Ipad - Really Want One

[southmartin]

All in all, it's a pretty - but useless gadget. Especially if (like me) you already have a MacBook and an iPhone... and the gap between those two devices just isn't really very big at all.

So, can anyone help me come up with a good reason for buying one? I'm sure you'll try and put me off (though history suggest you'll be unsuccessful) but at least help me get a few reasons to attach my £600 bill too

Don't suppose there's an official 'HPC app' is there ;-) ??

[winkie]

All in all, it's a pretty - but useless gadget. Especially if (like me) you already have a MacBook and an iPhone... and the gap between those two devices just isn't really very big at all.

So, can anyone help me come up with a good reason for buying one? I'm sure you'll try and put me off (though history suggest you'll be unsuccessful) but at least help me get a few reasons to attach my £600 bill too

Don't suppose there's an official 'HPC app' is there ;-) ??

Baa.

[osbaldwick]

All in all, it's a pretty - but useless gadget. Especially if (like me) you already have a MacBook and an iPhone... and the gap between those two devices just isn't really very big at all.

So, can anyone help me come up with a good reason for buying one? I'm sure you'll try and put me off (though history suggest you'll be unsuccessful) but at least help me get a few reasons to attach my £600 bill too

Don't suppose there's an official 'HPC app' is there ;-) ??

No sorry

[Ologhai Jones]

All in all, it's a pretty - but useless gadget. Especially if (like me) you already have a MacBook and an iPhone... and the gap between those two devices just isn't really very big at all.

So, can anyone help me come up with a good reason for buying one? I'm sure you'll try and put me off (though history suggest you'll be unsuccessful) but at least help me get a few reasons to attach my £600 bill too

Don't suppose there's an official 'HPC app' is there ;-) ??

To repeat the Bill Hicks' gem: "Stop wanting everything."

[southmartin]

The power of advertising.

Apple, largest tech company in the world. Purveyors of moderate quality computers and technology at only the highest price.

It's the advertising. You are paying them more for the product to brainwash you into buying more of their overpriced products.

Man, am I getting cynical.

Yeah - but it's working...

[southmartin]

Baa.

Good point, though I'd like to make it clear that I reckon the heard are following me - my fist mac was a classic in '91, and I've owned maybe 15+ different Macs since then (if I buy a new one each year, I get it VAT free, then sell the old one on ebay, pocket the cash and so sometimes the upgrade cost is zilch!)

I'll happily agree that there's no rationale for an iPad purchase though, hence looking for one!

[hedgefunded]

Mate of mine is a gadget nut and got one from the USA on release.

I had a go with it and was totally underwhelmed.

Yes, the interface is clever and yes, that game where you steer the car is neat, but that's about it.

For blokes who travel light (most men, most of the time) you really don't want such a big thing to carry around. For girls with handbags, it's not so bad.

Personally, my HTC Hero phone does all I could possibly want in a portable device, and iPhone owners will probably feel the same.

I don't think there's been a 'must have' gadget like it since the iPhone arrived, but I really feel history will judge the iPhone well, but the iPad as a bit of a joke.

['Bart']

It's the advertising. You are paying them more for the product to brainwash you into buying more of their overpriced products.

I've known a few people with iPhones since they were introduced and I will admit the iPhone is a lovely piece of kit (and it has affected the rest of the mobile phone market as well, just look at the competition's offerings these days).

A mate of mine has just got the new HTC Desire and I'm looking forward to evaluating it against the iPhone.

Anyway, back to the iPad.

Personally, I can't see it being much use to me. For home computing, it can't run the apps I need (MS Word, InDesign, Photoshop etc.) and it's too large for use as a mobile email device, the iPhone is a better choice there.

Still, if that £600 is burning a hole in your pocket....

[hedgefunded]

A mate of mine has just got the new HTC Desire and I'm looking forward to evaluating it against the iPhone.

I have an HTC Hero, and my son has an HTC Desire (I'm mending his old iPhone).

Having used the iPhone and both HTC models, there is absolutely no contest. The two HTC phones knock spots off of the iPhone in every way with the possible exception of build quality.

The HTC's are by no means bad, but there is a reassuring solidity to the iPhone. That's about it though, although for some people, there are specific apps for the iPhone they might be 'must haves'.

Once you've used either of those two HTC models the iPhone feels sooooo restrictive and my son agrees.

[CrashedOutAndBurned]

I've heard that it's more weighty than you might expect, making it tiring for lazy one-handed porn surfing.

The HTC Hero is nowhere near as good as the iPhone (but's still very, very good) - it's way slower to begin with and Android apps are mostly crap. That said, unless Apple bring the price of the iPhone to that of other top smartphones I'll happily stick to HTC.

