iPad Overhyped? What's Your Take?

[BergerFan]

Over-hyped?

By Apple = no, just standard advertising retoric.

But by virtually every media outlet (run by retards who know only how to sell advertising slots and not actually give factual and unbiased reports), unqualified cyber-"journalists", self-proclaimed analysts and many technically inept = oh hell yeah.

The internet has allowed individuals to make claims and pass judgements anonymously, and as such many do so without fear of reprimand for failure to support their statements through the use of logical thought backed up with facts.

Just look at how many are claiming that the next iPad will have a "retina" display, or at least a sizeable resolution bump. Fact is, there is no information to go on, only wild speculaion off a rumour that the next iPad will include "new screen technology". To me, that statement does not support (nor does it undermine) assumptions of resolution change. But it doesn't stop people getting all excited and screaming from the rooftops that the next iPad will have a screen that's got better resolution than the real world.

EXACTLY. Apple merely advertises their products, like anyone else. It's everyone else who creates the 'hype'. I'm sure Jobs fully appreciates that, but the flip side is that any minor drama(Antennagate, for example) also receives the same hype.
Gotta take the wheat with the chaff, I guess.

 

[kdarling]

IMO, the biggest overhype about the iPad is the idea that it "replaces a laptop".

On the contrary, it requires that we keep a host computer in order to update the OS and other housekeeping.

My fingers are crossed that Apple at least intends to use their new server farm to allow us to sync and update from anywhere in the world.

 

[Night Spring]

IMO, the biggest overhype about the iPad is the idea that it "replaces a laptop".

On the contrary, it requires that we keep a host computer in order to update the OS and other housekeeping.

It does "replace a laptop" for some people -- those that have a desktop and a laptop, and don't need to do CPU-intensive, keyboard-intensive or any other types of tasks requiring a full desktop OS while on the go. Like me, for instance. Since the new Air came out, I've been coveting the 11-inch, but I can't justify buying one because the iPad does everything I'd use the Air for. And now that I've installed the AirPrint activation workaround onto a computer at our office, the iPad is even more useful than ever, and I have one less excuse for buying the Air! Oh, well...

 

[22hand]

It does "replace a laptop" for some people -- those that have a desktop and a laptop, and don't need to do CPU-intensive, keyboard-intensive or any other types of tasks requiring a full desktop OS while on the go. Like me, for instance. Since the new Air came out, I've been coveting the 11-inch, but I can't justify buying one because the iPad does everything I'd use the Air for. And now that I've installed the AirPrint activation workaround onto a computer at our office, the iPad is even more useful than ever, and I have one less excuse for buying the Air! Oh, well...

I don't think iPad will replace the laptop, but it does have the usage when you want something light, convenient to carry, I actually used this for a meeting today, after discussion with client I have the meeting notes written down in an email, review with him, then send out..I am not writing a proposal there, but just some key points to share and I believe ipad serve very good this purpose..not to say all other news, apps, which I don't is a very different usage to mba.

 

[MrWillie]

Will it replace MY laptop? No. Not until it can run PLC programming software and interface with PLCs and serial devices.

I have noticed that after updating Numbers, (updated on the iPad, no "computer" required), it now supports merged cells. Now the spreadsheets I have to use in my day to day reports can be done on the iPad. One less use for my laptop.

iPad can be activated in the store, no computer required on your part, and I bet if you went in and asked them to update your iPad, they would. Yes that requires a computer, but YOU don't have to have one. In the same sense you don't need a separate computer to drive your car, but when you take it in for servicing, what do they do ? Hook it up to a computer.

Overhyped? No. What I do feel is over hyped are these crappy devices that try to be iPads and scream "Hey, we have two cameras, a USB port, and execute flash poorly."

 

[slick316]

Not overhyped, but rather misunderstood.

I'll tell you that the Samsung Tab is an overhyped product. Bought one yesterday to test out, returned it this morning. It might have all these bells and whistles that make it look better than the iPad on paper, but it honestly isn't. The iPad in comparison is just so much more polished.

I think its more suiting to call all the so called iPad killers overhyped. Just like with the iPhone, the competitors never seem to live up to their own hype.

 

[BlackMax]

It is all about personal opinion and use. I love my iPad and use it all the time for more functions than I care to mention, but I can understand how someone with different tastes, needs or usage patterns might not be as enthused with it.

So when I see articles like "The five most overhyped tech products of 2010" I take it all with a grain of salt. In regards to products and technical gadgets you purchase the only opinion that really matters is your own.

 

[MrWillie]

OP needs to be reported and banned from MacRumors for linking a ZDnet article. If that is not against the forum rules, it should be.

 

[ZenErik]

I'm one of the many that rolled their eyes at the iPad but now own one.

 

[JAG77]

I owned an iPad for a total of 2 weeks and decided to get rid of it and upgrade from the iphone 3g to a iphone 4. To me I don't think it's worth the money to get the same device that does the exact same things that your iphone can do. (And with more RAM..)

For an engineering student it doesn't make sense to use it for notes since you are rarely typing and mostly free drawing, making tables or writing equations. Sure theres the option of using a stylus... but.. thats an awfully expensive tool to take notes when you can just use a piece of paper...

I really much would've liked to see the ipad run something a lot closer to Mac OS X rather than iOS. And they really couldn't have put a camera on the first gen...? Really Apple..? I got my first camera phone about 7 years ago...

 

[andyroochoo]

well it certainly isnt magical.

 

[rowspaxe]

I feel the ipad has the potential for tremendous functional growth--but not neccessarily by emulating the functionaltity of laptaps and OSX. I personally wish Apple could create a truly usable wacom like sketch functionaly. Also, touch controlled music apps have shown great potential, but there still are serious bottlenecks. I do think Apples decision to make the ipad a satellite device and not a full computer was an inspired decision. I think the ipad will
find its full potential in time, but it may take a while. In the meantime, I enjoy
mine greatly.