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iPad Seen as 'Weakest Link' in Stagnating Tablet Market

The iPad is my favourite device.

I like it so much that I used to keep trying to use it to carry out tasks I would usually do on other devices (mainly desktops) but nowadays I have mostly given up on that.

The main reason lies with iOS limitations. There are several but in my opinion the really pressing limitation that kills iPad as a general computing device is the lack of file system or lack of control on files or whatever you want to call it.

But as I said, I love the iPad, I use it everyday (and Air) but I will only replace it when it breaks down. Speed won't be an issue because I don't upgrade it's iOS since Apple hasn't released any relevant feature in a long time.
 
cdm283813 said:
Doesn't help that Apple gimped the iPad mini 3.

Doesn't help that Apple still charges $500 for a 16GB tablet.

Doesn't help that Apple keeps iPad 2 and above updated.

Doesn't help that the iPad is built to last.

Doesn't help that the market is way over saturated with iPads.

Doesn't help that the core design and function has remained the same since introduction.

Doesn't help that Apple released a 5.5" iPhone.

Doesn't help that the iPad does not replace a computer.

Doesn't help that the iPad has become boring.

Did I miss anything?
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No...

Yep, $499 what I pad for an iPad 2 back in the day...

Last holiday sales I bought an iPad Mini Android Knock-Off for $99 after taxes. Does everything my iPad does minus the iTunes content but seems to run so much faster on a recent quad-core processor.

Much cheaper than a real $250 iPad Mini with the same specs as my original iPad 2.
 
Oh hey what a surprise! They're revamping a five year projection with another five year projection. Super useful. Right.

This "analysis" ignores advancements in both hardware and software. A lot can happen in five years.
 
Bigger phones and smaller laptops have killed any need for tablets. Tablets are not truly mobile devices like a phone, if im going to sit down with a tablet i might as well use a laptop that does 100x more and gives you a much more pleasant experience.
 
patseguin said:
Weakest link? The iPad is by far the best tablet on the market. I agree with other posters that the results are skewed by the fact that many iPad owners stay with older generation devices. My Dad still has an iPad 2 and my brother even still uses is original iPad. I might be the exception to the rule as I've owned every iPad with the exception of the 4th gen. I even upgraded from the Air to the Air 2. I do find it hard to envision anything the Air 3 could offer that would compel me to upgrade. Perhaps if it had force touch, an updated CPU, and 1 more killer feature it would be attractive. I think the iPads are such well designed devices that sales numbers are a result of the fact that many users are happy with older generations. MS and Android tablets are such that they need frequent upgrades.
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See that's the problem. Apple needs to reinvent the iPad to get all the current users to upgrade. The iPad we know today needs to change dramatically. I don't see force touch doing it because from what I'm hearing force touch is not mind blowing good. And making the current processor even faster is meaningless when that was never the complaint.
 
Think of how often you are grasping your iPhone.

People all over the world are socially and emotionally dependent on their smartphones in their everyday lives.

Apple has moved on passed the tablet and PC markets and are probably amused with the latest Surface. It's a nice machine but its still a traditional PC. I think they're more amused that MS is content to play in this area.

For most people (i'm not talking about professionals like music producers or photo & video editors) the smartphone provides enough convenience and computing power for their everyday needs.
 
TheGdog said:
Apple usually nails it on the head, as far as what users want. But i'm starting to wonder if people are feeling as though iOS is too limited?? I personally don't thing so, but I also don't feel like an iPad replaces my computer.
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I don't think so. I think it's basically people preferring to keep their iPads longer than one year. I bought the iPad 2 back in June 2011 and just upgraded to the iPad Air 2 last December.
 
musika said:
You might be right, but I'm not sure really. As someone who uses an iPad for the majority of his personal computing, aside from heavy design and music work, I hear a lot of people around me and online saying that they simply don't really have a use for their iPads.

I worry that the focus on the new MacBook will only enforce the idea that iPads are not the future.

I think that Apple definitely has to get their marketing message to a more clear state before people will really appreciate and embrace the form factor.
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I agree to a point.

I also use my Air 2 as my main computing device. Really the only time I go to a desktop PC is to play a game like FF XIV or do Lightroom editing. Otherwise, I always use my iPad on the couch for web browsing, email, some gaming, etc.

