Users who want to replace the iPhone with the iPad must be nuts. Try to hold that thing to your ear, it's way too big.
It would make a nice little video conferencing device, if it had a camera (and the battery could handle the CPU load resulting from the video processing that entails). But it would certainly not be a phone replacement.
Much bigger gripes: the lack of being able to tether it to a phone or tether a laptop to it, both should be a matter of the contracts between carriers and the end user and not a concern for Apple. e.g. in Austria where I travel frequently, there is a no-restriction pre-paid, pre-metered data SIM available. €20 for either 1GB of data, usable over 12 months, or €20 for 2GB of data, usable over 30 days. They don't care what kind of data use send over that net, nor do they care what device is using it. So Apple being in bed with AT&T here restricts what I could use the iPad for over in Austria, even though Apple sells the iPad unlocked. Since unlocked isn't un-jailed, and since Apple won't permit the required software into the App Store, we just can't do what the device would be capable of, without jail breaking it first.
As such, the statistics of what people gripe about are hard to believe. I don't think that in the tech savvy crowd of Twitter users interested in the iPad there's not a significant percentage that's not griping about the fact that it's a closed device in need of jail breaking for the owner to assume full ownership over the device.
With that item not being listed at all, it makes the entire set of statistics questionable. More likely, these are the things Apple was interested in for purposes in market research, and thus these were the things that were being tracked on twitter. Other legitimate user concerns were likely simply neglected.
e.g. there's no one who thinks the device would be better if it could display an A4 or US Letter page in full size? Come on... Or people who think it should have had at least a resolution of HD (1280x720 instead of 1024x768)? Or that the iPhone/iPod/iPad still can't do S/MIME encryption for e-mail, which means if you get encrypted e-mail which you could read on your Mac, you can't read it on your iPhone/iPad/iPod? etc. etc.
Can't believe any statistics you didn't forge yourself.
Stop calling users dumb for feeling what they feel. You can disagree but you can't call them dumb--it's a fact that they are feeling the way they said. And it actually is a bit silly to have to carry both an iPad and an iPhone considering the huge amount of overlap between the devices.
they are stupid. THE IPAD IS THE NEW IPHONE KILLER!
You definitely have my apology. Looking back at the story, I see that my comment was extremely poorly constructed. What I meant to talk about was the subset of tweets expressing disappointment that the iPad does not have a native phone function. And in that regard I also demeaned the Attensity Group. Altogether, I whiffed that by a mile.
This is true. In fact I wonder if devices like the iPad won't cause a reverse in the decline of desktop sales and increase of laptop sales. As an iPad and iPhone owner, an iMac makes more sense now as my next computer than another Macbook Pro.
That's how I feel. I used to have an iMac and MBP, but found keeping them synced was pain. So I got rid of the iMac even though I liked it more, because I needed something on the road. However, with the iPad, I plan to get an iMac to replace the MBP. Now, if they'd just make an iPhone Nano, I'd get that to replace my iPhone.
That's how I feel. I used to have an iMac and MBP, but found keeping them synced was pain. So I got rid of the iMac even though I liked it more, because I needed something on the road. However, with the iPad, I plan to get an iMac to replace the MBP. Now, if they'd just make an iPhone Nano, I'd get that to replace my iPhone.
I've been using my iPad all day seeing if making a shift if the devices I use is a possibility for me. I've been using notebooks as main system for over a decade now so this could be tough transition.
So far, the iPad hasn't sold me. I am having some trouble adjusting to things that feel much more natural on the iPhone, like typing, hitting Home Button, entering one of many apps, typing more, hitting Home Button, <repeat>. The iPad has some major benefits over the iPhone but I'm not sure its benefits outweigh its cons to replace my 13" MBP. Some more testing is definitely needed.
Users who want to replace the iPhone with the iPad must be nuts. Try to hold that thing to your ear, it's way too big.
I wish people would stop making this same stupid argument.
