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iPad: Vending Machine

Apple did all those things almost for their own gain.

There is no USB so its harder for you to get content from your computers. That means you'll have to buy content from Apple.

There is no flash so you can't go to flash websites to watch flash videos or flash games. This is so you'll have to buy games, music and videos from Apple. The only reason YouTube works is because there's a special YouTube app.

And no, because of that I don't think I'll ever buy one unless it changes.
 
mrsir2009 said:
Apple did all those things almost for their own gain.

There is no USB so its harder for you to get content from your computers. That means you'll have to buy content from Apple.

There is no flash so you can't go to flash websites to watch flash videos or flash games. This is so you'll have to buy games, music and videos from Apple. The only reason YouTube works is because there's a special YouTube app.

And no, because of that I don't think I'll ever buy one unless it changes.
Click to expand...

Since when is capitalism a crime? :eek:
 
mrsir2009 said:
Umm, I never said it was, I just said Apple locked the iPad down for their own gain. Which they did.
Click to expand...

How are those phishing apps on android treatin ya?;)

As much as people cry out against apples policies, they seem to directly effect a great user experience, something which apple is notorious for.
 
mrsir2009 said:
Umm, I never said it was, I just said Apple locked the iPad down for their own gain. Which they did.
Click to expand...

Clearly you don't grasp what capitalism is? Locking down a device so people buy APPLE products is EXACTLY what they intend. Their is no crime in that, and shareholders love them for it. They are marketing geniuses and have grown their market share quarter after quarter. If it works for the iPT's and iPhones for 75 million and counting why would they change a winning formula?


Main Entry: cap·i·tal·ism
Pronunciation: \ˈka-pə-tə-ˌliz-əm, ˈkap-tə-, British also kə-ˈpi-tə-\
Function: noun
Date: 1877
: an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market

Sounds to me like Apple is creating a device, much like what it has already put to market with he iPod and iPhone which has proven very profitable and 75 million people voted they like what they see. They are taking that same approach with yet another device in hopes of the same success. The fact you personally don't like it makes it wrong somehow? Sounds like Apple is protecting it's profits and maximizing them as every AAPL shareholder hopes they do.

Other companies don't close off their devices.. because they CAN"T. They have no software, or "eco system" with a media store, they don't invest in a billion dollar server farm and take the industry by the balls and say "here ya go, take it or leave it." People are drawn to Apple because they are actually try something different. They take risks vs pumping out the same molded plastic crappy laptops, netbooks everyone else is pushing.

MS is the only other company that has the software, hardware, and the cash to create such an eco system but are clearly to lazy to do anything. They could easily come to market with this type of product, problem is they have no leadership motivated about the technology. Balmer is still trying to figure out how the iPhone became so successful.
 
How long from the time of the lightning strike that caused this idea to enter your brain did it take you to make this thread?

Were you in the middle of a quiz at school and it hit you and you jotted a little note on your hand saying, "iPad = vending machine good stuff!", or were you able to post it right away. Like you were sitting in the cafeteria at lunch chilling with your friends, and you are staring at a pack of sno-balls in the vending machine and you whip out your iPod Touch and post this thread?

Were you out on the side of the road in an orange jump suit picking up pieces of paper with a stick that had a nail on the end of it, and it just came to you while you tried to come up with all the creative ways to be cool and bash the iPad you want so desperately to hold and caress? Then once the van picked you up and took you back to the halfway house you had to wait 45 minutes while Bubba and Jr finished emailing their wife and daughter, respectively, on the communal pc?

How did it go down. I want to get a break down of how this thought of "iPad=Vending Machine" went from first being a thought in your brain into being a new thread in the MacRumors iPad forum. So please tell us the story.
 
Velin said:
Initially I couldn't understand why Apple would so cripple this device with no USB, no multitask, no flash, and a fail wireless file transfer system.

It dawned on me, the iPad isn't a computing device. It's a vending machine.

