My iPad sucks, everyone who recommends them.... WHY?!

[Marcos]

And on another note, anyone who finds the iPad 2 doesnt do enough/doesnt do it right would be right at home with an 11" MacBook Air

[Zak33]

I think the answer to your original question is:

• Browsing in front of the tv for non-power users. Not so likely to fry your thighs.
• Watching films / TV on the train/plane/boat. Doesn't need to be plugged in for a 6 hour journey, like my laptop does.

that, dear chap.. is a sheer genius description of why I think it's great.

AND ... in the kitchen... for recipes....and TV recipes.. and stuff.

Brucelles for new CEO of Apple I reckon.. he's sussed it.

Sales is about features and BENEFITS..... and he's hit two on the head

[SiM]

But can't a cheap android tab do all of those basic functions for ~30% of the price?

[Lucio]

But can't a cheap android tab do all of those basic functions for ~30% of the price?

It's possible, but will it definitely do the things that you want it to? When you're buying an iPad, you've bought into an entire ecosystem and you're paying extra for that peace of mind that your device will (unless apparently your TheAnimus) just work.

If you pick up an Android device, you've got to exercise a lot of choices, you can't just look at price point because you have to decide what features you're going to sacrifice (or gain in rare cases) over an iPad. You've got to consider what version it's running, what size and type of screen it's got, whether it has things like WiFi, USB support, what size SD card, battery life etc. Even then, will the app you want be made available?


I agree that there is a choice, and that the iPad doesn't win out in all things, but chosing an Android device is a heck of a lot more work!

[Moby-Dick]

I agree that there is a choice, and that the iPad doesn't win out in all things, but chosing an Android device is a heck of a lot more work!

<apple marketing exec >We'd hate for potential apple customers to waste any of their valuable synapses thinking about stuff </apple marketing exec>

[SiM]

Disclaimer, I'm not anti-apple, but I'm a full time android and webOS (touchpad) user.

It's possible, but will it definitely do the things that you want it to? When you're buying an iPad, you've bought into an entire ecosystem and you're paying extra for that peace of mind that your device will (unless apparently your TheAnimus) just work.

I think that the "just work" phrase is greatly exagerated. I've known many people unable to use iOS devices because they don't understand why they need itunes or because, I quote, "my itunes is broken". I do have to hold in my laughter when I heard about people having to go to the apple store to get basic stuff done to their devices.

If you pick up an Android device, you've got to exercise a lot of choices, you can't just look at price point because you have to decide what features you're going to sacrifice (or gain in rare cases) over an iPad. You've got to consider what version it's running, what size and type of screen it's got, whether it has things like WiFi, USB support, what size SD card, battery life etc. Even then, will the app you want be made available?


I agree that there is a choice, and that the iPad doesn't win out in all things, but chosing an Android device is a heck of a lot more work!

Mostly agree with you here... but strangely I found it very difficult to find good iOS apps to match some of my most useful android apps (newsrob, tasker with plugins, titanium backup, swipepad, quick settings)...

As an aside, the app situation for webOS is pretty dire at the moment, but it should improve soon! You can already run ubuntu chroot and load some ubuntu apps in that like Chromium and Libreoffice. I do believe that webOS is the best OS of the lot, the speed at which you can multi-task is incredible.

[this_is_gav]

I think the answer to your original question is:

• Browsing in front of the tv for non-power users. Not so likely to fry your thighs.
• Watching films / TV on the train/plane/boat. Doesn't need to be plugged in for a 6 hour journey, like my laptop does.

If you are me it's of no use whatsoever, but my Project Manager is only slightly technical and he loves his for the above reasons.

Which for me is where the Lenovo U350 comes in. Granted, you still have a 2-part product, with screen and keyboard, but if that's not a problem, then it's got all your bases covered. On the latest U4100 model (of which we've bought 12, and would have more if there'd been more stock), the claimed battery life is 8hrs - it's not a lie - I took one on a recent school bus trip to London and back and it lasted 6hrs and still had ~20% battery left after I'd finished watching several 720p and 1080p films... and it's netbook weight.

Granted it's not the most powerful laptop in the world, but for anything but 3D gaming, it's fine for 99% of users. I'm very tempted to buy one for myself, and I've got an XPS already.

For me, the tablet would only serve one use - watching videos while on a train or bus... but frankly it's hard to justify when there's a laptop which does the same and more and comes with Windows... unless you need a slab, then I can't see the attraction personally.