I also don't believe that the iPad will replace the iPhone for very many people, but believing that you would need to hold the iPad up to your ear is just plain silly. Have you ever heard of bluetooth headsets? (Or even headsets that plug in if the headphone jack also works as a microphone on the iPad like on some Macs).
Anyone thinking this would be an iPhone replacement, must be kidding themselves. The primary task of each of these devices just isn't the same. There is cross-over, but that isn't the same.
As for the "no flash support", I would be curious to see in what contexts and on which sites.
Regarding Flash part... I was looking for new car recently (more like researching what is available here in NZ), and following sites:
subaru.co.nz
nissan.co.nz
were completely useless without Flash.
Other Japanese brands - Mazda, Honda, Toyota - had some Flash content, but were browsable, some more, some less.
That was the only real Flash experiment I have tried - normally I go for text-only (or phone-optimized) info on my iPhohe, screen is too small for full size media rich sites anyway... but on iPad, being full screen, I'm pretty sure I'd notice lack of Flash much more often.
As long as my wife is considered, no Facebook Flash games - no iPad.
oh common netbooks are the biggest pile of sh*t i've ever seen..
seriously..all those ppl who are complaining about the ipads specs are total hypocrats.."it cant even multitask"..common seriously? try to run a browser with flash + word on a netbook..and - hey - why not connect a 1920*1200 screen to it? i bet you 100 bucks no 300$-netbook on this planet can handle this in an enjoyable way.
the ipad has pretty decent hardware for what it was build for..you cant run a full OS on a device that small.. doesnt matter if its a netbook or a tablet..but it wasnt built for that!
it was build for touch controls not for a mouse like a desktop pc..
and who gives a sh*t about a small adapter? just leave it on your goddamn camera-usb-cord and when u need it its there and it works..i dont see any problems?!
sry for the long post and bad grammar i was in a rush
It is not about specs, it is about features (or lack of them).
I don't even know if Intel Atom is any faster than A4 regarding RAW performance, but I do know I can easily (albeit slowly) copy NEF images from my Nikon D70 to a HDD, edit and convert them to JPG (if for any reason I need JPGs on the spot - say to email them to someone while away from home, update my blog/web album..?). It is going to be darn slow, but it is going to work. Likewise, I can drop handful of DivX files on HDD and watch them on long-haul flights (without converting them or what-so-ever) or even during vacation, in case of some rainy days. Any notebook should be able to handle 720p resolution (which, for me, is totally acceptable even on 42" full HD TV), and if viewing movies on big screen is my thing, I can get netbook with ION platform... but all fancy hotels I have seen recently had only 720p, sub-40" TVs anyway.
And my wife, beside playing her Facebook games, can type a new paper for her research group (she is physical chemist and does need equations in her word processing software).
Of course, everyone's mileage will differ, more or less.
Yet, as previously pointed out in this thread, for many people it will: people who bought netbooks, and even full laptop/notebook computers because there was no iPad. Doing serious work on a netbook sucks, and even working on a laptop is not great. But most people who lug netbooks, and even a good number who lug laptops, around, aren't doing serious work on them while they are mobile, or in their living rooms. (Or maybe anywhere.)
That's the beauty of the iPad: it fills a need (or call it a desire if you want) that nothing, including netbooks properly served before, and it does so perfectly matched to that need. Netbooks, except as cheap (in every sense of the word) computers, are finished. The days of being forced to use tools inappropriate to the task are over.
That would be bad for iPad, as it is inappropriate for more tasks than netbook in general is
I do, however, agree iPad will replace netbook - with people who never needed netbook at all (but still got one as nothing else at the time came closer to their needs). For example, I will likely give iPad to my mom. She will read newspapers, a book or two and Skype with me and overseas relatives. She could do that with netbook, but would have to deal with updates, AV software, firewall... things she is completely incompetent with.
