[DUG] Apple iPad - OT

[Jolyon Smith]

I hadn't realized that it is negative to simply observe what has occurred
and extrapolate from that.  Similarly although I may not have paid a panel
of independent experts to gather data for me, I am quite capable of looking
around myself and making observations based on my own direct experience.


I don't deny the iPhone is popular, but a lot of other phones are just as
popular and many are still more popular.

The simple truth is that for most people with an iPhone it's just a cool
phone.  I simply don't see the "revolution" that seems to be ascribed to it
any more than an extremely popular new burger at McDonalds marks a
revolution in commercial catering.

Ditto the iPad.

Tablets are not new.  Affordable tablets are not new.  The difference
between an iPad and an iPhone however is that once the "ooooh cool" has worn
off an iPhone, you're still left with a usable and indeed more than
competent phone.

With an iPad though, you are left with something that isn't as useful or
indeed convenient as a laptop but neither is it as portable as a handheld or
as well designed for a specific purpose as a specialized devices such as an
e-reader.

As compared with a laptop or even a netbook, with a tablet you have to hold
a not inconsiderable weight in your hand (aiui 1.5 lb in the case of an iPad
- well over 0.5 kg) to use it.  And typing one handed whilst handheld the
hand holding the device will require strength > than required to simply hold
the device in order to provide the resistance for the hand typing on the
screen.  A laptop can be rested on your, uh, lap, desk, floor, coffee table,
where-ever with the keyboard in a comfortable position and the screen tilted
to suit.

Anyone that has owned a tablet will tell you that a tablet doesn't work well
on your lap, on a desk etc.  How many people drooling over an iPad have
actually tried living with a tablet before?

I have.

As I said, I have a tablet PC - the tablet functionality was initially cool,
interesting and exciting... but it quickly wore off and stopped being used
as a tablet within 6 months.

So you'll have to forgive me if I have a little too much personally informed
skepticism.  But I would ask, what "research" informs the contra view that
the iPad is going to be anything more than a fad?  Albeit a fast selling
fad, perhaps.

Just because Apple came up with it, and they never get things wrong?  They
always pick the right time to bring a product to market?  Or find ways to
develop markets for their products?

Who remembers the Newton?


Or is it the magic tough of Steve Jobs?

Who remembers NeXT?



> -----Original Message-----
> From: delphi-bounces at delphi.org.nz [mailto:delphi-
> bounces at delphi.org.nz] On Behalf Of Xander (GMail)
> Sent: Thursday, 28 January 2010 2:46 p.m.
> To: 'NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi List'
> Subject: Re: [DUG] Apple iPad - OT
> 
> You can be as negative as you like, point in fact is that the iPhone
> works
> very, very well for what it does. Yes, one can say it is "cool", but
> more
> importantly, functionally it just works. And I'm not generally an Apple
> fan
> as I would for example never buy one of their Macs or Notebooks. But
> let's
> give credit where it is due. And I predict the same for the iPad as it
> is
> building on an already successful story.
> 
> >From a development perspective on the other hand I would far rather
> support
> Android due to the relative openness of the platform. But that is
> another
> story.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: delphi-bounces at delphi.org.nz [mailto:delphi-
> bounces at delphi.org.nz] On
> Behalf Of Jolyon Smith
> Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 2:32 PM
> To: 'NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi List'
> Subject: Re: [DUG] Apple iPad - OT
> 
> > 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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