iPad Drives Apple to Perch Atop List of Top-Selling PC Manufacturers

[BaldiMac]

If I replace a horse with a car - does that mean my car is a horse?

No, but if you are putting together an market analysis of the transports that people use back when the car was just taking off, you would be remiss to not include horses and cars in your report. (Even though cars were much more limited because they required roads and special fuel and didn't offer companionship. )

 

[ABernardoJr]

If I replace a horse with a car - does that mean my car is a horse?

My mode of transportation has changed - not the name of the means.

So I lean more towards needing a new name/term that encompasses these devices (PCs, Tablets, etc) that is more about what they do.

I know what you're getting at with the "get a new name" thing though, so I'll follow along. Yes, horses and cars are two different modes of transportation, and they do not share the same name. The only shared characteristic between the two in this particular case, however, is that they are/were used for transportation. Are you suggesting that "horse" came first as a mode of transportation and then they invented the automobile and thought "we can't call this 'horse', so let's call it 'car'"? Since there isn't really a generic term to classify a mode of transportation, I'll just say "vehicle" (for the time being). Cars and horses are two kinds of "vehicles," and they can be reasonably classified under that generic term as they both classify as modes of transportation. The analog of "vehicle" in this particular case would be "personal computer." Now an iPad (or tablets in general) can be seen as a type of personal computer that is reasonably classified under that generic term. The analog to a car and horse would then be "iPad/tablet" and "desktop" (or "notebook"), not "iPad/tablet" and "PC". And further, why do we need a new name for the "new" PCs when the current stable of PCs still fit the definition?'

And to be clear, I'm not arguing that iPads are becoming the only PCs and replacing notebooks and desktops. I simply believe that iPads/tablets are worthy subcategories that belong under PC.

 

[dgree03]

I know what you're getting at with the "get a new name" thing though, so I'll follow along. Yes, horses and cars are two different modes of transportation, and they do not share the same name. The only shared characteristic between the two in this particular case, however, is that they are/were used for transportation. Are you suggesting that "horse" came first as a mode of transportation and then they invented the automobile and thought "we can't call this 'horse', so let's call it 'car'"? Since there isn't really a generic term to classify a mode of transportation, I'll just say "vehicle" (for the time being). Cars and horses are two kinds of "vehicles," and they can be reasonably classified under that generic term as they both classify as modes of transportation. The analog of "vehicle" in this particular case would be "personal computer." Now an iPad (or tablets in general) can be seen as a type of personal computer that is reasonably classified under that generic term. The analog to a car and horse would then be "iPad/tablet" and "desktop" (or "notebook"), not "iPad/tablet" and "PC". And further, why do we need a new name for the "new" PCs when the current stable of PCs still fit the definition?

So do you believe that iPhones, iPod Touches, Kindle Fires, Galaxy Nexus be included in PC's also?

 

[BaldiMac]

What about attaching a jpeg and a vCard file to an email? The iPad does a lot a lot of things, but if I want to do that, then apparently I need to boot up a 'real computer'.

You can do that with an iPad.

 

[firewood]

A computer to me is a device that allows you to compute extensive calculations and increase work efficiency for tasks.

My computer is used mainly for typing and doing analysis alongside and running program's like solid works. Both require extensive screen space, plenty of fine control along with space to fit tasks from basic formatting to providing options for much more complex operations, and the engineering stuff requires a lot of power (yes I know the iPad will get more and more powerful but so do programs get more and more demanding)

All these tasks are much better suited to a large desktop (my 27" iMac has aided my final year project so much by being able to have word, excel and a web page open all alongside each other)

Performing any of these tasks on an iPad would be a nightmare.

Go 25 years in the past, and engineering companies gladly purchased and used personal computers around 2 orders of magnitude less powerful than an iPad. Lower-res monitors that flickered and weighed many dozens of kilos. What a nightmare.

Go 20 years into the future, and some engineers will probably laugh at the toy you currently have to put up with to do your computing, and yet somehow still call your personal computer. What a nightmare for you.

Yet, they'll all be personal computers. But at any point in time, some intellectually myopic types will be stuck on their current mental picture of one rare little point sample within this time continuum of a huge range of computing products. What a nightmare.

