2010: the year of the iPad / iSlate / Apple tablet (Apple haters move on please...)

[beorhthelm]

And, to be honest, a jumbo-sized Touch suits our needs fine - web, Facebook, Twitter, games and then using iPlayer, TVCatchup to watch video content in bed etc.

so literally around the house. i can see how that can work, several problems arent there if you use it like this. im not sure thats the intended market, or maybe it is and i've assumed its supposed to be a generally portable device.

 

[auschr]

So basically the Microsoft of the mobile device world....

at least with microsoft they give you the freedom to install whatever hardware you want for your computer. not spend 4x as much for the same thing that is 'apple approved'. apple is doing a great job of mimicking the control microsoft used in the early 90s but going even further, apparently it's acceptable as long as you aren't the big evil bill gate$ lol.

 

[bhaexpress]

I fail to see an issue here. If someone likes the product and can afford it why should they not buy it? Personally I can't see myself having any use for it so will not get one but if I liked it I would. People buy all sorts of thngs they have no real need for but they enjoy them so why not?

Is the correct answer. As I said earlier given that my bread and butter is working with PCs (as no doubt the vast majority of IT Professionals on here) a Mac is of little interest to me. I used several recently and still can't see what's so great about them but that's because I have no use for them other than as a computer.

However, if that's what floats you boat fine. I think what irks PC users is the fact that Mac users seem to think that they are better people for owning a Mac. Richer maybe but also more limited in what you can do outside of the Mac environment. A matter of choice really.

 

[Bozza]

so literally around the house. i can see how that can work, several problems arent there if you use it like this. im not sure thats the intended market, or maybe it is and i've assumed its supposed to be a generally portable device.

Largely, yes, although I could see it getting an airing out and about...

My daughter using it to watch films etc on when we're on long car journeys, as we don't have any form of in-car DVD player. Currently she uses my Touch which is a bit small or my Macbook Pro (too big/expensive!)

eBook usage.

It would obviously get more remote usage if we went for the 3G version, but I'm not sure we'd need it. When we travel we take the Macbook and a Vodafone 3g dongle.

 

[bhaexpress]

I'm sorry that you've clearly come across people like that. There are none of them here though.

Really ?

 

[lost in london]

If the ipad had come out four years ago, and then they brought out the iphone (the same but smaller and with a phone), then I think it would have been hailed as a brilliant step forwards. As it is, it seems to my admittedly small brain that they have just made an existing product bigger. No thanks!

 

[Rookie]

Don't get the gap its trying to fill personally. Not into eBooks and doesn't Apple produce everything else it does in one form or another but in a better form.

 

[Bozza]

However, if that's what floats you boat fine. I think what irks PC users is the fact that Mac users seem to think that they are better people for owning a Mac. Richer maybe but also more limited in what you can do outside of the Mac environment. A matter of choice really.

Who thinks they are better? I do not know any Mac owners who think they are better, cooler, quirkier or similar. But then again, I don't know many Mac owners. For a start, as I've already said, I'm not aware of anyone in my workplace who has a Mac.

I can only speak for myself, but the only way I may be richer, in relation to my choice of computer is in time. My home computer does everything I want and need it to do right out the box. It requires no tinkering whatsoever, I waste no time 'configuring' things.

Again, from my perspective, I'm also not limited in what I can do. I have Parallels on the Mac (others will have VMware or use Bootcamp) so I have a fully functioning Windows machine in the same box. I've not had to use it for at least a year though, but it's there in case I do. I'm aware that not many Mac owners = not many Macs = less incentive for developers to build software for a Mac.

 

[Nibble]

I don't have one but I think it's fair to say that the design of Mac stuff is great and yes, I think they do look cooler than PC's. Their portable products also look good, can't really deny that.

 

[the right footed denilson]

This is weird.
The name is weird.
That people are getting so exciting about something neither small enough to be a great portable device or big/powerful/compatible enough to be a realistic alternative to a computer is weird.

Any another thing. EBooks?! Just buy a f***ing real book!

 

[Wozza]

Hitler responzzzz....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQnT0zp8Ya4&feature=youtu.be&a

 

[clapham_gull]

Who thinks they are better? I do not know any Mac owners who think they are better, cooler, quirkier or similar.

I think put you into a minority to be honest. I have no problems with their systems, just the Apple branded nonsense that fits in your pocket (or not as case may now be)

 

[bhaexpress]

Who thinks they are better? I do not know any Mac owners who think they are better, cooler, quirkier or similar. But then again, I don't know many Mac owners. For a start, as I've already said, I'm not aware of anyone in my workplace who has a Mac.

I can only speak for myself, but the only way I may be richer, in relation to my choice of computer is in time. My home computer does everything I want and need it to do right out the box. It requires no tinkering whatsoever, I waste no time 'configuring' things.

Again, from my perspective, I'm also not limited in what I can do. I have Parallels on the Mac (others will have VMware or use Bootcamp) so I have a fully functioning Windows machine in the same box. I've not had to use it for at least a year though, but it's there in case I do. I'm aware that not many Mac owners = not many Macs = less incentive for developers to build software for a Mac.