I do agree that Apple should more strongly market the iPad as the computing device of the future, epsecially if the iPad Pro is true. The new Macbook is an extremely well designed and high end piece of hardware and it seems to indicate that Apple is concentrating on making notebooks the main computing device and the iPad as more of a niche product. I think if they do release an iPad Pro, it should have OS X and really blur the line even more between notebooks and tablets. As I think about it, if both my Windows PC and my Mac went down, I would be fine with living with my iPad as my main computing device. I'm not sure how I would do things like edit my RAW images from my DSLR on the iPad and I certainly wouldn't be able to play the same kind of games. However, I have an Xbox One and a PS4 for gaming and I'm sure there must be some way to edit RAW images in an iPad app using the cloud to access the images.

I'm also perplexed at people who saying things like the iPad being a great device crippled by iOS. To me, iOS is the most advanced and best mobile OS on the planet. People think that Apple is evil for the restrictions they place upon it. What they don't seem to realize is that as a result of that, we have rock solid devices with apps that work very well and adhere to the UI. I have no experience with Surface, but I owned Android tablets and I found, for the most part, the apps to be of very poor quality and very little UI consistency. I gladly accept the lack of customization of Android for stability and consistence user experience.
 
Apple Fab Boy Here

iAshley said:
I don't think they ever said its to replace the computer. It compliments it and until I bought the iPhone 6 I used my iPad 3 as well as my Mac regularly. iPad for web browsing and Mac for work. Now though, my iPad is so slow compared to the iPhone 6 I only use the iPad for iBooks so can't justify upgrading.

That's the way it will stay. I'll upgrade my Mac and Phone as they're the most important to me and do what I need until the iPad can do something better.
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Same here don't know if ill get another iPad i have the iPhone 6 and a MBP 15" Late 2011 i7.

iPad i find to be to limiting or complicated as far a file storage goes. Why can't it just have a hard drive per say like a computer that i can store files in that is accessible to all apps and not limited to certain file types i don't want to have and app to store data (biggest problem) not to mention many other limitations i just can handle

MBP i don't even want to update that ATM with all this SSD i don't want to pay a million for a large amount of storage its kinda sad when a laptop comes with the same storage as a USB stick and external is not an option especially if you want time machine to back you stuff up ugh so frustrated right now i want a new laptop but not with less then i got in 2011
 
I think it's a combination of things that were mentioned above.

1. There isn't a reason to upgrade frequently. I have the original iPad Mini (which is still very capable) and I rarely use it. I thought I would once contiunity in iOS 8 was released but my go to tools are my iPhone and the MacBook Pro. Just don't see any need for an iPad in my work or play flow.

2. Price. iPads are expensive to start with and cost as much as a 50in LED TV. A price drop is needed. iPad Mini's should go for $200- $300. iPad Air's $300-$400.
 
My iPad 2 still does what I bought it to do and does it well. On top of that, some of those iPad tasks have migrated to my iPhone 6 Plus.

As long as that continues to be the case, there is no reason whatsoever for me to upgrade.
 
itr81 said:
This yr or next is when you will see apple users upgrade their iPads. Once your iPad starts running at a snail pace due to the latest and greatest ios upgrade folks will naturally start buying. I believe the iPad is a 3-4 yr upgrade type device. We have a iPad 3 and air so it maybe another 2-3 yrs before we upgrade.
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I agree - yearly is too often. I am quite happy to go a couple more years with mine.
 
xmichaelp said:
Bigger phones and smaller laptops have killed any need for tablets. Tablets are not truly mobile devices like a phone, if im going to sit down with a tablet i might as well use a laptop that does 100x more and gives you a much more pleasant experience.
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This too...

My friend bought one of those large Samsung phones instead of Tablet and loves it.

I'm writing this on an Asus sub-note laptop which is just made from an Intel Mobile Board, got it on sale at Microsoft Store for $150 - love it.... The FREE upgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 just sweetened the deal.

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store...-Signature-Edition-Laptop/productID.308794000
 
mattopotamus said:
This is directly related to people keeping their ipads longer. Tons of people are still using the ipad 2 with no desire to upgrade.
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true for me, still using an iPad 2. to be perfectly frank about my opinion - apple has been doing many things right, but the iPad work is very lazy, the iPad is still just a large iPhone. its enough for web browsing and consuming content. great.

but it doesn't take advantage of the screen size, utilise multi tasking etc.

we'll see what happens with iPad "pro" if its just a larger screen then it will be a waste of time. it will sell to a small niche market.

however, if microsoft pull some impressive work and ideas in the "one os, many devices" approach, apple might swing the same way. but thats assuming they aren't already doing so. despite what apple say about keeping os x and iOS separate - this is all just talk relative to the present. the same way the original iPhone 4S screen size was the perfect size for a phone in 2010. i don't know if the hardware is ready yet.. but i know apple is being lazy about the software side.
 
