Apple's future IS the iPad

[jsh1120]

1) ...
2) Your perspective as a developer makes you uniquely unsuited to evaluate the average white collar worker. You are simply not one of them. The example you cite - an exec checking email in an airport (or perhaps reviewing a spreadsheet, marking up a presentation or contract) is *exactly* the vast majority of the professional working world today. And they can - and will - increasingly rely on the thinner/lighter/good enough capabilities of iPads and other tablets.

3) The convention you cite - of sitting at a desk across from a screen (or two) and a keyboard - is a matter of legacy, not optimization. The world's professional workforce is increasingly mobile, and another cycle or two of hardware flushing at major corporations will bear this out. As a coder you are one of an incredibly small number of people (relative to the whole) who really truly needs a "full fledged computer." Most others do not.

4) Add in the cost conscious blue collar world, the developing world, and youth of the world, all of whom are price sensitive (in general) in their own ways, and almost all of whom mot assuredly do *not* need a full fledged computer...and the trend is simply inexorable.

Tell you what. If you disagree, book mark this, and revisit it in 12, 24, and 36 months. The 4:1 ratio you cite will be reversed by 36 months. In fact, if anything, I'll take the Under.

Yep, I can see the future. Millions of mobile professionals zipping about from airport to airport while a few minions sit in their offices working on laptops and desktops.

As a matter of fact, I design software for those minions. And as the poster above notes, your view of the world is remarkably skewed. For every "mobile professional" you cite, there are 10-100 folks sitting in offices working at desks at least 8 hours a day. And despite the hopes of youngsters, the "mobile execs" aren't going to outnumber the worker bees. Not soon. Not ever.

I can hear the howls if I suggested those people trade in their 20" monitors with multiple windows for tablets that would enable them to wander about the halls of the buildings in which they work. But at least they'd be "mobile professionals."

I'm afraid you've been seduced by those glossy ads with attractive folks toting their tablets about....no doubt on their way to parties on the beach with similarly attractive folks.

 

[anthonymoody]

Yep, I can see the future. Millions of mobile professionals zipping about from airport to airport while a few minions sit in their offices working on laptops and desktops.

As a matter of fact, I design software for those minions. And as the poster above notes, your view of the world is remarkably skewed. For every "mobile professional" you cite, there are 10-100 folks sitting in offices working at desks at least 8 hours a day. And despite the hopes of youngsters, the "mobile execs" aren't going to outnumber the worker bees. Not soon. Not ever.

I can hear the howls if I suggested those people trade in their 20" monitors with multiple windows for tablets that would enable them to wander about the halls of the buildings in which they work. But at least they'd be "mobile professionals."

I'm afraid you've been seduced by those glossy ads with attractive folks toting their tablets about....no doubt on their way to parties on the beach with similarly attractive folks.

Not seduced by anything. Educated by decades of experience actually watching what those 10-100 folks back at their desks actually, you know, *do* with those computers. Trust me. Most of them can, 9x% of the time, do 9x% of what they do now, on today's iPad/iOS (to say nothing of tomorrow's...)

Like I said, bookmark and revisit. Time will tell.

 

[Sasha-1]

I think you're seeing he very beginning of the tablet. I've no doubt that over time the tablet will come closer to the laptop and edge out the laptop. Not six months ago I was saying almost exactly the same thing you say now. One day I had to meet a client for lunch. Rather that tote a laptop that isn't always connected to the Internet, I instead too my iPad. I went with the president and the chairmen of the company I work for.

The president and the chairmen brought just their smart phones. I brought the iPad. And the two clients I met each brought just an iPad. As soon as I started to talk about what kind of art I had in mind for them, one pulled out an iPad and started showing me images.

My employer immediately thought maybe I'm not so crazy after all. These clients are in their 50s and I am in my mid 40s.

You're right for now that I won't replace my laptop with my iPad. Heck, I own two laptops. The air and the pro. However, more and more I'm using the tablet. I bring it to meetings solo. I bring it to trips to see clients. I'm using it right now to post this comment with tap talk. Every bank and credit card I use has an iPad app. Purchases made on amazon are made with the amazon app on the iPad.

