Too condescending IMO and people do have that functionality on other devices.
I'd say the iPad one is a bit better but it didn't really have much of an impact because it didn't say clearly why it was better than anyone else or the old one.
Consumers likely don't need to look at heart rate monitors or brain scans and the drawing inside the number 2 isn't really magical. Garageband is magical, being able to edit movies is powerful, being able to hook up 1080p games to a HDTV is a great feature and not mentioned, having better viewing angles than the Xoom means not only good for reading but better for reading.
I guess when you have no competition your ads can be complacent but what happens next year? They come along with iPad 3:
Apple: Look, iPad 3 is still just as magical you don't need to know what's inside
Consumer: Ok, it looks like it does the same as iPad 1, which is cheaper so I'll have one of those
Apple: Oh no wait, it has faster graphics, a higher resolution screen, more RAM
Consumer: Well why didn't you say that in the first place?
A child learning is not magical? It's not about comparing yourself to others, it's about how you make others feel. The moment you compare yourself to others, you become them. Better to ignore them which makes them irrelevant.
I was happy with the original iPad and with iPad 2 all the minor incremental upgrades are just gravy. Since day one, I have yet to experience system interruptions/crashes. In that aspect alone, iPad stands out and will never be matched by the competition.
Ditto. I will keep using the original iPad for a while. People who haven't had it can have the iPad 2. I don't envy them too much.
I would so buy an iPad 2 if you didn't have to plug it into fucking iTunes to use it. If I could use it without having to have iTunes then I would be a convert. I use linux for my job and as my personal computer, I don't want to have to touch a mac or windows pc.
Apple sort it out. You can't call an iPad or any of your other devices 'post pc' products when they have to be plugged into a mac or windows pc to use them!
You have two problems as I see it:
Apple makes no software for Linux and isn't going to change that for you, so accept it and get a Mac or a PC or give up on the idea of an iPad.
Until there's a handy way of supplying you with access to a 64GB cloud backup (available for every iPad user) what would happen if you dropped your crammed full 64GB iPad in a pond or it was run over by a truck? Where would you restore your data from if you had no Mac or PC? Restoring from Linux is a no-no because of the previous point. Steve Jobs may well call it "post PC" but he knows that in truth you need to back it up to somewhere.
Agree 100%. The irony is those ignorant, geeky, teenage males who relate to that ad are most likely far from looking like the handsome guy in the ads, except for their on line avatar in the Sims that is.
A bit off topic perhaps, but I find it kind of interesting how they market to young men that way.
The recent Microsoft commercials for Windows 7 showed it best. The ads are aimed at young geeky average looking males who "do stuff" with computers, but whenever they showed the guy "getting the idea for Windows 7" they always showed him as a comically better looking version of the geeky guy who's actually telling the story. It's as if in the narrator's minds eye, he is that perfect Sims guy with the perfect good looks or in the case of the Xoom, that perfect rocektship pilot/warrior/whatever.
Their market is not just young geeky guys, it's young geeky very average looking guys, who fantasise about being ripped hunky guys. The commercials are over the top macho, but at the same time they know that they are really appealing to the raging id inside the geek and it's desire to see itself as a powerful good looking man.
They're literally selling manhood and accomplishment to a very specific group of people who would otherwise see themselves as losers. It's very powerful, but very strange.
Then why did Apple put two of them on the iPad 2??
To shut people like you up.
Seriously, though, Apple added the camera's for one main purpose and it wasn't to shoot pictures while snowboarding in the Alps. Adding camera's was done primarily for Facetime chats ... mainly for front video chat, but adding the second camera so users can show their video guests what they are looking at.
If I saw someone shooting photography with a 10" tablet, I would feel inclined to slap them.
The commercials are narrated by Peter Coyote?writer, actor and narrator and created by the original ad agency that launched Apple. There is no space cadet in a space capsule; there is no pretentious orchestra playing in the background while some burglar climbs a high-voltage tower to charge his tablet; no tablet glued to the TV screen as the people and the background changes; no teenager that clones 5 copies of himself before he boards a bus; and there is no overlord trying to woo any babe in a white hoodie. The message is simple and straightforward.
Two visuals stand out in the commercial: The "live" strumming of the guitar strings in GarageBand and how one photo becomes many photos at the flick of the fingers. It is not about ram or meters. It is about the Ecosystem. It is not about the size or shape of the magic wand, but what the magician can do with the magic wand. Being thin, or faster, or lighter is incidental. Performing magic is what is being sold.