Oh pardon me, take off your blinkers, most of my Candian relatives have them and swear they are better, right up until the time they find that things like Windows Live don't work quite as well. I have a bloke sitting behind me now who goes on about his Mac, it's just a shame he has so much trouble using Outlook Web Mail that PC users don't have.

I could easily argue that my PC does everything and more and that I have a much greater choice of software, hardware and even connectivity as well. You do have to ask, why are there PCs on the vast majority of desks rather than Macs ? Is every Corporation in the world stupid ? Is Bill Gates better looking than Steve Jobs (Big Jobs as he is know in Microsoft) ? Sure if you want to play with your Iphone Apps good luck but frankly my mobile is really just a PDA and phone and I am perfectly happy with that.

 

[Easy 10]

If the ipad had come out four years ago, and then they brought out the iphone (the same but smaller and with a phone), then I think it would have been hailed as a brilliant step forwards. As it is, it seems to my admittedly small brain that they have just made an existing product bigger. No thanks!

Good point, and its pretty much my feeling on it. If they'd brought this out first and THEN downsized it to iPod Touch size, everyone would hail it as genius !

OK it looks lovely, and no doubt its wonderfully slick to use. But they've basically brought out an A4 sized iPod Touch. OK its a better sized screen for watching videos and films (although in 4:3, so they've even managed to screw that up a bit). But crucially, you're losing the convenience of a pocket-sized device. And just how "portable" is it ? Because frankly I'd feel like a bit of a nobber lugging one of them about town, and and playing Need for Speed, or watching videos on a train.

So buyers will probably use it primarily in the home...and then you're back to the "well why don't I just use my laptop" conundrum.

 

[clapham_gull]

Apparently the lawyers of a similiar product have been in touch.

 

[beorhthelm]

My daughter using it to watch films etc on when we're on long car journeys, as we don't have any form of in-car DVD player. Currently she uses my Touch which is a bit small or my Macbook Pro (too big/expensive!)

eBook usage.

It would obviously get more remote usage if we went for the 3G version, but I'm not sure we'd need it. When we travel we take the Macbook and a Vodafone 3g dongle.

its when it goes fully mobile it loses a lot. why not have a proper portable DVD player for under £100 and a eink ebook reader for £200. two best of breed items for less. thats the flaw for me, its jack of too much and nothing compelling. i really was hoping this would be a decent multifunction device with stylus input/handwriting recognition. in the end we get a big ipod touch. not even a iphone! if the itouch didnt exist then iPad would be great.


the funny thing is, there have been similar sized PC devices for years, and apparently no one knew they wanted or needed them. the great genius of Apple is the media hype they generate, and if you dont know people who think they are cool for owning apple, then you are either in denial or very very lucky.

 

[Bozza]

Oh pardon me, take off your blinkers, most of my Candian relatives have them and swear they are better, right up until the time they find that things like Windows Live don't work quite as well. I have a bloke sitting behind me now who goes on about his Mac, it's just a shame he has so much trouble using Outlook Web Mail that PC users don't have.

You can comment on your real-world experiences as I did mine. I neither know your Canadian relatives nor the bloke sitting behind you. Sorry about that.

Web, email, music, photos and video. That largely describes all that I want to do on a home machine. My Mac does those very well. I'm not saying a PC doesn't. I'm not saying a PC isn't likely to be cheaper spec-for-spec. Just that the machine I have at home serves my purposes very well. Thanks.

I could easily argue that my PC does everything and more and that I have a much greater choice of software, hardware and even connectivity as well.

You can if you want. I wasn't and won't argue against you. You may recall I only said:

- I don't know any Mac people who think they are better or cooler etc etc. I'm not saying they don't exist - I have no idea. Again, I know very few people with Macs.

- (again) My Mac does a great job for what I want a home machine to do.

You do have to ask, why are there PCs on the vast majority of desks rather than Macs ? Is every Corporation in the world stupid ?

Why do I have to ask that? I have no interest. But as you are asking and again based on my personal experiences, my Mac is not suited to our desktop environment here - my job doesn't involve too much playing with music, video and photos unfortunately. I gather there are trades that do these things though, and they will often deploy Macs to their desktops, which makes sense to me from my amateur experiences at home.

 

[Bozza]

the funny thing is, there have been similar sized PC devices for years, and apparently no one knew they wanted or needed them.

There have been similar form devices, sure. My experiences of them, allbeit limited, is that they've largely been running Operating Systems that weren't designed for that purpose. So were clunky and unwieldy to use. A complete rounded package of hardware and software was needed.

A lot of folk are saying Apple haven't got it right, but largely they seem to be coming from a stancepoint of viewing the iPad as a laptop/notebook/netbook replacement. It's clearly not intended to be that and you'd be stuffed it you tried to use it as your only device.

 

[Nibble]

How can you say it's not cool? I think the tagline says it all....

 

[Frutos]

My Mac does those very well. I'm not saying a PC doesn't. I'm not saying a PC isn't likely to be cheaper spec-for-spec. Just that the machine I have at home serves my purposes very well. Thanks

Just out of interest, given that you admit your Mac can't do anything that a PC doesn't, and also the fact that a PC could do the same things just as well for less money....why did you buy a Mac in the first place?