Comments on: iPad: Beyond the Hate and the Hype http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/2010/02/02/ipad-beyond-the-hate-and-the-hype/ Musing from Steve Duffin's Mind Grapes Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:32:41 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: admin http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/2010/02/02/ipad-beyond-the-hate-and-the-hype/comment-page-1/#comment-70 admin Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:19:17 +0000 http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/?p=129#comment-70 Whether you need one or not isn't the point; it isn't a vital device by any stretch and isn't presented as one. The iPad is a casual device and that's one thing that has got people's backs-up, how dare Apple create a computing device to have fun with, blimey! The reason touch screen tablets have been slow to take off is because frankly (from what little I've seen of them) they suck ass and have failed to capture the world's attention. There were plenty of smart phones before the iPhone dropped, but it took Apple to come in to get the attention, revolutionize the market and make eveyone up their game. Nothing stopping them doing that again. I know I can't change your mind so we will have to just wait and see how it fairs! Whether you need one or not isn’t the point; it isn’t a vital device by any stretch and isn’t presented as one.

The iPad is a casual device and that’s one thing that has got people’s backs-up, how dare Apple create a computing device to have fun with, blimey!

The reason touch screen tablets have been slow to take off is because frankly (from what little I’ve seen of them) they suck ass and have failed to capture the world’s attention. There were plenty of smart phones before the iPhone dropped, but it took Apple to come in to get the attention, revolutionize the market and make eveyone up their game. Nothing stopping them doing that again.

I know I can’t change your mind so we will have to just wait and see how it fairs!

]]> By: Chris http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/2010/02/02/ipad-beyond-the-hate-and-the-hype/comment-page-1/#comment-69 Chris Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:47:48 +0000 http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/?p=129#comment-69 "It’s the worst of both worlds; totally underpowered, too small for any serious use". I thought you liked the iPad :P I used netbooks as the example because they're about the same price/size as an iPad but with infinite more uses, obviously a super lightweight laptop is better. You can also get touch screen ones so I see no need for the iPad. The fact that touch screen tablet PCs have been around for ages and not taken off is proof enough for me that it's not a very good idea. If it leads to those cool paper-like screens that you can roll up then fair enough, but they're not there yet...the iPad's just a gimmick that you don't need. “It’s the worst of both worlds; totally underpowered, too small for any serious use”. I thought you liked the iPad :P

I used netbooks as the example because they’re about the same price/size as an iPad but with infinite more uses, obviously a super lightweight laptop is better. You can also get touch screen ones so I see no need for the iPad.
The fact that touch screen tablet PCs have been around for ages and not taken off is proof enough for me that it’s not a very good idea.

If it leads to those cool paper-like screens that you can roll up then fair enough, but they’re not there yet…the iPad’s just a gimmick that you don’t need.

]]> By: admin http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/2010/02/02/ipad-beyond-the-hate-and-the-hype/comment-page-1/#comment-68 admin Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:18:03 +0000 http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/?p=129#comment-68 @chris wow, I couldn't disagree more. Just look at this video from Wired showing you how they intend to present the tablet version of their mag and tell me you don't get goose bumps. http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/02/the-wired-ipad-app-a-video-demonstration/ See, even if the iPad turns out to be just a bigger, super charged iPhone, that itself would be a game changer. I use my iPhone for non phone stuff about an hour a day; it's the place I get my news fix over breakfast and lunch via RSS feed reader and various News Apps. I prefer to use twitter and facebook on my iPhone because not only is it more convenient but my Laptop put me in work mode AND the experiences are actually better. I can only use it in short bursts though because it hurts my eyes squinting at its wee 2x4 inch screen. Something that can fill my hand and I can make big gestures with; extraordinary. As for Netbooks; they are the biggest joke sprung on the general public. I really don't get them. It's the worst of both world's; totally underpowered, too small for an serious use. Laptops these days are so light and powerful, don't be a tight ass, spend the money and get something you can use as a desktop replacement and take on the road. @chris wow, I couldn’t disagree more.

Just look at this video from Wired showing you how they intend to present the tablet version of their mag and tell me you don’t get goose bumps. http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/02/the-wired-ipad-app-a-video-demonstration/

See, even if the iPad turns out to be just a bigger, super charged iPhone, that itself would be a game changer.

I use my iPhone for non phone stuff about an hour a day; it’s the place I get my news fix over breakfast and lunch via RSS feed reader and various News Apps. I prefer to use twitter and facebook on my iPhone because not only is it more convenient but my Laptop put me in work mode AND the experiences are actually better.
I can only use it in short bursts though because it hurts my eyes squinting at its wee 2×4 inch screen. Something that can fill my hand and I can make big gestures with; extraordinary.

