1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Blogs Is the iPad the future of computing?

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by arcticstoat, 31 Dec 2010.

  1. jrs77

    jrs77 Modder

    Joined:
    17 Feb 2006
    Posts:
    3,483
    Likes Received:
    103
    It can handle 100% of the tasks the majority of users throw a t a PC these days. The tech-savvy people here on bit-tech playing games or rendering 3d-images etc are not the majority, but make up for only some high estimated 25% of the PC-users.

    Aslong as a device can playback HD-video and handle webbrowsing it's sufficient enough for 75% of the people outthere.

    The majority wants ease of use for office-tasks, webbrowsing and media-playback in a device they don't have to know anything about besides where to turn it on and how to use.
    Additionally the hardware+software has to be as robust as possible prone to lockups. Software bought needs to run 100% as intended without having to care about upgrades or new drivers etc.

    And why is the iPad obsolete? Just because the iPad2 is being released in 2-3 month? An improoved iPad with front/rear camera and USB-port, which should draw even more attention?
     
  2. StoneyMahoney

    StoneyMahoney What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    10 Jul 2009
    Posts:
    287
    Likes Received:
    13
    I wouldn't even dream of deploying the iPad as the staple system for any of the companies I've worked for. It's too easy to steal, can't be wired up to the network and needs a dozen add-ons and work-arounds just to do what a PC with Windows and Office can do out of the box at half the price.

    Considering the number of macros, scripts and applets I've written to simplify small but repetitive jobs around the office, being unable to deploy self-written programs without getting some other entity to pass judgment over them first is a total deal breaker.

    If I offered an iPad as an alternative to a PC to anyone I've worked in an office with, they'd laugh at me. I think your idea of what "normal office use" entails is laughable.
     
  3. eddtox

    eddtox Homo Interneticus

    Joined:
    7 Jan 2006
    Posts:
    1,296
    Likes Received:
    15
    While I agree with most of what you are saying, I think your figures are a bit off.

    Even conservative estimates suggest the kindle 3 has sold 5 million units since September, while there are reports that the figure could be as high as 9 million. [sauce]
     
  4. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

    Joined:
    23 Oct 2001
    Posts:
    34,731
    Likes Received:
    2,210
    It says that it will have sold about 8 million by the end of this year. Apple is expected to have sold 12 million iPads by the end of the year. Not too shabby for an item that is substantially more expensive.
     
  5. M7ck

    M7ck Ⓜod Ⓜaster

    Joined:
    28 Mar 2009
    Posts:
    3,600
    Likes Received:
    167
    Your source also puts the iPad at 12 million units which still reiterates Nexxo's post.
     
  6. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

    Joined:
    23 Oct 2001
    Posts:
    34,731
    Likes Received:
    2,210
    Read the article (please).
     
  7. eddtox

    eddtox Homo Interneticus

    Joined:
    7 Jan 2006
    Posts:
    1,296
    Likes Received:
    15
    Nexxo said that the kindle has sold 4 million units since November 2007, this is not accurate, as even conservative estimates suggest that it has sold 5 million in the last 3 months.

    The ipad is wildly successful, not question about it, but to suggest that it has sold more units in 9 months than the kindle has in over three years is simply not true
     
  8. Snips

    Snips I can do dat, giz a job

    Joined:
    14 Sep 2010
    Posts:
    1,940
    Likes Received:
    66
    The main problem with this article is it assumes every software developer would spend the money to develope their software to run on the iOS. Also, that the businesses themselves would pay £400 for a base gadget that's £200 more than a base PC. As well as the back office servers or cloud costs.

    "There is no reason why office software won't happily run on iOS. There is nothing intrinsically different about iOS from any other OS. We've seen Quake and Unreal run on an iPhone. I think that iOS can manage professional business software."

    That is a huge assumption. Why do you think Microsoft quickly dispelled the commercial failure of Vista? I know of some businesses who adopted it early but I know a lot more who didn't. Most waited for Windows 7 but only then did they consider it once they had checked with their back office system developer for compatibility. We aren't just talking about Microsoft Office here. I know plenty of accountancy and asset management software developers who will not even consider supplying Apple OS now. The demand now is just not great enough.

    That's a multi billion pound market that rightly or wrongly is currently exclusive to PC's and Microsoft based systems.
     
  9. M7ck

    M7ck Ⓜod Ⓜaster

    Joined:
    28 Mar 2009
    Posts:
    3,600
    Likes Received:
    167
    @eddtox
    The article you linked to says otherwise...........:rolleyes:
     
  10. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

    Joined:
    23 Oct 2001
    Posts:
    34,731
    Likes Received:
    2,210
    I stand corrected (Wikipedia is obviously lagging a bit behind). Still, more iPads have been sold. Apple sold 3 million iPads in the first 80 days.
     
  11. VipersGratitude

    VipersGratitude Multimodder

    Joined:
    4 Mar 2008
    Posts:
    3,535
    Likes Received:
    837
    A Maxi Pad? I hope you're joking...

    So, basically an eeeTop with Android installed, huh? Nope, wouldn't work.

