Apple Stores Replace Kids' Table iMacs With iPads

[bawbac]

No surprise, since Apple has been going to kiddie toys for years.

Correct.
Apple has been moving toward more and more simple devices that have limited capabilities or are only capable of very special tasks for media manipulation.

Apple has become the device for simpletons/J6P and infants/kids to learn but out grow quickly due to its limitations that can not be over come.

 

[charlituna]

I was at my locale apple store on Monday waiting for my laptop and wanted to check something on the web. I picked one these up form the table and tried to find the browser and could not find it, went in to the system and there was no option for it there either, it like is never existed on the iPad.

DP

you can do that on your iPad as well. Same with youtube, the app store and iTunes store and a few other things.

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Code is a good method of teaching kids logic...

there are other ways as well. hell if you are creative enough you can use something like Angry Birds .

 

[lesreaper2009]

- Apple's worst performing year over year revenue growth segments starting at the worst: iPod (-25%), Mac Portables (-1%), Mac Desktops (8%).
- Mac desktop sales alone were about 3% of Apple's total revenue.

So per the article, Mac sales alone could sustain another company, yes, but desktops are not the biggest part of Mac sales: laptops are. My original post cites the success of the MacBook Air as an iconic and leading product and also cites the has-been status of the iMac and the lack of other updates to the desktop line. To Apple, the Mac desktop is a small son and hence gets the small son treatment (1 token update a year is what it is looking like).

I wonder if there is sales data for each product somewhere. In other words, of the $1.5 billion Mac desktops brought in last quarter, what is the breakdown by iMac / Mac Mini / Mac Pro. Do you think that sales of an almost 2 year old Mac Pro would make up even a third of that $1.5 billion figure? I don't.

Think of some other things Apple used to make that ended up accounting for very little revenue and growth. What comes to mind for me is the XServe and we all know what happened to that. I fear the Mac Pro will be the next thing to get XServed (pun intended).

This just makes me sad. An entire generation of creative artists, the people who make nearly all of the consumable content the iOS people will be using, have utilized Macs for everything. When Apple abandons us, are we going to switch to something else? After 10 or 20 years of muscle memory and the insane productivity that comes from that?

Secondly, it's sad because based on the numbers you provided, it's still profitable. It grew by 8%. Sure it isn't insane iOS growth, but it still makes money. Why abandon that? It's like a store putting out lead products to attract you into the store. Sure, you lose all your margins and make no money, but it gets you in. Well, in this case, wouldn't it make sense to continue to support the people who create your content in the closed Apple eco-system, even if it's at a small margin?

It makes sense if you're a sales company. But if you're a creative company still as well, it doesn't make sense to abandon your artists. Otherwise, Apple should just sell of it's Mac division and let it thrive on it's own, which it will.

 

[fertilized-egg]

'iToys' are becoming more and more capable and will soon (if not already) replace the PC needs for many.

Yes. It is ironic to see so many deriding the i-devices as "toys" in a "Mac" forum. Macintosh was considered a "toy" made for the masses who weren't smart enough to use the real computing, you know, the text command prompt.

In fact even the IBM desktop PCs were considered "toys" by the mainframe makers. Ken Olsen, probably the most famous mainframe-era executive, said "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home" and called the desktop PCs "toys".

Ken Olsen's comment was also ironic too because his company, DEC, was founded on the basis that the company offered "mini" computers that were less capable but more affordable and manageable in size.

It seems when a disrupter gets disrupted, they forgot what got them in the first place.

 

[koobcamuk]

Perfect example of what the average kid does with an Apple device in a store. Play. And that's what they should do. Play. If parents want them to code they can take their children over to a Mac. Otherwise kids will be kids and play and what better thing to play with than an iPad.

When they hit 13, they realise there is something else more fun to play with.

 

[JGowan]

Just what we need. I am in my mid 20s and my IT education was primarily word processing and office applications. I pity those kids these days who won't even get the level I got, and instead spend their time consuming videos and pictures on these devices.

The goal of teaching kids how to code (as IT classes in schools should be) seems further and further away with each story like this

Shaddap with this! The kids that will be at these tables are 4-10. CODING? WORD PROCESSING? Are you joking me with this crap. Let the kids be kids. They'd rather be on an iPad than some keyboard & mouse made for adult-sized hands.

 

[spacepower7]

Just what we need. I am in my mid 20s and my IT education was primarily word processing and office applications. I pity those kids these days who won't even get the level I got, and instead spend their time consuming videos and pictures on these devices.

The goal of teaching kids how to code (as IT classes in schools should be) seems further and further away with each story like this

I'm sorry to sound like a jerk but your "IT" isn't woth a damn. I hope you didn't pay much for it. Word processing is something most teenagers can do. Office Applications too.

You are no longer elite bc your skills will be in less demand as computers and tablets become easier for the end user.

Why do you need to teach people to code, the people who want to learn will still desire to do so.

You need to differentiate yourself if you want future employment.

 

[terraphantm]

I think the concern here is the potential creation of a generation of media consumers who barely know how to read, write, solve equations, etc... With parents who use their iDevices as mere babysitting tools with all the games available on iOS, it certainly seems like a valid concern.

I get what you're saying, but that's been a problem long before the iPad. I think the problem is a result of bad schools. Math classes these day not only allow calculators, but require them. School teachers assign reading that is way too easy (and often the "literature" is just serving some politically correct cause), and they're way too easy on writing assignments. I was shocked when I looked at the essays that earned As from my little cousins. They looked like the kind of things I wrote in elementary school (my cousins are in high school). Sad part is I wasn't in high school that long ago. I did go to a private school, but I didn't think the difference was *that* large.

