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iPad Expected to Maintain Position as Tablet Market Leader

It's not a computer, it's actually a "Kangaroo transducer."

Feel any differently about it now?

No?

Ok.

So much for categories.
 
mac1984user said:
If the iPad can take the place of your MacBook 'for everything' you used your MacBook for, you must not have been doing anything very important on your MacBook. Do you use another computer for productive tasks rather than consumptive tasks?
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Yes, I use an iMac for my "very important" work, whatever that means. No, my MacBook was not used for "very important" work. It was used for what most people use computers for - surfing the Web, watching movies, checking email, reading my RSS feeds, etc. And the iPad is perfect for these activities. Thus it is very much a computer, even if it's not as much of a computer as my iMac (which is not as much of a computer as a loaded Mac Pro).
 
Lol what is "important work"?

MY work *is* important, whether it's e-mail, surfing, photo-editing, etc. E-mailing a loved one, web-surfing for an anniversary gift, planning a couple's vacation via the web. ....... Not important? LOL

The consumer defines the product, folks. And the iPad is a hit, whether it fits into a category or simply defies them all.
 
I have no problem with considering my iPad as a computer, though really I think it's in a subset that also includes consoles. Having an iPad is a bit like having a PS3 or XBox 360. Powerful, specialised, locked down, desirable, fun. Really looking forward to the Android tabs that are imminent too. Lots of fun to be had in this sector :).
 
Salacion said:
Look, when you don't need to connect your iPad to your computer before you use it, I'll consider calling it a computer.
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I guess that rules out any retail install of Windows that requires product activation. :D

* Just a joke. I realize that there are obvious differences in the two processes.

dgree03 said:
Ipad is a perphrial.
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I could actually see the opposite as well. My Mac as a peripheral for an iPad. Using the iPad for all my day-to-day activities at home. And just using the Mac to rip discs, sync content, backup everything, download updates, and all the other administrative crap.
 
Let's just say the iPad is not considered a computer in the market, because it doesnt run a desktop OS. Although technically, any machine that performs calculations is a computer, a phone, a calculator, a timer.
 
Benjy91 said:
Let's just say the iPad is not considered a computer in the market, because it doesnt run a desktop OS. Although technically, any machine that performs calculations is a computer, a phone, a calculator, a timer.
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What makes it a "desktop OS"? Are servers not computers? I'm not sure that defining "computer" (which is a term for hardware) by what OS is currently running on it even makes sense. If I install Chrome OS on a Mac Pro, is the Mac Pro no longer a computer? If I wipe the hard drive, of my work PC, is it no longer a PC?

Conversely, it I install Linux on a potato, does that make it a computer?
http://www.bbspot.com/News/2008/12/linux-on-a-potato.html
:D
 
wizard said:
I'm sorry guys but it demonstrates a massive lack of intelligence to try to say the iPad isn't a computer. That is like saying any of the following wheren't computers:

Vic 20
Heathkit s100
Mac Plus
Any of the Commodores
PDP11, PDP8 and all the other DEC computers.
The various Prime machines.
IPhone
The various Nokia tablets.
Onyx

All of these are computers. In many cases the IPad is extremely capable or powerful relative to some of these older machines. Heck my iPhone is more powerful than my Mac Plus, even when running 4.0.x.


Dave
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Would you call an ancient three-wheeler a car?

Are you suggesting that the iPad is just an iPod Touch and they are in the same league as quarter-century old desktop computers?


Gakboi said:
it's kind of grey here
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It's time to leave the UK then...
 
Of COURSE the iPad is a computer. The only ones arguing against this obvious idea are those who have an ax to grind for whatever reason. All computers have limitations that are beyond the user's control (try installing Mac software on a Windows PC or a Linux PC and tell me how easy that was). All software repositories have someone who curates them (including the Android marketplace), but you can get around that limitation by either programming it yourself or going to the Web. iPad is just like a computer in that sense too.

Want a keyboard to call it a computer? Apple has 'em.

Want output? iPad can output in various ways.

Microsoft thinks of their tablets as computers. iPad competitors think of their tablets as computers. So quit this absolutely ridiculous argument that the iPad is not a computer.
 
NebulaClash said:
Of COURSE the iPad is a computer. The only ones arguing against this obvious idea are those who have an ax to grind for whatever reason.
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Or they equate an adjective with a noun, ie desktop = computer. As opposed to desktop computer. Or laptop computer. Workstation computer. Tablet computer (iPad). In-car computer. Mainframe computer. Handheld computer. Navigation computer. Mini computer...

Smartphone is really the only one I can think of where the entire category has developed a whole new word instead of for example, phone computer. I guess because they evolved from phones first and the computer aspect came later. PDAs tried that, but they're still just handheld computers.
 
macintoshi said:
http://www.unwiredview.com/2010/08/...axy-pad-7-and-10-inch-versions-in-the-making/

This will surely be a dangerous competitor...



