Should we reserve a spot for Apple's Tablet in our devices list?

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Unless you're on Linux, and then, sorry, buddy, but none of that applies

being a Mac user I know exactly how that feels..

Windows only software grrrr...

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by DrFyzziks

What's funnier still is Steve Jobs and Apple haven't said *anything* other than "we want to show you our new creation on the 27th". ...

You realize of course that's how they do their market research. Whatever the fanboi's want, the fanboi's get.

[Penforhire]

Ah Linux. Is that still over 1% market share (http://www.berkeleylug.com/?p=43) ? Get used to being hosed if you're in single digit market share. And don't complain about it, lol.

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

Ah Linux. Is that still over 1% market share (http://www.berkeleylug.com/?p=43) ? Get used to being hosed if you're in single digit market share. And don't complain about it, lol.

I run 'em all. Windows 7, WinXp, Ubuntu, Debian, OSX, even some PCBSD.

[pking36330]

Originally Posted by fugazied

Well it obviously won't be as good at reading books as a dedicated e-reader.

Are you certain? Aren't you prejudging something you haven't seen yet. What if its BETTER than reading books on a dedicated e-reader. None of us will know until we see what the device is made of and how it works, right?

I mean, just because you CAN do other stuff with it doesn't automatically make it less capable as an e-reader. I think battery duration will be the qualifying factor as to whether it will meet our needs.

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Unless you're on Linux, and then, sorry, buddy, but none of that applies

I use Stanza and beam e-pub books from my PC to it over my wifi network.

What about the other way around ?

If you're talking about not being able to "see" a directory of files on your phone then get over it. I did. So I have no directory level access. So what? Turns out you don't NEED directory access for a smartphone. My password/database app (iDB Pro) gives me unencrypted (or encrypted) backup capability over wifi. 99% of the music in my iTunes library was ripped by me, my own CD's, and has no DRM. It transfers and plays fine. So I have to use iTunes to manage my phone's music and podcasts. Big deal.

Well, having to use software to put music on my phone, or do a backup IS a big deal to me, sorry. And as Moejoe said, even if wanted to, iTunes just don't wok on linux.

Plus, music is now on my nas, i can just plug my mp3 player onto it and copy.

Ah Linux. Is that still over 1% market share (http://www.berkeleylug.com/?p=43) ? Get used to being hosed if you're in single digit market share. And don't complain about it, lol.

So publishers should ditch macOS support too, not that much of a market share either.
Most peaple use windows ? Fine with me, but I claim my right to use an other os if I wish, wheater that OS is linux, macOS, or anything. And expect my stuff to work on it.
And no, i don't complain, but don't work on linux ? -> i'll be buy someone else product that does, lost sale, period.

[CyGuy]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

If you're talking about not being able to "see" a directory of files on your phone then get over it. I did. So I have no directory level access. So what? Turns out you don't NEED directory access for a smartphone. My password/database app (iDB Pro) gives me unencrypted (or encrypted) backup capability over wifi. 99% of the music in my iTunes library was ripped by me, my own CD's, and has no DRM. It transfers and plays fine. So I have to use iTunes to manage my phone's music and podcasts. Big deal. I don't like that front end but it works. You make it sound like a problem?

Actually, that is a huge deal, and there is nothing to get over. I must be able to plug my phone (or MP3 player) into a USB port on my computer and copy/paste files to and from the device with no restrictions of any kind. I simply can't understand how so many people fell for the whole itunes thing.

Same goes for the iphone. You have to jump through hoops to get the phone unlocked just so it is somewhat user friendly. There really is one born every minute...

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by CyGuy

Actually, that is a huge deal, and there is nothing to get over. I must be able to plug my phone (or MP3 player) into a USB port on my computer and copy/paste files to and from the device with no restrictions of any kind. I simply can't understand how so many people fell for the whole itunes thing.

When the Ipod came out 9 years ago, lack of support for plug and play was more common than not. Since then, people have just gotten used to it.

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

When the Ipod came out 9 years ago, lack of support for plug and play was more common than not. Since then, people have just gotten used to it.

Well, i did not.
I had a sony mp3 player, and i hated having to go trough sonicstage. My sister have an iPod, and she have already decided her next player will be ums.
And being able to just copy / past is one of the things my sister liked when she bought an other player after her iPod got lost.

[Penforhire]

I admit it was a difficult thing to get over. I started computing back in the CP/M and 8" floppy days so I'm not just a fluffy PC dilettante.

Smart phones are not replacements for laptops (yet). Think about what they are used for and you can see why directory access is superfluous. YOU may indeed desire it. I'll grant you that. But I see no logical reason why it is necessary. You mention backup. iTunes has a backup function, without needing to see the directory, if you allow it. And I mentioned some critical apps that have separate backup capability.

If the whole copy/paste files thing is critical to you on an iPhone, let me reiterate my suggestion of a number of apps that do that. I don't see the need to take a book back off Stanza, given that we don't use our phones for library puposes (yet). Really? You don't use your PC for your e-reading library? Then you're doing it the hard way, since no smartphone is wonderful for that.

If you are anti-iTunes or just have the need, there are a host of 3rd party applications that let you use an iPod just as you would any other PMP or USB drive. I used free Ephpod to copy my entire iPod's music contents back to a hard drive after my PC crashed some years ago. That program could bypass iTunes entirely.

These complaints are a bit of smoke-and-mirrors for not liking Apple or being afraid of Steve Jobs' reality distortion zone (yeah, I know it exists). There are a small number of objective reasons to prefer some specific competitor's phone, e.g. physical keyboard, BT keyboard, directory access, GPS application, camera quality, cellular network, battery life, removable memory card, and such. But again, there is a reason the iPhone, since the 3G model, is taking the Western smartphone world by storm. It isn't just hype.

I see plenty of Droid users jumping through OS hoops to make the phone do what they want. Go ahead, put an Android application on your removable memory card. Oh wait, you can't. Not without a little hacking. How is that different than jailbreaking? "Advantage nobody" on the topic of an open OS, at least so far.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

These complaints are a bit of smoke-and-mirrors for not liking Apple or being afraid of Steve Jobs' reality distortion zone (yeah, I know it exists).

I agree, but as they say, there is one born every minute (hater, that is)

[mores]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

fullquote

Nice post!

[dioib]

Originally Posted by CyGuy

Actually, that is a huge deal, and there is nothing to get over. I must be able to plug my phone (or MP3 player) into a USB port on my computer and copy/paste files to and from the device with no restrictions of any kind. I simply can't understand how so many people fell for the whole itunes thing.

That was the reason I returned my iPhone (after spending one more hundred bucks on apps to convince myself that the thing is a good thing).

Originally Posted by Penforhire

Smart phones are not replacements for laptops (yet). Think about what they are used for and you can see why directory access is superfluous. YOU may indeed desire it. I'll grant you that. But I see no logical reason why it is necessary.

I think that has already started to change. I somehow managed to smack my laptop LCD and for more than 3 months I stuck to my HTC TP2; although not as easily as I could do with my now-fixed laptop, but I was able to do about 80-90 percent of my daily needs on it (I am no gamer/programmer/~). Of course it largely depends on what do you {expect from/do with} a laptop or such congruous device (or from another perspective, how simple can you manage to live).

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by kennyc

You realize of course that's how they do their market research. Whatever the fanboi's want, the fanboi's get.

Not true. People have been asking for a tablet for like the last 10 years, still no tablet. lots of other things they've not got.

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

So publishers should ditch macOS support too, not that much of a market share either.

Right now, Mac's have about 11%, and growing.