iPad Things the iPad Does Not Do

[nikkie]

Originally Posted by Clif_Hamel

A very good list Nikkie, should add section on photos, i.e. You cannot load PC folders of pictures and expect files to be in same order. All photos from a folder including sub-folders are combined into one iPad stack in a very confusing order. Thank you for list.

I'd like to try this out before adding anything about it...I haven't personally added any folders from my PC.

[nikkie]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

I agree, but I don't think it's just a problem for "power users."

Having a visible folder system one can simply drag and drop their documents, pictures etc. into and arrange them however they see fit isn't a "power user" task. That's a standard computer task people have been doing since Windows 3.x etc.

If anything the synching system for photos in iTunes, for getting files into Goodreader (much less multiple PDF apps) etc. is more complicated and less user friendly than just having a file system and drag and drop!

I don't want this to be an argument so much, but...

One thing to think about is that many of the "normy" folks I have helped with their computers and media files don't really grok the file system concept. They tend to leave their media files wherever iTunes puts them, downloaded pictures wherever the browser puts them, etc. In general, they are not able to find anything without a lot of effort, and almost never make an effort to put things in a sensible place.

I'm not arguing that a filesystem is a "bad" idea, but a lot of the user interface experts are saying now that the file system idea doesn't work for some people. Even Microsoft was planning on switching to a tag based file system, though they didn't succeed in time for Windows 7.

I think the current system right now is somewhat of a mess because people aren't really sure *what* they are supposed to do. In addition, many applications are moving their files to the cloud, which may or may not support drag and drop and may or may not support folders (and may or may not support printing).

All of this combines to make the current system a poor experience for users.

Anyway, I added a point about it. People (on this forum) at the very least need to know how books are transferred to iBooks, and what methods are typically available for third-party applications.

[dmaul1114]

I do agree. I just think it makes sense on say iPods and iPhones where people have little need to organize their files etc. Also music is easy to organize. Most people are fine with just having it organized by artist and then Album.

I think it makes less sense for the iPad or any tablet device. But that's just a fundamental problem I have with the iPad. They're really treating it like a big iPod touch that people will just use to access media--movies, books, music, the internet,and use random apps. Not having a file system is fine for most casual users just wanting a tablet as a media consumption gadget. Though the power users there still want more control over organization etc.

They've shunned the market of those of us who want a tablet (that's not a full tablet PC) for all that stuff--but also for productivity--be it business folks, academics like myself etc. who need to be able to organize our files. I don't want a tablet PC, but I need a tablet that leans a bit more in that direction and less toward being a large smart phone (minus the phone) than the iPad does. Hopefully another company will fill that void with an Android tablet or something else soon!

Also I think it would be silly for companies like MS to get away from the file system. The ones it doesn't work for, I'd suspect, are the older folks. I'd think the 50 (or at least 40) and under set that have been using Windows most of their lives have no problems with it. Hence it's a problem of computer literacy that will die off as society ages.

But in any case, I don't want an argument either, and thanks for adding a blurb about it to the list.

[pshrynk]

I was considering stickying this thread per the OP's request, but have not, since it keeps devolving to personal attacks. Please do not do such things. See our user guidelines by clicking on "Guidelines" in the blue bar at the end of the page.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

I was considering stickying this thread per the OP's request, but have not, since it keeps devolving to personal attacks. Please do not do such things. See our user guidelines by clicking on "Guidelines" in the blue bar at the end of the page.

Perhaps a bit of pruning will make it more sticky-like.

[dmaul1114]

Or just have Nikkie make a new thread with her first post in it, and lock this one up.

[nikkie]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

I was considering stickying this thread per the OP's request, but have not, since it keeps devolving to personal attacks. Please do not do such things. See our user guidelines by clicking on "Guidelines" in the blue bar at the end of the page.

That's what I was hoping to avoid, but apparently failed.

[Lotus Esprit]

It can't do the dishes either.

A very important function that Apple left out until version 2.0!

[Graham]

It might be worth adding that many users would find that a 9.7" screen is too small to read a full A4 or Letter-sized pdf page comfortably without zooming.

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by scottjl

But those are your expectations, not necessarily mine, not necessarily John Public's. Take that 100yo woman who recently got an iPad that was all over the web. Do you think she expected a USB port? A SD slot? Do you think she cares about a "true file system" (from a technical standpoint, this term doesn't make any sense, the iPad does have a "true" file system, you just can't get to it the way you would like to)? She's just happy she can read the screen due to her vision problems, the iPad's large fonts and bright display make it easy for her. She has no expectations other than being able to read the screen.

I think Nikkie has the best of intentions listing things that aren't included in the iPad but to say that they were expected and missing is definitely misleading. I have an old PC "tablet" (more like stone tablet compared to how thin the iPad is) from 10 years ago (buried in dust in the basement), it has a 9pin serial port and a VGA port, today's PC tablet's don't include them, they have USB and HDMI. Should I complain that I was expecting one and the device is a failure?

