Apple releases iPad...
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...????... Where did you get your info and impressions from? Just by reading blogs and Wikipedia? It is like having a member giving advices to others re. SPs while his only experience in the hobby comes from reading reviews written by others on MERB. Wait a minute, I actually a few of those members here.
Again, comparing the iPad and netbooks is like comparing Apples and Oranges, so to speak. This looks less surprising to me know now that you admitted that you do not own an iPod/iPhone. Why anyone needs a computer anyways, pocket calculators are enough.
...????...
PS. I never owned a Mac, I only own an iPod touch and I am not buying an iPad just to prevent TM from taking easy shots on me.
>>> EDITED BY MOD 11: Useless flame war stuff intended to provoke a reaction have been removed. <<<
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Horny, nowhere in this thread or elsewhere did I take side. If you can prove it, better show me where and pronto (in 2 days, of course...). What I demand is for people to act as adults and discuss in a civilized way. You can even say your toaster is better than a computer running Windows, I don't give a rat's ass about it, as long as it's done while respecting other members.
Obviously, even if you quoted me, you didn't understand what I said: no more posts unrelated to the iPad. The post where you quoted me isn't about the iPad, same as Techman with his post post right after yours. For that reason, you and Techman can take a 2 days vacation.
Obviously, even if you quoted me, you didn't understand what I said: no more posts unrelated to the iPad. The post where you quoted me isn't about the iPad, same as Techman with his post post right after yours. For that reason, you and Techman can take a 2 days vacation.
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Apple says iPad pre-orders start at 5:30 a.m. Friday
Apple says iPad pre-orders start at 5:30 a.m. Friday
Apple says iPad pre-orders start at 5:30 a.m. Friday
Yes but in the US only. Not sure for Canada.
But it is the data plan that I'm waiting to hear about. In the states, unlimited data is completely pay as you go, no contract, $30/mo.
That is a big deal, especially since I know that there are third party devs currently working on "unlocking" the call capabilities as well as a Skype patch.
Can't wait to see how Rogers is going to mess that up for us.
But it is the data plan that I'm waiting to hear about. In the states, unlimited data is completely pay as you go, no contract, $30/mo.
That is a big deal, especially since I know that there are third party devs currently working on "unlocking" the call capabilities as well as a Skype patch.
Can't wait to see how Rogers is going to mess that up for us.
iPad will not do flash, with Jobs saying that flash takes too much resources and that the world is moving to html5 anyway.
Here is a comparison of the hardware resource requirements to do flash or html5. Turns out they are rather comparable between the two, html5 does not take less resources than flash. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/12/flash_v_html5/.
A capable low power combo cpu/gpu is not easy to do. I will not be a single bit surprised that this first version iPad does not have the horsepower need to decode flash or a 1080 stream. With no 3rd party reviews available anywhere, nobody really knows what the iPad can do or cannot do.
With the sales history of the netbooks, people said they wanted something small just to check emails, surf net. Turned out what they really wanted were small laptops instead. Hence linux, no hard d, small screens did not sell. Windoz, big screens, hard d did.
I would suggest anybody buying this kind of device to first really think about what they want to do with it, and then read tons of reviews to find the device that suits your needs - watch porn on the net with flash? 1080 movies? Storage requirements eg. store a few movies on the device to watch on the trip? Battery time? Hardware's cheap, but only as long as you plan ahead and really understand your needs.
Here is a comparison of the hardware resource requirements to do flash or html5. Turns out they are rather comparable between the two, html5 does not take less resources than flash. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/12/flash_v_html5/.
A capable low power combo cpu/gpu is not easy to do. I will not be a single bit surprised that this first version iPad does not have the horsepower need to decode flash or a 1080 stream. With no 3rd party reviews available anywhere, nobody really knows what the iPad can do or cannot do.
With the sales history of the netbooks, people said they wanted something small just to check emails, surf net. Turned out what they really wanted were small laptops instead. Hence linux, no hard d, small screens did not sell. Windoz, big screens, hard d did.
