That's interesting, thanks. I thought the money quote was, "the iPad can indeed replace a laptop for most data communication, content consumption and even limited content creation." [Emphasis added.] I use my computers primarily for written communications and I infer that the iPad, despite its Gee Whiz! attributes, is going to be inferior to any "real" computer for writing. Only time will tell, of course, but even WSJ's reviewer, who otherwise extolled the iPad's virtues, seemed to recognize the iPad's relative weakness at creating content.
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Couldn't the MacBook Air be better than the iPad?
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anyone who thinks that ipad is better than a laptop or a netbook is out of their mind. it's nothing more than an oversized ipod touch.
I agree that saying the iPad is "better than a laptop" is delusional. While I understand the excitement the iPad has generated, it's simply not designed for all day, every day computing use. It's OK for a lot of tasks, such as Web browsing and checking email but the idea of having to do either word processing or spreadsheet work that is even remotely complex makes my blood run cold.
I venture to say that 90% of the population use the computer for "just" that puropose... web browsing and checking email like you said. So, if my figure is close, then the ipad will be a laptop replacement for most people, or at least a secondary one that will replace netbooks, MBA, or even an iPhone.
I say iPhone, because I'm thinking about getting an iPad w/3g and replacing my phone for an Android phone (thinking about a Nexus One). iPhone is getting a bit old... Am I the only one?
You are right about computer usage. But you are not right about "most people will replace" Many will, But certainly not most. Because there is this 5% stuff which an Ipad can't do which will piss of many.
It's like a kitchen without hot water. A car without AC. A band without a drummer. A computer without a keyboard. A laptop without multitasking. Or a browser without flash.
Can't wait to hear the fanboys change opinion 180 degrees as soon as multitasking hits the iToys.
I think your prediction that most folks use computers only for tasks of the sort the iPad does well may well be right. In fact, I think the iPad is another example of Apple's marketing genius. They know how to make stuff that a lot of people want to buy.I venture to say that 90% of the population use the computer for "just" that puropose... web browsing and checking email like you said. So, if my figure is close, then the ipad will be a laptop replacement for most people, or at least a secondary one that will replace netbooks, MBA, or even an iPhone.
I say iPhone, because I'm thinking about getting an iPad w/3g and replacing my phone for an Android phone (thinking about a Nexus One). iPhone is getting a bit old... Am I the only one?
It's interesting that you are thinking of replacing your iPhone with an Android. I have a G1, which was the first Android phone. I have had it ever since T-Mobile started offering it and have liked it a lot. Whenever I am within reach of T-Mobile's 3G network, the G1 is a highly effective Web browser. It's email functions are pretty good, too. Its UI isn't as classy as the iPhone's but it's not bad, either.
I'm blown away by reading things like this. Touching a link is no better than gesturing with my finger on my silky smooth MBP touchpad and laying down a gentle tap. It does the same thing. It's not any better. In the time you raised a finger to touch that link you want to visit, I navigated my finger to point my cursor and tapped. Same. Exact. Thing. I think people are just giddy about a different type of browsing experience and therefore they get too worked up about it. Or maybe Apple's marketing and code words like "revolutionary" are stronger than I think.
If you are serious about reading ebooks you'll still carry a Nook/Kindle. Yes, having one less device to bring out is convenient, but the advantages to the devices I listed are numerous. And if the iPad is a great ereader for you, congrats.
Watch videos? I'll take a larger widescreen over a 4:3 aspect ratio screen any day.
I will admit that browsing photos on the iPad is a pleasure, but certainly not a strong enough advantage where someone would opt for an iPad because the photo element is truly that much better than a laptop.
I don't play games so that's a moot point for me personally.
As for the OP was originally asking. I think the MBA could indeed be better than an iPad. You'd have to lower the price of course to really let them compete. And Apple will never let a device running Snow Leopard come close to a similar price point compared to what the iPad runs as an OS.
