iPad 10 reasons why I'll be passing on the iPad

[dragonbone]

I just don't need those extra things and as I said before, I believe they would just make the device heavier and thicker. I like the clean streamlined design... .

[kilron]

Originally Posted by nekokami

Um... the iPad has less than 150 Gb. Just sayin'.

you're comparing two different systems. an iPad is not meant to be your only computer. 150 gigs was an arbitrary number for why a main computer might need external storage....

Regarding the USB port, I do have some devices that use USB that are a bit out of the ordinary, e.g. a heartrate and skin conductivity sensor. Granted, without software to use it, the question could be moot. But what about (perhaps) a midi instrument? Or a 3D glove? My point is that we just don't know yet what interesting peripherals might come out or how they would be used. This is the unfortunate aspect of a locked-down system.

not locked down. you keep throwing that term around when its very misleading to reality. since i believe software 3.0 they've offered full access to the dock connector port for peripherals for use with software. how exactly is that "locked-down"?

[kilron]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

I doubt flash drives are as "specialized" as you want to think.

uhh... that's not what i said. i said the usage was specialized, not USB flash drives themselves.

It's not that portable. There are many, many people who would much rather carry a small external hard drive rather than a laptop or desktop. The reason it's not implemented is because it would reduce profits on Apple's end. It has nothing to do with "nobody needs that". I don't use external hard drives personally, but that's because I'm not much of a movies/music person. If I were, I'd most definitely demand the ability to load from external storage without having to go through another computer, which is exactly what some people are demanding.

again, i honestly don't see much use in it. and no, i don't think it wasn't implemented because it would reduce profits. reduce profits how exactly? it sounds like you're assuming that if the functionality was built-in, it would cause people to opt for the smaller storage sized units? you honestly think the typical consumer would think like that?? ... "well lets see.. why don't i save some money and just buy the 16 gig version and then i can lug around my 3 lb external drive with me anytime i want to watch any movies or listen to any music! genius!!"...

i dunno... just seems kinda far fetched to me for the typical user.

I had a feeling this would be the response. My laptop has an internal microphone, and I still use an external, better microphone.

seriously? now you're just splitting hairs..

What if I want to use keyboards at other places, all of which are without bluetooth and without battery?

what if this! what if that! you could come up with a million what ifs if you think about it. personally, i'd say bluetooth keyboard support pretty much clears the keyboard issue. you honestly think people are NOT going to buy it because they are somehow forced to use a bluetooth keyboard as opposed to a USB one?

People didn't complain about usb as much with the iPhone as it's not much of a document or media handler, and has little potential for productivity due to its small screen. It's a much bigger deal with the iPad. Luckily for Apple, there are enough apologists out there to help the public dismiss their own interests and needs with phrases like "but who needs that?" If only product marketing were so easy for other companies!

wowww!!!!... if i only had a nickel for EVERY single time i heard that tired argument... good lord... yes, i'm absolutely SURE its all the apple fanboys that continue to buy up iPhones and iPod touches by the millions. i mean heck! i've got 50 of them alone for multiple uses! seriously??

apple could never make everyone happy. no one could ever make everyone happy. but you're completely missing the point of why apple sells boatloads of devices and why they're so popular. if someone doesn't "get it", its always going to be completely lost on people that focus solely on gadget specs as their defining feature.

The camera connection kit for the iPad will be pretty cheap (for an Apple product) and basically gives a USB Host port and an SD card slot that plug in to the dock port. That assuages my concerns on that end a bit, though some people are still going to just see it as a greedy move by Apple. Can't say I disagree with that view. If it allows me to use swappable media (flash drives and SD cards) without going through lots of hoops, I'll be fairly satisfied there. Of course, there's probably a catch to USB or SD functionality on the iPad even with the adapter...I'll just need to wait and see how it works.

you're a big apple conspiracy theorist aren't you?

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by kilron

you're a big apple conspiracy theorist aren't you?

Nope. I just wish the companies I worked with had customers like you, as it would have made my job significantly easier.

[nekokami]

Originally Posted by kilron

not locked down. you keep throwing that term around when its very misleading to reality. since i believe software 3.0 they've offered full access to the dock connector port for peripherals for use with software. how exactly is that "locked-down"?

When I wrote "locked down," I meant that existing applications (e.g. for OSX, linux, Java) won't run on it, and that new apps must be approved by Apple to be distributed through the App Store, which is the only way to get an app onto the device without jailbreaking it.

Is there another term you think is more technically correct for this situation?

[petermillard]

Originally Posted by nekokami

Is there another term you think is more technically correct for this situation?

Well-protected?

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by kilron

i dunno... just seems kinda far fetched to me for the typical user.