All good advertising do 2 things. First, it gets the viewer excited enough to try the product, then it reassures all those who have bought the product?that they made the right choice. People who bought or received the first iPad for Christmas will watch this commercial and still feel good about their iPads and Apple.
Anyone commenting without watching the commercial should be ignored. Anyone bringing up Flash should also be ignored in light of the fact that cable companies are now making some local TV broadcasting available for iPads. In fact, Flash's wayward parent ? Adobe just showcasted Photoshop for iPad last week, and it is mind-blowingly 3-dimensional! More reasons for Dell and Microsoft (and all Android-Trons) to hate Apple.
Their market is not just young geeky guys, it's young geeky very average looking guys, who fantasise about being ripped hunky guys. The commercials are over the top macho, but at the same time they know that they are really appealing to the raging id inside the geek and it's desire to see itself as a powerful good looking man.
Probably a bit off topic, but I'll add one more thing. I agree that the commercials target wannabe hunks who are actually average looking geeks. But even most people who are vocal about Android on forums etc. are either wannabe techies or suffer from a mild Asperger's. They can't appreciate or understand the big picture, the magic. I go to one of the best CS schools; almost nobody here cares about rooting their phones, or customizability or widgets. If you want to show your tech prowess you'd rather make an a great app. To be blunt, customizability and specs are the guilty pleasures of the tech lowbrows.
Then why did Apple put two of them on the iPad 2??
Do you have a mantal problem or so? If so I feel very sorry for you and hope that with some reading and talking to peopla things might get better for you. If you are just trolling around then I ask you politely to get a life and don't bother this forum with your not so insightful statements. Thanks
you only have to do it once. you can even do it in the apple store right after you buy the thing...
anyway, i agree with you. it's stupid. the only reason i plug in my iPod touch is to back it up, and sync my podcasts. both would be easily implemented without plugging in. just throw in time machine support, and let podcasts update on the device itself! why doesn't it do this anyway?
perhaps iOS 5 will break the chain.
With Lion coming closer to the look and feel of iOS, the interaction between the two may become more transparent, like Time Machine support, auto updates and so on. But that's just speculation on my part.
Probably a bit off topic, but I'll add one more thing. I agree that the commercials target wannabe hunks who are actually average looking geeks. But even most people who are vocal about Android on forums etc. are either wannabe techies or suffer from a mild Asperger's. They can't appreciate or understand the big picture, the magic. I go to one of the best CS schools; almost nobody here cares about rooting their phones, or customizability or widgets. If you want to show your tech prowess you'd rather make an a great app. To be blunt, customizability and specs are the guilty pleasures of the tech lowbrows.
Agreed. I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees these sorts of things.
What so many of us here on this blog forget or perhaps don't even realize is just how much lack of understanding there is of normal computers, PCs or Macs out there by vast numbers of people.
I do a lot of support for computer users these days and it never ceases to amaze me. The difference between a mail application and a browser for example is a mystery to many. If they get mail via a web interface they don't realize this is the same browser they use for surfing. They have no concept whatsoever of the filing system and don't know how to save anything to anywhere they will ever find it again. They don't know what the difference is between a document and the application that created it is. Yesterday I had to help two 60 something year olds both with iPhones ... their issues included; they hooked their iPhones up to a PC with USB every time they wanted to send a picture. They thought the only way they could send each other an e-mail was by having both e-mails installed on both iPhones. They didn't know what WiFi was so had it switched off. They had 3G switched off since they thought it was more expensive so only Edge was in use ... it goes on and on. Apple get this and realize only the likes of people on this blog know or care about the technical side and they are right to simply remove it from the equation for the masses.
This is the reality for the vast majority of people on Earth today. They don't use or understand computers, Operating Systems are too complex and alien to them... as easy as using a Mac might be for us, 99% of the people on the planet don't/can't/won't.
iOS is easier but still not fully there. However it is on the right track to a much larger user base than the Mac will ever see because it is both functional (enough) and easier to use. This is why iOS has more of a future than the Mac does.
We haven't seen a truly wide use of computers yet. iOS shows a promising start, iPad is probably the closest we've seen to having a PC meet common user needs and wants, but I expect some future version of the hardware/software (and price) will be what it takes for it to really get there. Until then, these computer things are really still just for the experts, tinkerers and nerds.
Agreed. I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees these sorts of things.
Now only if someone could write a concise and structured 'Thoughts on Fandroids', I hope they will troll less. I am really tired of 'I want to use an OS where I have to use my brain, iOS is for babies'. Show us what's so great that you have done in tech, before you finger point.