Cuban Missles said:
if they release the rumored ipad pro and add true multi tasking (several windows running at the same time) and a keyboard cover, then it could replace the computer. This is what Microsoft is betting on.

What apple did with the ipad air I think complicates things however. Because to release a 12" ipad would directly compete with the 12" air. There are already plenty of keyboard covers out there so the only two differences would be the touchscreen and the multitasking.

I can't even guess what Apple has in mind, but I do hope that they resolve this soon as this is a problem IMO (the lack of clarity in terms of how these devices could live side by side).
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If the ipad pro runs ios, it won't be a replacement. That's what I was saying in the quote you replied to.





62tele said:
The iPad is a computer. Jobs did not say the tablet would replace the "computer." He spoke of the post-pc era which is exactly what we're in. People are doing an enormous amount of computing on their phones and tablets. Things which they would have previously done on a desktop or a laptop.
Jobs likened the desktop to a truck, needed for heavy lifting and said many people don't need a truck. He was right. The iPad does replace a computer for some folks. If I didn't do home recording (and use Logic) I could get by without a laptop or desktop.
BTW, Microsoft has lost a ton of cachet, not to mention users, because they were unprepared for the mobile, post-pc market. They are still playing catch up and may never attain any foothold in the smartphone market.
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Yeah I already stated that I don't know if they said those exact words. But when you say post pc, you mean after pc. That we're beyond the pc era. We're not.


iBug2 said:
It's not supposed to be a full replacement. Even a laptop does not fully replace a desktop, still.
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I haven't said anything otherwise. In fact, that's what I was telling the person who said they don't think their ipad replaces their computer. It doesn't. And it won't if it runs ios.
 
I still have an iPad 3 however I very rarely use it, ever since the 6+ I have used it less and less.
 
I think the iPad is fine for now. It's just being cannibalized by the larger iPhones. All things considered, it's not that bad for Apple since they famously said they'd rather be cannibalized by their own products than someone else's.
It's also a victim of it's build quality. My iPad2 still works perfectly fine. No need to get a new one when the iterative upgrades haven't brought anything that appeals to me yet. Until it gets mult-user profiles the trusty old iPad2 will still be a serviceable consumption device. The iPad is a well made device with a long lifespan. It's one of the reasons it's so popular, but also one of the reasons people don't update it annually.

Plus we have so many damn devices in our homes now. Where the iPad was once a go to device, it's just one among many to choose from. Well, that's in my house at least. S5, iPhone6, Chromecasts, XBoxes, Chromebook, MBA, Kindle Fire, Roku, N7, multiple PCs... hell the iPad has to compete for any attention and with everyone having their own personal devices... my iPad2 is going to stay in great shape simply because it doesn't get used often. I want to get a new iPad but without getting the one feature I want I'm content to keep doing what I'm doing.

edit: Holy crap. Reading through this thread I see a helluva lot of iPad2's still running. That's the Catch22 Apple faces.
 
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patseguin said:
I
I'm also perplexed at people who saying things like the iPad being a great device crippled by iOS. To me, iOS is the most advanced and best mobile OS on the planet. People think that Apple is evil for the restrictions they place upon it. What they don't seem to realize is that as a result of that, we have rock solid devices with apps that work very well and adhere to the UI. I have no experience with Surface, but I owned Android tablets and I found, for the most part, the apps to be of very poor quality and very little UI consistency. I gladly accept the lack of customization of Android for stability and consistence user experience.
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iPad isn't crippled by iOS. iPad/iOS are fabulous devices. Despite that, today iPad is limited by iOS just like the first iPhone was being limited by iOS (in reality iPhone OS).

I don't want Apple to do a Windows 10 sort of thing. I want them to keep working on iOS, to expand on it's UI and concepts but to add functionality that unleash it's potential as a GP computer. There is no reason why I have to use workarounds or scratch my head if I want to write something, draw a picture and email it.

I do agree that Android tablets aren't better but the reason they are worse than iPad is because Android on tablets feels like a large smartphone even more than the iPad. Android on phones compares much better with iOS.
 
Trapezoid said:
Yeah I already stated that I don't know if they said those exact words. But when you say post pc, you mean after pc. That we're beyond the pc era. We're not.
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You do realize that smartphones and tablets are selling more than desktops and laptops? Further, you do realize that YOY sales of the "pc" are shrinking?
Oh, I think it's post-pc and it's the reason M$ has become an afterthought to many.
 
Apple has nothing to worry about. Microsoft is about ready to introduce their answer to the Apple Watch...
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