An editorial on iPad sales and competition

[stonetools]

Originally Posted by Dillinquent

<rant>I've got an iPad and have yet to find a use for it that isn't better served by some other piece of kit.
As an ebook reader its too heavy, the display is too low rez, it does that silly page flip thing, is difficult to see in bright lighting conditions (mainly due to the shiny, fingerprint smeared screen) and is generally tiring to read. Not to mention that it doesn't support any known ebook format properly and is a pig to code for.
As a media viewer it lacks a DVD/Blu ray drive and doesn't have a TV tuner.
As a computing device the display is too small, it doesn't multitask, has minimal storage, won't run any proper software, is underpowered in the CPU department and doesn't have a keyboard.
It would be ok for casual web surfing if it ran Chrome and had a better display.
As a music player its just too cumbersome. It would be ok if it played CDs, apart from the DAC being rubbish that is.
The only reason I've got one is so that I can fudge my epubs to render properly on the thing - 'cos that's what customers want.
I guess what I'm saying is that tablets are pretty useless in the real world and everyone knows that.
The only reason iPad sells is that its made by Apple - there millions of gullible punters out there that will buy whatever Apple tells them to. Apple could sell bags of poo if they called it iPoo. </rant>

Please give it to me. I can find uses for me. Thank you in advance,

Stonetools

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by stonetools

Most people here love smartphones, but there is an engineer I know who thinks they are a waste of money. A cheap dumbphone is all he needs. I

I don't think they are a waste of money -- but this otherwise describes me...an IT engineer with a dumbphone. You can't imagine the grief I get for not having a smartphone.

I do have an iPod touch for a PDA -- but that's because I don't see the wisdom in spending the more than $30 a month I spend for phone service when I have it at home and there's free wireless at work.

For me, even the the cheapest data plan is overly 'expensive'.

[=X=]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

The mainstream doesn't find them expensive, and saying so 1000000000 times won't change that.

They cost more than the cheaply made tablets with inferior parts and washed out screens, but that doesn't make them expensive.

How many iPads do you own?
Do you own a Android tablet or eReader?

Oh you own a Pandigital Novel so you chose Android over iPad... Hm I wonder why?

Are you not mainstream?


=X=

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by =X=

How many iPads do you own?
Do you own a Android tablet or eReader?

Oh you own a Pandigital Novel so you chose Android over iPad... Hm I wonder why?

Are you not mainstream?


=X=

0 iPads
1 Android Tablet/eReader

I didn't choose...I have yet to buy.

[Dillinquent]

Originally Posted by stonetools

Please give it to me. I can find uses for me. Thank you in advance,

Stonetools

Sorry Stonetools, I need it to hold my door open.

[stonetools]

Originally Posted by Harmon

Actually, I've given some thought to switching from an iphone to a dumbphone/ipod combo. Here in The Big City there are so many free wifi spots around that paying the ATT iphone surcharge seems a bit of an extravagance. Gotta run out the contract, though...

I think a problem here is that geeks always seem to think in terms of " one computing device to rule them all". In actuality, going forward, people will use several different computing devices, depending on what form factor best fits their needs.
The default will likely be:

*PC: for heavy duty computing
*tablet: for fun and "mobile computing"
*cellphone/smartphone : for communication

There can be lots of different configurations, based on what people think they need. Clearly different people have different needs. Some people are OK watching videos and reading ebooks on smartphones, for example. I am not one of those people, and so I opt for a tablet. I OTOH don't like lugging asround my laptop, with a brick, mouse, etc. I'm perfectly happy to work on files on my PC and use my tablet as a kind of electronic briefcase. Others are OK carrying around their laptop.
Every body has their own different flow as to how they do things.

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by stonetools

*PC: for heavy duty computing
*tablet: for fun and "mobile computing"
*cellphone/smartphone : for communication

Lots of people only do heavy duty computing at work.

[GlennD]

Originally Posted by Dillinquent

Sorry Stonetools, I need it to hold my door open.

Can I trade you for a good rock?

Seriously though, lots of people are finding them very useful. I'm no apple fanboy - when I bought an MP3 player I picked a Zune (which I still think is better than any of the ipods), and bought Zunes for the kids as well.

Several of your criticisms are features to me- I'm glad there's no version of Chrome for it, because after being responsible for removing some Google software from several hundred of my company's workstations and seeing the kind of information they like to collect, I won't ever trust a piece of Google software on any device I own. There's lots of browser options available though, including Opera if that floats your boat.