It's locked down ridiculously tight and married to the iStores. Apps, books, music, movies, all delivered via the iStores -- after you pay the tab, of course. That's the iPad's raison d'etre: a portable portal to get your dollars into the Apple iStores and away from Hulu, Amazon, and all other content providers.

You can't even watch online videos on this iPad (flash). Instead, get used to pumping quarters into the iPad jukebox for stuff to read, watch and listen.

And you're going to buy this thing? Really?
Click to expand...

Yes! And....

Apple is a BUSINESS.....a very SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS....because they are good at figuring out products that people don't want or need and making them want and need them....and then selling them to them. See....that's Apple's business.....selling stuff. Too many people think they are in business to make stuff. Big NOPE to that! They are in business to make money. They choose to sell things they make to do that.

It's called capitalism! Live it! Understand it! Know it! :D

End of business lesson 101!

Steve
 
marksman said:
How long from the time of the lightning strike that caused this idea to enter your brain did it take you to make this thread?

Were you in the middle of a quiz at school and it hit you and you jotted a little note on your hand saying, "iPad = vending machine good stuff!", or were you able to post it right away. Like you were sitting in the cafeteria at lunch chilling with your friends, and you are staring at a pack of sno-balls in the vending machine and you whip out your iPod Touch and post this thread?

Were you out on the side of the road in an orange jump suit picking up pieces of paper with a stick that had a nail on the end of it, and it just came to you while you tried to come up with all the creative ways to be cool and bash the iPad you want so desperately to hold and caress? Then once the van picked you up and took you back to the halfway house you had to wait 45 minutes while Bubba and Jr finished emailing their wife and daughter, respectively, on the communal pc?

How did it go down. I want to get a break down of how this thought of "iPad=Vending Machine" went from first being a thought in your brain into being a new thread in the MacRumors iPad forum. So please tell us the story.
Click to expand...


That's quite the narrative question. Sounds like a sensitive topic for you.
 
To the capitalism commenters: Capitalism is dying. It started with George W. Bush, and has gotten worse with Barack H. Obama. 99% of politicians are worthless. People need to get that through their head. No one person will rescue us. The only change that will happen is when we take responsibility for our own actions. I'm 25 and even I know that.

So Apple is trying to make a buck. I need a device to use during my long days in class. The iPad fits. DEAL!

mrsir2009 said:
The only reason YouTube works is because there's a special YouTube app.
Click to expand...

Yeah not true. HTML5 FTW:

Screen%20shot%202010-02-19%20at%208.37.55%20PM.png


Source: http://9to5mac.com/ipad-tidbits-5494806

I'm happy to have my vending machine because I will be able to buy my college textbooks for cheaper and won't have to lug around an extra 50lbs for all my damn gigantic art history, design, and typography books. Not to even mention taking notes on it in class, using it as a portfolio, organizer, picture frame, sketchbook, game console, and video device for when my wife and I want to curl up and watch a flick on the futon in the study. Plus the other one-gazillion things it can do. Appstore? Yeah we'll see.

If you had told me nothing at all about the iPad except that it was causing a calamity and people weren't expecting something like this, then I'd tell you that Apple has a success on their hands. Only something revolutionary can get people's blood boiling like this. Only something that pushes the limits and redefines what a computer really is. Sure the software may be somewhat limited at this point, but so was the original iPhone. It is now leaps and bounds ahead of where it started. You would be a fool to think that the iPad would never be updated to do new and exciting things. This is only the beginning. Quite frankly, I'm just glad that I'm here to see it. There is a shift in the market coming. Let's have this conversation in another three years ok?

Until then go buy your netbook and leave me and my iPad alone ok? I'm not going into your netbook forums and starting crap. Seriously.
 
drjsway said:
Of course I'm going to buy it. Most people also buy things from actual vending machines and as long as something comes out when they put in the quarters, they usually don't complain.