When technology gets out of the way things become easier to use, yes. But things don't become magical unless the technology is not understood, and I think that is what they might be aiming at with keeping the specs secret.
I think you're being too literal. You can know how something works, and still think of it as magical. I know how rainbows work, but every time I see one, it's still a magical experience to me. Same goes for meteor showers, ocean waves and the Mars rovers.
As for Apple not marketing the specs, it's not about Apple keeping the spec secret, it's about Apple knowing that specs are quite literally "under the hood", and are ultimately in the service of the "magical" experience.
I think that's a smart ad. It has a warmer tone then the usual sprightly song and shots of people doing stuff, and actually talks directly to Apple's overarching design philosophy, which I haven't seen them do for a while.
This might be a good time to run an entire campaign around this concept, pushing Apple's humanizing touch. Particularly in the face of Android licensee's tendency to go with murderous robots and spaceships and hallucinogenic trances Apple could go out of their way to position themselves as the "gather the family 'round" company.
This is a harping, heart beating, zooming in, exploding out, philosophically wandering, soothingly pleasurable ad to watch. It speaks to me ...as I always expect to be spoken to. It hits right where it's aimed at: the junction where the contracting heart meets the sub-contracting hemispheres.
Having watched this video, who cannot better than ever hear the clic-a-tic-clac of a soulless droid artefact?
Functionality & Integration are the two key words. Most people want to see everything work together with the simplicity of turning it on . Apple is the only company so far that has come close to this. Perhaps with the new IOS 'Lion' this goal will become a reality. How nice it would be to see that I can take a picture and its visible on my mac or TV without having to do a thing. One day this will be reality. Apple is the only company that cares about integreation and simplicity, everyone one else just keeps adding more faster hardware to their equipment......Big Deal. Not that better hardware isn't important but thats not the name of the game.
When Apple decided to jump ship was when Intel came out with the Core Duo roadmap. Apple decided it was too much of a headache trying to compete with Intel on hardware specification numbers, and the Core Duo represented a significant step in the right direction by Intel.
Another really big problem was that IBM could not come up with a G5 model that would keep down the power-consumption/heat for the laptops. To my mind, that was the PPC killer.
In the end, it was one of the best things Apple ever did, since it gave them easy co-habitation with Windows (boot-camp, virtualization) for the skeptical switchers.
BTW - there is one thing that Apple never gets credit for. They have pulled off something that is unparalleled in computer history. They have totally reinvented their OS not once - but three times - and in each case virtually without a hitch. To whit:
1- Moto 68xxx -> PPC
2- Mac OS -> OSX
3- PPC -> Intel
Because they all went off virtually flawlessly, no one gives them credit for what is an absolutely extraordinary task. In fact, this is one of the reasons for their success - their willingness and ability to reinvent if the situation calls for it.
I would so buy an iPad 2 if you didn't have to plug it into fucking iTunes to use it. If I could use it without having to have iTunes then I would be a convert. I use linux for my job and as my personal computer, I don't want to have to touch a mac or windows pc.
Apple sort it out. You can't call an iPad or any of your other devices 'post pc' products when they have to be plugged into a mac or windows pc to use them!
you don't HAVE to "plug it in to iTunes" or touch a Mac or PC ever. the Apple retail store will activate a new iPad for you on the spot, and even update the OS later if you bring it in and ask. no charge. yes, you will need to open an iTunes account for this, but no need to use it at all after that. you won't have a backup and will need to work around via various third party apps to transfer media to the iPad. not seamless, but it certainly works. so get on with it ...
PS: you can install the Windows iTunes on your Linux machine via Wine and use that to control your iOS devices.
Now only if someone could write a concise and structured 'Thoughts on Fandroids', I hope they will troll less. I am really tired of 'I want to use an OS where I have to use my brain, iOS is for babies'. Show us what's so great that you have done in tech, before you finger point.
You are right!
I have an M.S. in Computer Science, worked over 12 years in various aspects of programming from TCP/IP clients to databases. Have contracted in Unix, Windows, Macs. I have done a cold installation of Unix on a DEC Alpha sever when I had to (yeach!) At home I use my computer for research, writing, photography and occasionally video editing - working on average 14 hours per day.
My point:
I want an OS that GETS OUT OF THE F*@#KIN' WAY!
I don't have time to mess with it. I want it to work for me, not me work for it.
Been a Mac user from the 128K model. Have I screamed at Macs sometimes? You betcha! Would I ever even consider a switch? NEVER!
