iPads – WHY are they taking over the world?

Its just so much easier than using the libraries/folder structure on the players themselves generally and using the network rather than I/R I can be sat in the garden with the hifi set to Zone 2 switching tracks without going in the house for example.
I also couldn’t get much enjoyment from watching a film on a tablet…small screen tinny speakers.. Dont see the point.
I listed PS3 just because it’s a renderer I would use a controller for the ps3, I wouldn’t use the PS3 for player anyway it’s not very good as one. IMO.

not sure what the prob is with Apple/atv or even if it still exists.
Like I said I don’t like Apple stuff, don’t own any, won’t own any.

…and what happened to them? They died a death when most of us realised Steve Jobs was onto something with these new fangled “tablets”.

And almost immediately they started appearing with removable keyboards, I wouldn’t be surprised if that very quickly became the norm. Then the industry will have stepped through tablets to come back to netbooks – at twice the price!

But whereas I look at the cost of a big phone that’s worse than an old netbook and scoff at the price, people on STW look at a small wooshy computer that costs less than their last seatpost and can’t believe it’s so cheap! 😆

Klumpy, yer talking pish, pro pish at that.

worse than an old netbook

I’ll agree to disagree on this one. What old netbook has GPS? What netbook has a (video) camera? What netbook has a bang up to date OS* rather than something Microsoft tried to ditch years ago? Etc. Netbooks are nothing more than cheap and underpowered laptops that sacrifice performance for…erm….what exactly? Price, that’s it. As Apple demonstrate very effectively, this is not a price-driven market. Remarkably.

*not used a Chromebook, maybe they are better

with removable keyboards, I wouldn’t be surprised if that very quickly became the norm

I would.

worse than an old netbook

If they sort out boot up times, PC’s may stand a chance again. But the iPad is so much better as a media consumption device than a laptop.

But the iPad is so much better as a media consumption device than a laptop.

I’ve heard this said before. It’s so true and I think is an important point in why tablets have become so popular. There are still lots of tasks that a laptop is more suited to than a tablet. The thing is, the tasks that the majority of the money-spending public want a “computer” for are handled much better on a tablet. Surfing the internet was a chore before tablets came along. With tablets, surfing is as easy as channel-hopping on a TV. Not sure if that’s a good thing 😆

Yeah. “Instant-on” is the tablet market’s killer app. Even a laptop resume can’t compete. Being able to pick something up and just use it without thinking “I’ll just start up the computer and…” is a massive plus point.

I still wouldn’t buy any of them. They cost a bomb and do very little, they should cost the same as a low end netbook. And have a keyboard.

£159 for a Nexus 7? 🙂 Works fine with bluetooth or USB keyboards (mouse too if you really wanted the whole hog). You could even remote desktop to your desktop PC with Splashtop if you desperately needed a full laptop experience.

Netbooks were a great idea, I found them painfully rubbish though. Instead of a powerful device running a slim operating system/apps, they were a low power device running apps drastically too expensive for them.

So let me get this straight … the sheep are the people who buy Apple products?

Not the companies who make cheap inferior rip-offs of Apple products?

<confused>

Indeed, from the safe confines of the Apple ecosystem they believe the world outsides is fraught with terrible software and devices made of bendy plastic. Realistically the competing products have been pretty much level pegging for a couple of years now, for less money.

My Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 combined are still £100 cheaper than an iPhone 5.

Buy an iPad, buy a car, sleep on a mattress …. other options are available

Yup, guess I’m a sheep then

Actually, I have a Windows laptop and will soon be installing Linux onto a desktop.

Raspberry Pi as a media device too.

But yes, apart from that generally terrified.

“Instant-on” is the tablet market’s killer app

That and no save. And no file system.

Just like Jef Raskin described in ‘The Humane Interface’ I think. (First published 13 years ago.)

“I thought the damn robot should speak human, not the other way round”

That and no save. And no file system.

eh?

piemonster – Member
Actually, I have a Windows laptop and will soon be installing Linux onto a desktop.
Raspberry Pi as a media device too.
But yes, apart from that generally terrified.

Raspberry Pi is not really much of a media device tbh tried that.. No digital audio out.

Cubox is a better route
http://www.solid-run.com/cubox

Netbooks were a great idea, I found them painfully rubbish though. Instead of a powerful device running a slim operating system/apps, they were a low power device running apps drastically too expensive for them.

I see a netbook and a tablet (esp with keyboard) as being the same idea, just one done a bit (lot? )better than the other – maybe the “done better” explains a higher price.

GPS and cameras obviously add to the cost, but I don’t know if I’d need either to watch iPlayer on the couch.

That Nexus 7 mentioned earlier sounds a good price, I suspect iPads come in a little higher?

I think the Ipad is brill but I don’t want/don’t plan to buy an Iphone.

I think those calling “sheep” should stop bleating on about it.

Raspberry Pi is not really much of a media device tbh tried that.. No digital audio out.