Apple did something brilliant. They know a fair share of their consumer base are very casual computer users. And by that I mean they buy a laptop and use it for the most basic things (web, email, media consumption). Now, I could make a case for all those being somewhat crippled on the iPad if I really wanted to (no Flash, no keyboard, locked in to iTunes purchases), but Apple knows that people want to be satisfied on basic levels. The iPad is really not a computer. It's a device meant to consume media. And Apple is especially excited because they will be making so much money via iTunes after the initial purchase of the iPad (movie and tv rentals and purchases, ebooks, newspapers, games, pay apps, etc). And you rest assured that the newspapers and magazine businesses are praying that it will revive their industries (personally I don't think it will, but I don't want to get into that).
I love my MBP. Love it. But if I had the money I'd get a MBA for my travels. I would never get an iPad (too many sacrifices plus shudder at the idea of having to purchase so much media from iTunes). I have my DVD collection ripped and loaded onto my MBP. Would never want to have to convert those files to ones that could play on the iPad too.
Last thought: If the MBA was $800 it would be an enormous success. People would say "oh, it's super portable and very fairly priced." But Apple can't do it. We the consumer are still paying a premium to have such a fully featured computer in such a lightweight piece of hardware. It's a shame, but that's how the game is played for now. What would be interesting is if you offered someone an iPad for $500 (the current base model) and a MBA for $800 (the current base model) and see which one they'd go for. A lot of you may say the iPad because of the current hype plus they might not need all the features of the MBA. But I bet a lot would still opt for the MBA because they know how much more convenient the laptop still is at the end of the day.
Sounds like a post by someone who doesn't have an iPad. I haven't touched my MBA since Saturday. I can't sell you on the concept, you just need to use it for an extended period of time. Touch IS much quicker than a mouse and I dare you to browse the web exclusively on the iPad for a week and then see if you can go back to a mouse or trackpad.
I have a MBP and a MBA and the display on the iPad blows them out of the water. I'd much rather watch movies on the iPad. Screen size difference is inconsequential. If I want the big screen experience, I would use my 110" projector.
E-ink is overrated. Why is the nook or kindle better besides the claims of eye strain? It's not as if most people don't spend all day in front of a computer screen anyway.
You are also not locked into iTunes. There is Netflix, ABC just made an app, and Hulu will probably go for a subscription model. Any competitors to iTunes are also welcome to support the iPad. Apple didn't block the Kindle app. Sure, it may be much harder to pirate media but why do people feel they're entitled to steal just because they can get away with it?
BTW, I can access OSX and Windows 7 through a VNC server and it works magnificently.
Love it or hate it, this is the future of computing.
The mouse and keyboard will die off in the consumer space (it'll probably still be around in the pro space). Regarding the on screen keyboard, remember that we've had a lifetime of experience typing on a physical keyboard. I get 60WPM on the iPad keyboard and I have no doubt that number will go up as I get more experience on it.
File systems will be invisible. Operating Systems of the future will resemble iPhone OS more than OSX or Windows. It will become more simplified and some here might call it "crippled" but the fact is, no one wants to learn how to use a computer.
The iPad (and tablet computing in general) is still in its infancy and it will get better but in twenty years, I can say that I bought the first modern computer.
I disagree. The iPad is the future of entertainment and media viewing. It's just that right now people use MBs for those needs whereas now there's an iPad to deal with observation on the device. I believe an MBA buyer (real target market buyer) will be less likely to migrate to the MBA than a MB buyer. In addition, the iPad isn't a computer as it doesn't allow fast input nor a method for work tasks to be completed at a high input rate. Think of writing a paper on the iPad or managing financial spreadsheets for a Fortune 500 company... not the iPads job. The iPad is about play while the MBA is about work. The MBA buyer isn't buying the MBA to watch movies, he or she is buying the MBA to do work and as a secondary function they watch movies and surf the web on it. The MB buyer has a PC at work, and they do all their work there. When they get home the want to "play" not do real computing. They observe on the MB and don't use its computing capabilities... these users will definitely migrate to the iPad. The iPad was built to change entertainment on computers not the need or purpose of work computers themselves. An iPad is better for entertainment and an MBA is better for working.