[peterb]

Dont forget, and this is probably why people like Google/Amazon/Microsoft and tend to hate Apple, everything Apple make is designed to be used the way Apple tell you, not the way users want to use it.

Do things the Apple way, and youll have no problems.

Dont and Steves sends his iHeavies round to sort you out

Just as true with Microsoft and the 'wizards' - try and do something unusual and it won't be so easy. And turn the clock back five years and the cult was anti Microsoft.

I had to read this thread because im on the other side of the fence. Wasn't sure what use I would get out of one. So i bought one for my mum and i've been using it for a couple of weeks to pre-load good apps for her.

Well...

I'm buying for myself now, I can't keep up with how much good content there is on it, the App Store, if you bother to look around, has tons of gold.

My MBP gets about 1/4 the use it did before the iPad

I had the same feelings about touchpads -I could see a use, but the cost was way too much - which was why I jumped at the HP firesale (wish I had bought two!)

Easy to watch videos - no keyboard half to get in the way, the touch keyboard is good for e mails and stuff. Would I pay £400+ for one? No But £150 or £250, maybe (and at the price I got thre HP - a no brainer)

Disclaimer, I'm not anti-apple, but I'm a full time android and webOS (touchpad) user.

Crack on please!

[Zak33]

I dont' have TIME to make stuff work...

I've not reinstalled Win7 or got a new mobo or cpu for ages BECAUSE don't have time anymore..

and that's what I like about iPhone/Podtouch/pad

it just works.

See how many people with an iPodtouch also have an android phone...... and dont get rid of the ipod touch... cos it does lots of things better out of the box with no effort.

[capt_cornflake]

Just as true with Microsoft and the 'wizards' - try and do something unusual and it won't be so easy. And turn the clock back five years and the cult was anti Microsoft.

True, but the Microsoft complaints were all about defaults - you didn't have to accept these, the option was always there to do something different.
It seems with Apple you do it their way or not at all...

[usxhe190]

I dont' have TIME to make stuff work...

I've not reinstalled Win7 or got a new mobo or cpu for ages BECAUSE don't have time anymore..

and that's what I like about iPhone/Podtouch/pad

it just works.

Aren't you comparing apples (a PC) with oranges (smartphones/tablets)?

My friends who have Win7 doesn't need to reinstall it or anything...

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

My gaming desktop has had Vista since early 2007 and I have not re-installed it at all. It still works fine despite me upgrading the graphics card a few times. I just re-installed the drivers and everything works fine still. I think even Bagnaj97 has had his Vista install for yonks too.

One of my relatives has an XP laptop which worked fine for 6 years with the same XP install until it needed a hard disk.

Any of the modern operating system work fine nowadays as they are the results of over 30 years of GUI development. It is Xerox who are the ones who shoud be thanked for actually putting GUI concepts into a workable form in the 1970s.

[peterb]

<---snip

It is Xerox who are the ones who shoud be thanked for actually putting GUI concepts into a workable form in the 1970s.

Very true - but it was Apple who brought it to the consumer market in (IIRC) 1984 with the Lisa and the firstr Macintosh.

There were other windowing guis too, Gem (mainly on the Amstrad series) for one, but it wasn't until Windows 3 (specifically 3.1 and later 3.11 for workgroups) or even Windows 95 that Microsoft came near to the functionality. The joke at the time was Windows 95 <= Mac 84.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Very true - but it was Apple who brought it to the consumer market in (IIRC) 1984 with the Lisa and the firstr Macintosh.

There were other windowing guis too, Gem (mainly on the Amstrad series) for one, but it wasn't until Windows 3 (specifically 3.1 and later 3.11 for workgroups) or even Windows 95 that Microsoft came near to the functionality. The joke at the time was Windows 95 <= Mac 84.

Imagine if Steve Jobs had not visted Xerox PARC though? One could equally argue the Xerox Alto 1973= Apple around 10 years later.

Xerox also invented the laser printer and ethernet too and AFAIK also integrated the use of a mouse with a GUI.

[Dareos]

isnt it ironic that Xerox's greatest acheivement has been copied millions of times...........

[peterb]

isnt it ironic that Xerox's greatest acheivement has been copied millions of times...........

Not really, because Xerox licensed it to Apple...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_C...ft_Corporation

(I did see what you did there! )