As for Netbooks; they are the biggest joke sprung on the general public. I really don’t get them. It’s the worst of both world’s; totally underpowered, too small for an serious use. Laptops these days are so light and powerful, don’t be a tight ass, spend the money and get something you can use as a desktop replacement and take on the road.

]]> By: Chris http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/2010/02/02/ipad-beyond-the-hate-and-the-hype/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Chris Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:58:09 +0000 http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/?p=129#comment-67 I really just don't get the iPad. I can see the iPhone as a good piece of technology, but my main issue with the iPad is that it's pretty much useless. You can't do work on it, and what fun you can have with it you can do on the iPhone. It does look cool, and I was almost taken in by it, but there's literally noone who will benefit from having this product. As for being a new, amazing product - that's total rubbish - it is, as I Tweeted, just a big iPhone (without the phone)! Also, it's freakin' HUGE!!! Just by a netbook... I really just don’t get the iPad. I can see the iPhone as a good piece of technology, but my main issue with the iPad is that it’s pretty much useless. You can’t do work on it, and what fun you can have with it you can do on the iPhone. It does look cool, and I was almost taken in by it, but there’s literally noone who will benefit from having this product.

As for being a new, amazing product – that’s total rubbish – it is, as I Tweeted, just a big iPhone (without the phone)!

Also, it’s freakin’ HUGE!!! Just by a netbook…

]]> By: admin http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/2010/02/02/ipad-beyond-the-hate-and-the-hype/comment-page-1/#comment-64 admin Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:35:21 +0000 http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/?p=129#comment-64 @Paul Ah, right I understand where you are coming from now. I have swapped your tweet for someone else's - plenty of negative tweets to choose from ;) It was our previous twitter debate over JQuery that led me to believe you were down on the Jobs. I think your comments here are very fair. Apple certainly haven't reinvented computing for eveyone but are indeed repackaging it for the masses. As someone that is all about the user experience, that gets me tremendously excited but to anyone of a more nuts & bolts nature, I can see how it would be irksome. I only wish this was the kind of discussion going on over the rest of the web rather than all the cheat beating! @Paul Ah, right I understand where you are coming from now. I have swapped your tweet for someone else’s – plenty of negative tweets to choose from ;)

It was our previous twitter debate over JQuery that led me to believe you were down on the Jobs. I think your comments here are very fair. Apple certainly haven’t reinvented computing for eveyone but are indeed repackaging it for the masses. As someone that is all about the user experience, that gets me tremendously excited but to anyone of a more nuts & bolts nature, I can see how it would be irksome.

I only wish this was the kind of discussion going on over the rest of the web rather than all the cheat beating!

]]> By: Paul http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/2010/02/02/ipad-beyond-the-hate-and-the-hype/comment-page-1/#comment-62 Paul Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:15:02 +0000 http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/?p=129#comment-62 Heh! Despite you using my Tweet to illustrate your point, I'm not "anti-Apple"! Apple make great products (once they iron out their initial issues). If I could spare the cash, I'd have an iPhone and a Macbook! The thing is, despite having cool interfaces, and great looking designs, Apple products don't allow you to do anything which you can't do with other products. They just let you do many things in an easier, cooler way (although for a higher price). What I was having a go at is the excitement generated by an innovation in form rather than innovation in function. You say a 2-year-old can use an iPhone - Well, when I was 7 I could program my ZX Spectrum in Spectrum BASIC. Does that make BASIC as good as C++? Well, if you just want to make the screen pretty colours, then I suppose yes it is. But if you want to do anything more complex, then no. If the task at hand is to send a photo to a friend, then Apple is your company. If you want to browse the net, write a tune, design a flyer, etc.. Macs rule. However, if you want to take a 235Mb CSV list with 1841178 rows; extract columns 1, 14, and 15; Remove the quotation marks from the text in column 1; and output the results to another file in a mixture of CSV and tab-delimited format ignoring any rows where the value in column 14 is zero (as I had to yesterday), then all the touch-screens and nice icons in the world are not going to help you! So I join you in applauding Apple's skill in bringing new tech to the general public in an easy to use form for day-to-day computing. Just don't ask me to get excited about it! :) Heh! Despite you using my Tweet to illustrate your point, I’m not “anti-Apple”! Apple make great products (once they iron out their initial issues). If I could spare the cash, I’d have an iPhone and a Macbook! The thing is, despite having cool interfaces, and great looking designs, Apple products don’t allow you to do anything which you can’t do with other products. They just let you do many things in an easier, cooler way (although for a higher price).

