NPD: Early iPad adopters more satisfied, active than recent buyers

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  • Reply 101 of 115
    The 30 pin connector is basically all the ports of a standard computer put into a single connector, including USB (and audio, and video, etc). If you really need it, stick one of these on the end: http://www.sendstation.com/us/produc...t-miniusb.html
  • Reply 102 of 115
    chiachia Posts: 713member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by guinness View Post


    Your information is only as accessible as your internet connection. If you never leave a city or well-connected area, that's not a problem, but if you have to, then it's useless.



    With a USB device, you just plug it in, and as long as you have some sort of power source, you can transfer files, and you don't have to deal with the extra step of logging into/or paying for an additional service.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NasserAE View Post


    What amazes me is that... ...some people still want external HDD for portable devices.



    It amazes me too. I wonder if people will clamour for their smartphone or cellphone to connect to USB hard drives and cup warmers. After all, they've got USB ports too.





    With the drives your information is only as accessible as what the capacity of the drive allows you to bring with you. The cloud even has the advantage of allowing remote access to info on your computer.



    Of course the external storage works without the internet connection; what's the point of an iPad being portable when you're using data so large it can only fit onto a portable hard drive? Otherwise even the base 16GB iPad has the capacity of all but the largest reasonably priced flash memory cards for the typical consumer.



    As for plugging a flash drive into an iPad for transferring data from a computer, why not simply plug the iPad directly into the computer using its data cable? All it needs is a disk mode similar to those available to the iPods.



    Quote:

    I'd rather see a built-in SD slot, that's would cover 99% of any potential needs, and no a $29 add-on dongle just doesn't cut it



    that's to say 99% of ability but these things that posters have posted earlier as why iPad must have USB ports (file transfer, MIDI controller, Point of Sale, control surface[?!])

    probably equate to 1% of use.



    iPad is good because it is a focussed product, what it does, it does well.

    When you start adding USB ports for the one percent who may use it for MIDI control, or a rear facing camera for the 1% who'll use a $429 11 inch square device for taking worse pictures than a $150 compact camera, you start needing to add a larger battery or higher costs, size or weight which will discourage the 90% you're actually trying to sell to.
  • Reply 103 of 115
    nkhmnkhm Posts: 928member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post


    One of the reasons I've resisted buying an iPad is directly related to the amount of RAM installed. Basically I can't ever seee the platform running Safari well. Not in the way I expect to use the machine. It is ptetty clear that by the time the OS and background apps load there is little RAM available for a app like Safari.





    It will be interesting to see what 4.2 brings to iPad with respect to usability. I just don't expect massive improvements because I believe hardware is the issue.



    You've held off because of assumption rather than trying? The iPad runs Safari beautifully - no - you can't have eight tabs open, but that's sort of irrelevant. THis isn't a desktop. Games, books, music, movies and the web all browse beautifully - 128 megs of ram is plenty - it's more than most desktops had a few years ago. We've become RAM hungry, and developers have become lazy, if a web page can't render with 100 megs of RAM, there's something very, very wrong with it's code.



    The iPad is very smooth to operate, renders everything I've tried so far beautifully, and I must say that screen interaction and animation are smoother than on my i7 imac with 8 gigs of RAM.
  • Reply 104 of 115
    nkhmnkhm Posts: 928member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by guinness View Post


    The problem with that scenario, is that you have to connected online, always. Your information is only as accessible as your internet connection. If you never leave a city or well-connected area, that's not a problem, but if you have to, then it's useless.



    With a USB device, you just plug it in, and as long as you have some sort of power source, you can transfer files, and you don't have to deal with the extra step of logging into/or paying for an additional service.



    I'd rather see a built-in SD slot, that's would cover 99% of any potential needs, and no a $29 add-on dongle just doesn't cut it. A built-in USB port would be a giant catch all though.



    Actually no.



    This is a standard misconception about cloud computing. All of your data can be stored remotely, but you can also keep anything you want locally. It's just that you can access from anywhere with a net connection, not that you HAVE to in order to view your content. Storage isn't getting larger and cheaper in order that it's going to be scrapped. This is about convenience and backup, not replacement.



    Not sure why people make the assumption that everything would ONLY be online at all times, that's just a bit silly and no one is suggesting it.