Other people with basic or very limited needs can replace computer with iPad... but holding onto that as general truth, I doubt.
It is not about specs, it is about features (or lack of them).
I don't even know if Intel Atom is any faster than A4 regarding RAW performance, but I do know I can easily (albeit slowly) copy NEF images from my Nikon D70 to a HDD, edit and convert them to JPG (if for any reason I need JPGs on the spot - say to email them to someone while away from home, update my blog/web album..?). It is going to be darn slow, but it is going to work. Likewise, I can drop handful of DivX files on HDD and watch them on long-haul flights (without converting them or what-so-ever) or even during vacation, in case of some rainy days. Any notebook should be able to handle 720p resolution (which, for me, is totally acceptable even on 42" full HD TV), and if viewing movies on big screen is my thing, I can get netbook with ION platform... but all fancy hotels I have seen recently had only 720p, sub-40" TVs anyway.
And my wife, beside playing her Facebook games, can type a new paper for her research group (she is physical chemist and does need equations in her word processing software).
Of course, everyone's mileage will differ, more or less.
It sounds like your needs would be better met with a 13" MacBook Pro; i don't know why you're fooling around with a netbook in the first place.
Thanks but why would that be better than a MacBook 13" that runs flawlessly, no need for Kaspersky et al and all the associated problems? Is it simply price? Two inches hardly matters (no jokes please). If it is price you can get great MacBooks second hand that still run Leopard and some Snow Leopard. Heck I still have a base model iBook G4 12" that runs Leopard fine.
Even if 3" doesn't sound much of a difference, in reality netbooks are significantly smaller and lighter than any 13" notebooks I'm aware of. They are also cheaper and some of them can squeeze 10 hours out of battery, a few even more.
It sounds like your needs would be better met with a 13" MacBook Pro; i don't know why you're fooling around with a netbook in the first place.
I'm not - just giving example. Of course, netbook is still significantly cheaper and lighter than 13" MBP, so I might be tempted to get one, if for nothing else, then at least not worrying much about it while travelling.
But since I already have reasonably strong desktop and 15" notebook, instead of getting netbook as my 3rd computer, I'm more inclined to replace 15" one for 13" one which would cover casual in-house usage and travels... more likely one of Asus UL30 models, though...
Getting back to the post title:-) I guess people need to get back to Steve's presentation this January - the device feels the gap between phone and laptop and do not replace either a phone or a laptop. Period.
I'm not - just giving example. Of course, netbook is still significantly cheaper and lighter than 13" MBP, so I might be tempted to get one, if for nothing else, then at least not worrying much about it while travelling.
But since I already have reasonably strong desktop and 15" notebook, instead of getting netbook as my 3rd computer, I'm more inclined to replace 15" one for 13" one which would cover casual in-house usage and travels... more likely one of Asus UL30 models, though...
If you've ever used a netbook, you'd realize that they're just to slow to do anything that the iPad does well. I agree that a MacBook would much better sit your needs. Or get a proper Windows 7 13" or 15" notebook, with a full-performance CPU.
Who the hell wants to carry around a 1.5-pound, 10" tablet all day to make phone calls? Are these people idiots? What is this, 1985? It's not made to replace an iPhone and never was designed to.
True. But with Skype, as someone has already mentioned, it can be used in WiFi hotspots. Occasional use is not bad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gotApple
All the iPad can replace is an iPod Touch.
Not true. Try typing a LOT of information in the form factor the Touch or iPhone have. It does not work well. Yet this past week I had to take LOTS of notes for two issues and did so quickly in real type (helps in a previous life I was a touch typist doing Dictaphone work).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quadra 610
And a netbook.
As already mentioned, no. There are some things the netbooks can do the iPad will not. For me, it makes no difference. If I need a computer I'll sit at my desktop or use our laptop. But 90% of what I do in the evenings can be done via the iPad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mazda 3s
Let me ask you this. Do you carry your phone everywhere with you now? I mean, do you keep your phone in your pocket all day? If you do, you probably don't even think about.
