Why I can’t recommend the iPad

While not "in the business" so to speak, I am "that" guy... the one all the friends/co-workers/family call when they have problems with their computer, TV, audio gear, etc. I'm also the one they call when it's time for a new one.

I've already had a couple of folks ask about the iPad for their use. Have to say at this point, I believe the vast majority of folks that have to ask someone else about the iPad... it is not the device they're looking for. No more than someone that reads/buys 5 books a year needs a Kindle, Sony or B&N e-reader.

The folks that turn to their geek friends to get purchasing advice about these type of things tend to buy a new computer about once every 5-8 years. They have no clue where technology has gone since the last computer they bought. They just wonder what's wrong with the $600 Dell, HP or Compaq they bought back in 2002 and how cheap can they go and still get something that will last them another 5-8 years. This is not the iPad market. Not yet.

The iPad starting out is a device for folks that know what they want. They already have a computer and at least semi know how to use the thing. My guess is that most of the people that go for an iPad already own more than one computer. This is for those folks who are tired of being tied to their desk for "all" their computing. Or maybe tired of having that 5-8 pound weight tied to their lap whenever they need to just do quick check of their email or maybe googling to do a little research.

The iPad is not a machine that is going to take the place of your work computer. Not even take the place of your primary personal computer. It's certainly not going to take the place of my HTPC or my media server.

A lot of the comments I've seen are those looking to replace their $1500-$2000 computer with this new magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price. $500?? Yeah, right people, come on and get for real.

I will be able to sit back in my recliner without this heatsink sitting in my lap while I'm banning spammers. I'll be able to pull up Amazon to check pricing on the next thing I need to buy and without this power cable that I have to run from a not convenient outlet. e-mail? it's there too.

Grabbing a copy of the newest Sci-fi just released in hard cover at 50% or more off the hard cover price. (And I say, some folks need to learn how to adjust the brightness on their monitors. Maybe they wouldn't have such a problem reading. You just wouldn't believe how many folks have the brightness turned up about as high as it will go all the time rather than taking the time to adjust it to existing light conditions.)

I'm like everyone else. I could come up with a lot of stuff that I'd like to have on the thing. I'd like to see full blown 10.6, or dual booting to Win7. Yeah, and then I'm right back to a computer in my lap again. Face it, both 10.6 and Win7 are going to run like poop on a 1Ghz chip. We know for sure Win7 does, just ask someone that owns one of those 1.6Ghz atom chips in a notebook running Win7 (oh sorry, they're actually so bad they came up with a new name for them - netbook - just to let you know up front not to expect too much out of them).

The fact of the matter, the technology to put a Core2Duo, i5, or i7 along with 512MB 3D video, 4GB RAM, 2 USB ports, FW, SD card slot, video camera and 256GB drive all into a 5"x7"x1/2" slab is just not here - yet.

What we do have is a new device with a new chip with a new purpose in a size us old timers might actually be able to see. So for those that would like to sit in the Family room with the rest of the family instead of at that desk at the opposite end of the house "all" the time, the iPad might be for you. Those tired of that hot weight sitting on your lap "all" the time, the iPad might be for you. Those interested in the possibility of color magazines and newspapers, comics, graphic novels, cookbooks..., the iPad might be for you.

Wow, bobtomay - that was the best editorial I've read about the iPad yet. Two snaps up

I currently have an 16GB ipod touch (2nd gen.). I'm considering the ipad as a replacement for it. For what I use it for, the ipad makes alot of sense. I doubt it will replace the iphone as it doesn't make calls (not counting voip). But I see alot of people trading up from an ipod touch for this. Also, I've been thinking about an e-reader or kindle. The ipad would both replace my ipod, and serve as an e-book reader.

Nice read bobtomay. You forget to say anything about what the ipad can become or how revolutionary it is. So 4/5 only for you on that. But I like it. Well said.

Thank you all for your well considered replies.

I was expecting a lot more descent for my hieratical words, but instead I got large amounts of agreement. Bobtomay summed it up very well when he said:

I believe the vast majority of folks that have to ask someone else about the iPad... it is not the device they're looking for.

I am precisely the sort of person that such non-technical people are asking right now.