Comments
It's better than their 'nyah, nyah, you don't have an iPhone' ad anyway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV2__tmrEbM
Too condescending IMO and people do have that functionality on other devices.
I'd say the iPad one is a bit better but it didn't really have much of an impact because it didn't say clearly why it was better than anyone else or the old one.
Consumers likely don't need to look at heart rate monitors or brain scans and the drawing inside the number 2 isn't really magical. Garageband is magical, being able to edit movies is powerful, being able to hook up 1080p games to a HDTV is a great feature and not mentioned, having better viewing angles than the Xoom means not only good for reading but better for reading.
I guess when you have no competition your ads can be complacent but what happens next year? They come along with iPad 3:
Apple: Look, iPad 3 is still just as magical you don't need to know what's inside
Consumer: Ok, it looks like it does the same as iPad 1, which is cheaper so I'll have one of those
Apple: Oh no wait, it has faster graphics, a higher resolution screen, more RAM
Consumer: Well why didn't you say that in the first place?
A child learning is not magical? It's not about comparing yourself to others, it's about how you make others feel. The moment you compare yourself to others, you become them. Better to ignore them which makes them irrelevant.
I was happy with the original iPad and with iPad 2 all the minor incremental upgrades are just gravy. Since day one, I have yet to experience system interruptions/crashes. In that aspect alone, iPad stands out and will never be matched by the competition.
Ditto. I will keep using the original iPad for a while. People who haven't had it can have the iPad 2. I don't envy them too much.
I would so buy an iPad 2 if you didn't have to plug it into fucking iTunes to use it. If I could use it without having to have iTunes then I would be a convert. I use linux for my job and as my personal computer, I don't want to have to touch a mac or windows pc.
Apple sort it out. You can't call an iPad or any of your other devices 'post pc' products when they have to be plugged into a mac or windows pc to use them!
You have two problems as I see it:
Apple makes no software for Linux and isn't going to change that for you, so accept it and get a Mac or a PC or give up on the idea of an iPad.
Until there's a handy way of supplying you with access to a 64GB cloud backup (available for every iPad user) what would happen if you dropped your crammed full 64GB iPad in a pond or it was run over by a truck? Where would you restore your data from if you had no Mac or PC? Restoring from Linux is a no-no because of the previous point. Steve Jobs may well call it "post PC" but he knows that in truth you need to back it up to somewhere.
Agree 100%. The irony is those ignorant, geeky, teenage males who relate to that ad are most likely far from looking like the handsome guy in the ads, except for their on line avatar in the Sims that is.
A bit off topic perhaps, but I find it kind of interesting how they market to young men that way.
The recent Microsoft commercials for Windows 7 showed it best. The ads are aimed at young geeky average looking males who "do stuff" with computers, but whenever they showed the guy "getting the idea for Windows 7" they always showed him as a comically better looking version of the geeky guy who's actually telling the story. It's as if in the narrator's minds eye, he is that perfect Sims guy with the perfect good looks or in the case of the Xoom, that perfect rocektship pilot/warrior/whatever.
Their market is not just young geeky guys, it's young geeky very average looking guys, who fantasise about being ripped hunky guys. The commercials are over the top macho, but at the same time they know that they are really appealing to the raging id inside the geek and it's desire to see itself as a powerful good looking man.
They're literally selling manhood and accomplishment to a very specific group of people who would otherwise see themselves as losers. It's very powerful, but very strange.
Then why did Apple put two of them on the iPad 2??
To shut people like you up.
Seriously, though, Apple added the camera's for one main purpose and it wasn't to shoot pictures while snowboarding in the Alps. Adding camera's was done primarily for Facetime chats ... mainly for front video chat, but adding the second camera so users can show their video guests what they are looking at.
If I saw someone shooting photography with a 10" tablet, I would feel inclined to slap them.
The commercials are narrated by Peter Coyote?writer, actor and narrator and created by the original ad agency that launched Apple. There is no space cadet in a space capsule; there is no pretentious orchestra playing in the background while some burglar climbs a high-voltage tower to charge his tablet; no tablet glued to the TV screen as the people and the background changes; no teenager that clones 5 copies of himself before he boards a bus; and there is no overlord trying to woo any babe in a white hoodie. The message is simple and straightforward.
Two visuals stand out in the commercial: The "live" strumming of the guitar strings in GarageBand and how one photo becomes many photos at the flick of the fingers. It is not about ram or meters. It is about the Ecosystem. It is not about the size or shape of the magic wand, but what the magician can do with the magic wand. Being thin, or faster, or lighter is incidental. Performing magic is what is being sold.