I would suggest anybody buying this kind of device to first really think about what they want to do with it, and then read tons of reviews to find the device that suits your needs - watch porn on the net with flash? 1080 movies? Storage requirements eg. store a few movies on the device to watch on the trip? Battery time? Hardware's cheap, but only as long as you plan ahead and really understand your needs.
According to the Washington Post, Apple is reporting sales of 90,000 iPads in the first six hours.
120,000 iPads sold Day 1
http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/03/13/day-1-estimate-120000-ipads-sold/?hpt=T2
http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/03/13/day-1-estimate-120000-ipads-sold/?hpt=T2
what i find amazing is the skew to WIFI-only. OTOH, my reluctance will be to encounter yet another Rogers charge. I'm ambivalent as to which I will buy, if either.
I'm not surprised. I ordered on primarily for travel to use in cafes in Montreal, hotels in Europe. These places have wifi; also AT&T's data roaming charges are obscene.
They'll be used a lot as an ereader and, of course, once a book or mag has been downloaded, you don't need online access to read them.
I know that Techman has ordered his to wave angrily over his head in Place Jacques-Cartier, while jumping up and down, ranting how Apple stole the idea for the iPad from somebody or other. He certainly won't need access for that.
Let's see how the sales figures stand at the end of the first week. It's only natural that first day sales would be high considering that all the Apple fanboiz have been salivating over this thing since the first rumours came out. I actually expected them to be much higher than this.
And no, I wouldn't spend a cent on this thing. I'd rather use a netbook that can actually give me access to the entire Internet, including all the sites that use Flash. Unlike some people I don't spend my money on fads. Something actually has to be useful to me for me to buy it and the iPad does nothing I need or want that I can't do now.
And no, I wouldn't spend a cent on this thing. I'd rather use a netbook that can actually give me access to the entire Internet, including all the sites that use Flash. Unlike some people I don't spend my money on fads. Something actually has to be useful to me for me to buy it and the iPad does nothing I need or want that I can't do now.
Of course you did. And had they sold 8,000,000, you'd be saying the same thing. I will give you this, Techie, you are Mr. Predictable. Thanks for the laugh.
Ipad Review: Huffington Post. (One of Rumples Favorite Sources).
Hello all,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/...=Vz+/HSDZbd0=&slideshow&slideshow#slide_image
The lack of multitasking on the iPad has been cited as its biggest flaw. Want to listen to Pandora while you edit your photos? No such luck. For a device that aims to displace laptops and costs as much as the iPad does, the inability to run multiple applications at once is a major downside.
Awkward as it might be to take a photo with a device the size of a pad of paper, critics agree it would nonetheless have been attractive include a camera on the iPad. Video chatting, tweeting Twitpics, and snapping photos with the iPad will have to wait.
Transferring files between the iPad and other devices will be more difficult and inconvenient given that the new Apple Tablet doesn't include a USB port. Users are dependent on Apple's proprietary dock connector and have to shell out for a USB adapter if they want to plug a USB directly into their iPad. Timothy Blee calls the lack of a USB "totally unacceptable for a device that aims to largely displace my laptop."
Steve Jobs' announcement that the iPad would be running on AT&T's network elicited groans and boos from the otherwise excited audience at Apple's event. The addition of the iPad is likely to stress even further AT&T's already overloaded networks--the company recently admitted that its wireless service in NYC and San Francisco was 'below target.'
The iPad doesn't support Flash player, which means users can't connect to sites like Disney, Hulu, ESPN, Farmville, or JibJab, and won't have access to certain Flash-based online games. Apple's arguments against Flash are that it poses a security risk and is a 'resource hog,' but the lack of Flash support is nonetheless a hindrance for users.
While the iPad's display has been praised as crisp and sharp, its screen -- LED-backlit with In-Plane Switching (IPS) -- has its downsides. The iPad's screen is not as power efficient as OLED devices, which don't drain batteries as quickly. Moreover, LED screen tends to be harder on the eyes than the e-ink screens used on eReaders such as the Kindle. (Some users even find prolonged exposure to LED-backlit screens to be migraine-inducing.) The Telegraph predicts that because of the iPad's screen, 'I don't think serious bookworms will be swayed to chose the iPad over the Kindle or a Sony Reader.'
