicion.*
9) No stylus input? Bleh. I eat lots of chips. I don't want greasy fingerprints all over my tablet!
10) I'm pretty sure that "Ives" dude is gay. No "real" man would talk their products the way he does. "Real" men would high-five and chest-bump each other about the awesome, kick-ass, monster machine they've made that will DEMOLISH the competition. And afterward, go to the bar to pick up hot chicks with big boobs.
</SARCASM>
* Years ago, I sold Macs at a computer store. One customer came in and actually told me that the fact there were virtually no Mac viruses and that Mac OS X crashes less frequently than Windows was "proof" that a Mac is not a "real" computer.
A good friend of mine (who also happens to be a smoking hot girl) was showing me her recently purchased macbbok pro
emphasis mine
Oh my. Only on a site frequented by nerd and geek boys would this bit of information be thought of as worth mentioning.
20% are gonna lay down cash for PlayBook/XOOM/TouchPad ?
20%?!?
Hardly ....
By iPad 3 -- you will hear nary a word from these -- or any other -- tablet producers.
And by the way -- Gruber is a moron.
The "iPad 3" he says is coming out in September isn't an iOS tablet.
It's a tablet running OS X -- that's why Lion looks the way it does.
You heard it here first.
Uh ok. Because using an OS completely unsuited to touch operation makes perfect sense.
It's a shame, because the iPad is far from a perfect product, and it'd be nice to see some genuine competition in the tablet market to force Apple to truly innovate. But why should Apple bother, when it's watching one consumer-unfriendly farce after another unfold whilst laughing all the way to the bank? You could feel Apple's confidence throughout Jobs' iPad 2 presentation. Some would call it smugness. But few would deny that this is a company which knows it's got this market wrapped up for the time being.
I agree with everything you said except this last bit. "...force Apple to truly innovate"?? Looking at Apple product development over the past 10 years, it's clear that Apple has done nothing but innovate. Apple's relationship to the rest of the industry is the classic "Tortoise v Hare" race. Since Steve came back and took the helm at Apple, I have the sense that a culture of innovation has been nurtured there. Think of all the wild ideas that have come out over the past 10 years—not all of them successful: "lampshade iMac" and the Cube come to mind. But that's okay, because that same culture produced the iPod, the iPhone, Mac OS X, the Mac Pro (a machine that hasn't received much love lately, but that has been engineered so well that its basic design architecture is still around after more than 10 years—unheard of in the computer industry!), MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and now iOS and the iPad. There are a many, many other innovations that I haven't even mentioned. And not only the computers themselves, but Apple has designed their own custom chips, they've developed their own machining process for the MacBook Pro line. The list goes on and on.
But let me be clear about this: there's a difference between "innovation" and "invention". Apple didn't invent most of the products they brought to market. Back when the iPhone was just a rumor, most industry pundits were saying, there's no way Apple could succeed in a market already flooded with too many phones. Similar things were said about the iPod—why does Apple want to make an MP3 player? There are tons of MP3 players on the market! And the iPad? There's no way Apple could make a tablet for under $1000, this project is gonna be doomed before it starts. The "tablet computer" has been tried before. Clearly no one wants a tablet. Apple didn't invent any of these devices or technologies. But they were innovative enough that they developed a way to make them work, where others had failed.
I believe they're not doing this merely because of "the competition". I think they're doing this because they want to build products that they are proud to build. What some may think of as smug, I think is simple pride in their accomplishments. There's someone at Apple who can say, see unibody MacBook Pros? I was on the team that designed the CNC process. See the iPad 2? I was on the team that designed the A5 chip. You like your iPhone 4? I'm one of the engineers who developed iOS.
I think one of the fundamental differences between Apple and "the competition" is, Apple employees don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about their competitors. Whereas, I'm fairly certain that the managers of the other companies drill into their employees the need to "beat the competition!" So, employees of other companies think of little else besides the competition, and when you're focused on that, it's hard to focus on your own work.
I think most Apple employees go home every night thinking, "I did something good and meaningful today". That's something to be proud of—even if some would (mis)interpret that pride as "smugness".
In Phase 1, Apple does something different (graphical UI, all-in-one, iPod, iPhone, iPad, sealed batteries, all touch UI, whatever's next) and is widely derided by "in-the-know" geeks and pundits for making toys that only appeal to sheep who like shiny stuff. "I'll take my Windows Phone/Blackberry/Archos for Real Work/Real Customizability/Real Quality!" they cry. "Too expensive! Lame! What's the point? Have fun doodling in your baby Apple world!"