    An SD card slot would cover 99% of potential needs? Most people on here seem to want to connect peripherals, that's not going to be covered by an SD card slot. The camera connection kit DOES cover this, for the very few people who buy it - look at the sales figures from the last quarterly for the tiny percentage of people who saw this as a must have. I bought it, it sits in my camera bag, it works beautifully.
  • Reply 105 of 115
    nkhmnkhm Posts: 928member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Fast Fred 1 View Post


    storage ?



    You mean like the 64gigabytes on board, or the computer you attach it to sync and transfer files? That sort of storage?



    What is with people these days - cast your mind back six or seven years - having a 64 GIGABYTE hard drive was unimaginable, and now this is a standard thing with people wanting more. The apps on the iPad are tiny, music files are at most a couple of meg each - and you still have room to carry round a couple of movies. What more storage do you want?
  • Reply 106 of 115
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    The data used in this article is complete and utter bull****.



    No wonder no one can reconcile the USB question. It's a completely made up meme and statistic.
  • Reply 107 of 115
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by knwbuddy View Post


    By this logic, "you really weren't meant" to sync the iPad, because you "can't do it wireless".



    I don't think you are being clear in your analysis, but instead are mistakenly condemning one of the iPad's big problems - the necessity of being tied down to a big chunk of metal and plastic, with a wire, in order to use it fully.



    Wireless syncing is something that has been desired by many posters here at AI. Your point, even though you probably didn't realize it, bolsters their argument.



    Ok there bro, so how fast is your wifi? How about your 3G?



    Yea enjoy that wireless syncing. I'm sure it will work out really well for you
  • Reply 108 of 115
    cimcim Posts: 197member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post


    This is just plain ignorant, USB has nothing to do with AirPrint nor AirPlay nor will either of them replace USB.



    It just amazes me that people can't grasp that USB supports many things than printers and memory sticks. The world is large and varied as is USB.



    I wasn?t arguing that USB is going extinct, but that AirPrint and AirPlay make USB unnecessary on an iPad. It?ll make HDMI unnecessary too.
  • Reply 109 of 115
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Bergermeister View Post


    He emphasized with: where's the plethora of iPhone-compatible devices we were led to believe were coming?



    Add-on hardware may require multi-million dollar investments for manufacturing and in the case of medical equipment may also have to go through rigorous testing and approval procedures. These things may take a number of years for testing, manufacturing, approval and the support of the communties they serve. It'll come, but not overnight. It's not the same as shipping a joystick add-on.
  • Reply 110 of 115
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ThePixelDoc View Post


    Damn Soli... you always beat me to it... so once again: +1 - and comments.



    hehe







    Quote:
    Originally Posted by knwbuddy View Post


    Other cellphones use an open standard, instead of Apple's proprietary 30 pin connector.



    <removed obnoxiously large image>



    The cellular phone carrier group, Open Mobile Terminal Platform (OMTP), have recently endorsed Micro-USB as the standard connector for data and power on mobile devices.[23] These include various types of battery chargers, allowing Micro-USB to be the single external cable link needed by some devices. As of January 30, 2009 Micro-USB has been accepted by almost all cell phone manufacturers as the standard charging port (including Apple, HTC, Motorola, Nokia, LG, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Research In Motion) in the EU and most of the world. Worldwide conversion to the new cellphone charging standard is expected to be completed between 2010 to 2012.



    In addition, on 22 October 2009 the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced that it had embraced micro-USB as the Universal Charger Solution its "energy-efficient one-charger-fits-all new mobile phone solution", and added: "Based on the Micro-USB interface, UCS chargers will also include a 4-star or higher efficiency rating?up to three times more energy-efficient than an unrated charger."[24]



    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Univers...cro_connectors



    That?s great that other manufactures are finally working on standardizing, but note that your dates start in 2009 (last year!) and even state that they standardization won?t be completed until 2012. Why so long when Apple started using the 30-pin connector 8(?) years ago. Every iDevice, save for the Shuffle has had the same connector, but you suggest that it would have better if Apple had not simply used different ones all those years and then drop their 30-pin connector that allows me to interchange cables between iDevices, interchange iDevice accessories, thus reducing costs and making things more convenient to jump on a recent bandwagon that isn?t even completed? Come on!



    On top of that it ignores the fact that there are dozens upon dozens of different chargers for all the cellphones in use today, but you are saying at some future date after all this is completed AND after all these consumers decide to stop using their current or next phone and decide to buy another one will they finally have an interchangeable charger. That?s great, but that doesn?t discount my comment, in fact your dates prove my point and this longstanding issue with cellphone vendors.
  • Reply 111 of 115
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by pmz View Post


    Ok there bro, so how fast is your wifi? How about your 3G?



