[geeks] iPad - NOT a 'Miss' for me I'm afraid

[Lionel Peterson]

Deep breath, comments in-line below...

On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 10:47 AM,  <nate at portents.com> wrote:
>> On Jan 30, 2010, at 12:31 PM, "Jon Gilbert" <jjj at io.com> wrote:
>>
>>> ll I can say is that the iPad is going to end up in a lot of college
>>> dorm
>>> rooms. Ultimate college tool... think about it.
>>
>> No, it won't. Those who buy it will buy it because they are Mac fan-
>> boys (or girls),
>
> Way to show your bias - the only reason anyone would buy an iPad is
> because they're fans of the Mac?  What a fabulously rational argument.

You say Bias, I say Opinion - if you are suprised I shared my opinion,
my apologies.

>> and until $100+ textbooks suddenly become $10 ebooks,
>> electronic college textbooks won't drive these devices into the hands
>> of college students.
>>
>> The same $500 would buy one heck of a netbook OR a pretty capable
>> laptop with larger display and an actual keyboard.
>
> "OR"?  Why not "AND"?  $500 is a drop in the bucket when college costs
> $20,000-$50,000 a year.

Well AND costs twice as much as OR, I was arguing from the point of
$500 available, sorry you missed that point.

> When I was in college in 1995 I remember spending $500 on a 2x SCSI CD
> burner, and that was in 1995 dollars, and it took me a while to save up
> that money from my work-study job.

Yeah, tech used to be expensive.

>> Carrying one of these devices around *almost* requires a 'man purse',
>> and only the most ardent Apple fan will endure such an addition to
>> their wardrobe... IMHO
>
> Wha?  Last time I was in college, I used something called a backpack, and
> the iPad would fit pretty well in one.

I thought the point of the original post (implied, not directly
stated, I'll admit) was that this could eliminate the need to carry
books, and if you aren't carrying books, you wouldn't need a book bag
- instead you would likely carry a pack designed to carry the iPad,
something that would resemble a Man Purse IMHO (again, an opinion).

See: http://thesatchelpages.com/ for info on what a Man Purse is...

>>> The other thing it will be huge for is musicians.
>>
>> Again, no. Anything this uPas can do, a full-function laptop/netbook
>> can do. iPad is a new architecture, not a new form-factor for a
>> MacBook...
>
> Again, no reason to think people will necessarily stop using other devices
> when they get an iPad.  (And I'd argue that especially because there is
> less software maintenance to do on the iPad because of the App Store it
> will be that much easier for anyone to have an iPad in addition to other
> devices they already have.)
>
> No reason to think an iPad + Modbook wouldn't be a totally sweet combo for
> a lot of pros:
>
> http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Modbook

What would an iPad add to a Mac Book for a musician? The original
assertion was that this would displace other devices, not augment
them...

>>> I think business people
>>> will use them for on-the-spot sales presentations.
>>
>> And again, no. They will be used in tradeshows on stands/docks for
>> their novelty factor, much like the old "lamp base" iMacs were for a
>> while... It's size undermines it's usefulness, IMHO - it is very
>> nearly the same size as a clipboard, and as functional as an iPhone
>> with a larger display.
>>
>> The iPad is useful in those cases where you look at your iPhone and
>> say to yourself 'I wish the screen was bigger', which, BTW is NEVER
>> when you slip your iPhone in your pocket and leave your bulky laptop/
>> tablet/netbook at home/office.
>
> 'I wish the screen was bigger', which, BTW is quite often for a number of
> people I know.  Different devices at different times/places is not a bad
> thing.  Having multiple devices is also not a bad thing when those devices
> are very manageable from a software perspective (not something I would
> describe most Windows-based netbooks as, since they are going to require a
> higher degree of maintenance, checking, and hand-holding).

Multiple devices also need to be physically manageable, carrying an
iPhone, iPad, and a netbook/laptopcould be cumbersome, no?

>> As a parent I can see loading this up with movies/shows for my 6 year-
>> old, but having to buy content from Apple or figuring out the ripping
>> process for converting my already purchased VHS tapes and DVDs are
>> barriers to adoption by me, and many other buyers I suspect...
>
> What gives you the impression that the VHS-tape owning segment of the tech
> market is significant enough that anyone should be giving it consideration
> when designing a new product for the tech market?  I think that boat has
> sailed.

Libraries across america loan out VHS tapes every day, schools show
VHS tapes in classes every day, grandparents have shelves of VHS tapes
for their grandchildren. Sales of VHS tapes/recorders may be
non-existant, but the devices didn't all disappear when Blockbuster
went all DVD.

Woot recently had an Ion VHS -> PC player (tape drive and USB video
converter in one package) for $29.95, I bought one on a whim (to
capture old McDonald's VHS tapes to iPod for my young daughter), and
when I mentioned it to folks at $work, everyone had some level of
interest in such a device (a VHS tape conversion "appliance", if you
will, link here: http://www.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry.aspx?Id=11090 )...

Lionel

--
Lionel Peterson
lionel4287 at gmail.com