The industry then promptly duplicates everything Apple is doing, from the broad strategy to product details such as a sealed battery (at which point a formally horrible gaff becomes perfectly acceptable).
Geeks/pundits then reset their indignation via the Magic Apple Cone of Forgetting and decide that Apple's template is obvious and necessary, so Phase 2 consists of strenuously denying that Apple has ever "invented anything", with the formally loopy, pointless and eccentric offerings now seen as "stealing" or "wrapping existing technology in a pretty shell for the fanboys." Failed and/or irrelevant products (such as the LG Prada, generations of Windows tablets, or various "obviously superior" Archos media players) are cited as prior art, with the specific, widely copied improvements on those devices achieved by Apple denigrated as the merest decorative embellishment.
Phase 3 then extends on the Magic Forgetting by pretending Apple isn't competing in a market it invented, and somehow just sort of blundered into an area rightfully dominated by the people that cloned their wares. Now Apple is portrayed as "woefully out of date" or "falling behind" because CE manufacturers are willing to take the Apple template and throw specs at it.
So now tablets, exactly as conceived and executed by Apple and entirely nonexistent prior to the iPad (the same iPad that was "just a big iPhone" and probably had no reason to exist) are a "product category" that Apple is merely a player in. Geeks reverently intone things like "Tegra 2" or "1 gig of RAM" to ward off any idea that Apple was actually right, or that they did anything smart, innovative or interesting with the iPad. They casually make it known that "tablets" were around for a long time before the iPad, and that, anyway, HONEYCOMB, DUDE.
It has always been this way. As far as I can see, it always will.
I just wanted to see what it felt like to be a fandroid.
Didn't any of you read the previous article?! iPad took 83% of the tablet market in 2010...but only 82% of tablet buyers say they will buy an iPad in the future! The iPad is in free-fall! It's all over!
I just wanted to see what it felt like to be a fandroid.
Whew! Geez, you scared me there!!
As far as the "force Apple to truly innovate" thing goes, here's how it works:
In Phase 1, Apple does something different (graphical UI, all-in-one, iPod, iPhone, iPad, sealed batteries, all touch UI, whatever's next) and is widely derided by "in-the-know" geeks and pundits for making toys that only appeal to sheep who like shiny stuff. "I'll take my Windows Phone/Blackberry/Archos for Real Work/Real Customizability/Real Quality!" they cry. "Too expensive! Lame! What's the point? Have fun doodling in your baby Apple world!"
The industry then promptly duplicates everything Apple is doing, from the broad strategy to product details such as a sealed battery (at which point a formally horrible gaff becomes perfectly acceptable).
Geeks/pundits then reset their indignation via the Magic Apple Cone of Forgetting and decide that Apple's template is obvious and necessary, so Phase 2 consists of strenuously denying that Apple has ever "invented anything", with the formally loopy, pointless and eccentric offerings now seen as "stealing" or "wrapping existing technology in a pretty shell for the fanboys." Failed and/or irrelevant products (such as the LG Prada, generations of Windows tablets, or various "obviously superior" Archos media players) are cited as prior art, with the specific, widely copied improvements on those devices achieved by Apple denigrated as the merest decorative embellishment.
Phase 3 then extends on the Magic Forgetting by pretending Apple isn't competing in a market it invented, and somehow just sort of blundered into an area rightfully dominated by the people that cloned their wares. Now Apple is portrayed as "woefully out of date" or "falling behind" because CE manufacturers are willing to take the Apple template and throw specs at it.
So now tablets, exactly as conceived and executed by Apple and entirely nonexistent prior to the iPad (the same iPad that was "just a big iPhone" and probably had no reason to exist) are a "product category" that Apple is merely a player in. Geeks reverently intone things like "Tegra 2" or "1 gig of RAM" to ward off any idea that Apple was actually right, or that they did anything smart, innovative or interesting with the iPad. They casually make it known that "tablets" were around for a long time before the iPad, and that, anyway, HONEYCOMB, DUDE.
It has always been this way. As far as I can see, it always will.
As per usual, good insights.
As per usual, good insights.
That ended as soon as itvwas known the Tab was being shipped with Andrpid 2.x and Google said it wouldn't be until 2011 that a tablet version of Android would be available.