Apple Opacity

[Jack Tingle]

Now that the Apple pink unicorn is the iPad, I took a look and decided it might just be a decent product for my needs. The spec sheet for the iPad looked good, once I realized they use a proprietary USB connector that you have to buy an adapter for. They also offer an SD card adapter; so far, so good. I could work with that.

How much are the adapters? They don't say. Well, it's new; they don't even sell the iPad yet. No harm, no foul.

The list of things it does includes a lot of things I don't. OTOH, it's a computer. Just add software. So, let's look at the App Store, and see if there's really an App for that. Nope, I'm not allowed to look at the App store; the link doesn't work. Again, it's new, they aren't selling them yet, etc.

Well, it's basically a giant iPod Touch. Let's see if IT has an App for that. Nope you seem to have to own a Touch to find out if there's a App in the store for what you want to do.

Sorry, Steve. It may be I'm looking in the wrong place for information, but if you can't make it easy for me to discover if your product does what I want it to do, don't expect a lot of sales.

Sadly,
Jack Tingle

[Bremen Cole]

This dead horse needs to be beat in the iPhone forum.............

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by Jack Tingle

Now that the Apple pink unicorn is the iPad, I took a look and decided it might just be a decent product for my needs. The spec sheet for the iPad looked good, once I realized they use a proprietary USB connector that you have to buy an adapter for. They also offer an SD card adapter; so far, so good. I could work with that.

How much are the adapters? They don't say. Well, it's new; they don't even sell the iPad yet. No harm, no foul.

The list of things it does includes a lot of things I don't. OTOH, it's a computer. Just add software. So, let's look at the App Store, and see if there's really an App for that. Nope, I'm not allowed to look at the App store; the link doesn't work. Again, it's new, they aren't selling them yet, etc.

Well, it's basically a giant iPod Touch. Let's see if IT has an App for that. Nope you seem to have to own a Touch to find out if there's a App in the store for what you want to do.

Sorry, Steve. It may be I'm looking in the wrong place for information, but if you can't make it easy for me to discover if your product does what I want it to do, don't expect a lot of sales.

Sadly,
Jack Tingle

? what?

Firstly a search on google using "iPad accessory prices" gives you the prices on the first link http://obamapacman.com/2010/01/apple...essories-cost/

4. iPad Camera Connection Kit, Apple iPad Accessories Cost
2 ways to import photos and videos from digital camera, using camera’s USB cable or with SD card reader for media importing. iPad Camera Connection Kit cost ($29)

Well most people would not agree that its a computer in the traditional sense certainly not anymore than an Archos media player is a computer and as such you cant really have software as it is on a computer, most people are now starting to realise this. What you can do though is download apps to see if there is an app for what you want try.

I wasnt sure how to search for an app without iTunes because I always use that. so I searched in google using "how to search appstore" and it gave me this link which does exactly taht http://www.uquery.com/ or you could start looking on the Apple website? - http://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-everything/ but iTunes or the search page I linked are probably better if your looking for something less generic.


It seems apple dont have all this info up yet for their unreleased device, but it is there. Im sure apple will show this eventually for other people like yourself who are looking for specific things taht probably the general person visiting apple.com may not be looking for.

If you struggle using Google and the internet to find basic things posting on here is a good idea Im sure we can help out.

what is it you want to check if you can do with an app?

[nikkie]

You can check out the apps available for the iPod Touch in the App Store in iTunes without purchasing anything. You are not required to purchase an i-Device to install iTunes.

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

[Acreo Aeneas]

Originally Posted by nikkie

You can check out the apps available for the iPod Touch in the App Store in iTunes without purchasing anything. You are not required to purchase an i-Device to install iTunes.

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

Except it seems very backwards that you need to install the bloated iTunes software to view a webstore's inventory. Why can't we just view from our browsers?

[Jack Tingle]

My point exactly. If I'm thinking about buying your product[1], don't make me search Google or download extraneous things to find out it does what I want. Tell me on your website what it does. I will never have a use for iTunes, unless I buy an Apple music player product.

I'm not averse to a summary or abbreviated list, but at least make an attempt to tell me what you sell. Even MS makes an attempt with the roughly comparable Windows Mobile. And they don't even control the sale of software the way Apple does. Anyone can sell WM software.

It's an odd way to run a business.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

[1] And I still might. It _seems_ to do a lot of the right thing. I think.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by Jack Tingle

My point exactly. If I'm thinking about buying your product[1], don't make me search Google or download extraneous things to find out it does what I want. Tell me on your website what it does. I will never have a use for iTunes, unless I buy an Apple music player product.

I'm not averse to a summary or abbreviated list, but at least make an attempt to tell me what you sell. Even MS makes an attempt with the roughly comparable Windows Mobile. And they don't even control the sale of software the way Apple does. Anyone can sell WM software.

