iPad usefulness?
in [UK Mac]
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From: Jaimie Vandenbergh on 1 Apr 2010 06:34 On Thu, 1 Apr 2010 11:17:10 +0100, me32(a)privacy.net (R) wrote: >Jaimie Vandenbergh <jaimie(a)sometimes.sessile.org> wrote: >> Media (music, videos, books, podcasts etc) - yes. > >Yes - if you don't mind the poor quality. Poor quality sound, >low resolution video and books, etc etc. > >I would like to think, as Apple customers, we care about >quality as much as convenience. I'm not quite sure of your point here. It's a smallish portable device not intended to be a fixed part of a hifi and with only middling dpi, therefore its media presentation is limited? This is hardly news... But somehow I read books on my iPhone constantly, while travelling and at home. I listen to music on my iPhone often, occasionally plugging it into external amp+speakers. I don't watch a lot of video on it, but what I do is fine for purpose and it can store and play HD onto real TV screens. I expect books and video would be better in the iPad screen than the iPhone, while music quality will be much the same. In no case is either ever going to be as good looking as a paper book, as pleasant sounding as a decent source in my home stereo stack, or as involving as 1080p on a big flatscreen. But as I say, that's hardly news. Cheers - Jaimie -- None of this will matter in 20 billion years.
From: R on 1 Apr 2010 06:36 Jim <jim(a)magrathea.plus.com> wrote: > On 2010-04-01, R <me32(a)privacy.net> wrote: > > > >> Andy's of the same opinion as me: Apple doesn't want the stability of the > >> device compromised by large numbers of badly written device drivers. > > > > Which will entail using some other device in conjunction with the > > iPad, and that other device will be compromised by large numbers > > of badly written device drivers? > > What makes you think that printing from the iPad is any kind of priority for > Apple? What matters is if it's a priority for their customers.
From: Jim on 1 Apr 2010 06:40 On 2010-04-01, R <me32(a)privacy.net> wrote: >> > >> >> Andy's of the same opinion as me: Apple doesn't want the stability of the >> >> device compromised by large numbers of badly written device drivers. >> > >> > Which will entail using some other device in conjunction with the >> > iPad, and that other device will be compromised by large numbers >> > of badly written device drivers? >> >> What makes you think that printing from the iPad is any kind of priority for >> Apple? > > What matters is if it's a priority for their customers. And it almost certainly isn't. Jim -- Twitter:@GreyAreaUK "[The MP4-12C] will be fitted with all manner of pointlessly shiny buttons that light up and a switch that says 'sport mode' that isn't connected to anything." The Daily Mash.
From: R on 1 Apr 2010 06:46 Jaimie Vandenbergh <jaimie(a)sometimes.sessile.org> wrote: > I'm not quite sure of your point here. It's a smallish portable device > not intended to be a fixed part of a hifi and with only middling dpi, > therefore its media presentation is limited? This is hardly news... Its dpi count could be quite a lot higher, though, couldn't it? And its sound quality and camera could be much better, too. I'm sorry to say I view the iPhone and iTouch as slightly tacky low quality devices. Quite a lot of the competition is even worse, though.
From: Peter Ceresole on 1 Apr 2010 06:47
Jaimie Vandenbergh <jaimie(a)sometimes.sessile.org> wrote: > My dad used a touchscreen Lifebook for a while, and then traded the 9" > one up to a 12". They're geeky toys, and barely practical - not small > enough to be pocketable, small enough to be fiddly to work with, > particularly the mousing. I'd be quite astonished if PeterC's s-i-l > didn't hate it after five minutes. I wasn't thinking of a touchscreen device, but a Netbook with a keyboard. To be honest, although my sister in law isn't short of a bob or two (until she retired seven years ago she was a consultant anaesthetist in Geneva) she's not really into spending more than she has to on computers; she spends on kitchen equipment, her chalet, food and books, her grandchildren. She just feels that as all her children are very much on line, but are now scattered around Switzerland, she ought to be able to keep in touch that way. What she likes about the iPad is the look of it; it's not threatening. However it may simply not be practical. Personally, if she wanted to get going, I'd point her at a Macbook, but they are fairly pricey for what would be a very small part of her life. The advantage would be that I could help her maintain it via VOIP- at least, unlike Windows, I would have an idea what she's seeing on screen. And she has friends and a daughter in Geneva who use Macs, and so have access to Mac techies locally. I'm seeing her soon, so we'll discuss it then. -- Peter |