I only seem to differ from the group consensus on one point: I think the absence of Flash is more important than people have expressed here. I understand your position, you have done without Flash on the iPhone and it was not that difficult, so surely this is the same?

I am not so sure. Watching how I and others use the iPhone, it seems to be used more as a “top-up” surfing device. The thing you use when you cannot get to a larger screen on a desktop or laptop. This is reinforced by server logs, there are lots of iPhones out there, but they account for relatively few hits per device. I like the vision of sitting in a comfortable chair and surfing with a pad, not as a top-top, but to catch up an all the things that interest me, but I want the whole web, not just most of it.
It will be hard to explain to users why big parts of the web do not work. I live in the UK, the BBC’s websites are immensely popular here (and list amongst the most visited globally) all use Flash. Not an issue if you live elsewhere? Not necessarily, that’s just one example site, there will be numerous others (including the Hulu example).

I suspect that if non-technical people buy the iPad they will be irritated by the absence of Flash (perhaps much more so than the audience here), irritated enough that the device would fall into disuse. I agree that if enough people buy it then the website owner will change away from Flash, but such things take time.

Competition could change the whole landscape, with the Slate and now the idea of a Chrome based pad. I like competition, it raises everyone’s game.

Listening to your thoughts makes make think that I am following the right path in terms of recommendations to non technical users. I am have not found one yet who’s needs are a good match for this device (which is a shame because it is real close), but I remain open minded.

My take:

I am getting a 16G WiFi Ipad the first day it comes out. It just makes a lot of sense to me. I am married with no kids, 29 years old. We have a Mac desktop, a macbook, a netbook, and I have an Iphone. For me, it's obviously not something I HAVE to get, but it's more of a cool new toy that we both want, and here are a few of the reasons I am getting one in case anyone cares.
I notice my wife an I either lying in bed with our knees up or on the couches in the same position on our laptops. I think this device is a lot better for that situation as it will not get too hot, and you can much easier just set it aside, and grab it again. It will also just be more comfortable in the positions you can use it.
Not having to have it plugged in all the time is HUGE. We all know how fast laptop batteries die. Fact is, I never use my laptop around the house without it being plugged in. Being able to walk around the house carrying my Ipad, not worrying about the cable will be very nice.
I imagine us renting movies and watching them in bed at night on the Ipad. When I notice that she has fallen asleep 30mins into the movie which she often does, I can just pop in my headphones, and finish the movie by myself quietly. Same for reading a book at night.I don't need an external light which often bothers her.
Gaming, which I have noticed a lot of people aren't mentioning, will be so much cooler than the Iphone. My wife and i take turns a lot of night playing different games on my Iphone. We're not big gamers (we have a NES and PS2 which we never play), but we seem to just like the ease and simple fun with a lot of the games on the Iphone. I think the Ipad will take these games to the next level. The image quality will be better, and the games should be a lot more enjoyable. Has anyone thought about laying the ipad down flat on a table, and playing checkers or chess with someone across from you? Soo COOL! Really, you could do this with a lot of board games. I think the gaming possibilities with this device will be near endless, and fun to try out as they come out.
I honestly don't understand anyone who has a lot of negative things to say about this thing. I could care less about the camera. I NEVER use any of my built in webcams. Never. The lack of flash rarely bothers me on my iphone. No big deal. One of the complaints is that it's just a bigger Itouch. Well... yeah... exactly! It IS a bigger Itouch... with a nicer screen, MUCH faster wireless internet, much nicer ebook, and really cool apps which will be streaming out soon. Oh yeah, and it's at the same price the Itouch was at when it came out. What is there to complain about? Just accept it for what it is. When you look at it for what it can do instead of what it can't, its pretty freaking cool. Certainly the coolest device i will own at the time of purchase. Stop sweating over all the stupid little details. Yes, the future generations of the Ipad will certainly be better just as everything that comes out in the future will be, but this one is here now. Take it for what it is and just enjoy it.

Something else I've thought of.
it seems the ipad is the first Apple product 100% made by Apple. Apple hardware including Apple CPU, Apple software, and even the 3rd party software needs Apple approval before it can be on the App store. I know it is not somethnig to be considered when buting an ipad. But is that spmething Apple is planing towards. 100% Apple made products or? It just struck me as I don't know any other good electronic computer that is 100% made by the same company (hardware, OS and software).