"We want to put this in the hands of lots of people," said Steve Jobs of the iPad's price. While the device is lower than pundits' predictions (it starts at $499 for a 16GB model, whereas people had guessed it would begin at $1000), it's still spendy. It remains to be seen whether people will shell out upwards of $500 for a device they're not sure they need, and aren't certain how they'll use.
Apple has been hit by major criticism for the approval process it uses to determine which apps make to its iPhone app store (developers have even been known to quit making Apple apps altogether out of frustration). While the iPad can run the majority of the apps in Apple's app store, Apple's restrictions on apps (no porn, nothing that infringes on the Apple trademark, etc) will apply to the new Tablet. The Free Software Foundation has already criticized the device, saying the 'iPad is iBad for freedom,' and encouraging people to sign a petition.
According to this I am not sure where the Ipad comes in. I have never agreed with the mantra that smaller is better, and the difficulty of using many such devices makes that mantra seem idiotic. So I have always wanted some thing portable and larger like the Ipad. But it can't replace a fully functioning computer and it doesn't perform many tasks or options other devices have done for a long time. So with next to nothing new, and short on what other devices have long done, what is Ipad's niche?
One person somewhere on these Apple v MS threads suggested it would basically allow someone to carry out a few tasks during otherwise "down time" or keep the kids busy on long trips or waits. Again, there are other devices currently available that hold their battery power much longer to do tasks during down time; and I sure don't want to spend a minimum of $500 to entertain bored kids, kids who are supposedly unruly and indelicate with pricey items...especially if there are two or more kids battling over a device. Or does someone suggest buying one for each kid???
I think sales will be brisk for a while with Apple tech groupies and those looking for an easy read medium with extra money to spend. But, as it is with options lacking and power life (batteries) lacking I don't think it has real sales staying power over time in it's current form with missing necessities and options.
Hmmm,
Merlot
Hello all,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/...=Vz+/HSDZbd0=&slideshow&slideshow#slide_image
The lack of multitasking on the iPad has been cited as its biggest flaw. Want to listen to Pandora while you edit your photos? No such luck. For a device that aims to displace laptops and costs as much as the iPad does, the inability to run multiple applications at once is a major downside.
Awkward as it might be to take a photo with a device the size of a pad of paper, critics agree it would nonetheless have been attractive include a camera on the iPad. Video chatting, tweeting Twitpics, and snapping photos with the iPad will have to wait.
Transferring files between the iPad and other devices will be more difficult and inconvenient given that the new Apple Tablet doesn't include a USB port. Users are dependent on Apple's proprietary dock connector and have to shell out for a USB adapter if they want to plug a USB directly into their iPad. Timothy Blee calls the lack of a USB "totally unacceptable for a device that aims to largely displace my laptop."
Steve Jobs' announcement that the iPad would be running on AT&T's network elicited groans and boos from the otherwise excited audience at Apple's event. The addition of the iPad is likely to stress even further AT&T's already overloaded networks--the company recently admitted that its wireless service in NYC and San Francisco was 'below target.'
The iPad doesn't support Flash player, which means users can't connect to sites like Disney, Hulu, ESPN, Farmville, or JibJab, and won't have access to certain Flash-based online games. Apple's arguments against Flash are that it poses a security risk and is a 'resource hog,' but the lack of Flash support is nonetheless a hindrance for users.
While the iPad's display has been praised as crisp and sharp, its screen -- LED-backlit with In-Plane Switching (IPS) -- has its downsides. The iPad's screen is not as power efficient as OLED devices, which don't drain batteries as quickly. Moreover, LED screen tends to be harder on the eyes than the e-ink screens used on eReaders such as the Kindle. (Some users even find prolonged exposure to LED-backlit screens to be migraine-inducing.) The Telegraph predicts that because of the iPad's screen, 'I don't think serious bookworms will be swayed to chose the iPad over the Kindle or a Sony Reader.'