The iPad is at least a year or two away... it has a lot of growing up to do. Apple has dumbed it down to the point where I wouldn't be happy with it. And from what I understand it needs more RAM if it's going to store a bunch of browser tabs without reloading constantly... this is a dealbreaker for me.
I was at the Apple store yesterday admiring the MBA. Just based on the numbers, it's not worth the extra versus a MBP... but boy, there is some intangible wow factor on that machine... I pretty much decided that when these things get refreshed, I'm getting one. But honestly...at these prices and with these specs, who the hell would buy one today????
I was at the Apple store yesterday admiring the MBA. Just based on the numbers, it's not worth the extra versus a MBP... but boy, there is some intangible wow factor on that machine... I pretty much decided that when these things get refreshed, I'm getting one. But honestly...at these prices and with these specs, who the hell would buy one today????
And you don't agree that our input will get faster as we get more experience on it? We've had a lifetime of experience with traditional computers. It will take time for us to be as productive with a different UI.
I am doing several tasks on the iPad which I know I can do faster on a laptop. I'm resisting going to the laptop because the more experience I get doing these things in the iPad, the faster I will get at them.
And remember, we are talking about the "future of computing" not the present. You don't see a point in the future where a tablet OS can be just as functional?
Which is why I said the mouse and keyboard might still exist in the pro space. In the consumer space, I think it'll die off. I see the mobile computing market share being 95% tablets, 5% laptops. I think desktops will die off completely in the consumer space. There's no more need being confined to a desk. Who still uses a phone with a cord?
Just with ten minutes of testing the MBA in the Apple Store, anyone can see how this is where all of the Mac notebooks are headed. It's not just the thiner and lightweight form factor, it's wireless everything, removal of optical drives which are pointless, and USB 3.0 and LightPeak can eliminate the need for a bunch of different ports. In the end, it will not be Mini Display Port, FW, USB x2, Express Card/34, and etc... it will be one LightPeak for any major device, with wireless tech to send the display just as Intel has demonstrated. Wires are the past, and the MBA was the first to prove it. Who wants to plug and unplug products all of the time or work on their Mac with four or five cables attached. With an AirPort Extreme Base Station and attached printer and drive, the wires are pointless at home. Accessing those files over the Internet allows for off-computer storage of media files to allow smaller SSDs that provide optimal speed.
I believe the MBA will continue to show us where Apple is headed with all of the Mac notebooks just as it has in the past. The MBA was the first to put an SSD in it standard, first to eliminate most ports, first to introduce large multi-touch trackpad, first to introduce unibody case, first to introduce minimization of thickness by removing optical drive, and I believe it will be the first to sport a new display tech soon. I believe this next update will probably introduce new internal components advancing on capabilities of technology (Arrandale and Optimus), and the next update will probably introduce where Macs are going in terms of user experiences (new form factor, new materials, new display, and even more portable).
I agree though, there is no reason to buy a 10-month-old price tag on an 18-month-old MBA (v 2,1 was introduced in October 2008 with no changes since except a CPU bump due to Intel's offerings changing w/same CPU cost to Apple as prior high-end SL9x00). However, with its next update whenever that may be, I believe Apple will start taking big steps in the right direction. I sure hope the MBA gets an update with the MBP soon. At least some of the rumors are now speculating that the MBA will get an update too.
What really, are you joking there?
You know that laptops, and to a lesser degree the iMac range, are all compact and well designed pieces of hardware? A desktop is there for the user upgradable and brute force that you simply can't get in a compact machine.
I think (going off your posts in this thread) that you believe the iPad is right for you, and that everything else in the future is going to be based off something that you like right now. Desktops have been around since computers appeared, they serve a very important use that (even with "desktop replacements" by such high-end manufacturers like Alienware) laptops have never been able to compete against.
You are right about the continued viability of desktops. Virtually every peripheral in a desktop, including graphics cards, hard drives, and a bunch of other stuff, too, are easily accessible to users for the purposes of repair or upgrading. That's particularly important in a business environment with a bunch of computers. And that's without talking about the capability of many desktops to support multiple quad core CPUs.
