Blogs The iPad: I finally understand it

http://www.bit-tech.net/blog/2010/07/20/the-ipad-i-finally-understand-it/

 

I think what the IPad does is bring simplicity, intuitiveness and ease of use into the tablet market. If a tool has an easy learning curve people would want to use it because they think its good value for their money and that they can spend a lot more time being productive with the tool rather than learning how to use it. Unfortunately the IPad competes with a lot of traditional media and technology like paper books,laptops, etc. I think that's why it got a lot of criticism.
I hope the market learns the fact that ease of use = profit + happy customers

 

PC's fail to keep things simple.

Hardware shouldn't conflict.
Software shouldn't crash or contain bugs.
Viruses shouldn't be able to install themselves.
User interfaces should be (isaac12345's words) intuitive, simple and be easy to use, and understand.
The learning curve should be tiny. But the more advanced of us can then take off and do whatever.

The PC fails the less technically-minded. Even the Mac fails to some degree despite everyones trumpeting.

The iPad is Speak'n'Spell for kids and adults. That is NOT a bad thing

 

It's worth remebering the iPad is a CONSUMPTION device. Any attempt to make anything else of it, even with fancy productivity stuff like iWork, is futile from a usability point of view as it's just not optimised.

 

Best slogan ever. I am SO using that from now on!

 

I am and always will be a PC. I worked and played with them for years. I have never seen the attraction of a Mac when you consider you can get virtually everything for a Mac on the PC.

Two months ago I won an iPad in a competition and to be honest I think it is fantastic. As pointed out in the article the iPad will never be able to replace a laptop but if you do not own one (like me) then it is the perfect piece of kit to fill the gap.

Also my wife loves it too, she, like Anthony's girlfriend, is a simpleton

 

i currently have 2 ipads on my desk at work - i despise apple but i can see that tablets are going to take off.

the only thing is i cant help but feel apple didnt go far enough - it is just a big iPod. Android is in line for a big upgrade for tablets, and i think google will do much more in terms of taking advantage of the larger screen size.

 

PC = Personal Computer.

Mac = PC.

And I saw far too many 'spinning rainbow wheels of death' in OSX when I was working in a lab that used Macs exclusively.

 

But what was Speak'n'Spell famous for? Being dismantled by E.T. and parts used to "Phone Home!" (with pointy finger glowing all orange)

 

Totally agree with this article, the iPad is and has always been aimed at the mainstream, less tech savvy people who just want something to work without having to load patches/install hacks ect. Whats annoying however is that Apple were in a perfect position to bring a really great tablet into the market, and yet blew it.

When its suppose to be a media consumption device, not having a USB or SD card slot built in is a serious issue (yes I know you can get an adapter, but that's an extra cost and hassle) and the price! Since it does not have anywhere near the functionality of a laptop at the same price, and it (apparently) costs £171 to build something that they sell for £429, it just seems like they are taking the mickey really.

 

It's marketed at the slick gel hair BBC presenter with thousands of pounds disposable income with no thought of his own. It's the new shiny shiny thingy that Stephen Fry gets to use the grinder app on a bigger screen. So does it mean you have to be a cruising homosexual or a BBC presenter wannabe to get one and think it's good?

 

I love my iPad, but it's not for everyone. I've told many friends who have been wanting one not to get one as their needs don't match what the iPad can do.

It's biggest selling point is the ease of use and how similar it is to the iPhone. Most tech blogs and forums simply forget that the geek portion of the world is tiny in comparison to the ordinary users who don't want tons of options and tweaks. They just want something that does what they need and do it very well.

Phone companies and other technologies have for years tried to out feature apples products, but to do that misses the point completely. What apple have been very good at is bringing exactly what you need and doing it well. The rest is left out.

Tablets have always been poor as no one has written an operating system for them. IOS works so well on the iPad despite it's poor specs.

What I think is the major missing thing from the iPad is a camera. The ability to Skype on it would be for me the missing feature. That said my iPhone should be able to do that instead.

What the iPad needs to is competition. I love the fact that Android have forced Apple to keep inovating. It needs someone to do the same with the iPad. At the moment there is nothing else out there that is. The PalmPad from HP might be this alternative. You only have to look at the phone industry over the last few years to see what could happen. One or two iPad type devices would be great for us customers.

 

Good for your average (technological) simpleton, and good at doing the things apple wants you to do with it.

However, having played with one, I can imagine finding it frustrating and restrictive very quickly.

It is not a device for geeks. It is a 'content consumption device' for the masses. And of course, apple gets a cut of most of the content you purchase, so they're laughing all the way to the bank.

 

It's a consumption device. My iPad is fantastic for watching movies/TV shows on long train rides, as well as for browsing the net on the sofa. No, it can't do "work" (ie: write documents, FTP files here there and everywhere, code), but it isn't intended to do that.

As a consumption device it doesn't need a full OS, such as Windows or OS X, so the use of iOS makes perfect sense. It can't replace a laptop if you need one of those for work functions, but if you just use a laptop for media then the iPad does a better job.

 

So this article is basically saying that Apple is targeted to the less tech-savvy people? Ok so lets re-word Steve Jobs last statement at the iPhone 4 confrence from "We love our customers" to "We love our customers to be stupid".

Although I think it is a good thing what Apple have done such as dumb down the front-end of the OS which works perfectly for the iPhone/iPad but thank god they haven't done it with OSX, lets hope they don't go that root.

I think MACs are very specificly targetted to professionals and/or people who just want to use it for work and internet. They are really not for entertainment, they are not media orientated. The last Mac Book I bought couldn't even last long enough to play a whole DVD. Apple also rejected BluRay as well.

So it was about time they build a platform which is orientated towards entertainment and content a la iPhone/iPad. Now you can have your £1000 Mac book for word processing, your £500 iPad for watching videos and reading books in your lap up until you neck really hurts unless you spend another £50 on a stand, and your £400 iPhone for music and communication. Next they will build a new platform just for gaming costing £2000.

To be honest I could build a monster PC capable of doing all that and more with half that money

The only thing I love about Apple is the quality of build, the uni-body cases which are stong and attractive! If I could I would buy a mac pro, rip out its guts and replace with PC

 

Well if they made it Like the I phone then you actually have something. Right now it's a Ipod with a bigger screen. I bet Apple had it layout out already. We will see the next big thing being introduced end of next year: "the Ipadone! Yes now you can make a call to your favorite friends and chat with them with ease on the big screen. No more tiny sms typing. Easily manage your contacts with their pictures and blablabla.... for the amazing introduction price of 999".

 

I agree with the article and I too, love my iPhone. I also love my watercooled, overclocked, modded Win 7 desktop. They all have their niches in my life.

I will also say that Apple have their customer care right too. I purchased extended warranty for my 3GS (like I did with my TV in Richer Sounds). It developed a crack in the back by the charge point. I requested a replacement and Apple shipped me an empty pre-paid box the next day. Within 3 days I had an 'as new' 3GS in my hands. I restored the whole thing from iTunes and I was away. Only Dell's monitor warranty has matched that for customer care in the PC industry for me.

 

Haha.. that about sums it up for me . For a geek, the iPad is overpriced for what it does. I can get a culv win7 laptop for £300-400. I will happily pay 900 for something like the iPad, if it also fulfills the laptop role, but as a big iPod, I can't justify it.

 

My view in short: Apple products = good quality but restrictive. Apple= more evil than Darth Vader's century-old unchanged underpants.