"We want to put this in the hands of lots of people," said Steve Jobs of the iPad's price. While the device is lower than pundits' predictions (it starts at $499 for a 16GB model, whereas people had guessed it would begin at $1000), it's still spendy. It remains to be seen whether people will shell out upwards of $500 for a device they're not sure they need, and aren't certain how they'll use.
Apple has been hit by major criticism for the approval process it uses to determine which apps make to its iPhone app store (developers have even been known to quit making Apple apps altogether out of frustration). While the iPad can run the majority of the apps in Apple's app store, Apple's restrictions on apps (no porn, nothing that infringes on the Apple trademark, etc) will apply to the new Tablet. The Free Software Foundation has already criticized the device, saying the 'iPad is iBad for freedom,' and encouraging people to sign a petition.
According to this I am not sure where the Ipad comes in. I have never agreed with the mantra that smaller is better, and the difficulty of using many such devices makes that mantra seem idiotic. So I have always wanted some thing portable and larger like the Ipad. But it can't replace a fully functioning computer and it doesn't perform many tasks or options other devices have done for a long time. So with next to nothing new, and short on what other devices have long done, what is Ipad's niche?
One person somewhere on these Apple v MS threads suggested it would basically allow someone to carry out a few tasks during otherwise "down time" or keep the kids busy on long trips or waits. Again, there are other devices currently available that hold their battery power much longer to do tasks during down time; and I sure don't want to spend a minimum of $500 to entertain bored kids, kids who are supposedly unruly and indelicate with pricey items...especially if there are two or more kids battling over a device. Or does someone suggest buying one for each kid???
I think sales will be brisk for a while with Apple tech groupies and those looking for an easy read medium with extra money to spend. But, as it is with options lacking and power life (batteries) lacking I don't think it has real sales staying power over time in it's current form with missing necessities and options.
Hmmm,
Merlot
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Sometimes its worth digging a little deeper into things and once you do this for OLED it is apparent why Apple has not used this technology. Fo one thing it uses more power than an LCD when you have a white backgroung, power consumption specs are based on a dark background. The other is lifetime issues with "Blue" affecting color ballance. This maybe an interesting technology but since is based on organic materials (OLED + Organic Light Emmiting Diode) there maybe continuing issues with stability of these materials. It is quite possible that another technology will overcome and surpass OLED. I have looked for what solutions there maybe for the lifetime issue and the only thing has been a release by DuPont of 11/09 saying they have new materials that improve the the lifetime of the Blue (article mainly deals with their improvement breakthrough for green). Even if these claims are true it will take some time to bring these to market. In addition there are still manufacting yield issues to deal with which will keep the prices of this technology high. Aas yield is an issue, typicaly yield goes down with size,(more chance for killer defects) increased size of displays will have even larger costs.
Overall I can see why Apple made the choice they did. However I still do not understand what the market target is for the iPad and do not plan to buy one. But unlike some posters here I do not have this knee-jerk attitude when it comes to anything Apple, repeating over and over again at every other persons post that they will not buy Apple products. I think it is perfectly clear where you stand and doesnt need any more repetition.
Quote from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_LED
"Disadvantages
[edit] Lifespan
The biggest technical problem for OLEDs is the limited lifetime of the organic materials.[47] In particular, blue OLEDs historically have had a lifetime of around 14,000 hours to half original brightness (five years at 8 hours a day) when used for flat-panel displays, which is lower than the typical lifetime of LCD, LED or PDP technology—each currently rated for about 60,000 hours to half brightness, depending on manufacturer and model. However, some manufacturers displays aim to increase the lifespan of OLED displays, pushing their expected life past that of LCD displays by improving light outcoupling, thus achieving the same brightness at a lower drive current.[48][49]
In 2007, experimental OLEDs were created which can sustain 400 cd/m2 of luminance for over 198,000 hours for green OLEDs and 62,000 hours for blue OLEDs.[50]
[edit] Color balance issues
Additionally, as the OLED material used to produce blue light degrades significantly more rapidly than the materials that produce other colors, blue light output will decrease relative to the other colors of light. This differential color output change will change the color balance of the display and is much more noticeable than a decrease in overall luminance.[51] This can be partially avoided by adjusting colour balance but this may require advanced control circuits and interaction with the user, which is unacceptable for some uses.