That some of us, including your's truly, use our MBPs exclusively these days does not change the equation. As is always the case with computers, what you buy depends on what your needs are.
Oh my yes. That's why I have a home built desktop PC, an iMac and a Macbook; they all have their specific uses.
It doesn't matter whether our input gets faster on an iPad, what matters is we will still be faster at a real keyboard with feedback. In life, especially work, where time is money, the keyboard is king. I can type faster than I can speak... so even voice recognition isn't going to change that.
The UI on the iPad is obvious, so there's no steep learning curve. I would rather teach my mom or grandma to use an iPad than a computer, but I wouldn't hire either of them to work for me.
You might do the work on the iPad to improve upon your speed, but that seems like a "fool's errand" to me... you should use a device because it's either the only tool you have for the job or because it offers you the best results possible. Unless you're developing iPad apps and need this "experience" for something, I think you're wasting your TIME. Life and time are finite... I would rather spend my time with what makes me do work the fastest and what makes me enjoy entertainment the most from my available tool set.
You are free to your own opinions just as I am... one of us is probably more correct, but when I talk about a computer I am talking about real work getting done as its primary purpose. I can type faster on an MBA, so I will not write on an iPad... I might enjoy the iPad more for watching a movie on a flight, so I will use an iPad there. The thing is, I can still watch a movie on my MBA, and I can still type on an iPad, but for me each has a specific set of tasks it achieves better than the other. The MBA is about working and adding my own input into the device... the iPad is about observing and getting the most out of the device possible.
Neither is perfect, but if I could only have one device to do EVERYTHING I needed it to do, I would obviously select an MBA every single time. Because the iPad cannot do everything the MBA can do and the MBA can do the vast majority of what the iPad can do even better, less the better portability and better quality display of the iPad.
This was my point in my last post, in which I agreed with Dagless that the desktop computer is not going to disappear. We all have differing needs and the computing device we choose depends on what those needs are. In my case, my 17 inch MBP is all I need these days, although there are some tasks at which a desktop might be better and others at which an iPad might be better.
Despite what I have said, I will likely add a Macbook Air if the RAM gets increased because it would provide me portability that would almost, if not quite, do what the iPad does, while at the same time giving me almost as much computing power as I have in my MBP.
Touch is no quicker than the actions I partake in with my trackpad on my MBP. If you don't understand or believe that then you really have drunk the iPad kool aid. Jobs tries to sell us on the idea that the iPad is so "intimate" for web browsing. Stop. All you are doing is navigating the web with a finger vs. a trackpad or mouse. You are doing the same exact thing. If you really want to believe that it's better in any way to a laptop/desktop web experience, go ahead. But you're wrong.
Screen size is inconsequential? Reading that makes allows me to know better than to take a single thing you write seriously. Movies were meant to be watched in a widescreen format. You make sacrifices to watch them in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Again, sacrifices. If it works for you, so be it. But don't tell me it's "inconsequential". And yes, I'll take a 13" widescreen any day of the week vs. what the iPad offers. IPS panel or not.
E-ink is not overrated. Read from an E-ink screen for an hour and then do the very same using your iPad as an ereader with a book. It's a completely different experience. If you don't suffer from any eye strain, cool, but they are two very different experiences.
I'm reading my share of people having issues with the Netflix app. Regardless of course it's a cool app. But you can do the same thing with a laptop. Ditto with all the television apps you named.
This BS you type about tablets being the future of computing makes me want to puke. The mouse and keyboard will die? My God. You get your hands on a tablet that plays media and you think computers as we know it are going to die off. So by your account virtual keyboards are going to be the norm? Right. That's what we all want, less free space for our hands to type with. Yes, we will "adapt". Of course.
The iPad is not the first modern computer. It's a device that gives you the web (without Flash & web pages must fully load again when switching between more than one open tab. Awesome!), an ereader (with glare from indoors lights and an inability to be used outdoors), a gaming device (with no physical controls), a film/tv viewing experience (where you must rely on apps and paid iTunes content), and no keyboard. That's the future? No. No it most certainly is not. I'll take a MBA over an iPad any day.