Now think about all the phone usage scenarios with a 10" tablet...
Mostly, yes. And if I were willing to spend the $$$ and wait for the 3G version of the iPad, I could buy in to the vision of the iPad as a phone replacement with Skype.
But the iPhone serves its purpose very well and I don't need to spend $129 USD more + $30 USD for monthly service.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Josh.B.
It cannot replace a netbook. A netbook is a full-fledged computer, and will do pretty much everything a full-fledged computer will do. Processor/RAM intensive tasks will take longer, but modern netbooks are as capable as Pentium 4 class notebooks from a few years ago.
The iPad, OTOH, is not INTENDED to be a full-fledged computer. It cannot replace a netbook. You cannot, for example, download big files in the background while surfing the web. You cannot keep much information on its drive. You can't watch HD video in HD resolution.
It is not INTENDED to be a netbook replacement.
Very true. People though want simple answers to complicated questions and the answer does not always satisfy them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ranReloaded
I call them dumb for being Twitter freaks. I mean, WTF? What's so good about a stripped down version of Facebook (wall only, 140 chars max). The iPhone screen should be more than enough for an SNS with the format of a beeper. Why do they want to tweet on the Pad?
Maybe i'ts just that I don't get the wole "following" thing. I prefer "gathering".
Well, that was my anti-twitter rant. Now flame me, join me or ignore me.
Twitter is more than a stripped down FB. Just last night I used it to communicate with 1Password about issues I found between the iPad and iPhone version of their Pro app. Before that I asked questions of them and got quick responses.
Just as there are uses for SMS, there are uses for Twitter and FaceBook. There are blurred lines between Twitter and FB in some regards, but they still have distinct areas of focus and usability.
How many here remember the EARLY BBS days? This was pre-Internet. If so, you will remember that one board never met all of your needs. It is the same with technologies.
Comments
It would make a nice little video conferencing device, if it had a camera (and the battery could handle the CPU load resulting from the video processing that entails). But it would certainly not be a phone replacement.
Much bigger gripes: the lack of being able to tether it to a phone or tether a laptop to it, both should be a matter of the contracts between carriers and the end user and not a concern for Apple. e.g. in Austria where I travel frequently, there is a no-restriction pre-paid, pre-metered data SIM available. €20 for either 1GB of data, usable over 12 months, or €20 for 2GB of data, usable over 30 days. They don't care what kind of data use send over that net, nor do they care what device is using it. So Apple being in bed with AT&T here restricts what I could use the iPad for over in Austria, even though Apple sells the iPad unlocked. Since unlocked isn't un-jailed, and since Apple won't permit the required software into the App Store, we just can't do what the device would be capable of, without jail breaking it first.
As such, the statistics of what people gripe about are hard to believe. I don't think that in the tech savvy crowd of Twitter users interested in the iPad there's not a significant percentage that's not griping about the fact that it's a closed device in need of jail breaking for the owner to assume full ownership over the device.
With that item not being listed at all, it makes the entire set of statistics questionable. More likely, these are the things Apple was interested in for purposes in market research, and thus these were the things that were being tracked on twitter. Other legitimate user concerns were likely simply neglected.
e.g. there's no one who thinks the device would be better if it could display an A4 or US Letter page in full size? Come on... Or people who think it should have had at least a resolution of HD (1280x720 instead of 1024x768)? Or that the iPhone/iPod/iPad still can't do S/MIME encryption for e-mail, which means if you get encrypted e-mail which you could read on your Mac, you can't read it on your iPhone/iPad/iPod? etc. etc.
Can't believe any statistics you didn't forge yourself.
Stop calling users dumb for feeling what they feel. You can disagree but you can't call them dumb--it's a fact that they are feeling the way they said. And it actually is a bit silly to have to carry both an iPad and an iPhone considering the huge amount of overlap between the devices.
they are stupid. THE IPAD IS THE NEW IPHONE KILLER!