In order to delay the problem, manufacturers bias the colour balance towards blue so that the display initially has an artificially blue tint, leading to complaints of artificial-looking, over-saturated colors.
[edit] Water damage
Water can damage the organic materials of the displays. Therefore, improved sealing processes are important for practical manufacturing. Water damage may especially limit the longevity of more flexible displays.[52]
[edit] Outdoor performance
As an emissive display technology, OLEDs are 100% reliant converting electricity to light whereas most LCD displays contain at least some portion of reflective technology and e-ink leads the way in efficiency with ~33% reflectivity of sunlight, enabling the display to be used without any artificial light source.
OLEDs typically produce only around 200 nits of light leading to poor readability in bright ambient light, such as outdoors, whereas displays that use reflective light are able to increase their brightness in the presence of ambient light to help overcome unwanted surface reflections without using any additional power.
[edit] Power consumption
While an OLED will consume around 40% of the power of an LCD displaying an image which is primarily black, for the majority of images, it will consume 60–80% of the power of an LCD - however it can use over three times as much power to display an image with a white background[53] such as a document or website. This can lead to disappointing real-world battery life in mobile devices.
[edit] Screen burn-in
Unlike displays with a common light source, the brightness of each OLED pixel fades depending on the content displayed. Combined with the short lifetime the organic dyes, this leads to screen burn-in[54], worse than was common in the days of CRT-based displays
[edit] "
Overall I can see why Apple made the choice they did. However I still do not understand what the market target is for the iPad and do not plan to buy one. But unlike some posters here I do not have this knee-jerk attitude when it comes to anything Apple, repeating over and over again at every other persons post that they will not buy Apple products. I think it is perfectly clear where you stand and doesnt need any more repetition.
Quote from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_LED
"Disadvantages
[edit] Lifespan
The biggest technical problem for OLEDs is the limited lifetime of the organic materials.[47] In particular, blue OLEDs historically have had a lifetime of around 14,000 hours to half original brightness (five years at 8 hours a day) when used for flat-panel displays, which is lower than the typical lifetime of LCD, LED or PDP technology—each currently rated for about 60,000 hours to half brightness, depending on manufacturer and model. However, some manufacturers displays aim to increase the lifespan of OLED displays, pushing their expected life past that of LCD displays by improving light outcoupling, thus achieving the same brightness at a lower drive current.[48][49]
In 2007, experimental OLEDs were created which can sustain 400 cd/m2 of luminance for over 198,000 hours for green OLEDs and 62,000 hours for blue OLEDs.[50]
[edit] Color balance issues
Additionally, as the OLED material used to produce blue light degrades significantly more rapidly than the materials that produce other colors, blue light output will decrease relative to the other colors of light. This differential color output change will change the color balance of the display and is much more noticeable than a decrease in overall luminance.[51] This can be partially avoided by adjusting colour balance but this may require advanced control circuits and interaction with the user, which is unacceptable for some uses.
In order to delay the problem, manufacturers bias the colour balance towards blue so that the display initially has an artificially blue tint, leading to complaints of artificial-looking, over-saturated colors.
[edit] Water damage
Water can damage the organic materials of the displays. Therefore, improved sealing processes are important for practical manufacturing. Water damage may especially limit the longevity of more flexible displays.[52]
[edit] Outdoor performance
As an emissive display technology, OLEDs are 100% reliant converting electricity to light whereas most LCD displays contain at least some portion of reflective technology and e-ink leads the way in efficiency with ~33% reflectivity of sunlight, enabling the display to be used without any artificial light source.
OLEDs typically produce only around 200 nits of light leading to poor readability in bright ambient light, such as outdoors, whereas displays that use reflective light are able to increase their brightness in the presence of ambient light to help overcome unwanted surface reflections without using any additional power.
[edit] Power consumption
While an OLED will consume around 40% of the power of an LCD displaying an image which is primarily black, for the majority of images, it will consume 60–80% of the power of an LCD - however it can use over three times as much power to display an image with a white background[53] such as a document or website. This can lead to disappointing real-world battery life in mobile devices.
