who's gonna buy an iPad? « Singletrack Forum

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who's gonna buy an iPad?

110 posts & 54 voices | Started 2 years ago by jimmy | Latest reply from aracer

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mboy - Member

Don't listen to the iHaterz (tm)

Buy one if you want one!

Personally, it doesn't do it for me at all... Performance looks too compromised for its size. Doesn't look like it moves the game on much from the iPhone or iPod touch in my view, except for in size. And then there's the fact the screen resolution, though ok for its size again, is only 1024x768... Who uses a computer at that res these days?

If you think it will work for you, why not get one... I just know it wouldn't suit me. Already have an iPhone, and a MacBookPro, and also a pretty decent spec windoze desktop too so just don't see the point personally.

Oh, and I'm not overly fond of it design wise either. I think they could have made it look a bit more "organic" (for lack of a better word), with more rounded edges and softer tones perhaps...

Posted 2 years ago #
mboy - Member

IMO biggest problem with iPhone is battery life...so how is a super-sized tablet going to perform ? Have I missed something like some new battery technology ?

Bigger battery one wonders?

Plenty of space in there compared to an iPhone one suspects!

Posted 2 years ago #
pjbarton - Member

TT
I want something that is a pain to browse on (no mouse)

a mouse is not the ultimate solution for browsing - i think the demo shows its a very useful browsing environment

a pain to type on (no keyboard)

well, the iphone keyboard with auto correction is really pretty good - Jobs said about the physical keyboard - if you have to write 'war and piece'...

can only connect to what apple want me to connect to

um, what?

and can only run what apple want me to run

apart from the 120,000 apps, what is it you need?

and is bigger than an iphone but with the functionality of an itouch.

bigger is good, screen wise, yes?

and is a wee bit delicate

the unibody construction would suggest it will be pretty strong - when you used it, what felt delicate about it - I'm intrigued?

Posted 2 years ago #
Dougal - Member

I'm going to order one when they become available. I have a £2k MBP and a £500 iphone. I'm sick of working on the MBP, then stopping work and playing on the MBP. The iPhone is just too small to do lots of web stuff on in front of the TV. £600 (estimate for 64GB/Wifi only) is cheap when I think that the only other second computer I would consider would be a MacBook or another MBP, and it would only get used for web browsing 99% of the time.

If I owned cheap £400 notebooks like the majority of people, I might think the iPad was expensive. But as it is, it's a bargain.

As for not being able to install stuff that's not in the Appstore; I manage fine on my phone with this, never wanted anything that isn't there already. The iPad is an appliance, not a computer, all the fiddly bits are hidden from the user. If I wanted to muck about installing stuff after an entire day of writing software, I would have bought another machine years ago.

Posted 2 years ago #
glenh - Member

IMO biggest problem with iPhone is battery life...so how is a super-sized tablet going to perform ? Have I missed something like some new battery technology ?

Well, since it's must bigger it has a much bigger battery. About 15 times as big in fact.
10 hours of use sounds pretty good to me.

Not that I'm likely to buy one. I need a proper computer and my phone does everything the iPad does (apart from having a big screen of course).

p.s. what's wrong with iphone battery life? It lasts ages.

Posted 2 years ago #
pjbarton - Member

10 hours battery - one month standby - so they say

Posted 2 years ago #
mboy - Member

p.s. what's wrong with iphone battery life? It lasts ages.

As a devoted iPhone user, I'll be the first one to chime in here and say the battery life is easily the weakest point with the iPhone. If I make a few calls, do a bit of web browsing, and a few other bits and bobs on it, can easily drain more than half the battery in no time in my experience. I have to charge mine every day for sure (not an issue unless you go somewhere when you've forgotten your charger!), even on standby it won't last 2 full days without dying.

Other than that, it's ace! And to be fair I'm never away from a facility to charge it should I need to really (except when out on my bike).

Posted 2 years ago #
al_f - Member

theyEye - Member
Don't do it. It's worse than a laptop for using in the house (underpowered, limited iPhone-ish OS), and it's worse than an iPhone for walking around with (waaay too big). It makes no sense.

wow, you were lucky to be at the event and get some hands on time with the demo units.
<\sarcasm>

Posted 2 years ago #
glenh - Member

I don't have an iphone any more (sold it to buy a new Nexus One, because I much prefer Android to iPhone OS), but I thought the battery life was pretty good (better than a lot of the other 'features').

