iPad iPad "devouring" netbook sales..

[eGeezer]

While I kinda skipped down thru the thread, I didn't catch this particular observation, which I friend had mentioned to me. I had asked him if he had purchased his iPad yet, and he observed that, while the outside temperature is a bit chillier than normal this year, he didn't think Hell had frozen over yet.

Then, he mentioned an article he had read that placed the iPad in the category of "peripheral". I find this quite accurate. You can't replace a computer with an iPad, because you NEED your computer to "sync" your stuff to the iPad.

The early observers were correct: the iPad is merely a giant iPod, and pretty much does the same stuff. Nothing wrong with that. It serves a niche, but it is NOT a computer, it is NOT a netbook and it is definitely NOT a dedicated ereader.

It is sort of like a tinkerer who can do many things well, but no one thing great.

[scottjl]

actually saying you need a computer to sync isn't entirely accurate. you can buy books online (from ibooks, kobo and kindle) and download right to the device. you can buy music and video through the itunes application, and rent movies even, again, no computer needed. you can buy and download thousands of applications without a computer as well. send and receive email, surf the web. again. no computer needed.

the only functions you absolutely have to have a computer for is to upgrade the OS (when an upgrade becomes available), and to make backups. if you are the sort to make backups (so many aren't).

no. it certainly is not a computer. but can it replace a computer for some people? yes. no, it is not a netbook, but can it replace a netbook for some people? yes. no, it is not a "dedicated" ereader, but can it function as an ereader for some people? yes.

actually, i find that last statement kind of amusing given that nook just gained web surfing and games and the kindle is getting social applications and an app store (it's been able to surf and do email for a while now). i wouldn't call either of those devices "dedicated" either. a few years from now and all these devices are going to meet in the middle.

[eGeezer]

Actually, I hurried my post cuz the wife was calling me to dinner.

I wouldn't buy an iPad, myself, because I have a notebook, and I have a "dedicated" ereader.

However, I purchased one for my wife for Mother's Day because she doesn't have either one, and the iPad will server her purpose quite well. She won't have to borrow my laptop when we travel in order to check email or check something on the web.

And your observations are correct, scott. For the most part, everything can be done by the iPad without a computer. I hadn't thot it thru and was in error there. I was thinking more of the music and photos my wife has on her computer having to be synced.

I had gone into iBookstore and the Kindle app and grabbed a couple books in a series she is reading, and I must say I can see how that wifi feature in the Kindle and Sony (and nook) can be addictive.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

... I must say I can see how that wifi feature in the Kindle and Sony (and nook) can be addictive.

Hmmm.....I almost never use the online store on either my Kindle or Sony 900....to each his own though.

[sfernald]

Originally Posted by Harry7

75 million netbooks were sold in the last 2 years, 16 million in the us alone last year. It remains to be seen if the ipad can sustain it's sales pace. If netbooks sales are slowing it's probably because everyone who wants one already has one. Let's see how well ipad does Before proclaiming it a netbook killer. I would buy an asus 1201N over an ipad. For less than the cheapest ipad you get a real computer with areal HD display, Ion graphics, 250GB HDD and HDMI out.

I own both actually, and let me tell you my asus 1201N has not even been booted since I got my ipad, and I don't think a day has passed when I have not used the ipad for at least 5 hours.

The asus might have all the specs, but it sucks where it counts. It is slow to boot and pokey all around, and the trackpad sucks, making for a lousy web browsing experience. I thought it would be cool because I could run steam on it and play casual games, but it isn't that realistic an option really. I play and enjoy games a lot more on the ipad. I am absolutely addicted to scrabble on the ipad. So fun to play with a friend at starbucks.

So I can definitely believe these statisitics. They exactly mirror my own usage.

Btw, pm me if you are interested in buying my asus 1201N. I am hoping to sell off enough of my old gadgets to pick up a second ipad.

[djgreedo]

The claims that the iPad is eating into netbook sales have been debunked. Paul Thurrott wrote a piece on it on his site (winsupersite.com). Like with a lot of tech reporting, Apple gets a lot of hype, and their achievements are often exaggerated.