All good advertising do 2 things. First, it gets the viewer excited enough to try the product, then it reassures all those who have bought the product?that they made the right choice. People who bought or received the first iPad for Christmas will watch this commercial and still feel good about their iPads and Apple.
Anyone commenting without watching the commercial should be ignored. Anyone bringing up Flash should also be ignored in light of the fact that cable companies are now making some local TV broadcasting available for iPads. In fact, Flash's wayward parent ? Adobe just showcasted Photoshop for iPad last week, and it is mind-blowingly 3-dimensional! More reasons for Dell and Microsoft (and all Android-Trons) to hate Apple.
You are sure right.
Their market is not just young geeky guys, it's young geeky very average looking guys, who fantasise about being ripped hunky guys. The commercials are over the top macho, but at the same time they know that they are really appealing to the raging id inside the geek and it's desire to see itself as a powerful good looking man.
Probably a bit off topic, but I'll add one more thing. I agree that the commercials target wannabe hunks who are actually average looking geeks. But even most people who are vocal about Android on forums etc. are either wannabe techies or suffer from a mild Asperger's. They can't appreciate or understand the big picture, the magic. I go to one of the best CS schools; almost nobody here cares about rooting their phones, or customizability or widgets. If you want to show your tech prowess you'd rather make an a great app. To be blunt, customizability and specs are the guilty pleasures of the tech lowbrows.
Then why did Apple put two of them on the iPad 2??
Do you have a mantal problem or so? If so I feel very sorry for you and hope that with some reading and talking to peopla things might get better for you. If you are just trolling around then I ask you politely to get a life and don't bother this forum with your not so insightful statements. Thanks
Rabbit_Coach
you only have to do it once. you can even do it in the apple store right after you buy the thing...
anyway, i agree with you. it's stupid. the only reason i plug in my iPod touch is to back it up, and sync my podcasts. both would be easily implemented without plugging in. just throw in time machine support, and let podcasts update on the device itself! why doesn't it do this anyway?
perhaps iOS 5 will break the chain.
With Lion coming closer to the look and feel of iOS, the interaction between the two may become more transparent, like Time Machine support, auto updates and so on. But that's just speculation on my part.
Probably a bit off topic, but I'll add one more thing. I agree that the commercials target wannabe hunks who are actually average looking geeks. But even most people who are vocal about Android on forums etc. are either wannabe techies or suffer from a mild Asperger's. They can't appreciate or understand the big picture, the magic. I go to one of the best CS schools; almost nobody here cares about rooting their phones, or customizability or widgets. If you want to show your tech prowess you'd rather make an a great app. To be blunt, customizability and specs are the guilty pleasures of the tech lowbrows.
Agreed. I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees these sorts of things.
What so many of us here on this blog forget or perhaps don't even realize is just how much lack of understanding there is of normal computers, PCs or Macs out there by vast numbers of people.
I do a lot of support for computer users these days and it never ceases to amaze me. The difference between a mail application and a browser for example is a mystery to many. If they get mail via a web interface they don't realize this is the same browser they use for surfing. They have no concept whatsoever of the filing system and don't know how to save anything to anywhere they will ever find it again. They don't know what the difference is between a document and the application that created it is. Yesterday I had to help two 60 something year olds both with iPhones ... their issues included; they hooked their iPhones up to a PC with USB every time they wanted to send a picture. They thought the only way they could send each other an e-mail was by having both e-mails installed on both iPhones. They didn't know what WiFi was so had it switched off. They had 3G switched off since they thought it was more expensive so only Edge was in use ... it goes on and on. Apple get this and realize only the likes of people on this blog know or care about the technical side and they are right to simply remove it from the equation for the masses.
This is the reality for the vast majority of people on Earth today. They don't use or understand computers, Operating Systems are too complex and alien to them... as easy as using a Mac might be for us, 99% of the people on the planet don't/can't/won't.
iOS is easier but still not fully there. However it is on the right track to a much larger user base than the Mac will ever see because it is both functional (enough) and easier to use. This is why iOS has more of a future than the Mac does.
We haven't seen a truly wide use of computers yet. iOS shows a promising start, iPad is probably the closest we've seen to having a PC meet common user needs and wants, but I expect some future version of the hardware/software (and price) will be what it takes for it to really get there. Until then, these computer things are really still just for the experts, tinkerers and nerds.
Agreed. I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees these sorts of things.