Used to last me a couple of days with plenty of use and up to 4 days with minimal use.

Posted 2 years ago #
fubar - Member

Lasts ages !!? No way

(sent from my iPhone)

Posted 2 years ago #
porterclough - Member

Don't do it. It's worse than a laptop for using in the house (underpowered, limited iPhone-ish OS), and it's worse than an iPhone for walking around with (waaay too big). It makes no sense.

Don't get a car. A car will be worse for carrying passengers than a bus (not enough seats, limited engine size), and it will be worse than a motorbike for driving in traffic (too big and too slow). No-one will want one.

Posted 2 years ago #
pjbarton - Member

i think iPhone uses find themselves picking up and using their iPhone a lot which gives the illusion of a bad battery - i'm not sure it's stellar, but I think the consensus is that all the smartphones are about the same.

Posted 2 years ago #
rs - Member

Don't get a car. A car will be worse for carrying passengers than a bus (not enough seats, limited engine size), and it will be worse than a motorbike for driving in traffic (too big and too slow). No-one will want one.

iLike this analogy

Posted 2 years ago #
ex-pat - Member

Ordinarily I try not be one of the naysayers. But in this instance I can't see it being a great success, other than the iFanbase that'll no doubt have to have one.
I do think that the iPhone being as successful as it is will mean that casual users won't super size (for want of a better way of saying). And those that are into gaming, browsing and the likes will compare with netbooks and other small devices, and not sure it'll be favourable to them without really looking into it.
Now if it had been rubbery white then it would be killer.

Posted 2 years ago #
pjbarton - Member

i must admit it made me look at my iPhone and think, wow, it's a mini iPad but with a camera!

Posted 2 years ago #
robdob - Member

Yes - I want something that is a pain to browse on (no mouse), a pain to type on (no keyboard),

I find browsing with my iPhone a lot easier than my laptop, and just as easy as using a mouse.

Typing is the best thing ever, I can type just as fast on my iPhone as I can on a full size computer, almost......
Took me a couple of weeks to get used to it but I love it. The ipad is something that geeks won't like as it's not the same as everything they already have (but in a different box and more ram), it's a genuinely useful thing. My wife when I told her about it thought it would be ace for us.

Posted 2 years ago #
uponthedowns - Member

Big iphone without the camera or GPS. What's the point?

Big itouch that you can pull out on the train and look like a total knob. What's the point?

Posted 2 years ago #
theyEye - Member

The bus analogy is rubbish. A laptop will do everything that an iPad will do, better, and that's the whole point. Not true for the bus.

The forte of the iPad is the format, which may be more attractive and usable, sometimes. If you're willing to blow a few hundred quid on something which MAY occassionally be more convenient than your laptop and iPhone, go for it. But my guess you'll play with it for a couple of weeks, and then it will become a really expensive paperweight.

Posted 2 years ago #
druidh - Member

I might buy one for the Mrs. She's a technophobe but is determined to discover what the Internets are for. I reckon this might be just the thing.

Posted 2 years ago #
pjbarton - Member

"But my guess you'll play with it for a couple of weeks, and then it will become a really expensive paperweight."

Wow - I bet you're WAY out on that! - those that buy it will use it loads.

I have an old macbook that gets used after work from 9 - 12pm every night for casual browsing, email, facebook etc - the battery's had it and it burns your legs. for us the iPad would be something that quietly gets used a LOT!

Posted 2 years ago #
GrahamS - Member

And then there's the fact the screen resolution, though ok for its size again, is only 1024x768... Who uses a computer at that res these days?

Erm.. any netbook user? e.g. Samsung NC10 (a forum favourite and one of the most popular netbooks) is only 1024x600.

battery life is easily the weakest point with the iPhone.

Agreed. Though I also agree that it's probably cos I use it so much.
Annoying bu not really a huge issue. Charger at home, charger in the car, USB cable at work, extra Kensington battery for long flights etc. Sorted.

Big iphone without the camera or GPS

I thought it had GPS? Apple website says "Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)"

Big itouch that you can pull out on the train and look like a total knob. What's the point?