[edit] Screen burn-in
Unlike displays with a common light source, the brightness of each OLED pixel fades depending on the content displayed. Combined with the short lifetime the organic dyes, this leads to screen burn-in[54], worse than was common in the days of CRT-based displays
[edit] "
That huffpost piece, released in Jan., was a ridiculous attempt at a critique - especially for a tech device, and especially for an Apple device. Let me try to explain why...
Apple has proven, time and again with their consumer level products, that the only real people that give a shit about ANY of those "deficiencies" are techies - and represent a drop in the consumer bucket. This is not an opinion, the facts/sales of iPod and iPhone speak for themselves and each of those products met with the same type of knocks/criticisms on them when they were released (replaceable batteries, proprietary compression, can't do this or that, costs etc. etc.). Yes some think about and care about those things -- the majority don't. Again, sales of, and repeat sales of iPods and iPhones prove this without any possible argument.
Yes that is exactly what I suggested. We're not talking unruly 4 yr olds. Have 10-18 yr olds? Do they share PSP's? Portable DVD players, iPod's? Share your GPS with your wife? Add up the cost of a couple of those downtime devices. I'm not saying that there will be a flood to replace those devices (although there are many that will), but to new consumers who have overlap uses of these devices, it is a very reasonably priced option and one that will appeal to many.
I think you are not seeing the picture yet. First off, "as it is" is a flawed argument. Apple is probably the only tech hardware company that has gotten this. They update products every (approx) 8months. And yes it pisses some people off, but again, that equation has worked for them very well. Last study I read was that the people that have recently bought iPods, by a great majority, owned at least two of them already. Point here is that tech moves to quickly for it to be judged statically, it is now a different paradigm.
And if you think that this device does not have, or will not further establish a market your not thinking wide enough. In either direction, consumer or pro, the potential for that form is enormous. Think about real estate agents, or any other mobile sales agents (windows/doors catalogue type stuff). Think about your wife's computing needs. Those are NEW markets.
For established ones, think about the very imminent cell calling and video chat, and more importantly for pure numbers, that one of the cellcoms is going to subsidize the device with a contract and you will see it at $199-299.
Merlot/Techman, you dont think that it has sales staying power? Put your money where your mouth is... pick a non-successful-to-you unit sales number. For either the end of the calendar year or 12 months from now. I will offer a wager for let's say a couple of hrs of a favorite provider?
Hello all,
Which would fairly apply to those knee-jerk people who defend or support anything overwhelmingly without being realiztic about the positives and negatives of which both are always present for any product. As I said before, this is not a sport for a championship.
If you are lumping me in with Techman as anti-Apple you are mistaken. I have never owned an Apple product but I have enjoyed using some and I have never attacked Apple or said MS was inherently superior. I elaborated one comparative experience in an extremely similar networking situation on which even an Apple supporter said Macs had some networking issues. Otherwise I have stayed away from this topic because of the kind of "rah rah for my team" squabbling that motivated the mods to make firm warnings.
I posted the Huffington article because as a non-expert, one of the few not acting like one, I am looking for answers. The article was one of the few I could find that reviewed the product, for obvious reasons, and I thought posting it would generate some deeper real facts to explain how the Ipad was of particular benefit. to the common buyer. So let's keep it real. Defensiveness and silly mis-naming of a product are not the tactics that provide credibility or believability.
No, as I said I am not seeing the whole picture because I am trying to understand how the Ipad fits in. Your explanation is helping.
Why are those new markets? You seem to be identifying part of the niche the Ipad will fill, which is fine, but not a new market. Businesses like this have obviously needed and used computer technology devices since inception, and I don't see how the category wives has any distinct role that requires use different from the common user except for more extensive use of some of the same options all use.
Below500k, I am trying to learn here. I am not an opponent. Keep that in mind and you may win an Apple customer. Otherwise remember Newton's Law...in different words (not necessarily about any one person here), when you create resistance you get resistance .