I wouldn't want it to have a DVD/Bluray drive, that would add too much weight. Then again, I rip all of my DVDs so the kids can watch them on their Zunes - I have all of those files available to me. If I want something in a higher resolution I can always use the ipad preset in Handbrake.

It supports lots of ebook formats just fine, and if you don't like ibooks you can install another reader that may support your preferred format better.

*shrug* I'm not a gullible punter, it meets lots of my needs. Enjoy your fancy doorstop, the rest of us will enjoy our tablets.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by Dillinquent

I guess what I'm saying is that tablets are pretty useless in the real world and everyone knows that.

The only reason iPad sells is that its made by Apple - there millions of gullible punters out there that will buy whatever Apple tells them to. Apple could sell bags of poo if they called it iPoo. </rant>

The arrogance of your post is just breathtaking.

Millions of people in the real world have found a lot of uses for iPads...and maybe even other tablets.

Hint - you don't need google chrome to browse the internet. You don't need DVDs to watch movies.

The fact that you were not intelligent enough to buy a product that does what you want, and are apparently unable to figure out how to use an iPad does not mean that everyone else is stupid.

Grow up and recognize that people are different.

[pdurrant]

The main thing an iPad competitor needs to do to compete with the iPad is to actually be better than an iPad.

If it's about the same capability, and about the same price, it will fail.

E.g., the HP Touchpad seems to have been a reasonable device. Remarkably similar to an iPad in many ways. But at almost exactly the same price, there was no reason to choose it above the iPad.

[=X=]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

0 iPads
1 Android Tablet/eReader

I didn't choose...I have yet to buy.

I knew deep down inside you where an Android fan.

[=X=]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

The main thing an iPad competitor needs to do to compete with the iPad is to actually be better than an iPad.

They are better and cheaper. So that is not working. What these companies need to do is market better.

Android was non existent before Verizon's Droid and Sprints Evo campaign.

=X=

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by Dillinquent

<rant>I've got an iPad and have yet to find a use for it that isn't better served by some other piece of kit.

As an ebook reader its too heavy, the display is too low rez, it does that silly page flip thing, is difficult to see in bright lighting conditions (mainly due to the shiny, fingerprint smeared screen) and is generally tiring to read. Not to mention that it doesn't support any known ebook format properly and is a pig to code for.

As a media viewer it lacks a DVD/Blu ray drive and doesn't have a TV tuner.

As a computing device the display is too small, it doesn't multitask, has minimal storage, won't run any proper software, is underpowered in the CPU department and doesn't have a keyboard.

It would be ok for casual web surfing if it ran Chrome and had a better display.

As a music player its just too cumbersome. It would be ok if it played CDs, apart from the DAC being rubbish that is.

The only reason I've got one is so that I can fudge my epubs to render properly on the thing - 'cos that's what customers want.

I guess what I'm saying is that tablets are pretty useless in the real world and everyone knows that.

The only reason iPad sells is that its made by Apple - there millions of gullible punters out there that will buy whatever Apple tells them to. Apple could sell bags of poo if they called it iPoo. </rant>

Impressive rant... Of course it says more about the source of the rant than the device in question...

[stonetools]

Originally Posted by =X=

They are better and cheaper. So that is not working. What these companies need to do is market better.

Android was non existent before Verizon's Droid and Sprints Evo campaign.

=X=

Actually, the problem is not that Android tablets are badly m,arketed-its that they don't (and can't offer-the Ipad experience, because they can't offer the equivalent of the Ios ecosystem.
The unhappy ranter shows his total misunderstanding of the Ipad experience because he tries to fit it inside the PC paradigm, where you consider the PC by itself, without regard to availability of applications, media or anything else.
To understand why people value the Ipad, you need to consider it as the hardware part of the Ios ecosystyem. People can do what they want to do right there on their IOs device, withoput leaving their trusted, simple and secure ecosytem.

If you want to buy/ download a movie, there's an app for that.
If you want to stream a movie, there's an app for that
If you want to MAKE a movie, there's even an app for that

and all with using one password,without worrying without malware,and without getting involved with that techie jibber jibbar that the ranter was spouting.
That's what consumers like about the Ipad experience.

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by =X=

I knew deep down inside you where an Android fan.

A technology fan.