The USB thing is so stupid. What do people expect they'd to be able to plug into it if there was a USB port? Mouse? Printer? Scanner? Gamepad? Even if it had a USB port, 99% of the things you'd try to plug into it wouldn't work or make any sense.
Thumb drive, external hard drive, camera, you know all the things you might plug into a netbook or notebook that you were able to leave home in favor of your new tablet.
I think the whole point of the iPad is that it is a mobile and portable device. Attaching it to large peripherals or tying it down with a cable to a printer or a blue ray player really defeats its purpose. The concept of the iPad is freedom from all those anchors we have attached to our desktops and laptops. If you can't do it wireless, you really weren't meant to do it on the ipad.
But seriously... external HD? Really? What part of 'portable' does that fit into? Laying on the couch with a iPad and hard drive cooking your lap?
I assume you don't have a job or any friends. Wireless printing is not going to work for most printers except your own. If you are at a customer's location or a friends house, you have a much much better chance of being able to plug in to USB and make a quick print.
Have you seen a portable external hard drive since the late 90's? Whether it is a thumb drive to transfer a small ammount of data (files from a client, or maybe a presentation) or a terabyte hard drive loaded with enough movies to keep your kids entertained on a drive from San Diego to Maine, these are very popular devices that people use with portable computers all the time.
I think the whole point of the iPad is that it is a mobile and portable device. Attaching it to large peripherals or tying it down with a cable to a printer or a blue ray player really defeats its purpose. The concept of the iPad is freedom from all those anchors we have attached to our desktops and laptops. If you can't do it wireless, you really weren't meant to do it on the ipad.
I guess that means millions of people who would other wise like the device for personal or business use should buy something else because putting in $0.75 worth of USB ports would ruin the device for everyone else.
But seriously... external HD? Really? What part of 'portable' does that fit into? Laying on the couch with a iPad and hard drive cooking your lap?
What amazes me is that everyone is talking about cloud computing and some people still want external HDD for portable devices. I have two external HDD and several flash drives that I haven't used for years now. I have work files stored in my MobileMe iDisk and DB just incase. I can access them from everywhere. But I guess some people just like moving backward.
The USB thing is so stupid. What do people expect they'd to be able to plug into it if there was a USB port? Mouse? Printer? Scanner? Gamepad? Even if it had a USB port, 99% of the things you'd try to plug into it wouldn't work or make any sense.
I would use a USB port to tether the iPad to my iPhone so that I could take advantage of my iPhone 3G data plan from the iPad like I am already doing from my Macbook. I cannot be on both iPhone and iPad at the same time, so why am I paying AT&T for the concurrent use of 3G on both devices?
I know I can tether the iPad to the iPhone via MyWi or PDANet's Wi-Fi access point simulated by the iPhone, but the iPhone runs out of juice really quickly in this scenario. If I could tether with a USB cable, I could have access to the Internet on my iPad via iPhones 3G for hours.
iPad will soon have AirPrint, AirPlay and AirSync, that will eliminate the need for any cords at all. AirSync has not been announced but everything is pointing to it.
How would someone use an external HD on an iPad anyway? The programs do not support it.
I would use a USB port to tether the iPad to my iPhone so that I could take advantage of my iPhone 3G data plan from the iPad like I am already doing from my Macbook. I cannot be on both iPhone and iPad at the same time, so why am I paying AT&T for the concurrent use of 3G on both devices?
You don't need a USB port to do that. Jailbreak your iPhone and you can do it without a USB port and without paying tethering fee.
I think it will draw the battery down. Remember that USB supplies the power to the item it is attached to, in many instances. I am certain that the batteries are designed for a certain output, so they may ( yes, that waffle word) have to be larger to handle the potential power draw.
How would someone use an external HD on an iPad anyway? The programs do not support it.
There's this neet thing called a development community and a really cool thing Apple runs called an AppStore. First Apple creates the iPad witha USB port. Then the developers dream up ways to make use of the new hardware. Next the developers write a mini program called an App and submit it to Apple. If Apple likes the app, the put it in the AppStore where customers can find it and buy it.
I think the study has validity in terms of the iPad purchase being an incremental purchase that doesn't displace some other purchase of a notebook or netbook.
In my case, for instance, we had no plans to buy another notebook or laptop. I have a 17" MBP, my wife and son have iMacs and my older son who is off at college has a 15" MBP.
Yet when the iPad came out, my older son and I went off to the Apple store stood in line ostensibly to just check it out. By the time we had played with on for about 10 minutes, we were sold and left the store with 1 iPad, which the boy claimed. After we had a chance to play with it for the weekend he was staying over, we decided to buy another since the one we had was headed off to college 50 miles away.
My younger (high school age) son and I use it every day, and thankfully the kid has homework, so I get to use it when he gets done.