You definitely have my apology. Looking back at the story, I see that my comment was extremely poorly constructed. What I meant to talk about was the subset of tweets expressing disappointment that the iPad does not have a native phone function. And in that regard I also demeaned the Attensity Group. Altogether, I whiffed that by a mile.
Thank you for that.
Other then sloppyism jumping in on this to be Captain America there isn't anyone in this thread that believes the iPad is a standalone device.
Agreed.
This is true. In fact I wonder if devices like the iPad won't cause a reverse in the decline of desktop sales and increase of laptop sales. As an iPad and iPhone owner, an iMac makes more sense now as my next computer than another Macbook Pro.
That's how I feel. I used to have an iMac and MBP, but found keeping them synced was pain. So I got rid of the iMac even though I liked it more, because I needed something on the road. However, with the iPad, I plan to get an iMac to replace the MBP. Now, if they'd just make an iPhone Nano, I'd get that to replace my iPhone.
That's how I feel. I used to have an iMac and MBP, but found keeping them synced was pain. So I got rid of the iMac even though I liked it more, because I needed something on the road. However, with the iPad, I plan to get an iMac to replace the MBP. Now, if they'd just make an iPhone Nano, I'd get that to replace my iPhone.
I've been using my iPad all day seeing if making a shift if the devices I use is a possibility for me. I've been using notebooks as main system for over a decade now so this could be tough transition.
So far, the iPad hasn't sold me. I am having some trouble adjusting to things that feel much more natural on the iPhone, like typing, hitting Home Button, entering one of many apps, typing more, hitting Home Button, <repeat>. The iPad has some major benefits over the iPhone but I'm not sure its benefits outweigh its cons to replace my 13" MBP. Some more testing is definitely needed.
Users who want to replace the iPhone with the iPad must be nuts. Try to hold that thing to your ear, it's way too big.
I wish people would stop making this same stupid argument.
I also don't believe that the iPad will replace the iPhone for very many people, but believing that you would need to hold the iPad up to your ear is just plain silly. Have you ever heard of bluetooth headsets? (Or even headsets that plug in if the headphone jack also works as a microphone on the iPad like on some Macs).
Anyone thinking this would be an iPhone replacement, must be kidding themselves. The primary task of each of these devices just isn't the same. There is cross-over, but that isn't the same.
As for the "no flash support", I would be curious to see in what contexts and on which sites.
Regarding Flash part... I was looking for new car recently (more like researching what is available here in NZ), and following sites:
subaru.co.nz
nissan.co.nz
were completely useless without Flash.
Other Japanese brands - Mazda, Honda, Toyota - had some Flash content, but were browsable, some more, some less.
That was the only real Flash experiment I have tried - normally I go for text-only (or phone-optimized) info on my iPhohe, screen is too small for full size media rich sites anyway... but on iPad, being full screen, I'm pretty sure I'd notice lack of Flash much more often.
As long as my wife is considered, no Facebook Flash games - no iPad.
And a netbook.
Only for most basic users; not as a general rule.
oh common netbooks are the biggest pile of sh*t i've ever seen..
seriously..all those ppl who are complaining about the ipads specs are total hypocrats.."it cant even multitask"..common seriously? try to run a browser with flash + word on a netbook..and - hey - why not connect a 1920*1200 screen to it? i bet you 100 bucks no 300$-netbook on this planet can handle this in an enjoyable way.
the ipad has pretty decent hardware for what it was build for..you cant run a full OS on a device that small.. doesnt matter if its a netbook or a tablet..but it wasnt built for that!
it was build for touch controls not for a mouse like a desktop pc..
and who gives a sh*t about a small adapter? just leave it on your goddamn camera-usb-cord and when u need it its there and it works..i dont see any problems?!
sry for the long post and bad grammar i was in a rush
It is not about specs, it is about features (or lack of them).