    Yea enjoy that wireless syncing. I'm sure it will work out really well for you



    The notion that wireless syncing would be so horrible really doesn't fly, especially if you actually test your notions. For example, I timed an iPhone backup and compared it to the size of the backup file, the actual data rate is 20 Mbps, about what WiFi G can do.
  • Reply 112 of 115
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    Sorry, the notion that wireless syncing would be so horrible really doesn't fly. For example, I timed an iPhone backup and compared it to the size of the backup file, the actual data rate is 20 Mbps, about what WiFi G can do.



    The problem I see with WiFi backups is the same as I see with the complaints about USB in this thread. People aren?t thinking it through when they are making their claims of how easy and great it would be. There are pros and cons to everything, and any company has to think of these and only make the change when the aggregate of the pros outweigh the aggregate of the cons.



    My iDevices have been doing wireless sync for years now? with certain features, like Notes, Bookmarks, Contacts, Calendars, etc. Of course, you need a MobileMe or Exchange access to make this work, but the point is does happen for smaller amounts of data.



    20MB isn?t very big. I think even Apple moved the App Store limit over 3G from 10MB to 20MB last year. If we?re talking about the first sync should you be able to put in your iTunes credentials into the phone on your LAN and have up to 64GB (as of today) sync? We can easily put a limitation that you can?t do it for the first sync.



    What if you only have an 802.11b network? What if that network is 802.11n but saturated by other data that is actually more important? What if it?s an update but you have a new 1.5GB TomTom app update, a whol e bunch of videos you bought on your device or in iTunes on your PC that need to be synced one way or the other? So now we have questions that typically lead to limitations with the service. If it?s too slow thereby taking too much time then if won?t sync. If it?s too much data then it won?t sync. What are these limitations? Where do you put the demarkation point? Does Apple have the right to shape the user experience for their products the way they see fit so some techtarded individual doesn?t understand why it?s taking so long to sync or confused and upset that he wiped his device and he lost all his data because it wasn?t synced.



    Most people seem to think that when you double-click the Home button that all the apps listed in Fast App Switcher are apps that are running in the background. I?ve come across more than a few people that are deleting them all constantly thinking it will make their phone faster and save battery life.



    I?m sure wireless sync is coming, but not in the poorly conceived way that has plagued other devices trying to get a one up on Apple?s spec sheet. I think it will be a controlled and uniform maneuver that will preserver the UX for the average user.
  • Reply 113 of 115
    morning, noon and night. portable and accessible make it a no-brainer especially for web access.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by zindako View Post


    I use my iPad everyday.



  • Reply 114 of 115
    The NPD study sounded interesting, but without seeing the data, the questions asked, and some demographic and other information, it's impossible to draw substantive conclusions from the survey -- that is, evaluate the quality and conclusions which NPD published.



    So, I did what anyone who was interested in finding out more details would do, I contacted NPD to get the data, which their site offered. My request was denied "due to ... the proprietary nature of the research we conduct for our clients, we are unable to respond to your request for information."



    In any case, there are so many possible explanations for the information presented that it's quite worthless to comment on this survey substantively.



    NPD, of course, is just a marketing company, who is paid to push the agenda to whatever company hired them, part of whose task is to issue press releases which look like legitimate research.
  • Reply 115 of 115
    os2babaos2baba Posts: 262member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MJ1970 View Post


    I'm curious about this. It lends some credence to the rumors that Apple is considering adding a USB port to iPad 2. But I wonder, with regard to the complaining users, what do they want to do with that USB port?



    I can attest to this survey. My iPad is easily the least used electronic device in my house. I bought it 3 months ago and after the first few days, I doubt that it's been used even a dozen times. In fact, if it weren't for a game my kid plays on it, it would be used even less. By comparison, my Nook is used practically daily and my Vibrant daily.



    Why do I need a USB port? The main reason I bought it was because so I wouldn't carry my laptop with me while traveling just to download photos from my camera. It pisses me off that I had to shell out an extra $30 for an external adapter. It pisses me off that the adapter doesn't work on the iPod Touch. It pisses me off that I can't connect a USB flash drive and just transfer files to the iPad. The photos get transferred from my camera on to the iPad and it serves that purpose beautifully. But then I can't reorganize my photos on the iPad. I have to do that on iTunes, which I simply abhor. The iPad's a seriously limiting device. As soon as a decent Android tablet is released, I'll be replacing my iPad.
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