Now only if someone could write a concise and structured 'Thoughts on Fandroids', I hope they will troll less. I am really tired of 'I want to use an OS where I have to use my brain, iOS is for babies'. Show us what's so great that you have done in tech, before you finger point.
When technology gets out of the way things become easier to use, yes. But things don't become magical unless the technology is not understood, and I think that is what they might be aiming at with keeping the specs secret.
I think you're being too literal. You can know how something works, and still think of it as magical. I know how rainbows work, but every time I see one, it's still a magical experience to me. Same goes for meteor showers, ocean waves and the Mars rovers.
As for Apple not marketing the specs, it's not about Apple keeping the spec secret, it's about Apple knowing that specs are quite literally "under the hood", and are ultimately in the service of the "magical" experience.
If I saw someone shooting photography with a 10" tablet, I would feel inclined to slap them.
If I was with you, I'd hold the person still for you. :P
I know you miss porn on the iPad that why you were whining for lack of retina display.
Btw it is a major speed bump of 9x.
I think that's a smart ad. It has a warmer tone then the usual sprightly song and shots of people doing stuff, and actually talks directly to Apple's overarching design philosophy, which I haven't seen them do for a while.
This might be a good time to run an entire campaign around this concept, pushing Apple's humanizing touch. Particularly in the face of Android licensee's tendency to go with murderous robots and spaceships and hallucinogenic trances Apple could go out of their way to position themselves as the "gather the family 'round" company.
This is a harping, heart beating, zooming in, exploding out, philosophically wandering, soothingly pleasurable ad to watch. It speaks to me ...as I always expect to be spoken to. It hits right where it's aimed at: the junction where the contracting heart meets the sub-contracting hemispheres.
Having watched this video, who cannot better than ever hear the clic-a-tic-clac of a soulless droid artefact?
When Apple decided to jump ship was when Intel came out with the Core Duo roadmap. Apple decided it was too much of a headache trying to compete with Intel on hardware specification numbers, and the Core Duo represented a significant step in the right direction by Intel.
Another really big problem was that IBM could not come up with a G5 model that would keep down the power-consumption/heat for the laptops. To my mind, that was the PPC killer.
In the end, it was one of the best things Apple ever did, since it gave them easy co-habitation with Windows (boot-camp, virtualization) for the skeptical switchers.
BTW - there is one thing that Apple never gets credit for. They have pulled off something that is unparalleled in computer history. They have totally reinvented their OS not once - but three times - and in each case virtually without a hitch. To whit:
1- Moto 68xxx -> PPC
2- Mac OS -> OSX
3- PPC -> Intel
Because they all went off virtually flawlessly, no one gives them credit for what is an absolutely extraordinary task. In fact, this is one of the reasons for their success - their willingness and ability to reinvent if the situation calls for it.
(imho)
I would so buy an iPad 2 if you didn't have to plug it into fucking iTunes to use it. If I could use it without having to have iTunes then I would be a convert. I use linux for my job and as my personal computer, I don't want to have to touch a mac or windows pc.
Apple sort it out. You can't call an iPad or any of your other devices 'post pc' products when they have to be plugged into a mac or windows pc to use them!
you don't HAVE to "plug it in to iTunes" or touch a Mac or PC ever. the Apple retail store will activate a new iPad for you on the spot, and even update the OS later if you bring it in and ask. no charge. yes, you will need to open an iTunes account for this, but no need to use it at all after that. you won't have a backup and will need to work around via various third party apps to transfer media to the iPad. not seamless, but it certainly works. so get on with it ...
PS: you can install the Windows iTunes on your Linux machine via Wine and use that to control your iOS devices.
Now only if someone could write a concise and structured 'Thoughts on Fandroids', I hope they will troll less. I am really tired of 'I want to use an OS where I have to use my brain, iOS is for babies'. Show us what's so great that you have done in tech, before you finger point.
You are right!
I have an M.S. in Computer Science, worked over 12 years in various aspects of programming from TCP/IP clients to databases. Have contracted in Unix, Windows, Macs. I have done a cold installation of Unix on a DEC Alpha sever when I had to (yeach!) At home I use my computer for research, writing, photography and occasionally video editing - working on average 14 hours per day.
My point:
I want an OS that GETS OUT OF THE F*@#KIN' WAY!
I don't have time to mess with it. I want it to work for me, not me work for it.
Been a Mac user from the 128K model. Have I screamed at Macs sometimes? You betcha! Would I ever even consider a switch? NEVER!