I don't even know if Intel Atom is any faster than A4 regarding RAW performance, but I do know I can easily (albeit slowly) copy NEF images from my Nikon D70 to a HDD, edit and convert them to JPG (if for any reason I need JPGs on the spot - say to email them to someone while away from home, update my blog/web album..?). It is going to be darn slow, but it is going to work. Likewise, I can drop handful of DivX files on HDD and watch them on long-haul flights (without converting them or what-so-ever) or even during vacation, in case of some rainy days. Any notebook should be able to handle 720p resolution (which, for me, is totally acceptable even on 42" full HD TV), and if viewing movies on big screen is my thing, I can get netbook with ION platform... but all fancy hotels I have seen recently had only 720p, sub-40" TVs anyway.
And my wife, beside playing her Facebook games, can type a new paper for her research group (she is physical chemist and does need equations in her word processing software).
Of course, everyone's mileage will differ, more or less.
oh, we'll get there.
I think that you, personally, are already there
Yet, as previously pointed out in this thread, for many people it will: people who bought netbooks, and even full laptop/notebook computers because there was no iPad. Doing serious work on a netbook sucks, and even working on a laptop is not great. But most people who lug netbooks, and even a good number who lug laptops, around, aren't doing serious work on them while they are mobile, or in their living rooms. (Or maybe anywhere.)
That's the beauty of the iPad: it fills a need (or call it a desire if you want) that nothing, including netbooks properly served before, and it does so perfectly matched to that need. Netbooks, except as cheap (in every sense of the word) computers, are finished. The days of being forced to use tools inappropriate to the task are over.
That would be bad for iPad, as it is inappropriate for more tasks than netbook in general is
I do, however, agree iPad will replace netbook - with people who never needed netbook at all (but still got one as nothing else at the time came closer to their needs). For example, I will likely give iPad to my mom. She will read newspapers, a book or two and Skype with me and overseas relatives. She could do that with netbook, but would have to deal with updates, AV software, firewall... things she is completely incompetent with.
Other people with basic or very limited needs can replace computer with iPad... but holding onto that as general truth, I doubt.
It is not about specs, it is about features (or lack of them).
I don't even know if Intel Atom is any faster than A4 regarding RAW performance, but I do know I can easily (albeit slowly) copy NEF images from my Nikon D70 to a HDD, edit and convert them to JPG (if for any reason I need JPGs on the spot - say to email them to someone while away from home, update my blog/web album..?). It is going to be darn slow, but it is going to work. Likewise, I can drop handful of DivX files on HDD and watch them on long-haul flights (without converting them or what-so-ever) or even during vacation, in case of some rainy days. Any notebook should be able to handle 720p resolution (which, for me, is totally acceptable even on 42" full HD TV), and if viewing movies on big screen is my thing, I can get netbook with ION platform... but all fancy hotels I have seen recently had only 720p, sub-40" TVs anyway.
And my wife, beside playing her Facebook games, can type a new paper for her research group (she is physical chemist and does need equations in her word processing software).
Of course, everyone's mileage will differ, more or less.
It sounds like your needs would be better met with a 13" MacBook Pro; i don't know why you're fooling around with a netbook in the first place.
Skype isn't free either
Agreed. Just sayin'...
Thanks but why would that be better than a MacBook 13" that runs flawlessly, no need for Kaspersky et al and all the associated problems? Is it simply price? Two inches hardly matters (no jokes please). If it is price you can get great MacBooks second hand that still run Leopard and some Snow Leopard. Heck I still have a base model iBook G4 12" that runs Leopard fine.
Even if 3" doesn't sound much of a difference, in reality netbooks are significantly smaller and lighter than any 13" notebooks I'm aware of. They are also cheaper and some of them can squeeze 10 hours out of battery, a few even more.
Well, that's because he's trolling, but he'd prefer we not point it out.
