Buying an Apple Tablet?

[GaijinGolfer]

I wont be buying one. I have no use for it.

[zeg]

No thanks. It fits a niche that's neither here nor there---not small enough to put in your pocket, not convenient enough for interaction that it'll replace my laptop. Plus, without getting into closed vs open source, the closed platform mentality is a no go for me. The iPhone (or in my case iPod Touch) type device is about as close to a "computer" as I'm willing to get and still accept that it only runs stamped and approved apps from the Mother Ship. The tablet is on the other side of the divide---it's a computer. Let me decide whose applications I want to run, or whether I want to develop my own.

The iPad is completely underwhelming. It doesn't help that the weeks or months of speculation ahead of time sort of stole its thunder, but IMO the whole tablet business is a solution looking for a problem. I'm sure they'll sell some, but I don't see it reaching the level of the iPhone. In any case, I won't count among the buyers.

[Eat Sleep Golf]

The iPad is a really cool and cutting edge devise. I'm considering mounting one into the dash of my custom golf cart...

[EightBlue]

the real market for this will be parents with kids. Apple has negotiated better content deals for tvs/movies. I anticipate almost all parents with young kids getting one

[iacas]

the real market for this will be parents with kids. Apple has negotiated better content deals for tvs/movies. I anticipate almost all parents with young kids getting one

So the kids can break them? I don't know. My kid's as cautious as any out there, but you can buy little DVD players for $100. I don't know if I see it. They can get iPod Touches if they want to watch movies and play games.

[murphmjm]

If the durability is anything like the ipod touch then its going to suck. I dropped my touch from my comp chair, about 2.5 feet onto the floor in my old apt and the screen completely shattered. Yea you can still use it but why are you going to spend so much money for something that isn't durable, can't multitask and doesn't even have a ws display?? For what they are asking you can get a netbook and actually use software on it or buy an ipod touch that you can just toss in your pocket. Not sure what market they were going for here?

I can see a market for school applications like text books etc and interactive lessons but again, durability...

Oh well people will still buy it, you could smack an apple logo on a piece of garbage and people would buy it. I'll stick with my shattered touch for now.

[jamo]

What school would buy iPads and a textbook for each child? IMO they will be less durable than textbooks. This is something i will never understand. My school is in the process of supplying every child with a MacBook. I live in a fairly wealthy town, where literally every house has a computer, so there is literally no need. They are also putting an $1000 HD projector in every classroom because every teacher has been supplied a MacBook. A total waste of money. I have 1 teacher who uses the projector, because every room also has a TV, and he only uses the projector for slideshows. Now, the Middle School is doing exactly the same thing. Meanwhile, the schools have to ask for budget extensions every year, because they can't pay for everything. Oh, and did i mention they just filled every lab and library with iMacs. Don't get me wrong, i like them, but most of these kids flat out don't deserve them, and don't need them. So.... what was thins thread about again?

[chuangyee]

I'd buy one and put Golfshot in it.

[Meddle]

So basically it's like a kindle with iPod powers I guess. I just don't know who is going to buy it. College aged people want a keyboard built in and are going to buy a laptop (netbooks are where it's at, cheap and portable). Everyone has an iPod along with a phone that does everything already. So who is going to buy this thing? Maybe I'm missing something.

[sam004]

Voted no. But then again, never thought I buy an iPhone either.
I'd have to see what it could actually do for me.

[EightBlue]

this is basically a portable TV; it will have a built in slingbox app so you can take TV whereever you go. With this plus videos, books, etc. this will be bigger than the iPhone

[murphmjm]

this is basically a portable TV; it will have a built in slingbox app so you can take TV whereever you go. With this plus videos, books, etc. this will be bigger than the iPhone

If it supported flash you could watch all the tv you wanted for free along with many other things. Apps may be cute to look at in their little icony form but I dont really see how someone can justify spending $500-850 on a base device that you'll need to load up with apps (some costing $$ others not so much). Whats the real cost after you load everything on there?

[zeg]

If it supported flash you could watch all the tv you wanted for free along with many other things. Apps may be cute to look at in their little icony form but I dont really see how someone can justify spending $500-850 on a base device that you'll need to load up with apps (some costing $$ others not so much). Whats the real cost after you load everything on there?

That's not a problem for me, at least compared to ordinary computers. You can pay a lot more than that and still have to buy the software you need to do useful work (though, if you're so inclined, you can get almost everything you need through free software). My problem is that you are limited to the small subset of developers and their software that make it through the bottleneck that is Apple's Application Store. IMO, if you have a computer, you should also have the ability to run whatever applications you want. We're adults, we can decide whether a vendor is reputable or not. We don't need Apple to be our sole provider.

Of course, Apple is more than happy if we're willing to run everything through them. For an iPod or iPhone I might tolerate that, but not for a bigger piece of hardware.

[iacas]

IMO, if you have a computer

It's not a computer. It's a device. It's an important distinction.

And a great many people are going to be content with the email and browser apps. If Apple's shown one thing in the past x ten years or so, it's that they tend to know what they're doing.

[murphmjm]

And a great many people are going to be content with the email and browser apps.

That's exactly why I got my ipod touch, to use the browser in class and check my email so i wouldn't have to lug a laptop every time. If i could have bought an ipad when I was getting a touch I probably would have, it's about the same price. I'm just confused that it's a giant touch when it was supposed to be so innovative, the next big thing. Hopefully the 2.0 version will be full of extra features.

[zeg]

It's not a computer. It's a device. It's an important distinction.

Yes, I understand that's how Apple wants me to see it, but I'm not interested in a "device" at that size and price point. There are technical and interface reasons why it's hard to make a "computer" in an iPhone/iPod form factor. Those are a lot less convincing at the iPad size, so it becomes clearer that it's an artificial distinction---one that serves Apple's purposes, not the user's.

And Apple has had a pretty good track record, but they have also put out quite a few stinkers over the years (even on Jobs's watch) so I'm not sold that it'll be accepted just because Apple is pushing it. I think this will be one of those cases because I don't see this device as filling a niche that is itching for a product like they've produced.

[murphmjm]

I think the biggest factor will be how the HP slate preforms. It seems like it at least lets you watch videos in widescreen, if only hp would make it with windows xp!

Maybe if the ipad is a failure apple will fire jobs again heh.