 

[dgree03]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

What about attaching a jpeg and a vCard file to an email? The iPad does a lot a lot of things, but if I want to do that, then apparently I need to boot up a 'real computer'.

Sure you can do that on the iPad at least the jpeg part...

Open webpage
find picture you want to save
Tap and hold the select save image
Then you must open the photo app (Do not open the email app up, because you cannot attach a picture from there)
find the pic
press the ---> button
then select email photo as attachment
then the mail app opens
pick your recipient

then send!

 

[BaldiMac]

Sure you can do that on the iPad at least the jpeg part...

Open webpage
find picture you want to save
Tap and hold the select save image
Then you must open the photo app (Do not open the email app up, because you cannot attach a picture from there)
find the pic
press the ---> button
then select email photo as attachment
then the mail app opens
pick your recipient

then send!

Or just copy and paste the image into an email.

 

[ABernardoJr]

So do you believe that iPhones, iPod Touches, Kindle Fires, Galaxy Nexus be included in PC's also?

Do you view the analogy of "cars" and "horses" to be viable with "iPod Touches" and "MacBook Pros"?

While each of those things have microprocessors inside them to qualify as a computer, I won't be so quick to make some generalization at the whim of your post. Contrary to others, I believe in refining my perspectives before assuming that one particular instance spells the case for virtually all others. But I will say that I find it hard to logically call a phone a personal computer, and the Kindle Fire was actually included under the tablets that fueled the PC growth. Did you read the article?

Edit - After reviewing your posts in this thread seems that you're one of the people stuck on its limitations more than its capabilities as a PC. And with that, you assume that because of those limitations, any different product with similar limitations must be grouped together with the tablets? Because I mentioned that tablets should be considered PCs too, and made no mention of phones. The two share capabilities that intersect but are you suggesting that they are close enough to reasonably be grouped together like this to suit your side of the argument? Because I'd be interested in hearing you justify why phones are similar enough to tablets to be considered PCs as well.

 

[voonyx]

Sure you can do that on the iPad at least the jpeg part...

Open webpage
find picture you want to save
Tap and hold the select save image
Then you must open the photo app (Do not open the email app up, because you cannot attach a picture from there)
find the pic
press the ---> button
then select email photo as attachment
then the mail app opens
pick your recipient

then send!

How do the steps taken define a PC? Look if the industry as a whole, excluding ipads, declined (which it did according to the article) how can you argue that ipads are not replacing laptops? Or are you suggesting that people just decided to stop buying laptops independent of the existence of the ipad? I think its clear that ipads are replacing and competing with PC's and as such belong in that category.

 

[fxtech]

Not a PC

The iPad is not a personal computer until I can do the kinds of computery things on it that I can with my real computers.

Off the top of my head:
* write iPad apps
* compile, run, and debug C++
* connect up a 3D display and watch 3D Blu Ray movies or play 3D-enabled games
* connect up a HOTA and pedals and fly an airplane
* play a real FPS with a mouse+keyboard as dog intended
* install 2TB more storage

So no, it's not a PC.

 

[firewood]

So do you believe that iPhones, ... be included in PC's also?

There are reports that in parts of the world that haven't been able to afford laptop and desktop computers in large numbers, nor a steady enough electric grid to power such, people are jumping directly into getting smartphones for all their computing and computer communication needs.

So eventually, if this trend continues, and as these places become a greater part of the world economic picture, smartphones will become PCs as well.

I, personally, include them in the personal computing category already.

 

[voonyx]

The iPad is not a personal computer until I can do the kinds of computery things on it that I can with my real computers.

Off the top of my head:
* write iPad apps
* compile, run, and debug C++
* connect up a 3D display and watch 3D Blu Ray movies or play 3D-enabled games
* connect up a HOTA and pedals and fly an airplane
* play a real FPS with a mouse+keyboard as dog intended
* install 2TB more storage

So no, it's not a PC.

Can you provide the link where the above are included in the definition of a PC?

 

[Cheebo]

I have a cheap piece of crap netbook from 4 years ago that I got for who knows why. My iPad 2 blows it out of the water in every way imaginable. How in the world is that netbook a computer but not the vastly superior iPad 2?