Amen, brother. Amen.
It sounds like your needs would be better met with a 13" MacBook Pro; i don't know why you're fooling around with a netbook in the first place.
I'm not - just giving example. Of course, netbook is still significantly cheaper and lighter than 13" MBP, so I might be tempted to get one, if for nothing else, then at least not worrying much about it while travelling.
But since I already have reasonably strong desktop and 15" notebook, instead of getting netbook as my 3rd computer, I'm more inclined to replace 15" one for 13" one which would cover casual in-house usage and travels... more likely one of Asus UL30 models, though...
I'm not - just giving example. Of course, netbook is still significantly cheaper and lighter than 13" MBP, so I might be tempted to get one, if for nothing else, then at least not worrying much about it while travelling.
But since I already have reasonably strong desktop and 15" notebook, instead of getting netbook as my 3rd computer, I'm more inclined to replace 15" one for 13" one which would cover casual in-house usage and travels... more likely one of Asus UL30 models, though...
If you've ever used a netbook, you'd realize that they're just to slow to do anything that the iPad does well. I agree that a MacBook would much better sit your needs. Or get a proper Windows 7 13" or 15" notebook, with a full-performance CPU.
Who the hell wants to carry around a 1.5-pound, 10" tablet all day to make phone calls? Are these people idiots? What is this, 1985? It's not made to replace an iPhone and never was designed to.
True. But with Skype, as someone has already mentioned, it can be used in WiFi hotspots.
All the iPad can replace is an iPod Touch.
Not true. Try typing a LOT of information in the form factor the Touch or iPhone have. It does not work well. Yet this past week I had to take LOTS of notes for two issues and did so quickly in real type (helps in a previous life I was a touch typist doing Dictaphone work).
And a netbook.
As already mentioned, no. There are some things the netbooks can do the iPad will not. For me, it makes no difference. If I need a computer I'll sit at my desktop or use our laptop. But 90% of what I do in the evenings can be done via the iPad.
Let me ask you this. Do you carry your phone everywhere with you now? I mean, do you keep your phone in your pocket all day? If you do, you probably don't even think about.
Now think about all the phone usage scenarios with a 10" tablet...
Mostly, yes. And if I were willing to spend the $$$ and wait for the 3G version of the iPad, I could buy in to the vision of the iPad as a phone replacement with Skype.
But the iPhone serves its purpose very well and I don't need to spend $129 USD more + $30 USD for monthly service.
It cannot replace a netbook. A netbook is a full-fledged computer, and will do pretty much everything a full-fledged computer will do. Processor/RAM intensive tasks will take longer, but modern netbooks are as capable as Pentium 4 class notebooks from a few years ago.
The iPad, OTOH, is not INTENDED to be a full-fledged computer. It cannot replace a netbook. You cannot, for example, download big files in the background while surfing the web. You cannot keep much information on its drive. You can't watch HD video in HD resolution.
It is not INTENDED to be a netbook replacement.
Very true. People though want simple answers to complicated questions and the answer does not always satisfy them.
I call them dumb for being Twitter freaks. I mean, WTF? What's so good about a stripped down version of Facebook (wall only, 140 chars max). The iPhone screen should be more than enough for an SNS with the format of a beeper. Why do they want to tweet on the Pad?
Maybe i'ts just that I don't get the wole "following" thing. I prefer "gathering".
Well, that was my anti-twitter rant. Now flame me, join me or ignore me.
Twitter is more than a stripped down FB. Just last night I used it to communicate with 1Password about issues I found between the iPad and iPhone version of their Pro app. Before that I asked questions of them and got quick responses.
Just as there are uses for SMS, there are uses for Twitter and FaceBook. There are blurred lines between Twitter and FB in some regards, but they still have distinct areas of focus and usability.
How many here remember the EARLY BBS days? This was pre-Internet. If so, you will remember that one board never met all of your needs. It is the same with technologies.
Take care,