The iPad has sold quite well, but in comparison to computer sales, and specificaly netbook and small laptop sales, nothing special has happened here, especially when you take into account the hype surrounding the thing. Apple gets huge amounts of attention for selling 1million iPads, yet when Microsoft (who the tech press generally hate) sold 100 million copies of Windows 7 in its first few months, the tech press largely ignored it.

The real test of the iPad (and tablets in general) is not whether the Apple fanboys buy them (obviously the majority of the sales so far), but whether or not developers can come up with uses for it other than running iPod apps on a bigger screen. Of course if that happens, there will be devices not made by Apple that achieve the same and don't come with the Apple restrictions and ridiculous price tag.

[scottjl]

you sounded like a reasonable post until that last paragraph. might have quit while you were ahead..

[MsAstoria]

Interesting thread. I don't consider myself a "Apple fanboy" per se but having used PCs forever, made the transition to Apple products last year and never looked back! Since purchasing my Ipad, I have used my laptop once in last ten days. My daughter and grandson were here for Mother's day weekend and I only showed them how to turn it on and they easily figured out how to use it. My 3 yo grandson was a natural on it. He absolutely loved the animated Dr. Suess books being read to him, the matching pictures game, and spent the most time playing Parcel Panic where he "drove" the pickup time and time again into ocean and cracking himself up!

I think it is a great dedicated reader! After owning a Kindle the past couple of years, this device is everything I missed in the Kindle. In landscape mode, the Ipad really does disappear as you get immersed in your book. A gentle tap at the right edge turns the pages of the very realistic book.

[sakura-panda]

Originally Posted by simplyparticular

I can dream

Thanks for sharing the two apps. They show promise for photo editing. It's encouraging that editing software is being developed - competition for Adobe and Apple is only a good thing.

My need for layers is for digital photobooks/scrapbooking - taking multiple elements and combining into one document and flattening for print. The only Mac options right now are PS, Elements and Inkscape. There are some browser-based photobook sites, but they are Flash-generated (and clunky and lock you to using that company's limited and often ugly designs, but that's a different issue).

Shutterfly is the most encouraging of the photobook websites, since their designs are more sophisticated. I have hope that they'll get into the iPad game. They just launched a cute iPhone app (Wink) that lets you take 4 photos on your iPhone and get a photobooth-style print sent to you.

Off topic, but have you looked at ScrapHD? It's for making digital scrapbook pages online using papers and embellishments provided by current paper product manufacturers. I haven't tried it myself, but I have heard good things about it.

I have no idea if it will work on an iPad; your comment about "ugly designs" made me think of it since that is one thing I think they are doing well.

[MsAstoria]

Thanks for the heads up on Photogene app. I downloaded and it's great for basic photo adjustments. nice!

[scottjl]

Originally Posted by MsAstoria

Thanks for the heads up on Photogene app. I downloaded and it's great for basic photo adjustments. nice!

pick up photopad too.. it has a few things that photogene doesn't, and the price is nice.

[MsAstoria]

Originally Posted by scottjl

pick up photopad too.. it has a few things that photogene doesn't, and the price is nice.

Thanks, will do! Not sure how to download pics from the Ipad but did it in a round about fashion by placing photo in my drop box, then used logmein to access my home computer browser. Opened up tinypic.com, downloaded the photo so I had a URL, then was able to share it here. I'm sure there must be a easier way, but it worked and all done from the Ipad.

[scottjl]

if you want to download photos from your ipad to your mac, hook up the ipad and start the "image capture" application. your photos will show up there. or you can start iphoto if you have that installed, it will import as well.

[MsAstoria]

Originally Posted by scottjl

if you want to download photos from your ipad to your mac, hook up the ipad and start the "image capture" application. your photos will show up there. or you can start iphoto if you have that installed, it will import as well.

Well, yes, easy enough to sync to the Mac, but I want to be able to do it from the Ipad! May have to browse the app store again. Seems like there must be a way. Photogene will send to my Twitter and Facebook accounts. hmmmmmm....

What I am after is a way to upload photos to the web not the computer. I may think on this some more after lunch.

[scottjl]

ok. i'm confused. what are you trying to sync from and to?