Still, when it comes to work with excel, I use a 21" Mac. I do believe at some point Apple will make a pro model with keyboard that docs to allow the use of a very large monitor. And the iPad will look and act pretty much like the Mac acts right now until you take it out of the dock and walk away with it.

It's clear to me that the PC as we know it was just the first step. Over the years you'll see a morphing affect take place.

 

[anthonymoody]

I think you're seeing he very beginning of the tablet. I've no doubt that over time the tablet will come closer to the laptop and edge out the laptop. Not six months ago I was saying almost exactly the same thing you say now. One day I had to meet a client for lunch. Rather that tote a laptop that isn't always connected to the Internet, I instead too my iPad. I went with the president and the chairmen of the company I work for.

The president and the chairmen brought just their smart phones. I brought the iPad. And the two clients I met each brought just an iPad. As soon as I started to talk about what kind of art I had in mind for them, one pulled out an iPad and started showing me images.

My employer immediately thought maybe I'm not so crazy after all. These clients are in their 50s and I am in my mid 40s.

You're right for now that I won't replace my laptop with my iPad. Heck, I own two laptops. The air and the pro. However, more and more I'm using the tablet. I bring it to meetings solo. I bring it to trips to see clients. I'm using it right now to post this comment with tap talk. Every bank and credit card I use has an iPad app. Purchases made on amazon are made with the amazon app on the iPad.

Still, when it comes to work with excel, I use a 21" Mac. I do believe at some point Apple will make a pro model with keyboard that docs to allow the use of a very large monitor. And the iPad will look and act pretty much like the Mac acts right now until you take it out of the dock and walk away with it.

It's clear to me that the PC as we know it was just the first step. Over the years you'll see a morphing affect take place.

Exactly. It's the relatively static way some people have of viewing things that gets them into trouble. They see the iPad and say...it can't cut native RED footage! Or run macros in excel!

Setting aside for the moment that those types of activities are specs on the windshield of the universe of overall computer usage, it's fairly easy to see the hardware/software evolution that's already occurred and continues to occur. These devices are getting (way) more powerful, not less. And it's accelerating.

Want more screen real estate or custom/physical input devices? Pretty sure that'll be addressed whether via external monitors and hardware, hybrid devices, or...whatever. In fact, we already have examples of this.

The Motorola phone, can't recall the name, that docks to a 'laptop' dock, though awful in implementation, is a pretty perfect example of where things can go. The central brain is small, light, portable, and wonderful. Need more? Hook it up.

 

[ped]

As much as like the iPad I don't see myself doing excel style worksheets with it. In order to truly take over the PC, it needs to find some middle ground in which it can easily be used for some compleat things like photoshop style work and excel type data.

One of the things android tablets do well is left you use a keyboard and a mouse. Once you pair a Bluetooth mouse with an android tablet, you see a mouse pointer on the screen. I think Apple needs that kind of option. Hidden if you don't pair it, but there if you do. And once paired functions like right-mouse clicking for options needs to be supported. It would be nice to plug your tablet into a dock and have something more like a traditional computer experience. Take it out of the dock and you have the simple iPad experience.

Something like this:

http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/lifebo...ra-smartphone-tablet-and-notebook-16-01-2012/

 

[Thedeathbear]

I think the iPad needs to be more like OSX to truly be a replacement. I am not saying be OSX, just more like it.

 

[smoledman]

Anyone who thinks a tablet is a replacement PC is delusional. It's a purely companion device which is what Steve Jobs said it was. Anyone trying to have an iPad as their only "PC" is in for a lot of work and disappointment. I guess you don't care about having a dual-widescreen setup and you're not a content creator.

 

[APlotdevice]

Anyone who thinks a tablet is a replacement PC is delusional. It's a purely companion device which is what Steve Jobs said it was. Anyone trying to have an iPad as their only "PC" is in for a lot of work and disappointment. I guess you don't care about having a dual-widescreen setup and you're not a content creator.

Most computer users are not content creators. And even among those that are, only a minority of them have dual monitor setups.

The simple fact is that not everyone has the same computing needs. There are plenty of folks out there who do nothing more than browse the web, check their email, and listen to/watch media. An iPad can handle these things quite easily.