By the way i got my new iPhone4 with 4.0.2 firmware factory unlocked...;) feels nice loool
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The Courier would have been a competitor had it been released because of product differentiation. That Galaxy is just an iPad clone. That's the sorry state of consumer electronics nowadays - these companies have no confidence in their designs so they just copy the market leader's design. Then they call it competition. Whatever
 
awmazz said:
Smartphone is really the only one I can think of where the entire category has developed a whole new word instead of for example, phone computer. I guess because they evolved from phones first and the computer aspect came later. PDAs tried that, but they're still just handheld computers.
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Years ago, we used to call limited devices similar to the iPad, "webpads"... slates that were meant to surf the web, but which could also run relatively small apps.

For instance, a PC magazine article from 2002 said this:

"One of the things that makes Webpads interesting and different is that they can span multiple categories.

A Webpad can act like a portable Internet Appliance (for the consumer at home), like a Thin Client in the enterprise (for wireless access to the corporate LAN) or like a CE Tablet (running dedicated applications in hospitality or healthcare)."

Note the old-style thinking that tablet apps only made sense for professional users :)
 
Digitalclips said:
What is so funny is that no one wanted to even enter this market place till iPad came out.
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Oh so true. Even when iPad debuted everyone passed early judgement and said it had no niche. Here we are several months later and it created its own market by incinerating the netbook market. Apple haters hate iPad and call it useless but when an Android competitor is released they will justify it. One day these other companies will stop copying and create their own product/market path...then again...maybe not.
 
RHatton said:
Oh so true. Even when iPad debuted everyone passed early judgement and said it had no niche. Here we are several months later and it created its own market by incinerating the netbook market. Apple haters hate iPad and call it useless but when an Android competitor is released they will justify it. One day these other companies will stop copying and create their own product/market path...then again...maybe not.
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"It's just a giant iPod. LAME!"

"It's a giant Droid. AWESOME!"

Yep, you know it's coming.
 
*LTD* said:
Lol what is "important work"?

MY work *is* important, whether it's e-mail, surfing, photo-editing, etc. E-mailing a loved one, web-surfing for an anniversary gift, planning a couple's vacation via the web. ....... Not important? LOL

The consumer defines the product, folks. And the iPad is a hit, whether it fits into a category or simply defies them all.
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Your right it is a good device for certain lightweight tasks, but be honest when you really want to get down to business and get work done do you go for your iPad first or your Mac? I like my iPad to look up things or watch something, but when it comes to doing photo editing and organization, video work, building a presentation or writing a paper I will go to my iMac before I use my iPad. I suppose you could do it on an iPad, but the way OSX works and the flexibility of the platform makes using the Mac for most tasks much easier and faster.

I can't see many people who would choose their iPad over their Mac when it comes to doing most tasks on the computer except for browsing the web, watching videos or listening to music. It's a handy device for viewing or listening to content, but not as good as a Mac for most computing tasks.
 
DakotaGuy said:
Your right it is a good device for certain lightweight tasks, but be honest when you really want to get down to business and get work done do you go for your iPad first or your Mac? I like my iPad to look up things or watch something, but when it comes to doing photo editing and organization, video work, building a presentation or writing a paper I will go to my iMac before I use my iPad. I suppose you could do it on an iPad, but the way OSX works and the flexibility of the platform makes using the Mac for most tasks much easier and faster.

I can't see many people who would choose their iPad over their Mac when it comes to doing most tasks on the computer except for browsing the web, watching videos or listening to music. It's a handy device for viewing or listening to content, but not as good as a Mac for most computing tasks.
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You have to learn to stop paying attention to LTD. He just tries to get a rise out of people.

Bottom line for any extended typing, the touch-screen sucks. So when it's time to do extended IM, write a big email, essay, novel, etc... it's time to get on the real PC.
 
There's an app for it ..

Laird Knox said:
How are you using EyeTV with the iPad? I'm not up on their offerings and this sounds pretty sweet.
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Using EyeTV 3 on the Mac Mini which now includes a UPNP streaming server (EyeTV Connect) plus a (paid-for) iPad app that connects to the streaming server and lets you look through the guide, schedule recordings, stream live TV to the iPad (even over 3G .. uses variable bit-rate encoding to up or down the quality if the bandwidth allows) and watch pre-encoded recordings.

It's missing a couple of things, like the ability to dynamically encode recordings and stream them (if it can do it for live TV why not for recordings .. why do they have to be pre-encoded?).

Overall, EyeTV is great on the iPad and its fun to wander around the house carrying a TV with you :cool:

I also use AirVideo app to watch recordings and can dynamically encode for the iPad as well as queue recordings for encoding on the server (and can add to iTunes if required).

Also on the iPad I use VLC Remote and Rowmote to control the Mini .. all works a treat.
 
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