No math class I had ever allowed calculators - even for trig (the tests were designed to use the common values). Only time I was allowed to use a calculator were for classes like chemistry and physics where the process was not the focus. I had to read all sorts of literature, from Shakespeare to Tolkein, and the essays were tougher than what I get even in my college courses.

 

[rgarjr]

Apple likes to start their fans at a young age.

 

[DeepIn2U]

sexy

Maan ... you may really need to put that word into proper context ... those here that still have a bit of difficulty in the English language may just read that all wrong.

 

[terraphantm]

I'm sorry to sound like a jerk but your "IT" isn't woth a damn. I hope you didn't pay much for it. Word processing is something most teenagers can do. Office Applications too.

You are no longer elite bc your skills will be in less demand as computers and tablets become easier for the end user.

Why do you need to teach people to code, the people who want to learn will still desire to do so.

You need to differentiate yourself if you want future employment.

I'm pretty sure he's referring to what he was taught in middle/high school as his "IT" education. I cannot imagine a mid-20s person taking word processing classes as higher education.

 

[aristotle]

What is an "Enfant"?

Are you serious? You need to travel to Europe ASAP. You have lived a sheltered life.

 

[IKBest]

Old News

lol I noticed that in the SF apple store a while ago

 

[donga]

Interesting. Were apps like mail, messages, etc. still present?

i'm not exactly sure, i was just looking for safari cause i wanted to look something up. possibly.

maybe there's a kids mode that they can implement when they want to.

 

[JoeMacDaddy]

This makes absolute sense

My 4 year old went to the kids section when there were iMacs and he took the mouse and rolled it across the screen. She has only used and iPhone and iPad. I took her to the iPad display and she was a happy camper.

This is the new way. The new MAC! for all of use computer dinosaurs that used to build our machines, rely on a keyboard, rely upon a mouse, they are all passé. We have entered a new day.

IPhones and iPads are the new computer devices. They dream of the "DynaBook" is upon us.

Enjoy, it will only get better.

 

[I WAS the one]

Best change ever! My daughter was running so fast she trip with two kids that were already there! And she's 3! Before that she sat on the black rubber ball to figure out how to play with the magic freaking mouse POS

 

[Konrad]

It all doesn't matter. The more important issue is how to minimize all computer devices usage regardless of their construction by children and let kids experience life. I prefer to see boys hitting something right on target with a slingshot and getting into some good mischief, instead of sitting in front of the screen, which they will do anyway at some point. Allowing even calculators in schools at the elemenery or high school level is simply elementary wrong. Kids should be enticed in a fun way to use their brains.

 

[magbarn]

It all doesn't matter. The more important issue is how to minimize all computer devices usage regardless of their construction by children and let kids experience life. I prefer to see boys hitting something right on target with a slingshot and getting into some good mischief, instead of sitting in front of the screen, which they will do anyway at some point. Allowing even calculators in schools at the elemenery or high school level is simply elementary wrong. Kids should be enticed in a fun way to use their brains.

Resistance is futile....

 

[Navdakilla]

I like this

 

[ArcaneDevice]

Kids like playing with iPads so this is a good idea. Not to mention the variety of Mac OSX games being produced is not even worth comparing.

What is needed is a touch screen iMac to gain the benefits of a large screen and iOS apps that can also be switched to adult tasks that involve keyboards and precision.

No matter how good a touchscreen is the keyboard will always suck by comparison and without a stylus or mouse any attempts at fine and controlled work are always going to be second rate.

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This is the new way. The new MAC! for all of use computer dinosaurs that used to build our machines, rely on a keyboard, rely upon a mouse, they are all passé.

Yeah and I'm sure architects and engineers will be constructing elevations and plans with fingerpaints too.

 

[SBlue1]

Makes sense in my opinion.

 

[darrens]

Disappointed 8 year old...

When my son heard about this, his first reaction wasn't "Cool, iPads", it was "Oh no, no more Lego Star Wars".

He knows he can use an iPad in any other part of the store - this was the only place he could play Mac games.

 

[JustMarci]

Wow...those are going to be amazing petri dishes. Blech.

 

[Knotty]

Just what we need. I am in my mid 20s and my IT education was primarily word processing and office applications. I pity those kids these days who won't even get the level I got, and instead spend their time consuming videos and pictures on these devices.

The goal of teaching kids how to code (as IT classes in schools should be) seems further and further away with each story like this

The aim is to get away from having them learning to use office apps, most kids can do that fine without being taught it in school anyway.

There are plenty of schemes coming in to help improve primary phase computer science education, and believe it or not iPads won't change that one bit. Infact iPads give kids a massive boost in terms of getting a really good all-round education, not just ICT related. Do some research and you'll find out they don't just "spend their time consuming videos and pictures on these devices".

 

[robeddie]

Yes. It is ironic to see so many deriding the i-devices as "toys" in a "Mac" forum. Macintosh was considered a "toy" made for the masses who weren't smart enough to use the real computing, you know, the text command prompt.

In fact even the IBM desktop PCs were considered "toys" by the mainframe makers. Ken Olsen, probably the most famous mainframe-era executive, said "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home" and called the desktop PCs "toys".
.

I'll be fine once iOS has anywhere near the flexibility and capability of a full-fledged computer operating system. But even ridiculously simple things, like downloading a video from your email to save it to your ipad hard drive, or attach more than one photo to an email you send, are all but impossible in iOS.
I got an iPad a couple years ago, but quickly felt like I was in candy-colored prison.