 

[sjinsjca]

Mac lost the PC war twenty years ago and now has roughly 10% of the market.

There's not a PC manufacturer in the world who would not trade their PC business for Apple's Mac business.

 

[jsh1120]

...

The simple fact is that not everyone has the same computing needs. There are plenty of folks out there who do nothing more than browse the web, check their email, and listen to/watch media. An iPad can handle these things quite easily.

So can a TV. So if Apple's future is producing portable TV's, which is what you describe above, so be it.

 

[Abazigal]

Anyone who thinks a tablet is a replacement PC is delusional. It's a purely companion device which is what Steve Jobs said it was. Anyone trying to have an iPad as their only "PC" is in for a lot of work and disappointment. I guess you don't care about having a dual-widescreen setup and you're not a content creator.

It may not be one now, but who knows what we will be seeing a few years down the road? I mean, many years back, I would never have envisioned myself surfing the net or heck, even doing work on my phone.

 

[smoledman]

It may not be one now, but who knows what we will be seeing a few years down the road? I mean, many years back, I would never have envisioned myself surfing the net or heck, even doing work on my phone.

There's no doubt that tablets have their niche. But for those who actually want an ergonomically correct desktop setup with multiple monitors and all th fixins' a tablet just can never do.

 

[pcunite]

Well, all of you are wrong

The future is a PC the size of cell phone. It has a small touch screen onboard. When you go to your office or your buddy's house you only need to get within 5 feet of a monitor and keyboard for them to wirelessly use your "PC".

 

[smoledman]

Well, all of you are wrong

The future is a PC the size of cell phone. It has a small touch screen onboard. When you go to your office or your buddy's house you only need to get within 5 feet of a monitor and keyboard for them to wirelessly use your "PC".

I don't know what use-cases you have in mind, but none that involve "work".

 

[kalex]

When this happens it will be the day when I go back to windows. Really tablet phase is nice and great but its not a computer replacement for someone who actually uses their computers. I'm not talking about email and web browsing masses

 

[smoledman]

iPad as PC replacement is a joke. It doesn't support Flash, so I have my Mac Mini for that. Well guess what - it stutters on a video stream that has 4/5 bars of quality. Then I go over to my Windows 7 PC with Core i7 quad-core and it's running the video stream like a dream. Bottom line is too many web sites are still running on Flash and you need high end processing which means forget the iPad.

 

[jvmxtra]

iPad is superb.

Love it. And love all these education apps are lovely.

 

[torbjoern]

I think the iPad needs to be more like OSX to truly be a replacement. I am not saying be OSX, just more like it.

iOS is derived from OS X, even - so what's missing?

 

[APlotdevice]

So can a TV. So if Apple's future is producing portable TV's, which is what you describe above, so be it.

I certainly see Smart TVs becoming a viable replacement for basic computing needs in their own right. Though both can easily coexist in that market, with one offering portability and the other screen size.

iPad as PC replacement is a joke. It doesn't support Flash, so I have my Mac Mini for that. Well guess what - it stutters on a video stream that has 4/5 bars of quality. Then I go over to my Windows 7 PC with Core i7 quad-core and it's running the video stream like a dream. Bottom line is too many web sites are still running on Flash and you need high end processing which means forget the iPad.

I haven't seen a site that required flash in quite awhile. All the sites I actually visit support HTML video now. And they stream fine on my iPad.

Again, not everyone has the same needs.

 

[drjsway]

There's not a PC manufacturer in the world who would not trade their PC business for Apple's Mac business.

That's not saying much considering the state of the PC market. The iPad has more market share than all the rest combined. That is Apple's future, regardless if it's everyone's future or not.

 

[macguy360]

I would love more than anything for Apple to make the Ipad a laptop replacement.

Unfortunately, Apple's track record with the Ipad has proven otherwise. Consider these issues for a moment...