I think the problem is you're one of the few here who gives a crap about what the typical user needs.

Most of us only have one interest in tech gadgets--do they do what we need to do, how we want to do it.

I don't need USB ports or SD cards etc. personally, but I can see why others do. I have my own specific needs like stylus mark up that works with a high level of precision, flash etc. I acknowledge not everyone will need them, and probably the "typical" Joe Six Pack user won't.

But I don't give a crap what the typical user needs. I don't care if a gadget I own is bought by 1,000 people or 10 million people. I care whether it fits my needs.

I'd love Apple to get it right as the form factor, price and battery life is so good. But I'm not optimistic as their stuff always seems to miss features I need. Like iPods lacking a built in FM tuner until very recently etc.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

But I don't give a crap what the typical user needs. I don't care if a gadget I own is bought by 1,000 people or 10 million people. I care whether it fits my needs.

ahahahaha, agreed

[ShadowAuthor]

I had a friend ask me what my initial thoughts about the iPad were, and here was my reply (which turned into a blog post):

So, Steve Jobs held another one of his "look at us, we're so special" press conferences (that's another rant for another post) to introduce the world to the iPad. I've been waiting for this announcement for some time as an Apple fan and aside from having THE WORST product name ever (save for the Nintendo Wii), I see the iPad as one big bag of hurt for consumers. While not entirely exhaustive, here are my gripes below:

No flash. While some see this as a big deal, it won't be as much of a big deal once more sites start going to HTML 5 stuff. That being said, flash is what runs most of the web. Apple simply doesn't want people going to free sites and playing flash games or television on HULU that they would be forced to buy through the App Store and iTunes, respectively.

No multitasking. This is a straight-up no-brainer, WTF were they thinking in Cupertino. Yeah, because nobody EVER wants to open a PDF of the latest quarterly earnings as they're reading an email from the sales department. Or no student would ever want to listen to Pandora/Last FM/etc as they type a term paper. This oversight falls into a category I like to call a 'special kind of stupid.' Jobs touted the iPad as something that caters to both the business realm as well as education, yet the product can't do something that some watches are currently capable of. To Apple's *potential* credit, there is an SDK (Software Development Kit) out right now, so multitasking may be on the horizon soon, but to not have that showing at the debut is just criminal.

It's no e-reader. Jobs calls the iPad the 'Kindle killer.' How so? They're two completely different animals. The Kindle is a specific purpose-built device, whereas the iPad seems to be a jack of all trades, master of none. I have excellent eyesight, but even after staring at a backlit computer screen for a bit typing a paper, my eyes burn. Not so with my Kindle 2. The e-ink display is perfect for reading, I've read entire novels in one sitting with nary a problem. And don't get me started on iBooks' pricing structure. $14.99 for popular titles? I can get them for $9.99 on my Kindle. For the average Joe who may read one book a year that is no big deal, but for people who read a lot, that's big. Not to mention the proprietary DRM (Digital Rights Management) that Apple will be using, there is no telling if people will be able to upload their own books/content to the iPad.

No user replaceable battery. They tout 10-hours of video-watching capability with the battery, but I'd like to see some real-world testing done. I know for a fact that my iPhone 3G's battery doesn't last nearly as long as it should.

This thing sucks for students. I was totally pumped to find out what they were going to unveil; I've been considering a netbook for some time now that I can take to class, but a tablet that I could take notes on, read e-textbooks, highlight and make annotations was just going to be killer. Then they had to go and ruin the party. The case for the iPad is rounded like it's an *ahem* oversized iPod Touch, which means it won't sit flat on a desk or table, thus negating its use as a note-taking screen. Yes, I know there were docks shown that will connect to it, but I wouldn't trust the thing sitting on the small 20"w X 20"l desktops we have on campus. I can just see some kid come walking in, still hung over, bumping my desk, knocking the iPad to the floor and shattering its screen. No thanks.

Still tied to AT&T. I'm an AT&T customer who is happy with my service here in podunk Rochester. The reception is pretty good, but let me tell you, it was very hit-and-miss down in Orlando last October when we went to Disney. I can only imagine how crappy things might get when you add another few hundred thousand (or few million) iPad users taking up bandwidth, unless AT&T is planning on using some of that subscription fee money to upgrade their network. You'll have to pardon me if I don't hold my breath on that one.

No camera. Again, this is another no-brainer. Jeez-a-whiz, you can get $30 pay-as-you go phones that come with a built in camera that can do pictures and video, why in the hell can't this 'magical' device have the same? Utter crap.

No HDMI out. Because, you know, you'd never want to hook up the iPad to your LCD/Plasma/whatever to watch the movie you just bought or spent money renting from the iTunes store.

