[DUG] Apple iPad - OT

Thu Jan 28 15:34:27 NZDT 2010

I have a similar experience with my toddler/young children finding it very
easy to use the iPhone (albeit mainly for little toddler games). I've
seen/read about the same in many places, in fact I only got an iPhone after
seeing a friend's 2 year old scrolling around it to run her favourite game!

I think the fact that for children the iPhone appears to be by far the
EASIEST piece of advanced technology to master says something about Apples
skills in building extraordinary user interfaces. 

That doesn't mean that Apple are the be all and end all. Their propensity to
lock things down is crazy, they make the so called evil empire (Microsoft)
look like a very benevolent overlord in comparison. They also charge pretty
serious money, mainly because they can (due to the afore mentioned design
skills!).

Interesting discussion btw. 

From: delphi-bounces at delphi.org.nz [mailto:delphi-bounces at delphi.org.nz] On
Behalf Of Kyley Harris
Sent: Thursday, 28 January 2010 2:43 p.m.
To: NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi List
Subject: Re: [DUG] Apple iPad - OT

That sounds like a lot of rubbish without reasearch. 

My Child is 4 now. when she was 2 she learnt to use my iphone to scroll,
navigate and take photos. 

she has learnt to type on my iphone. She is now 4 and can also use the movie
and music player..

All of this was through intuitive use of the interface. She can still only
just log into her $600 windows XP Laptop, and move the mouse, but she cant
do "ANYTHING"

Open your mind a bit to the fact that there are DROVES of people out there
that dont need/ want or do what you want to do with a computer. I've used my
iphone for 2 1/2 years now and the interface is excellent. email is quick
and easy and I dont need to goto my computer most of the time. Day to day
calendar tasks, and now mapping and getting phone numbers is far easier than
a desktop. 

Most people don't need all the crap a modern desktop provides, or for the
90% of their use would rather have the iphone or tablet and sit at the desk
on the Box only for a minimum of use.

I have plenty of Laptops, cheap, expensive, large, small. my children cant
use any and they are a PIA to open and close all the time to use in a car
(as a passenger etc etc)

There is and always will be a good use for this kind of technology. My 4
year old will be using that tablet in about 10 minutes flat and happy and
productive on it. I will happily use it on the couch for email, and browsing
and in bed so that I dont overheat and screw up my laptop and my knees.

There is a time and place for every product. Just like I dont have 1 knife
in the kitchen I  dont expect one computer to do everything for me either.

How many people commenting about iPhones and iPads and saying their little
cheap laptop is better actually own both? and have used both for
considerable time (ie months)? I have.. I've used and owned just about damn
near every geek tool there was and wasted a fortune. the iPhone is an
exceptional tool, and I think the iPad will be revolutionary..

the Google phone is a piece of junk to use in comparison.

On Thu, Jan 28, 2010 at 2:32 PM, Jolyon Smith <jsmith at deltics.co.nz> wrote:

> for a large chunk of the population it could replace
> laptop/desktop.  Many people just use computers for
> web/email and some casual gaming.

... and managing their music collection, organizing/uploading photos, videos
etc etc ...

If people only wanted a device for the limited things you suggest, then in
the days even before email/the web etc were things that people might do at
home on a PC, the *home*computer* would never have been supplanted by the
IBM PC.

As for the iPad itself, anything that requires more than trivial text input
(like, emailing, naming/tagging/describing photos etc) is going to be
unbearable on an iPad unless you attach a keyboard (sold separately) and a
"mount"/stand (also sold separately) to hold it at an angle whist you type,
at which point you've negated the mobile appeal and added to the cost.

The "middle space" is defined by "devices not adequately equipped for
general purpose use, but not small enough to be carried in your pocket or
used handheld for decent periods".

There *is* a "space" defined by such devices, that's for sure.  But is there
any real *use* for such devices?

At the price point likely to be hit by the iPad, it's not going to be much
more expensive to "step-up" to a device that does everything an iPad can
*and more*.

But yes, the iPad will sell in droves.

Just as Avatar has sold a metric bucket-load of tickets despite the
overwhelming view being that the story is pedestrian, obvious and in many
ways boring, but YOU HAVE TO SEE IT COS IT'S SOOOOOO COOOOOOOOOOOOL !!! WOOT
!!!!!

Colour me unconvinced.

(coming soon the "Google tablet" ... even COOLER THAN AN IPAD!!!  Cos it's
like, ya know, an iPhone which is like, WAY COOL **AND** IT'S GOOGLE, which
is like, ya know, even WAY WAY COOLERER!)

(and yes, it'll be WAY COOLER even if, technically, it actually sucks, cos
Google don't do evil <pant> <pant> <drool>)

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-- 
Kyley Harris
Harris Software
+64-21-671-821

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