iPad is supercool
in [Mac Systems]
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From: John McWilliams on 30 Jan 2010 11:08 Warren Oates wrote: > In article <hjv183$e77$1(a)news.eternal-september.org>, > John McWilliams <jpmcw(a)comcast.net> wrote: > >> It damned well better have Firewire! And 4000 x 3000 pixels. > > And a camera. The iBall. Oh, no, no camera!! Too much like the early days of Xerox machines: People sitting on them. Not attractive. -- john mcwilliams
From: AES on 30 Jan 2010 12:16 In article <C788831B.4873AB%bobhaar(a)me.com>, Robert Haar <bobhaar(a)me.com> wrote: > > The purpose of this device is to expand availability of data/media > > beyond your desktop. You want to read your newspaper/book in bed ? No > > need for a keyboard. Watch a movie ? listen to music ? No need for keyboard. > > Agreed. It seems that Apple is targeting a new category of devices that is > between a smart phone and a laptop but is primarily a distribution point for > electronic media and Internet access. It includes some light weight apps but > won't fully replace a laptop/desktop. It is also drop-in-your pocket > replacement for a cell phone. It doesn't really compete with netbooks. > > We will have to wait a while to see if it catches on in the marketplace, but > Apple has a pretty job track record in recent years. I haven't decided if I > will get one or not, but if I do, it will be an addition to my current set > of devices, not a replacement. Exact same response here. I'm intensely focused on keeping all my data on _one_ machine, which means a laptop that mostly sits on my desk, connected to a big set of peripherals (external keyboard, scanner, big display), but occasionally gets unplugged and taken on trips. No synching, no wondering which gadget that file or email msg is on. But if I can also have an iPad-like device that can pull stuff off this primary machine wirelessly (can it?) and let me read, listen to, or view files elsewhere in the house -- e.g., in bed -- that's exactly what I'd want.
From: Doc O'Leary on 30 Jan 2010 13:39 In article <sehix-554EBE.11384329012010(a)5ad64b5e.bb.sky.com>, Steve Hix <sehix(a)NOSPAMmac.comINVALID> wrote: > In article <droleary.usenet-FD897D.12490229012010(a)news.twtelecom.net>, > Doc O'Leary <droleary.usenet(a)1q2010.subsume.com> wrote: > > > In article <sehix-920E00.18083328012010(a)5ad64b5e.bb.sky.com>, > > Steve Hix <sehix(a)NOSPAMmac.comINVALID> wrote: > > > > > In article <1264709729.186714(a)irys.nyx.net>, > > > Blanche <bcohen(a)blackhole.nyx.net> wrote: > > > > > > > I'm thinking that many of the active people on this list are not > > > > the target market for the iPad. How many people here require a keyboard > > > > at leat 60% of the time, and I don't mean just to enter in minimal text, > > > > but really need the keyboard. For example, writing this note. > > > > > > This might be an issue for someone who didn't have anything other than > > > an iPad to use. > > > > > > Which pretty much counts out everyone here. > > > > It pretty much counts out everyone who will buy the device. > > Don't think so. We here aren't a very good proxy for the market as a > whole. It has nothing to do with where we fit in the market and everything to do with the device itself. As I said, you *need* a computer already to use an iPad. So the only question to someone who already has a full size keyboard on their desktop or laptop is whether or not the iPad features offer them something useful during those times they don't need to do a lot of typing. > > I think it > > was a bit of a misstep for Apple to place it between an iPhone and a > > MacBook. > > Where else is there room in marketspace? They picked the biggest empty > spot. I already said where I think it fits in the market: desktop users who need some mobility but don't want to manage a laptop as a separate device. While it *physically* is between a smart phone and a laptop, they really need to better show it in use to highlight how it changes the game. I think Jobs flubbed the introduction, because most of it just seem to be a rehash of what an iPod touch could already do. > > It *needs* a computer to sync with, > > That assumes one wants to sync it with anything. Granted, that makes > things more convenient, especially as the total size of your content > goes up, and it's what I intend to do with mine, but... > > It's not the only way to use it. For one, some might be happy enough to > get by with what they can sync, say, through MobileMe. And some might issue it in a corporate environment as a thin client. There are plenty of ways I could *imagine* it being put to use, but let's stick with common expectations, and all signs point to Apple expecting there to be a computer to sync with. > > and while there may be > > some who will use their laptop to do that, my hunch is that it will be > > bought mainly by people with desktop systems who don't want to deal with > > a full-blown laptop. > > There will surely be those. There are more laptop buyers/owners than > desktop these days, and the gap looks like it's going to continue to > grow. But you haven't made a real case for people carrying around a laptop to also carry around an iPad. Of *course* Apple is aware of the migration to mobile computing, but I think they are also keenly aware of the trade-offs faced when you try to pack a desktop into a laptop. I think they're also keenly aware that there is a huge opportunity to tap the Windows desktop market, including businesses, with an "accessory" mobile device like the iPad. > > My guess is that Windows desktop users will be, or > > *should* be targeted as, the biggest market for the iPad. > > They're a shrinking demographic, too. Still...they're covered too, > according to Apple's iPad spec page. I'd wager the shrinking desktop market has been *because* people have been compromising to meet their mobile needs with a laptop. It'll be interesting to see how sales figures adjust themselves if the iPad catches on. > We haven't seen the ad campaign for the gadget yet. Who knows who'll be > targeted by it. Everyone. I already have an ad pictured in my head that shows how universally useful something like this would be. The key being that *what* it does is so much more important than *who* you might target as a user. -- My personal UDP list: 127.0.0.1, localhost, googlegroups.com, ono.com, and probably your server, too.
From: Robert Haar on 30 Jan 2010 14:00 On 1/30/10 12:16 PM, "AES" <siegman(a)stanford.edu> wrote: > In article <C788831B.4873AB%bobhaar(a)me.com>, > Robert Haar <bobhaar(a)me.com> wrote: > >>> The purpose of this device is to expand availability of data/media >>> beyond your desktop. You want to read your newspaper/book in bed ? No >>> need for a keyboard. Watch a movie ? listen to music ? No need for keyboard. >> >> Agreed. It seems that Apple is targeting a new category of devices that is >> between a smart phone and a laptop but is primarily a distribution point for >> electronic media and Internet access. It includes some light weight apps but >> won't fully replace a laptop/desktop. It is also drop-in-your pocket >> replacement for a cell phone. It doesn't really compete with netbooks. >> >> We will have to wait a while to see if it catches on in the marketplace, but >> Apple has a pretty job track record in recent years. I haven't decided if I >> will get one or not, but if I do, it will be an addition to my current set >> of devices, not a replacement. > > Exact same response here. > > I'm intensely focused on keeping all my data on _one_ machine, which > means a laptop that mostly sits on my desk, connected to a big set of > peripherals (external keyboard, scanner, big display), but occasionally > gets unplugged and taken on trips. No synching, no wondering which > gadget that file or email msg is on. Although I have a high end Mac Pro with a good amount of local storage (3.6 TB), I have started moving my media libraries to a networked storage device. With Gigabit Ethernet, performance is acceptable and the content can be shared through many devices. > But if I can also have an iPad-like device that can pull stuff off this > primary machine wirelessly (can it?) and let me read, listen to, or view > files elsewhere in the house -- e.g., in bed -- that's exactly what I'd > want. There are apps that do this on iPhone today so I would expect that it would be a natural for an iPad. Look for VNC or NTRConnect in the App Store.
From: JF Mezei on 30 Jan 2010 16:10
AES wrote: > But if I can also have an iPad-like device that can pull stuff off this > primary machine wirelessly (can it?) and let me read, listen to, or view > files elsewhere in the house -- e.g., in bed -- that's exactly what I'd > want. Very good question. Does the iPad have appleshare protocol capability ? AKA: if you are in bed or on a couch, can your ipad access your man systems to go and select a movie to view ? Or must you get up go down to the office and "synch" the ipad and copy the movie you want to it, and than go back up to your bed/caouc when you can finally view it ? On a laptop, you have AFS, and you can "stream" the movie that resides on another system by mounting its disk. |