What I was having a go at is the excitement generated by an innovation in form rather than innovation in function.

You say a 2-year-old can use an iPhone – Well, when I was 7 I could program my ZX Spectrum in Spectrum BASIC. Does that make BASIC as good as C++? Well, if you just want to make the screen pretty colours, then I suppose yes it is. But if you want to do anything more complex, then no.

If the task at hand is to send a photo to a friend, then Apple is your company. If you want to browse the net, write a tune, design a flyer, etc.. Macs rule.

However, if you want to take a 235Mb CSV list with 1841178 rows; extract columns 1, 14, and 15; Remove the quotation marks from the text in column 1; and output the results to another file in a mixture of CSV and tab-delimited format ignoring any rows where the value in column 14 is zero (as I had to yesterday), then all the touch-screens and nice icons in the world are not going to help you!

So I join you in applauding Apple’s skill in bringing new tech to the general public in an easy to use form for day-to-day computing. Just don’t ask me to get excited about it! :)

]]> By: admin http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/2010/02/02/ipad-beyond-the-hate-and-the-hype/comment-page-1/#comment-61 admin Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:39:47 +0000 http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/?p=129#comment-61 Agree with you on the need to get it out in front of people before it starts gaining any real traction. Steve Fry said the same thing too - to use one was to fall in love with it - http://www.stephenfry.com/2010/01/28/ipad-about/ I guess that's what the Apple Stores are for and they will no doubt leverage them that the same way they did with the iPhone. i.e Apple drum up a lot curiosity which leads people to investigate and play with them in store. If Apple strike up a deal with mobile carriers, they will once again have a opportunity to demo the product. Also, your right about it not quite meeting a need for heavy computer users like you and I and perhaps that's one thing I overlooked in my post; A few killers apps could alone generate a strong use case for the device. But no, I'm not buying you one =) Agree with you on the need to get it out in front of people before it starts gaining any real traction. Steve Fry said the same thing too – to use one was to fall in love with it – http://www.stephenfry.com/2010/01/28/ipad-about/

I guess that’s what the Apple Stores are for and they will no doubt leverage them that the same way they did with the iPhone. i.e Apple drum up a lot curiosity which leads people to investigate and play with them in store. If Apple strike up a deal with mobile carriers, they will once again have a opportunity to demo the product.

Also, your right about it not quite meeting a need for heavy computer users like you and I and perhaps that’s one thing I overlooked in my post; A few killers apps could alone generate a strong use case for the device.

But no, I’m not buying you one =)

]]> By: Rhys http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/2010/02/02/ipad-beyond-the-hate-and-the-hype/comment-page-1/#comment-60 Rhys Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:18:27 +0000 http://blog.sjduffin.co.uk/?p=129#comment-60 Hey Steve, On the Wii point I would perhaps argue that it's not just because of the intuative nature of the new control method but that the new control method had the wow factor to consumers, something i'm not as convinced the iPad has to the same degree. Especially without getting your hands on one. Although if enough people buy the device then this could perhaps get it in front of people that would not even consider it, kinda like the Wii. I suspect at this point though the price would become the main pohibitive factor. I guess what I'm saying is that I dont think it will be a global sucess just on it's ui alone, it needs more. I do think it has a lot of scope though with updates to the OS. I think when it gets an update we may start seeing more uses (multitasking etc..etc..unkown apple majik) that may validate a purchase to a greater crowd. I like the look of the iPad and would love to have one to play with but I dont need one or have the money for it. So...can someone buy me one please, then I may learn to love apple. nachos Hey Steve,
On the Wii point I would perhaps argue that it’s not just because of the intuative nature of the new control method but that the new control method had the wow factor to consumers, something i’m not as convinced the iPad has to the same degree. Especially without getting your hands on one. Although if enough people buy the device then this could perhaps get it in front of people that would not even consider it, kinda like the Wii. I suspect at this point though the price would become the main pohibitive factor. I guess what I’m saying is that I dont think it will be a global sucess just on it’s ui alone, it needs more.
I do think it has a lot of scope though with updates to the OS. I think when it gets an update we may start seeing more uses (multitasking etc..etc..unkown apple majik) that may validate a purchase to a greater crowd.
I like the look of the iPad and would love to have one to play with but I dont need one or have the money for it.
So…can someone buy me one please, then I may learn to love apple.
nachos

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