My MBP now stays on the desk in my study ( I work out of the house) where it gets used throughout the workday.
However after work hours and on weekends, the MBP hardly gets touched except for the things that the iPad cannot do. The surprise is that there is precious little that I want with the iPad that it can't do.
I suspect that my family's experience is not unique.
I think you are right, though the average household probably doesn't have quite that many tasty computers among its inhabitants. But yes, I think a lot of people share your experiences. The trouble is that this is why they want such things as USB connectivity. Many people are finding that really, they don't need 'the other' computer much and want the iPad to do just a little more than it can at present - as has been suggested by many previous posters.
I am sure the ipad will evolve and I am dead curious to see what iPad2 will be like. Compare the development of the iPhone since rev1 to iPhone4.
Re what people want - I have no idea how the questions were formed but it made me think of someone's signature here in these forums - 'If I had asked people what they wanted they would have told me a faster horse' - Henry Ford. Asking people what they want can be meaningless.
What amazes me is that everyone is talking about cloud computing and some people still want external HDD for portable devices. I have two external HDD and several flash drives that I haven't used for years now. I have work files stored in my MobileMe iDisk and DB just incase. I can access them from everywhere. But I guess some people just like moving backward.
Despite all the press on cloud computing, businesses are not all eager to turn over their confidential data to the cloud. Did you happen to notice the FBI's request to Congress this week? They want a backdoor password to encrypted cloud data. Once the door exists, hackers will surely try to open it.
Comments
The USB thing is so stupid. What do people expect they'd to be able to plug into it if there was a USB port? Mouse? Printer? Scanner? Gamepad? Even if it had a USB port, 99% of the things you'd try to plug into it wouldn't work or make any sense.
Thumb drive, external hard drive, camera, you know all the things you might plug into a netbook or notebook that you were able to leave home in favor of your new tablet.
Printer, definitely
Game pad, certainly
MIDI controller
Control surfaces
High-end audio devices ( for recording)
Mass-storage devices.
...
BTW, I'd be perfectly happy with a dongle or cable solution, though having the port built in would encourage hardware and software developers.
It is a portable device, so much more than a laptop. Start plugging wires & cables into it and it limits that ability.
As far as a game pad, it IS a game pad.
Printer, not necessary with iOS 4.2
But seriously... external HD? Really? What part of 'portable' does that fit into? Laying on the couch with a iPad and hard drive cooking your lap?
I assume you don't have a job or any friends. Wireless printing is not going to work for most printers except your own. If you are at a customer's location or a friends house, you have a much much better chance of being able to plug in to USB and make a quick print.
Have you seen a portable external hard drive since the late 90's? Whether it is a thumb drive to transfer a small ammount of data (files from a client, or maybe a presentation) or a terabyte hard drive loaded with enough movies to keep your kids entertained on a drive from San Diego to Maine, these are very popular devices that people use with portable computers all the time.
I think the whole point of the iPad is that it is a mobile and portable device. Attaching it to large peripherals or tying it down with a cable to a printer or a blue ray player really defeats its purpose. The concept of the iPad is freedom from all those anchors we have attached to our desktops and laptops. If you can't do it wireless, you really weren't meant to do it on the ipad.
I guess that means millions of people who would other wise like the device for personal or business use should buy something else because putting in $0.75 worth of USB ports would ruin the device for everyone else.
HOW WILL ADDING USB PORTS HURT THE PRODUCT FOR THOSE WHO DONT WANT THEM?
I guess that means millions of people who would other wise like the device for personal or business use should buy something else
??? Yes, they should sinc eif they NEED a USB port, it does not have one.
And lack of a USB port is really what is stopping them. Right.
It either does not fit their needs or they simply don't want/can't afford one.
I doubt very many people are running around, "Man that thing is great and I NEED one but since it lacks a USB port, I cannot use it."
please explain to the 51% who want it,
That's not what was asked. They asked "what are you most dissatisfied about with the iPad".
You can infer it means they want one but that does not make it correct.
Printer, not necessary with iOS 4.2
But seriously... external HD? Really? What part of 'portable' does that fit into? Laying on the couch with a iPad and hard drive cooking your lap?
What amazes me is that everyone is talking about cloud computing and some people still want external HDD for portable devices. I have two external HDD and several flash drives that I haven't used for years now. I have work files stored in my MobileMe iDisk and DB just incase. I can access them from everywhere. But I guess some people just like moving backward.
The USB thing is so stupid. What do people expect they'd to be able to plug into it if there was a USB port? Mouse? Printer? Scanner? Gamepad? Even if it had a USB port, 99% of the things you'd try to plug into it wouldn't work or make any sense.
I would use a USB port to tether the iPad to my iPhone so that I could take advantage of my iPhone 3G data plan from the iPad like I am already doing from my Macbook. I cannot be on both iPhone and iPad at the same time, so why am I paying AT&T for the concurrent use of 3G on both devices?