Chopper4Pilot said:

I currently have an 16GB ipod touch (2nd gen.). I'm considering the ipad as a replacement for it. For what I use it for, the ipad makes alot of sense. I doubt it will replace the iphone as it doesn't make calls (not counting voip). But I see alot of people trading up from an ipod touch for this. Also, I've been thinking about an e-reader or kindle. The ipad would both replace my ipod, and serve as an e-book reader.

Click to expand...

I disagree. Like has been stated before the iPad is not meant to replace rather than bridge a gap. The iPod touch is portable, you can use it on a run, in the car etc. It would be almost pointless to replace that with a gap bridger.

A slightly different question

I too am awaiting my chance to buy an iPad with great anticipation.
The question I would like to ask is: There has to be some people out there who got to handle the real item during the Beta testing; have the NDAs expired to where they can weigh in with hands on experience?

Well I see it like this.

It has been what? About a week since Apple did the ipad keynote. And already there's talk about it, youtube parodies, heck I bet there would be people in the africa who know what it is. Actually my African friend does know what it is and I didn't say a word. Maybe the ipad is great, maybe it's just another toy. The jury is still out on that one.

But my point is in todays world information is everything. And you can't not buy something if you do not know it exists. Like a few MS/sony products. I didn't know they were out till weeks after their release. I think if the ipad came out and no one cared or talked about it then Apple would have lost. But since there is an amazing amount of talk about it out there (some good and some bad) then Apple has won.

Everyone knows what an ipad is. Then we get a month or so to argue without ourselves about it and convince each other to buy one. And we all will do it. It happened with the iphone and ipod touch. And I see history repeating itself here too. Steve and Apple are using word of mouth advertising the best way it can be.

I like the iPad's sleek design, powerful multiuse capabilties, and I will probably buy the first gen. I think of the iPad as a tablet device (also called a slate device, i prefere to call it a tablet tho) . A tablet is defined as a slate/tablet-shaped mobile computer device, equipped with a touchscreen and/or stylus technology (pen-enabled).

The iPad Tablet is a multimedia, internet, and mobile device (more mobile than a netbook/notebook, but less than a iPhone/iPod).

Tablet advantages Vs. Laptop or notebook:

1. The ability to use in environments not conducive to a keyboard and mouse such as lying in bed, low lighting when a lighted screen is the input source, standing or with one hand.
2. Recording non-character based information such as diagrams and mathematical notation and symbols.
3. Some models can function similarly to singular purpose devices like the Amazon Kindle.
4. Touch Environment makes navigation much easier than conventional use of keyboard and mouse or touch pad.
5. No need for producing special keyboard versions for different countries/languages.

The iPad Tablet shines in areas like photos, movies/videos, web surffing, ebooks, digital drawing/painting, and GPS/maps. The iPad Tablet has more possessing power than than the iPhone or iPod Touch, yet may not need as much as a laptop (it has about as much as most netbooks). The iPad Tablet has more battery life than iPhones, iPod Touch's, PC Tablets, netbooks, and Laptops out on the market (depending on the use).

The iPad Tablet is a perfect product for me because it is a mobile device with the perfect sized display that I can use at work to keep digital notes (that I can sync with my Mac), write papers, create presentations & spreadsheets, keep all my technical manuals; ARTEP's; field manuals; and AR's digitally on hand. It is perfect for traveling with its long battery life and mobile design. It has unlimited potentail with Apple's app store & iTunes.

If you are like myself, then you see the potential in the iPad Tablet.

The question for me is, do I need a bigger iPhone? My personal answer is no. I don't even like to carry around a bag, yet alone a bag with stuff in it. If my profession involved a lot of quick note taking or something then yeah, but it doesn't. And I don't mind reading e-books off a iphone sized screen in the first place so, its just not a product for me. I'll pass.
This thing IS NOT a computer replacement so if you have a mac mini, keep it, you can actually run software on it.

Well you only need Air, water, and food . Your physiological needs include breathing, food, sexual activity, and homeostasis. Your physiological needs include social, esteem, and self-actualization. So no. You don't "need" an iPad Tablet, you'r right. Is it useful to you, it seems like it is not. but for myself, and people like me, it is. I have a use for it, while other do not. It all depends on you lifestyle, career, and environment.