That is why I always knew the tablet wasn't going to be OS X based. Why would they release a $500 mac with super-slim margins and cut into their very profitable MacBook business? That's the reason PC companies are losing money.

With their new iBook, App, and iTunes stores, people are happy for a convenient way to consume media and Apple makes money. It's a win-win.

Apple has already saved the music industry and now they'll do the same for newspapers, magazines, books, and maybe even movies. For software developers, it'll be another gold rush.

So who is losing here? The people who want the OS to be open just so they can play their pirated xvid and mkvs and download torrents and cracked software?
Click to expand...

Woah woah woah woah woah, I was with you until that last really dumb paragraph.

I'll be first in line for the iPad (3G 64GB, yay!) but please don't insult people who want things to be open. I jailbreak my iPhone. I'm also an iPhone developer (certified and the whole bit.) I don't pirate apps. I understand the work it takes to make iPhone/iPad apps, and I don't want to steal from people doing that work like me, because I'd hate having stuff stolen from me. However, I do like having freedom over my device. I love SBSettings (turn on/off wifi, bluetooth, cell radios from any app), Backgrounder (pretty obvious), ProSwitcher (UI to backgrounder to switch between open apps) and Terminal (essential if you do any sysadmin work like me, a lifesaver) and I feel that I should have the right to put what I want on my device, provided I'm not stealing it or anything like that. All pirates open the device, not all people who open the device are pirates. Please please please make this distinction, you're criticizing people who are making decisions with their own property that don't cost anybody. I understand the risk that puts my device under, I understand that I (as opposed to Apple) have to troubleshoot the device lots of the time, and I understand that my phone might not (and it no longer does, my fault!) "just work" like it used to.

Please make this distinction. Too many Apple diehards think Jailbreaking is illegal or just for pirates. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's just for people who want more, but are willing to sacrifice ease of use. It's worth it to me.

And I'll be on the iPad jailbreak bandwagon too, multitasking, all sorts of fun stuff! 9.7inch terminal should be amazing :).
 
Why do you have to buy movies from iTunes? I have never bought a movie from iTunes.

I get Digital Copies from my Blu-Rays and also I can encode my own movies from my DVD collection.

All my content on my iPhone I have gotten without buying from iTunes. Only exception being Apps. Although that can still be done without buying via JailBreak. I however support the developers.
 
Velin said:
Initially I couldn't understand why Apple would so cripple this device with no USB, no multitask, no flash, and a fail wireless file transfer system.

It dawned on me, the iPad isn't a computing device. It's a vending machine.

It's locked down ridiculously tight and married to the iStores. Apps, books, music, movies, all delivered via the iStores -- after you pay the tab, of course. That's the iPad's raison d'etre: a portable portal to get your dollars into the Apple iStores and away from Hulu, Amazon, and all other content providers.

You can't even watch online videos on this iPad (flash). Instead, get used to pumping quarters into the iPad jukebox for stuff to read, watch and listen.

And you're going to buy this thing? Really?
Click to expand...

You can freely add books, music, movies of your own. Any ppt, txt, doc, docx, pdf, epub (likely), mp3, m4a, mp4 can be thrown in.

You don't have to use the Apple Store. Heck - i'd imagine DOubleTwist should get compatible soon if you so wish not to use iTunes.

You can watch online video. And likely smoothly. Which is more than can be said to some tablet PCs on the market/ netbooks.
If you want to buy from the store - it gives you a decent experience, and makes it pretty darn simple. What's wrong with that ? I don't know too many people who want bad experiences shopping, with it hard to buy something they're after...

Some people see no USB as crippled. I think it's more that the 30 pin connector is a gateway that Apple controls. They can then vet, and make sure that there's a decent standard of accessories. So they work.
Multitask - yes. 3rd party app multitask? No.

If you don't like, you can always jog on, and come back next version.
 
iPad Stages of Grief

Denial

Anger

Bargaining

Depression

Acceptance

Total Sublime Happiness ;) Day of Purchase

When I heard of the "limitations" ,and sat down and thought about how well the iPhone and iTouch have served me, I went through the stages in about 10 seconds. I'm looking forward to the last stage with cheap 3G!
 