Now I don't have an iPad (nor will own one ). Just because a device doesn't have a component doesn't make it a failure...UNLESS it is a component which people want/need. Now VGA, you can buy a VGA adapter for the iPad if you want one (though I believe it requires the use of the dock as well, more $$$ to spend), so the provision is there. Where the iPad fails (from my reading) is in;

- No USB ports. Come on Apple, this is a common interface connector found in all devices, even my mobile phone has one. Can't plug in the camera, have to buy an Apple adapter.

- No ability to mount the device and drag'n drop files. This device requires the use of additional software to use the iPad. Software corrupts and library becomes corrupted....how does one recover from that? Hard drive fails on your PC, you're over. Have a system with the ability to drag'n drop, you can access all your files on any PC at anytime.

- For a device that apparently through Safari offers the best web experience ever...how can one not view flash sites???

- A device which you can buy a keyboard for and use as a desktop machine, how can one be expected to use it when you can not print from it???

[drofgnal]

I think Nikki's comments about ease of use for the masses ring true for me. I've use apple since the days of the 9" black and white screen in a beige box. Always found them intuitive and simple to use and navigate. The couple of years we had a pc at home because my wife wanted a computer like hers at work were absolute torture for me. I could do more with the PC yes, but I didn't want to, I wanted to do the simple things I do easily and intuitively, but enough, both types machines have their place.

The ipad does what it does very simply and well. That is all I expect of it. I didn't expect a full tablet computer, I expected a device that would allow me to read, check the internet, and do email. It does these things very well. I tunes is simple enough not to cause me much grief. I don't do music on the ipad, my iphone is for that. I have the ipad set to not sync and manage files by guess what, drag and drop into and from itunes.

I'm nearing retirement and could see the day when perhaps the ipad could be my only computer with a few of the mentioned features added. With pages and numbers I could do my simple home spreadsheets and letters, then the ability to print would be nice. A USB port that would allow a CD/DVD drive for ripping music would also be nice. A keyboard dock would complete my needs. When on the go, I grab my ipad and I simply carry my entire computer with me!! Well maybe a future version.

But today it doesn't do these things, one of the reasons I opted for the simple and cheapest ipad, a 16 Gb version with wi-fi only. It does everything I ask of it. It does it reliably and simply and I'm ecstatic with it.

[SpiderMatt]

Geek humor.

[lifevicarious]

Originally Posted by Solicitous

- No USB ports. Come on Apple, this is a common interface connector found in all devices, even my mobile phone has one. Can't plug in the camera, have to buy an Apple adapter.

Can I ask what you want USB for? People keep saying this but what do they use USB for aside from a printer (and there are solutions for that). And the dock connector actually is USB but that's besides the point.

Originally Posted by Solicitous

- No ability to mount the device and drag'n drop files. This device requires the use of additional software to use the iPad. Software corrupts and library becomes corrupted....how does one recover from that? Hard drive fails on your PC, you're over. Have a system with the ability to drag'n drop, you can access all your files on any PC at anytime.

I've never seen itunes become corrupted and I have used it extensively for years. And if your hard drive fails on your PC, you aren't over, that's what backups are for. And if you don't have a backup, that's your own fault and your iPad is the least of your worries about the information being gone. What files do you want on your iPad that you can't put there? That's what cloud computing is for, and that's where things are moving. Again, Apple is leading the movement, it's people stuck in the current that find these things limiting.

Originally Posted by Solicitous

- For a device that apparently through Safari offers the best web experience ever...how can one not view flash sites???

Flash is dying. Also, keep in mind that most flash utilizes mouse overs, how can you use mouse overs on a touch device? Not to mention the battery life and system resources utilized. Go to a flash site and check out your system resources, you will see what a hit they take because of flash. I am on the latest iMac with 8 GB of RAM, the cartier.com flash site uses the vast majority of my system resources on a computer orders of magnitude greater in power then the iPad.

Originally Posted by Solicitous

- A device which you can buy a keyboard for and use as a desktop machine, how can one be expected to use it when you can not print from it???

It's not meant to be a desktop/laptop replacement. You can use a bluetooth keyboard, which many of us Mac folks already have (again negating the need for USB) and you can print. THere are a number of apps for that.

[lifevicarious]

Originally Posted by SpiderMatt

Geek humor.

FUnny, but I'd like to see a picture of the android shutting down as the battery has died from flash.

[lifevicarious]

Originally Posted by Graham

It might be worth adding that many users would find that a 9.7" screen is too small to read a full A4 or Letter-sized pdf page comfortably without zooming.

What ereader device has a larger screen? I could understand a complaint if a competing device offered it, but no one does.