Quote:
Originally Posted by jackau
As i have declared, i am an Apple user, not a hater, I have discussed with my friends and have ideas what this device can be used as, just It wasn't the way Jobs wish the general public want it for.
Schools, universities, shopping centers, even Macdonals can see benefits with ipad, it is just we can't see it use as the content consumption device it is now marketed as.
Think outside the box set by Apple.
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The advantage I think Apple has with this is the form factor. It's really too bad their commercials and marketing have to show people constantly reclined with one knee bent to support the device, rather than laying down, standing up, or walking.
If you're always sitting down at a desk or a table or somesuch, there's not a whole lot of need for the tablet form factor, and a netbook will trounce it in terms of basic functionality. Of course, if you're sitting at a desk at work or at home, a desktop is a superior experience altogether.
Using a netbook in an elevator or standing on a subway or bus, or walking around or some other posture or means of commotion that disallow setting the device down for actual work is annoying at best, impossible at worst. This is where a tablet becomes handy...especially one with a good multi-touch interface for viewing content.
That's not to say netbooks and the like can't be used for that, but I've had many many instances of having my netbook in my bag and I wouldn't fish it out because it's not particularly pleasant to use while standing. It's the kind of thing I set on a table or desk or my lap, pop it open, and get to work. Very convenient, but when I need to get up, I habitually close the netbook, carry it to the next opportunity to sit, and out it comes again. The idealised usage scenario for the iPad and similar devices is in bridging that space as far as content consumption is concerned.
A convertible netbook can approach this, but so far, all the executions of convertible netbooks I've seen have been quite substandard. Me? I'd love to have a convertible netbook, but only if it's done well. With the smartbook market coming about, I suspect there will be some innovation in this area which will challenge the iPad nicely. However, even when the hardware is done right, software integration will need to be addressed. Currently, Apple is banking on the advantages relative to the romance of the usage scenario overcoming the tradeoffs in versatility. It's a relatively big risk, but they're jumping on it early enough to achieve some success and create the market icon.
The iPad seems to do the limited things it does pretty well, and the marketing demonstrates it to the public as "fiddle-free", which is not always 100% true but is very easily digestible to the public when presented in a polished enough way (which Apple is good at), combined with the brand's recognition and reputation for approachability. Alternative products are not as familiar to the public, and their functionality and usability are relative unknowns except to people specifically looking for and researching those products. In a nutshell, that's not Apple's target market most of the time.
Of course, I'm an Apple hater, and I think trying to shoo us away is a bit odd. Fawning, back-patting, and high-fiving aren't terribly productive forms of discussion either.