Again, I'm talking about the future. Are you really saying there will NEVER be virtual keyboard faster than a physical one?
To the others that also think I'm crazy. Walt Mossberg and other respected tech journalists also think the mouse/keyboard will become obsolete. It's not like I'm not the only one.
Regarding my desktop comment, I specifically mentioned the consumer space. Yes, desktops are more powerful and upgradable. Most consumers do not need the power and selling a used laptop and buying a new one isn't that much more expensive than upgrading.
Last night, I visited the Apple store in Charlotte (NC) to experience the iPad. I, and most others at the same display table, were NOT impressed. We couldn't use the map feature on any of them, because of some kind of WIFI issue that remained unexplained by the staff.
First, the display had to be constantly cleaned and it shows smudges in the worst way. Outside, the lack of a glare-free screen would be unbearable.
Second, there is no way your going to hold this thing up for hours on end for books or movies. The kindle is feather light (hold for long periods), with a battery that can go for 2 weeks. A typical laptop is easier to watch a movie - in 16:9 format, instead of the iPad's 4:3.
Third, typing on this thing is very awkward. Because of it's curved back, you really can't lay it down and type on it either. You need to prop it up - fine if your on the coach; bad if your on the go.
What I did like about it was the speed of operation and the game play. I think simulation games (flying, driving, etc) is where it will find it's niche. However, other game manufacturers (ie, xBox) could always produce a similar device at half the price with an accelerometer.
On an adjacent table was the current MBA. Going from the iPad to that machine was a major step up. Assuming the new MBA will resolve battery life (8 hours?) with an even better processor (Core i7?), it will be a smash hit.
In fairness to the iPad, no doubt Apple will make improvements to both the hardware and software; I'm sure the next generation could be as impressive as the iPhone 3G was to the original. Time will tell. Right now, time tells me the iPad is far from ready for prime time.
Let's also not forget that the iPad's "official" competition has yet to arrive. The HP Slate looks very impressive and there will be others. The next year should be interesting on how the Tablet wars will play out. I'm still not convinced the whole Tablet concept is really what we need - except for interactive games.
First, the display had to be constantly cleaned and it shows smudges in the worst way. Outside, the lack of a glare-free screen would be unbearable.
Second, there is no way your going to hold this thing up for hours on end for books or movies. The kindle is feather light (hold for long periods), with a battery that can go for 2 weeks. A typical laptop is easier to watch a movie - in 16:9 format, instead of the iPad's 4:3.
Third, typing on this thing is very awkward. Because of it's curved back, you really can't lay it down and type on it either. You need to prop it up - fine if your on the coach; bad if your on the go.
What I did like about it was the speed of operation and the game play. I think simulation games (flying, driving, etc) is where it will find it's niche. However, other game manufacturers (ie, xBox) could always produce a similar device at half the price with an accelerometer.
On an adjacent table was the current MBA. Going from the iPad to that machine was a major step up. Assuming the new MBA will resolve battery life (8 hours?) with an even better processor (Core i7?), it will be a smash hit.
In fairness to the iPad, no doubt Apple will make improvements to both the hardware and software; I'm sure the next generation could be as impressive as the iPhone 3G was to the original. Time will tell. Right now, time tells me the iPad is far from ready for prime time.
Let's also not forget that the iPad's "official" competition has yet to arrive. The HP Slate looks very impressive and there will be others. The next year should be interesting on how the Tablet wars will play out. I'm still not convinced the whole Tablet concept is really what we need - except for interactive games.
I have used both for an extended period of time. You have not. But you're telling me that I'm wrong?
What about the fact that all tech journalists all describe web browsing as more enjoyable and intimate? So all of them have drunk the Kool-Aid?
I'm a big fan of real books. Never interested in the Kindle. The iPad mimics the experience of reading a physical book better than anything that has come before it. From full color front cover to page turning animations. The kindle feels like I'm reading a text document in comparison. Again, don't most people sit in the office staring at a computer screen? Eye strain is a silly argument.