The really great stuff Apple have done over the past few years are Mac OS X (just the best OS by a mile) and work done on pro apps like Logic and Final Cut, which have displaced much more high end opposition. The Mac should be great but Apple do dumb things like drop Firewire from lower end models to get people to pay masses more to just to get a basic feature and refuse to replace the bigger iMacs with a mini tower, leaving you the choice of all-in-one or underpowered consumer desktops or vastly expensive workstations with nothing in between for the general professional user that needs power but not silly amounts of it.

The good stuff seems increasingly remote as Apple becomes a 'mobile device' outfit.

[CrashConnoisseur]

Don't suppose there's an official 'HPC app' is there ;-) ??

Mouseprice have an App that will show you how fast prices are crashing...

'2009-11-06: Mouseprice launch iPhone application':

http://www.mouseprice.com/Articles/Default.aspx?Page=Mouseprice-iphone-application

Mouseprice.com is pleased to announce the release of their iPhone application, which will allow users to check property valuations on the move.

The application, which is released today, is the first of its kind to be released in the UK. It will make searching for valuation comparables and property price data on the go easier than before. While other UK property portals have applications for checking property for sale, the Mouseprice.com app will enable users to check property valuations, price paid data and comparables. Once the app has been downloaded for £2.99, all property searches are free and there are no limits on the number of searches performed.

[callaght]

I'm typing this on my iPad!! It's beautiful!!

[Saving For a Space Ship]

Mouseprice have an App that will show you how fast prices are crashing...

'2009-11-06: Mouseprice launch iPhone application':

http://www.mouseprice.com/Articles/Default.aspx?Page=Mouseprice-iphone-application

I misread that as an app on how fast Ipad / Iphone prices are crashing.

I read an interesting article comparing a Hewlett Packard device that was extremely similar to the much later Ipad from 6 + years ago (cannot recall where)

[The Masked Tulip]

I've known a few people with iPhones since they were introduced and I will admit the iPhone is a lovely piece of kit (and it has affected the rest of the mobile phone market as well, just look at the competition's offerings these days).

A mate of mine has just got the new HTC Desire and I'm looking forward to evaluating it against the iPhone.

Anyway, back to the iPad.

Personally, I can't see it being much use to me. For home computing, it can't run the apps I need (MS Word, InDesign, Photoshop etc.) and it's too large for use as a mobile email device, the iPhone is a better choice there.

Still, if that £600 is burning a hole in your pocket....

What is he running on the HTC Desire - Android or Windows Mobile?

[JustYield]

I've heard that it's more weighty than you might expect, making it tiring for lazy one-handed porn surfing.

At the risk of taking myself too seriously, isn't anyone else completely underwhelmed by the supposed technological innovation we are seeing?

FFS, we have more pressing problems than this!

[aussieboy]

I'm typing this on my iPad!! It's beautiful!!

Same here. It's great, particularly. If you have kids. The toy story book is excellent.

Still getting used to the keyboard, mind.

[Dubai]

I travel quite a bit on business and presently lug my MacBook Pro with me. 99.9% of the time, all I do with it is read and send emails, use the internet to sort out travel changes etc. and review incoming docs. I could start doing work with it when in the hotel (let's say starting a report) but to be quite honest after a full day's work don't generally feel inclined to! But I will watch a movie or do a bit of surfing.The iPhone can do most of the above, but to be honest the screen is too small to be comfortable.The iPad will be the perfect tool for me. It can do everything I need it to do on the road, and it will be comfortable doing it. So, when the MacBook eventually croaks it will be replaced with an iPad for $499..... and it has nothing to do with being brainwashed by adverts, trying to look cool or keeping up with the Joneses..... and everything to do making life on the road a bit more enjoyable......

[JustYield]

All in all, it's a pretty - but useless gadget.

You wouldn't want the suicide rate at the iPad factory to go up any further, so you should support them by buying the product. How's that?

iTopmyself

[olliegog]

seeing it reviewed by an IT consultant ( nerdy geek) on BBC news this morning several things struck me

women may have a large enough handbag to carry it in but it was obviously designed for man-sized hands (to hold it)

if you don't hold it at a comfortable angle and lay it flat your neck would give you gyp (that's the silver surfers out)

it looks heavy to hold and carry around (that's silver surfers out)

it is ugly - all black and square (that's women out unless it comes in other colours)

lots of better things to spend £600 on

[Ologhai Jones]

seeing it reviewed by an IT consultant ( nerdy geek) on BBC news this morning several things struck me

women may have a large enough handbag to carry it in but it was obviously designed for man-sized hands (to hold it)

if you don't hold it at a comfortable angle and lay it flat your neck would give you gyp (that's the silver surfers out)

it looks heavy to hold and carry around (that's silver surfers out)

it is ugly - all black and square (that's women out unless it comes in other colours)

lots of better things to spend £600 on

Or, here's a revolutionary thought, one could just not feel the need to spend the £600 on anything in particular, or, indeed, at all.