    If you go for the larger screensize you've committed yourself to a stationary device. If you have a stationary device you should have precision input devices. If you have precision input devices it negates the need for a n expensive, cack-handed touch screen. And if you don't have the touch screen you might as well have an operating system that can handle almost all the peripherals you throw at it...

    As for the ease of setup and use for the luddite 80%? Well remember that you don't sell this product to a consumer in complete isolation, you sell to their ecosystem, and by the same statistics 1 out of every 4 other people the consumer knows is a geek - Maybe a 14yr old nephew who can get the nework set up, rid you of that virus, or install an NAS device for a fraction of the £££'s of a walled garden.

    So what does that leave us with? :rolleyes: Oh, a Windows-based PC...
     
  12. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

    Joined:
    23 Oct 2001
    Posts:
    34,731
    Likes Received:
    2,210
    That has nothing to do with its ability to run professional software. I happily run Office 2007 and a whole lot of esoteric crap besides on Vista. It had more to do with companies not wanting to spend a crapload of money on licences for a new OS that did not appear to offer substantial improvements over XP, which they were very comfortable with, thank you very much.

    Demand or lack of it has nothing to do with OS capability. Anything Windows can do, OSX can do.
     
  13. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

    Joined:
    23 Oct 2001
    Posts:
    34,731
    Likes Received:
    2,210
    Many people do not want to be dependent on their geeky friends.
     
  14. Snips

    Snips I can do dat, giz a job

    Joined:
    14 Sep 2010
    Posts:
    1,940
    Likes Received:
    66
    I didn't have a problem with Vista either.

    Again you are answering or correcting your own statements.
     
  15. Cthippo

    Cthippo Can't mod my way out of a paper bag

    Joined:
    7 Aug 2005
    Posts:
    6,785
    Likes Received:
    103
    I think you may have this backwards.

    To me this is a software issue, not a hardware one. I think that it's going to be a limited and very user friendly linux distro that will make this concept work.

    Consider this: if you had a OS similar to iOS, but open source, that could run on PCs, tablets, netbooks, laptops and maybe even smartphones and did all the things that 80% of people needed it to do, was generally unbreakable, and designed from the outset to be nearly impervious to viruses no matter how dumb the user is. Put that together, make it easy to add business specific apps, and you have your answer. Some eye candy wouldn't hurt either.

    The problem with linux shows up when you need to try to add things. Once it's up and running, it can be very user friendly.

    I think the proper form factor for the kind of concept we're talking about here is the netbook. Maybe it's just me, but I have a terrible time typing on touchscreens and find the screen on my smartphone way too small for browsing. I could very well be wrong, but I think the lack of a keyboard and mouse is going to be a barrier to entry for a lot of business users.

    EDIT:

    Continuing to think about this...

    What if you had an open source, but essentially closed (to the user) OS that did the following:

    Browse the internet (supports multiple browsers which can be downloaded from the "app store")

    Had a basic IM program (take your pick) and a functional email program (Thunderbird?)

    Play all common media types (VLC?)

    Had a basic photo viewer with limited editing capabilities (I like Fast stone, but Picasa could also be an example)

    Performed standard office tasks (Open Office)

    Play casual games (again, from an app store)

    Have the ability for specialized software to be added.

    If you had an OS that did all of that out of the box, wouldn't that accommodate 80+ percent of users? Taking a quick look at what's on my computer, that accomplishes pretty much everything I do. I have a few programs I've downloaded for occasional one-off things (screen capture, .pdf to .tiff converter, etc). Also, with the possible exception of video, none of this stuff is resource intensive.

    Simple, secure, and just works is a good place for an OS to be. Neither Linux nor Windows can be described that way because both of them are designed to be all things to all people (I can't speak to iOS having not used it).

    Sounds almost like a smartphone OS. Does a few things, does them well, and doesn't worry about everything else.
     
    Last edited: 31 Dec 2010
  16. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

    Joined:
    23 Oct 2001
    Posts:
    34,731
    Likes Received:
    2,210
    I'm not following you.
     
  17. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

    Joined:
    23 Oct 2001
    Posts:
    34,731
    Likes Received:
    2,210
    Sounds like Android --or where it is going. :D

    The article does not suggest that desktops should be touch-screen only devices. It is arguing that the OS and hardware should follow the same philosophy: ease of use, reliability, instant-on, tailored to be lean and efficient for specific uses.
     
  18. VipersGratitude

    VipersGratitude Multimodder

    Joined:
    4 Mar 2008
    Posts:
    3,535
    Likes Received:
    837
    I guarantee that most people would rather be dependent on their geeky friends than be dependent on a company who charge hundreds of pounds for the priviledge of being dependent on them
     
  19. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

    Joined:
    23 Oct 2001
    Posts:
    34,731
    Likes Received:
    2,210
    Depends. :p If a 'closed garden' device is much less likely to go wrong in the first place, then there is no dependence on anybody to keep it functioning.
     
  20. Cthippo

    Cthippo Can't mod my way out of a paper bag

    Joined:
    7 Aug 2005
    Posts:
    6,785
    Likes Received:
    103
    Yeah, by the end of the edit that's pretty much what I was thinking. Does Android support x86? What ever happened to the ChromeOS?
     
Tags: Add Tags

Share This Page