 

[ABernardoJr]

Can you provide the link where the above are included in the definition of a PC?

It's all arbitrary. This seems to be the only way people say iPads are not PCs, which is to rattle off a list of arbitrary points that must be met to qualify as a PC. Not exactly the most sound strategy.

 

[BaldiMac]

The iPad is not a personal computer until I can do the kinds of computery things on it that I can with my real computers.

The problem with trying to arbitrarily define PCs to exclude the iPad, is that you inadvertantly eliminate things that you didn't mean to.

Off the top of my head:
* write iPad apps

That eliminates any Windows or Linux computers!

* connect up a 3D display and watch 3D Blu Ray movies or play 3D-enabled games

That eliminates 99% of computers ever made!

* connect up a HOTA and pedals and fly an airplane
* play a real FPS with a mouse+keyboard as dog intended
* install 2TB more storage

So no, it's not a PC.

Etc.

 

[Taz Mangus]

Can you provide the link where the above are included in the definition of a PC?

I was wondering the same thing. I like what someone else pointed out, the evolvution of the Personal Computer to Personal Computing Devices.

 

[voonyx]

It's all arbitrary. This seems to be the only way people say iPads are not PCs, which is to rattle off a list of arbitrary points that must be met to qualify as a PC. Not exactly the most sound strategy.

Yep. Its a PC no matter how you slice it.

 

[firewood]

The iPad is not a personal computer until I can do the kinds of computery things on it that I can ...

Alas, millions of consumers (and thus companies that design products for them) don't care about what kinds of "computery" things YOU want to do on your computer. They care about what kinds of computery things that THEY want to do. And 10's of millions are buying iPads to do their computery things.

So your bogus definition matters not a whit (except in your mind). Or maybe about as much as the old guy who said "real" computers have punched card readers and reel-to-reel tape drives. That mattered to him since he had punched cards and tapes.

 

[Taz Mangus]

Alas, millions of consumers (and thus companies that design products for them) don't care about what kinds of "computery" things YOU want to do on your computer. They care about what kinds of computery things that THEY want to do. And 10's of millions are buying iPads to do their computery things.

So your bogus definition matters not a whit (except in your mind). Or maybe about as much as the old guy who said "real" computers have punched card readers and reel-to-reel tape drives. That mattered to him since he had punched cards and tapes.

I remember when I was in grade school, the first computer I ever programmed used paper tape.

Let's also add what people thought when the automobile was first becoming on the scene. "That will never replace the horse and buggy".

 

[leroypants]

Yep. Its a PC no matter how you slice it.

So is the Xbox 360, the Sony PS3, the PSP and the vita yet for some reason those aren't counted....

I also think we should start to count in car navigation systems too.

 

[bushido]

FINALLLYYY. Now if only they could be at the top of the list that DOESN'T include tablets. In time, in time...

hell no, i want the mac to stay "classy" and it would only attract more hackers and stuff

 

[BaldiMac]

So is the Xbox 360, the Sony PS3, the PSP and the vita yet for some reason those aren't counted....

I also think we should start to count in car navigation systems too.

So, why are you ignoring all of the explanations in this thread about why those devices aren't counted?

 

[voonyx]

So is the Xbox 360, the Sony PS3, the PSP and the vita yet for some reason those aren't counted....

why is this so difficult. they don't compete with pcs...i don't get the point of being obtuse just to be obtuse

 

[bushido]

why is this so difficult. they don't compete with pcs...i don't get the point of being obtuse just to be obtuse

so if something doesnt compete with something it isnt the same thing? what? is that definition from wikipedia or something?

 

[ericinboston]

A MacBook does not have serial or parallel ports, and can't print to the millions of serial and parallel printers sold (much less the teletypes and line-printers that came before). Yet a MacBook is a computer. The market moves on to new peripherals.

PC HARDWARE hasn't had Parallell or Serial Ports in decades...not sure where you've been. Of course your Macbook can't print to those ancient printers from 1986. Personal printers have been primarily USB based since the mid 90's (15+ years ago) when USB was invented around 1994.

Your reference to Kodak makes 0 sense to this discussion.