I know I'm most likely wasting my breath, but I keep plugging away!

[gilf]

My boss, who gets every latest gadget going got one yesterday. It is a little heavier than I would have imagined but nothing too serious.

It's horses for courses, it's not meant to be a laptop or desktop replacement, you can forget about the "it's doesn't run photoshop, so I'm not getting one" argument because I bet their PC doesn't make cups of coffee. It will be ideal for me, I have a main PC which does all that sort of stuff and then I have a couple of laptops for essentially communication purposes, email, internet etc. The iPad is excellent in that regard, click the button and it's on, no messing around with 3 minute boot ups, or waiting 30 seconds for Firefox to load it's just there waiting to do what I need it to do.

Believe me I'm not somebody who worships at the temple of Apple, but I do appreciate their approach to computing.

Touch screen tablet PC's have been around for some time now and they haven't made any significant breakthrough in terms of sales, the iPad will go through the roof sales wise because Apple have considered what the platform is good at, built it and not included a ton of crap that's not relevant.

[ken_ichikawa]

AND the Ipad is made using slave labour have you people not been reading about Foxconn?

Apple if anything is MORE evil than Microsoft, Shenzhen is well known for factories where AK47s are literally pointed at workers to force them to work.

In 2005 there was a massive scandal about anti slavery wrist bands which were ironically produced with slaves.

I mention in me blog below truck acts are legal in China. Foxconn's slave city is particularly insidious, they get over inflated food prices taken out of their wages, they get over inflated rent taken out of their wages, ergo foxconn workers work for years and end up with NOTHING.

[chris25]

AND the Ipad is made using slave labour have you people not been reading about Foxconn?

Apple if anything is MORE evil than Microsoft, Shenzhen is well known for factories where AK47s are literally pointed at workers to force them to work.

In 2005 there was a massive scandal about anti slavery wrist bands which were ironically produced with slaves.

I mention in me blog below truck acts are legal in China. Foxconn's slave city is particularly insidious, they get over inflated food prices taken out of their wages, they get over inflated rent taken out of their wages, ergo foxconn workers work for years and end up with NOTHING.

It is tragic what happens to Chinese workers, and this is why it is best to try and avoid Chinese made goods as much as possible.

What is sickening about Apple is that they sell their products at such a premium that they could probably afford to make them in the USA and still make a profit.

An Ipad costs £500, which is actually a huge amount of money for the technology. Bearing in mind it is basically an LCD screen with a few chips, all in an aluminium case, now compare it to a desktop PC which you can buy for £400 brand new with a monitor, keyboard, speakers, printers, tower and webcam. you can see you dont get much bang for your buck.

[ken_ichikawa]

It is tragic what happens to Chinese workers, and this is why it is best to try and avoid Chinese made goods as much as possible.

What is sickening about Apple is that they sell their products at such a premium that they could probably afford to make them in the USA and still make a profit.

An Ipad costs £500, which is actually a huge amount of money for the technology. Bearing in mind it is basically an LCD screen with a few chips, all in an aluminium case, now compare it to a desktop PC which you can buy for £400 brand new with a monitor, keyboard, speakers, printers, tower and webcam. you can see you dont get much bang for your buck.

TSHTF though as Chinese workers at the Honda plant nearby in Shenzhen have gone on wild cat strike and dismantled partially some of the machinery and held it hostage. Chinese media says it is complaining about wages (Japanaese staff are paid 10,000% more) but really they are complaining about being paid in company vouchers which can only be spent at the company shop.

[noodle doodle]

Goddamn it, stop buying Apple's shite

They are not design pioneers, technology wizards or UI gurus

They are however, marketing geniuses

They are all about the marketing. All of it. All the time. Everything.

I work in User Interface research. You never see Apple at the big research conferences, they don't publish papers, unlike the IBM / Microsoft / Google interface research labs. Apple only take existing academic/industrial research and previous commercially-applied ideas and power them up with advertising steroids and marketing heroin - take the most important design choice for the iPod? - the white earphones, so people could tell you had a iPod even when it wasn't visible itself. Their focus is on creating desire rather than innovation. They've managed to mug a swathe of ironic-glasses wearing fashion victims who get the cold sweats if they think they're not being perceived as cool or creative and have pitched themselves perfectly to pick up on that group's insecurities. A marketing masterclass yes, but certainly not the home of the wonder product.

I feel like Inspector Howie at the end of the Wicker Man... Think! Think! Think what you're doing! Jesus Christ! Think what you're doing!