3:4 screen aspect ratio. What is it, 1992? 16:9 or go home. Even 16:10 would have been an improvement. (for those who don't know; 3:4 ratio is the old 'square TV' ratio, 16:9 is regular widescreen, and the 16:10 is what a good portion of LCD computer monitors use)

Apple's application acceptance/denial process and DRM through iBooks/iTunes/app store. Don't you tell me what I can and can't put on my $500 (at the cheapest price point) iPad after I've purchased those things legally. I can see Apple banning the Kindle/B&N e-reader/Stanza e-reader apps from the iPad because they are in direct competition with the iBooks store.

I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting, but that's all I'm going to type for now.

I've not given up completely on Apple or the iPad, but color me jaded and I'll definitely be sitting back and seeing what happens here. Maybe in its second or third iteration the iPad may be worth considering.

[SCION]

Originally Posted by ShadowAuthor

...
This thing sucks for students. I was totally pumped to find out what they were going to unveil; I've been considering a netbook for some time now that I can take to class, but a tablet that I could take notes on, read e-textbooks, highlight and make annotations was just going to be killer. Then they had to go and ruin the party. The case for the iPad is rounded like it's an *ahem* oversized iPod Touch, which means it won't sit flat on a desk or table, thus negating its use as a note-taking screen. Yes, I know there were docks shown that will connect to it, but I wouldn't trust the thing sitting on the small 20"w X 20"l desktops we have on campus. I can just see some kid come walking in, still hung over, bumping my desk, knocking the iPad to the floor and shattering its screen. No thanks.
...

Good stuff!!! The entire rant is awesome!

[ShadowAuthor]

Originally Posted by SCION

Good stuff!!! The entire rant is awesome!

Thanks. I don't want anyone to misunderstand, I had HIGH hopes for Apple and the iPad. I've been a Mac convert for a few years now, and have embraced the Mac mindset whole-heartedly. I did not want to see Jobs stand up there and deliver the keynote that he did.

I still have hope that they'll make some changes to the iPad that will make me consider it again, but as of right now, I just can't see it happening. Rather than spending $630-$830 on an iPad, at this point I'd just as soon put it towards purchasing a new MacBook Pro.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by ShadowAuthor

So, Steve Jobs held another one of his "look at us, we're so special" press conferences (that's another rant for another post) to introduce the world to the iPad. I've been waiting for this announcement for some time as an Apple fan and aside from having THE WORST product name ever (save for the Nintendo Wii), I see the iPad as one big bag of hurt for consumers.

The Wii name certainly didn't hurt Nintendo

And I don't see the iPad as a "big bag of hurt" for consumers, as long as those consumers know what they are getting. And, contrary to what I know many people believe, a lot Apple's happy customers are people who do carefully research the products, understand the positives and negatives, and are willing to pay for the value, enjoyment, and satisfaction from the product features that are offered, not the ones that are missing.

Apple products certainly aren't for everyone.

Even I don't own all of them. Yet.

But the iPad will probably be one of them.

[ShadowAuthor]

Originally Posted by kjk

The Wii name certainly didn't hurt Nintendo

And I don't see the iPad as a "big bag of hurt" for consumers, as long as those consumers know what they are getting. And, contrary to what I know many people believe, a lot Apple's happy customers are people who do carefully research the products, understand the positives and negatives, and are willing to pay for the value, enjoyment, and satisfaction from the product features that are offered, not the ones that are missing.

Apple products certainly aren't for everyone.

Even I don't own all of them. Yet.

But the iPad will probably be one of them.

I'll definitely own an iPad myself, but not at $500+ for what it currently does (according to the keynote last month). As a full-time student pursuing an MA and working nights, I can't justify a product that expensive that doesn't do what I need it to, especially when I already own an iPhone 3G and a 1st gen iPhone.

That and I guess my backside is still smarting a little bit from purchasing an Apple TV.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by ShadowAuthor

I'll definitely own an iPad myself, but not at $500+ for what it currently does (according to the keynote last month). As a full-time student pursuing an MA and working nights, I can't justify a product that expensive that doesn't do what I need it to, especially when I already own an iPhone 3G and a 1st gen iPhone.

That and I guess my backside is still smarting a little bit from purchasing an Apple TV.

Ok, even I don't have one of those. But I just don't watch TV. I have a few friends who have hacked them though, and say they are pretty awesome with the right tweaks.

And no iPod Hi-Fi either.


I've never met anyone who owns up to one of those.

[scottjl]

@shadowauthor, maybe your hopes (i'm assuming from reading months and months of rumors) were set too high? maybe come in with no expectations, look at the ipad for what it is, and decide if it fits your needs or not. but expecting everything that you personally must have in a device is a bit much, unless you have job's number and can call him direct.