When it comes to movie watching, there are times where I want the big screen experience and times where I prefer convenient portable viewing. In those time, a 9 inch vs 13 inch doesn't matter as much as portability. When I get home to my 110" screen, I'll enjoy my big screen experience. The fact that the iPad is the ONLY portable 8-bit display Apple makes also help. Even the 17" MBP uses a 6-bit TN display.
It is flaw of the iPad that the Apple store had WiFi issues?
Display can be cleaned in two seconds. I just rub it against my shirt. Glossy vs Matte is a trade off. Glossy looks worst outside but looks better than Matte in darker rooms. The whole Apple line is going towards glossy so this is not iPad-exclusive issue.
I don't hold it up at all. It's always on the coffee table or my lap (except when I play games that require me to hold it up). Do you hold up a hardcover book for hours when you're reading?
I lay mine on the coffee table and type on it fine. When standing up, I use vertical mode and type with my thumbs like a smart phone. That's the great thing about the iPad. You use it in different ways depending on what position you're in.
In the end, this is a different kind of UI than you're used to and you need to get used to it. It's unfair to judge it having only played around with it in the Apple store. If you spend your whole life driving a car, then you hop on a motorcycle for half an hour, is it really enough time to judge its benefits? You would probably find it awkward to use but learn how to ride a motorcycle and it can be so much more enjoyable than a car.
I look forward to competitors as well but it will come in the form of Android tablets, not the HP Slate. A desktop OS may sound good on paper but it's like putting a car engine in a motorcycle. A good tablet OS must be designed from the ground up with touch in mind.
Has anyone used Windows 7 or OSX on the iPad (through a VNC)? Though usable, it's far from a great experience.
Walt Mossberg's review of the iPad was one of the most absurd tech reviews I have ever read. It was such a fawning piece and the title alone "laptop killer? almost" is a joke. If you want a more level headed review take a look at Engadget's. The best review of the iPad is Ars Technica's. Miles beyond anything David Pogue, Mossberg, and others wrote in that week leading up to the release.
I love how you are just assuming things. I have used the iPad for an extended period of time. I went and spent an hour this past Sunday at the Apple store doing so. Then my neighbor got one on Monday so I've been making a few visits to really get a feel for it. It's not that I think it's a terrible device. It does what it does well. But you are going so overboard with this talk of it being the future. Perhaps you are drinking Mossberg's kool aid, or worst yet Jesus Diaz's at Gizmodo who has written some articles about the iPad this past week that are simply outrageous. Honestly I think too many of these tech journalists are getting too revved up by their new gadget and are going overboard in their claims. Luckily I have come across some reviews and articles that are more level headed and realistic. And you yourself are going overboard with claims that "all" tech journalists are claiming that the iPad web experience is better and more intimate.
The Kindle feels like you are reading a text document? The Kindle replicates the experience of reading text from a page in a book. That's great that the iPad can do color and make page turn animations, but at the end of the day it still feels like you are reading off a glass illuminated screen, and that to me is an inferior reading experience. And if you think that does not lead to eye strain after long periods, so be it, but a lot of people feel otherwise, including myself.
The 9" vs. 13" viewing experience is a matter of opinion. If you can stomach it, go for it. I can't. To me it's a significant step down as a movie experience.
I admitted that tablet computing is in its infancy and will take time to mature. The iPad is just getting multi-tasking when the Mac has had it for 25+ years. Is it possible that Mossberg and others see the potential of the form factor and UI? That more "level-headed" reviewers just can't see outside the box? Do you really believe we'll be using a mouse in ten years? Or a keyboard that hasn't really changed since the days of typewriters?
Since the beginning of computing, the ideal form factor has always been a tablet. If you watch Star Trek or other futuristic sci-fi, that's what you'll see. Apple has made the first tablet that's not a pain to use. This is huge. This is why journalists are going crazy over it. Look at how much laptops have changed in the last ten years. Then imagine tablet computing ten years from now.
On the eye-strain issue, I'll ask again. Don't people stare at a monitor for 8 hours a day at the office? What's the difference? Almost all writers write on a laptop (except a few who still use a typewriter). They sometimes write for 16 hours at a time.