How would you look any more of a nob than someone using a laptop, netbook or tablet PC?

a pain to type on (no keyboard)

Yeah, imagine that, how awful.
(Sent from my iPhone)

Posted 2 years ago #
CountZero - Member

I will be getting one, for certain. It fulfills exactly my requirements', which is something biggerer than my iPhone, that I can properly read books, magazines and newspapers on, watch movies at a decent size, see OS maps at a decent size, and browse the web, also at a decent page size. All these things I do on the phone, but the screen size is limiting sometimes. Yes, I could get a laptop, but they're bulky by comparison, and even a MacBook is going to be a fair bit heavier, and lugging my 17" PowerBook around in my bag for casual use is utterly out of the question; a 7lb fragile laptop with poor battery life by comparison? No contest. The pad in a padded case will just sit in my bag unnoticed until I need it, it's just exactly what I need.

Posted 2 years ago #
bigrich - Member

no usb is the big kicker; pack light go to a conference, do some last minute changes to work, but then you need a laptop to sync and then put the presentation across.

for a travel/work device its too limited. that then leaves it as a web browser/video viewer, which is (more) easily done on a netbook.

Posted 2 years ago #
TooTall - Member

robdob - Member
Typing is the best thing ever, I can type just as fast on my iPhone as I can on a full size computer, almost......

Thats great. For you. On the other hand, I can use both hands and most of my fingers when I type, which means I can use a real keyboard properly. Therefore, no comparison.

I like the unibody construction as a reason why it is of robust construction. That just means it is (essentially) not repairable and another example of poor design to satisfy disposable society. It will sell and lots of people will buy it as they 'need' it. Just like lots of people 'need' an iphone. Clever marketing indeed.

Posted 2 years ago #
Drac - Moderator

I think that the only other second computer I would consider would be a MacBook or another MBP, and it would only get used for web browsing 99% of the time.

Ah I see the real reason for you getting one. A true apple fan boi.

Posted 2 years ago #
DrJ - Member

How would you look any more of a nob than someone using a laptop, netbook or tablet PC?

Bit less of a knob, I'd say, as you will actually be doing something and not just staring out of the window waiting for the thing to boot.

Posted 2 years ago #
DrJ - Member

Thats great. For you. On the other hand, I can use both hands and most of my fingers when I type, which means I can use a real keyboard properly.

Have you got a camera like Ti29er?

Posted 2 years ago #
TooTall - Member

Has anyone else mentioned the inability to multi task? One thing at once - thats not really very good is it? No booting up, but one thing at a time after that. Poopy indeed.

Posted 2 years ago #
DrJ - Member

Has anyone else mentioned the inability to multi task? One thing at once - thats not really very good is it? No booting up, but one thing at a time after that. Poopy indeed.

You're spending a lot of time and energy criticising this thing, TT. People might start to think you have an unhealthy obsession.

Posted 2 years ago #
GrahamS - Member

for a travel/work device its too limited. that then leaves it as a web browser/video viewer, which is (more) easily done on a netbook.

that's the market it's aimed at IMO. Don't really see how a netbook is easier though?

Posted 2 years ago #
tomdebruin - ex-web monkey

And then there's the fact the screen resolution, though ok for its size again, is only 1024x768... Who uses a computer at that res these days?

It's the second most popular resolution on stw with 17% of the pie.

Flash support? Many sites are moving away from flash because it is bloated, particularly on OSX. And proper video support in HTML5 will show a big decline for showing video. That is when internet explorer catches up...

Posted 2 years ago #
uplink - Member

though ok for its size again, is only 1024x768... Who uses a computer at that res these days?

me

Posted 2 years ago #
IA - Member

Thing about most of the naysayers - no matter what the tablet was like they probably wouldn't have bought one anyway - they're not the target market.

They're pitching it between an iphone and a MB(P). For anyone that can afford these, it's a cheap cool gadget and many will buy them.

Personally, I can see me replacing my MBP with one. I already have a (powerfull) desktop too, and given I can do entertainment and comms tasks on the ipad, and crucially use it to not only give, but also tweak presentations, makes it tempting.

Posted 2 years ago #
tomdebruin - ex-web monkey

http://www.stephenfry.com/2010/01/28/ipad-about/ has a great write up about the launch and the device itself. He touched it you know.

Posted 2 years ago #
firestarter - Member

i wonder if you can run pirate software on it ... See what i did there pirate..ipad.. oh dear igmc

Posted 2 years ago #