I know I can tether the iPad to the iPhone via MyWi or PDANet's Wi-Fi access point simulated by the iPhone, but the iPhone runs out of juice really quickly in this scenario. If I could tether with a USB cable, I could have access to the Internet on my iPad via iPhones 3G for hours.
So, all you anti-USB Steve worshipers, please explain to the 51% who want it,
HOW WILL ADDING USB PORTS HURT THE PRODUCT FOR THOSE WHO DONT WANT THEM?
The way it looks. I don't want that on the side. You add that then someone will want more and more. Less is more.
How would someone use an external HD on an iPad anyway? The programs do not support it.
I would use a USB port to tether the iPad to my iPhone so that I could take advantage of my iPhone 3G data plan from the iPad like I am already doing from my Macbook. I cannot be on both iPhone and iPad at the same time, so why am I paying AT&T for the concurrent use of 3G on both devices?
You don't need a USB port to do that. Jailbreak your iPhone and you can do it without a USB port and without paying tethering fee.
"Clearly early adopters love their iPads and are finding increasing opportunities to use them," Baker wrote.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
honestly, it is neat, but has alot of improvement to make
1- needs USB input and output
2- needs SD card slot
3- needs camera like iphone on both sides.
4- needs full FLASH compatibility, i am time and time again frustrated with the inability for many websites to be functional on it.
5- better system memory size, lots of websites with pics crash under the load of memory.
6- needs more cellular provider option, why just ATT in usa? let others service it.
This is a nifty gizmo, but clearly has tons of room for improvement
Umm....shouldn't the article be corrected to say 4.2 in November and not 4.1?
Yes. 4.1 was not compatible with the iPad. 4.2 (already in developer's hands) will be the first iPad update after 3.2.2.
honestly, it is neat, but has alot of improvement to make
1- needs USB input and output
2- needs SD card slot
3- needs camera like iphone on both sides.
4- needs full FLASH compatibility, i am time and time again frustrated with the inability for many websites to be functional on it.
5- better system memory size, lots of websites with pics crash under the load of memory.
6- needs more cellular provider option, why just ATT in usa? let others service it.
This is a nifty gizmo, but clearly has tons of room for improvement
Go away, troll.
How would someone use an external HD on an iPad anyway? The programs do not support it.
There's this neet thing called a development community and a really cool thing Apple runs called an AppStore. First Apple creates the iPad witha USB port. Then the developers dream up ways to make use of the new hardware. Next the developers write a mini program called an App and submit it to Apple. If Apple likes the app, the put it in the AppStore where customers can find it and buy it.
I think the study has validity in terms of the iPad purchase being an incremental purchase that doesn't displace some other purchase of a notebook or netbook.
In my case, for instance, we had no plans to buy another notebook or laptop. I have a 17" MBP, my wife and son have iMacs and my older son who is off at college has a 15" MBP.
Yet when the iPad came out, my older son and I went off to the Apple store stood in line ostensibly to just check it out. By the time we had played with on for about 10 minutes, we were sold and left the store with 1 iPad, which the boy claimed. After we had a chance to play with it for the weekend he was staying over, we decided to buy another since the one we had was headed off to college 50 miles away.
My younger (high school age) son and I use it every day, and thankfully the kid has homework, so I get to use it when he gets done.
My MBP now stays on the desk in my study ( I work out of the house) where it gets used throughout the workday.
However after work hours and on weekends, the MBP hardly gets touched except for the things that the iPad cannot do. The surprise is that there is precious little that I want with the iPad that it can't do.
I suspect that my family's experience is not unique.
I think you are right, though the average household probably doesn't have quite that many tasty computers among its inhabitants. But yes, I think a lot of people share your experiences. The trouble is that this is why they want such things as USB connectivity. Many people are finding that really, they don't need 'the other' computer much and want the iPad to do just a little more than it can at present - as has been suggested by many previous posters.
I am sure the ipad will evolve and I am dead curious to see what iPad2 will be like. Compare the development of the iPhone since rev1 to iPhone4.
Re what people want - I have no idea how the questions were formed but it made me think of someone's signature here in these forums - 'If I had asked people what they wanted they would have told me a faster horse' - Henry Ford. Asking people what they want can be meaningless.
What amazes me is that everyone is talking about cloud computing and some people still want external HDD for portable devices. I have two external HDD and several flash drives that I haven't used for years now. I have work files stored in my MobileMe iDisk and DB just incase. I can access them from everywhere. But I guess some people just like moving backward.
Despite all the press on cloud computing, businesses are not all eager to turn over their confidential data to the cloud. Did you happen to notice the FBI's request to Congress this week? They want a backdoor password to encrypted cloud data. Once the door exists, hackers will surely try to open it.