1. ALL of the Apple created IOS apps have been stripped down versions of their OSX counterparts. Imovie, pages, numbers, etc. Though Imovie could have been amazing and been a full featured program, it is just a shell of the OSX version. (This tells me that Apple does not want people to replace their $1000-$2000 macbooks with the $500+ Ipad)

2. Apple refuses to allow peripherals to run with the Ipad. God forbid we want to print on a wifi printer. You have to do all sorts of work arounds to make it possible to print because Apple doesn't allow 3rd party drivers to be installed on ios.

3. Gaming will always be limited to touch screen. Apple wants it this way. I don't get why. Apple has the potential to absolutely dominate the console gaming market because they have a system that gets upgraded every single year, is ultra portable and has terrific battery life to boot. Consoles can't compete with something like this. By the time the Ipad 3 comes out the graphics should be just about caught up with current gen consoles and within another year or two should be ahead. The problem is that Apple needs to realize that touch gaming is not as good as controller gaming. So instead of the Ipad being a revolutionary gaming device, it is just plagued with Freemium garbage because developers see bigger profits with that. Good luck to onlive ever getting on the Ipad because Apple seems to have it stuck in approval limbo.


If anything, Apple better get with the program because Microsoft has figured out what people want. People want the simplicity of IOS style operating system with the full features of a pc. That is what windows 8 will be. It is designed to be exactly the same whether your on a pc or a tablet. You will be able to do full fledged gaming on both as well as do all your business/school and personal needs on either.

(**edit** and by the way, I mention gaming because gaming is the bread and butter of the app store. Look at the TOP GROSSING APPS and you will see that 18 out of 20 of them are all games. Worse yet is that most of them are freemium garbage. This is the main reason why I question whether or not I will upgrade to the Ipad 3. Something needs to be done about freemium. It is predatorial software and does nothing to improve upon the Ipad or the App store.)

 

[smoledman]

If anything, Apple better get with the program because Microsoft has figured out what people want. People want the simplicity of IOS style operating system with the full features of a pc. That is what windows 8 will be. It is designed to be exactly the same whether your on a pc or a tablet. You will be able to do full fledged gaming on both as well as do all your business/school and personal needs on either.

(**edit** and by the way, I mention gaming because gaming is the bread and butter of the app store. Look at the TOP GROSSING APPS and you will see that 18 out of 20 of them are all games. Worse yet is that most of them are freemium garbage. This is the main reason why I question whether or not I will upgrade to the Ipad 3. Something needs to be done about freemium. It is predatorial software and does nothing to improve upon the Ipad or the App store.)

Please explain how the iPad would ever trump console or PC gaming. I look at kids furiously swiping around the screen on "Infinite Blade II" and I can't help but wonder if this represents a regression of gaming. Now if Blizzard found a way to get WOW on iPad - watch out.

 

[APlotdevice]

If anything, Apple better get with the program because Microsoft has figured out what people want. People want the simplicity of IOS style operating system with the full features of a pc. That is what windows 8 will be. It is designed to be exactly the same whether your on a pc or a tablet. You will be able to do full fledged gaming on both as well as do all your business/school and personal needs on either.

Not exactly the same. ARM based W8 tablets will not be able to run x86 applications. And the Metro version of IE won't support plugins.

 

[smoledman]

Not exactly the same. ARM based W8 tablets will not be able to run x86 applications. And the Metro version of IE won't support plugins.

IE10 will support HTML5 & Javascript. With HTML5 compliance getting better every quarter, nobody will care about Flash or Silverlight anymore.

 

[Night Spring]

The problem is that Apple needs to realize that touch gaming is not as good as controller gaming.

So what do you think Apple should do, allow controllers to work with iPads? And how would that work, you prop up the iPad on a desk and control the game with a controller in your hand? If I'm going to do that, I'd rather do it with a full-size monitor than the smallish screen of the iPad. The iPad's best feature is that it's compact and portable. Adding external controls ruins the portability. When the iPad was first announced, I thought being able to pair a Bluetooth keyboard was a great feature. Turns out it's an extra thing to carry, and I leave it home most of the time. Sure, a physical keyboard is more efficient to type on than the on-screen keyboard, but it's a trade-off I find I don't mind making for increased portability. Same with games. On-screen controls may be more awkward, but you never find that you want to play monopoly but left the dice and playing pieces at home.