It's an odd way to run a business.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

[1] And I still might. It _seems_ to do a lot of the right thing. I think.

Actually, it is pretty odd how Apple put the iPad on apple.com...it took over the ENTIRE front page, for one. And yet, once you clicked off it to another section...you couldn't get back in! It doesn't have a category yet in the navigation bar. And there is a link in the Store..but of course you can't buy or pre-order anything.

Given how clear and focused the rest of Apple.com is, it really seems...well, odd.

[Jack Tingle]

Originally Posted by stustaff

Firstly a search on google using "iPad accessory prices" gives you the prices on the first link http://obamapacman.com/2010/01/apple...essories-cost/

4. iPad Camera Connection Kit, Apple iPad Accessories Cost
2 ways to import photos and videos from digital camera, using camera’s USB cable or with SD card reader for media importing. iPad Camera Connection Kit cost ($29)

As I said, since they aren't even selling the base product yet, not publishing accessory prices isn't a big deal. It just seems a little backward. The fact you can find it on a website called Obamapacman.com, but not on Apple.com does seem a bit perverse.

Originally Posted by stustaff

Well most people would not agree that its a computer in the traditional sense certainly not anymore than an Archos media player is a computer and as such you cant really have software as it is on a computer, most people are now starting to realise this. What you can do though is download apps to see if there is an app for what you want try.

Do you really want to make the argument that the iPad and the Archos aren't computers? They're certainly computers with a closed architecture and highly specialized hardware, but by your argument ENIAC wasn't a computer, and neither was the Burrough's 6600 I learned FORTRAN IV on. The last time I checked, iWorks was a reasonably capable calculating engine, and I'm guessing there's a way to get a printout from it easier than shagging a card pack over from a punch to a reader-printer.

Originally Posted by stustaff

I wasnt sure how to search for an app without iTunes because I always use that. so I searched in google using "how to search appstore" and it gave me this link which does exactly taht http://www.uquery.com/ or you could start looking on the Apple website? - http://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-everything/ but iTunes or the search page I linked are probably better if your looking for something less generic.

The Apple website you give doesn't actually offer any useful information. uquery.com seems useful, but isn't referenced by Apple.com. Since I'm only mildly interested in the iPad, I have no motivation to look much further than Apple.com. If they can't hook the sale on their own website, or provide a link to someone who can, they're going to lose a lot of sales.

Originally Posted by stustaff

It seems apple dont have all this info up yet for their unreleased device, but it is there. Im sure apple will show this eventually for other people like yourself who are looking for specific things taht probably the general person visiting apple.com may not be looking for.

Nor is it up for their long-released similar iPod Touch. I checked. I doubt they'll put anything more up for the iPad than they do for the Touch. I would accuse them of being all flash and no substance, but that would be inflammatory, and I don't like Adobe's product that well anyway. It's mostly used for annoying ads. At least on Apple's website I can just not load QT and avoid them.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

[Acreo Aeneas]

You know, why not wait for the HP Slate later this year? It's also a MID tablet and it doesn't have all the extravaneous restrictions the iPad has. Plus you could probably throw Maemo onto it (or some other Linux distro).

[DawnFalcon]

Originally Posted by Jack Tingle

Do you really want to make the argument that the iPad and the Archos aren't computers?

The iPad (and for that matter the iPhone/Touch) are computers, sure. What they are not is PC's.

[Kali Yuga]

Yes, you need iTunes to search for (and purchase) any content available via the iTunes store. This is the way it's been since the start, and it hasn't slowed down iTunes sales, including iPhone app sales.

The iPod, iPhone and iPad platforms are all very thoroughly controlled by Apple, including gatekeeping functions. If that bugs you, then yes the iPad is not for you, and you should find a competing product that better suits your preferences and/or needs.

But regardless of whether or not you personally view this as "opaque" or bad form, it won't result in them losing sales.

[guyanonymous]

Sure it well. His, mine, and many others. Just not enough for them to care.

[jimmypatrick]

I think I understand why they can't tell you if there's an app for that. Sheer volume. I think they said in the keynote Wednesday that there are 140,000 apps in their app store.
It might be hard for them to add every one of those to their website as they are submitted.

[stustaff]

Look you dont like the way Apple do things or there products and are looking for ways to have a dig, so are feigning interest and then looking for faults!
tell you what I bet if your interested in the iPad you must be interested in the other unreleased tablets? why dont you go to their manafacturers sites and see if they have accessory price lists?
see if they have a list of all the as yet unnanounced software that will work on it? In fact have a look if they even have the final specs so you can tell yourself what will run on them.

I shouldnt of bitten.

[DawnFalcon]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

Yes, you need iTunes to search for (and purchase) any content available via the iTunes store. This is the way it's been since the start, and it hasn't slowed down iTunes sales, including iPhone app sales.

Of course it has. They may have decided that the amount of sales they're losing is made up for by the platform lockin, but that's not the same thing.