Cheers,
Merlot
BTW...teenagers are about the most demanding, frivolous, and often abusive users there are. It comes with being a teen, and I have seen them download anything and abuse with no sense of risk or wisdom...especially when they don't pay for it.
Which would fairly apply to those knee-jerk people who defend or support anything overwhelmingly without being realiztic about the positives and negatives of which both are always present for any product. As I said before, this is not a sport for a championship.
If you are lumping me in with Techman as anti-Apple you are mistaken. I have never owned an Apple product but I have enjoyed using some and I have never attacked Apple or said MS was inherently superior. I elaborated one comparative experience in an extremely similar networking situation on which even an Apple supporter said Macs had some networking issues. Otherwise I have stayed away from this topic because of the kind of "rah rah for my team" squabbling that motivated the mods to make firm warnings.
I posted the Huffington article because as a non-expert, one of the few not acting like one, I am looking for answers. The article was one of the few I could find that reviewed the product, for obvious reasons, and I thought posting it would generate some deeper real facts to explain how the Ipad was of particular benefit. to the common buyer. So let's keep it real. Defensiveness and silly mis-naming of a product are not the tactics that provide credibility or believability.
No, as I said I am not seeing the whole picture because I am trying to understand how the Ipad fits in. Your explanation is helping.
Why are those new markets? You seem to be identifying part of the niche the Ipad will fill, which is fine, but not a new market. Businesses like this have obviously needed and used computer technology devices since inception, and I don't see how the category wives has any distinct role that requires use different from the common user except for more extensive use of some of the same options all use.
Below500k, I am trying to learn here. I am not an opponent. Keep that in mind and you may win an Apple customer. Otherwise remember Newton's Law...in different words (not necessarily about any one person here), when you create resistance you get resistance .
Cheers,
Merlot
BTW...teenagers are about the most demanding, frivolous, and often abusive users there are. It comes with being a teen, and I have seen them download anything and abuse with no sense of risk or wisdom...especially when they don't pay for it.
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Hi Merlot,
I lumped you in with Techman, because the posts being made are jaded (as you feel mine may be). In any case it was a lighthearted attempt at a
"conviction of your words" wager. And to be very clear, I do not view either of you as an opponent, as I am a peace loving man, with absolutely nothing to gain by promoting Apple products. That said, I like to be open and hope that my posts are a little enlightening.
The wives category is (to me) the perfect analogy of a very untapped new market. Think about it for a moment, as I stereotype...
Women of a certain age (we'll call them wives) hate technology, they hate wires, they hate having to use their computers, which are by all accounts, ugly noisy devices that have given them nothing but grief and frustration. They have no use for it except to do Facebook, Google searches, e-mail, and maybe backgammon/crosswords, the occasional movie, maybe download some music. By enlarge they are using hand-me-downs, and they are people who would NOT go and buy a computer for themselves.
Enter a stylish iPad. It is everything they would ever want or need and more.
Again, I'm stereotyping, but the same applies to real estate agents or the roving representative type folks who have to lug around laptops yet do nothing more than type e-mails, show some pics, etc.
If you want to get what people will use this for go to the Apple App store. They are by in large small gadgety type things, but is quite an amazing perspective of what average people use and want - as opposed to what tech companies think.
I lumped you in with Techman, because the posts being made are jaded (as you feel mine may be). In any case it was a lighthearted attempt at a
"conviction of your words" wager. And to be very clear, I do not view either of you as an opponent, as I am a peace loving man, with absolutely nothing to gain by promoting Apple products. That said, I like to be open and hope that my posts are a little enlightening.
The wives category is (to me) the perfect analogy of a very untapped new market. Think about it for a moment, as I stereotype...
Women of a certain age (we'll call them wives) hate technology, they hate wires, they hate having to use their computers, which are by all accounts, ugly noisy devices that have given them nothing but grief and frustration. They have no use for it except to do Facebook, Google searches, e-mail, and maybe backgammon/crosswords, the occasional movie, maybe download some music. By enlarge they are using hand-me-downs, and they are people who would NOT go and buy a computer for themselves.