I reckon Apple's going to own the PC market eventually. Because as Apple is getting more popular more companies are making software for it, so more people will move to it, so more companies will make software.... Its a viciously good circle for Apple!:D:D:D
 
macduke said:
To the capitalism commenters: Capitalism is dying. It started with George W. Bush, and has gotten worse with Barack H. Obama. 99% of politicians are worthless. People need to get that through their head. No one person will rescue us. The only change that will happen is when we take responsibility for our own actions. I'm 25 and even I know that.

<snip>
Click to expand...

I have no clue what your attempting to say here, how does taking responsibility for our actions have anything to do with Apple having the means to create a eco system that generates profits for themselves? :eek:

Oh.. for the record I agree with your 99% number.. although it's probably higher lol.
 
Reading through this thread, it amazes me how many people complain that "iPad doesn't use flash", and "you have to pay for everything."

I could be wrong, but isn't flash a popular way for hackers to attack other devices? I had thought Apple declined to allow flash in order to tighten security on their devices. This is also why Apple chooses to approve all programs allowed for use. So, owners of these other programs are forced to reformat their coding as an approved app for use on Apple devices...Wah Wah Wah!

All of you who cry over not bieng able to download music, movies, etc. for free...isn't it against International Property Rights laws to do this? People record music, make movies, write programs, etc. to make a living. How would you feel if you opened a store to make money, and people just came in and took your merchandise for FREE. How would you make your profits then? I, for one, choose to buy CDs and DVDs/Blurays, and rip them to my computer for use on my portable players; or pay for the right to download them directly to my devices. I don't walk into a store and take things without paying, and I will certainly not Download someone else's property for free on the internet. I choose to always acquire my entertainment legally and honestly. If only everyone else would make the same choice. But that's just my opinion.

Have I ever dowloaded a song or movie for free, yes. Many of you may not know that it's not against the law to download "for free" anything you already own as a hard copy. You are only required to pay for the right to use any one song or movie once. This right then extends to your right to use this property in any digital device, and thus is not illegal to download for free. Computer programs may, however, limit your use to x number of devices.
 
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Not a Thief said:
Reading through this thread, it amazes me how many people complain that "iPad doesn't use flash", and "you have to pay for everything."

I could be wrong, but isn't flash a popular way for hackers to attack other devices? I had thought Apple declined to allow flash in order to tighten security on their devices. This is also why Apple chooses to approve all programs allowed for use. So, owners of these other programs are forced to reformat their coding as an approved app for use on Apple devices...Wah Wah Wah!

All of you who cry over not bieng able to download music, movies, etc. for free...isn't it against International Property Rights laws to do this? People record music, make movies, write programs, etc. to make a living. How would you feel if you opened a store to make money, and people just came in and took your merchandise for FREE. How would you make your profits then? I, for one, choose to buy CDs and DVDs/Blurays, and rip them to my computer for use on my portable players; or pay for the right to download them directly to my devices. I don't walk into a store and take things without paying, and I will certainly not Download someone else's property for free on the internet. I choose to always acquire my entertainment legally and honestly. If only everyone else would make the same choice. But that's just my opinion.

Have I ever dowloaded a song or movie for free, yes. Many of you may not know that it's not against the law to download "for free" anything you already own as a hard copy. You are only required to pay for the right to use any one song or movie once. This right then extends to your right to use this property in any digital device, and thus is not illegal to download for free. Computer programs may, however, limit your use to x number of devices.
Click to expand...

You do realize that this thread is over 1 year old, right?
 
If you look at it that way, I think it's kind of cool. It's almost like apple found a legal way to create a monopoly. Pretty impressive if you ask me. Especially looking back when Microsoft was so far ahead and popular with consumers.
Yet again. Bravo Apple, Bravo!
 
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