Aye, but it was free

I think those calling “sheep” should stop bleating on about it.

Boom

but I don’t know if I’d need either to watch iPlayer on the couch.

Nor do you need a tablet or a netbook. Just a smart TV or similar.

There have been a few posts up there^ where actually quite techy people have been arguing/discussing how things can and should be done. This is where Apple score points by taking the guess-work/research out of it. For example there are LOTS of ways of getting media on your PC/laptop playing on “the big telly” or even your tablet/phone for that matter. Anyone can Google how to do it but will potentially be baffled with talk of DLNA servers, clients and renderers not to mention confusion with file formats (how many codecs??). Apple’s apparent lack of flexibility is precisely what makes it easier for Joe-public to get the results they want without having to get technical.

To back this up, I’ve plenty of experience of using several 3rd party DLNA servers to serve media to my Sony BD player. All were a faff and the Sony DLNA client is unpleasant to use. I now use iTunes as my media server and Apple TV as my client. Easy peasy and a joy to use.

Raspberry Pi is not really much of a media device tbh tried that.. No digital audio out.

… apart from the HDMI port?

On a similar note, the Ouya makes a good media box 🙂 $99 with a couple of wireless pads, much to my surprise XBMC (Android version) runs fine on it already and the pad bindings just worked out the box. Merrily runs stuff like Netflix already too, should be good.

Toasty – Member
Indeed, from the safe confines of the Apple ecosystem they believe the world outsides is fraught with terrible software and devices made of bendy plastic. Realistically the competing products have been pretty much level pegging for a couple of years now, for less money.

This.

It’s not 2007 any more, things move on….everything syncs with everything else these days.

Neither system is superior, what tech you should buy depends on what you already have….if you have an iphone it makes sense to buy an ipad, a macbook etc and do everything through Apple/iTunes….if you have an Android handset buy a Nexus tablet and do everything through Google instead.

Apple’s apparent lack of flexibility is precisely what makes it easier for Joe-public to get the results they want without having to get technical.

Yep. Do one thing well.

The best apps (outside of games) are the ones that heed this.

No one wants a washing machine that can also tell you what the weather forecast is. There is a good reason that a toaster-coffeemaker-radio will be outsold by normal toasters, coffeemakers and radios.

if you have an Android handset buy a Nexus tablet and do everything through Google instead.

Actually I do quite a bit through Google from my iPad. Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Maps, Picasa, Search, Google+ etc

Cougar – Moderator
Raspberry Pi is not really much of a media device tbh tried that.. No digital audio out.
… apart from the HDMI port?

true, depends on what your system is. It’s most likely not a prob for most….

There were other issues too but I forget.

Actually I do quite a bit through Google from my iPad. Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Maps, Picasa, Search, Google+ etc

And what if apple or Google were to take that away ala Google maps before the climb down?

There is a good reason that a toaster-coffeemaker-radio will be outsold by normal toasters, coffeemakers and radios.

Add in ‘alarm clock’ and I’d buy that in a heartbeat.

Then they’d be very unwise. Can’t see it happening…

They did it with maps! Google could pull the plug whenever they like, perhaps at a target android market share. I didn’t foresee apple pulling them out of choice though!

What old netbook has GPS?

What iPad has GPS? Certainly not the one we have (unlike the netbook sized computer I’m typing on – which was incidentally also cheaper than any iPad).

What netbook has a (video) camera?

The one I owned for a short period certainly had a built in camera which could record video. Personally I’m less than convinced how useful a video camera is on something that sized – maybe it’s the killer app for you?

Surfing the internet was a chore before tablets came along

Really? I still find it less awkward on this than the iPad, and can’t say I’m really convinced by the advantages of a tablet for browsing.

You can still access it all via the browser anyway can’t you?

@aracer

Out of curiosity, which netbook are you using?

What iPad has GPS?

all the 3G ones.

They did it with maps! Google could pull the plug whenever they like

On a point of note, Google didn’t pull Google Maps out of iOS, Apple did.

As an aside, I’m writing this from my latest toy – a Samsung Series 3 chromebook.

Its fast, small, light, good battery life but *everything* is done via the browser. Bit of a mind-flip. There is some local storage and you can edit docs offline but everything else is streamed or online. Great for emails, a bit of browsing or replying into forums like this one.

Still going to update my iPad 1 to an iPad 4 this weekend, mind…. 😀

I didn’t foresee apple pulling them out of choice though!

I want one so badly! Get that and scrap my laptop. Then just ssh into my server all the time. Be ace!

What iPad has GPS?

Mine 🙂

all the 3G ones.

So the non-3G ones sacrifice performance for…erm….what exactly? Price 😈

I’m sorry, but you really can’t accuse something of being inferior to an iPad because of lack of GPS!

@piemonster – it’s a Lenovo x100e – only netbook form factor (well almost, it’s 11″ rather than 10″), the internals are a lot more powerful.