Enter a stylish iPad. It is everything they would ever want or need and more.
Again, I'm stereotyping, but the same applies to real estate agents or the roving representative type folks who have to lug around laptops yet do nothing more than type e-mails, show some pics, etc.
If you want to get what people will use this for go to the Apple App store. They are by in large small gadgety type things, but is quite an amazing perspective of what average people use and want - as opposed to what tech companies think.
I think you can rule out the real estate market, at least those agents who I have as clients. Many of the sites they use happen to have a lot of Flash on them for virtual tours which can't be viewed on this device. They also use a particular software, the name of which doesn't jump to mind right now, which requires a full OS to run. Every agent I know has either a laptop or a netbook along with a Blackberry and I don't see them carrying yet another device that adds nothing to what they already use.
Everyone talks about this new market segment that the iPad will address but no one seems to be able to identify it properly. I have a number of photographers as friends and clients who were looking forward to the iPad but who lost all interest when they saw the lack of USB connectivity, no memory card reader and the limited storage capacity. Another client with a decent sized advertising sales force lost interest when there was no stylus included to make notes and indentify changes to ad mock-ups and send them directly to their graphics dept. as well as the lack of USB and other things already mentioned.
My friend's kids lost interest when they saw that it doesn't do Flash. HTML5 is a long way from replacing Flash in general use and the lack of Flash really is a big thing in the younger market.
I really won't go anywhere near the 'wives' comment other than to say that some of my friends wives are more technically aware than their husbands and that they'd be very insulted being referred to as simply 'wives'.
You are right about the iPod however. I know a number of people who are on their third or fourth or even fifth iPod. Not because they really want to keep buying them, but they're locked in to iTunes with hundreds and in some cases thousands of dollars of purchased music that they can't access with any other device but an iPod. So when the battery dies on it, or it breaks, or gets dropped or whatever, they buy another one because it's faster than getting it serviced and much less time consuming. Now if they could change the battery themselves...
And why do people keep talking about what the 'version 2' will be like? Imminent cell calling? Really? Apple has said nothing about including phone capability in the iPad or even including a camera in the next version. Ans why should people have to buy something twice, especially at these prices, to get what should have been there in the first place? Besides, Apple doesn't want to erode their iPhone business by including cell phone in the iPad, not to mention that it's a little big to replace a smartphone.
So, I really don't see any new market for this thing that isn't currently being addressed by existing devices already on the market at a lower price.
Everyone talks about this new market segment that the iPad will address but no one seems to be able to identify it properly. I have a number of photographers as friends and clients who were looking forward to the iPad but who lost all interest when they saw the lack of USB connectivity, no memory card reader and the limited storage capacity. Another client with a decent sized advertising sales force lost interest when there was no stylus included to make notes and indentify changes to ad mock-ups and send them directly to their graphics dept. as well as the lack of USB and other things already mentioned.
My friend's kids lost interest when they saw that it doesn't do Flash. HTML5 is a long way from replacing Flash in general use and the lack of Flash really is a big thing in the younger market.
I really won't go anywhere near the 'wives' comment other than to say that some of my friends wives are more technically aware than their husbands and that they'd be very insulted being referred to as simply 'wives'.
You are right about the iPod however. I know a number of people who are on their third or fourth or even fifth iPod. Not because they really want to keep buying them, but they're locked in to iTunes with hundreds and in some cases thousands of dollars of purchased music that they can't access with any other device but an iPod. So when the battery dies on it, or it breaks, or gets dropped or whatever, they buy another one because it's faster than getting it serviced and much less time consuming. Now if they could change the battery themselves...
And why do people keep talking about what the 'version 2' will be like? Imminent cell calling? Really? Apple has said nothing about including phone capability in the iPad or even including a camera in the next version. Ans why should people have to buy something twice, especially at these prices, to get what should have been there in the first place? Besides, Apple doesn't want to erode their iPhone business by including cell phone in the iPad, not to mention that it's a little big to replace a smartphone.
So, I really don't see any new market for this thing that isn't currently being addressed by existing devices already on the market at a lower price.
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