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Is the iPad really just an unneeded luxury item?

Stirolak26 said:
But wount it be awesome if you could do web design on an ipad like use google sites or dreamweaver? It would be so practical if Jobs had a greater vision for it than just to make money but to really spring computing forward (at least in the tablet department). Dont you think?
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Programs like Dreamweaver require a lot of computing power, far beyond what tablet processors can provide. The market for low-powered devices is not as mature as the market for PCs. You could get more computing power with something like an Intel chip, but the battery life would not be as good.
 
No. The iPad is what computing needs to be. Human brain is not wired to multitask (see science articles) and is very easily distracted. If you look at lot of long articles, there are comments like "too long to read". That is what current computers caused to us. Now try to save the the long article for example to Instapaper and read in on the iPad. Totally different experience - it allows you to focus on that article.

The first step which bring this to traditional computers is Lion. Let's see what Windows 8 will come up with.

So no, it is not undeeded luxury item, it is much more suitable for content consuming than current computers (not only netbooks). Emphasis on content consuming.
 
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vvswarup said:
Programs like Dreamweaver require a lot of computing power, far beyond what tablet processors can provide. The market for low-powered devices is not as mature as the market for PCs. You could get more computing power with something like an Intel chip, but the battery life would not be as good.
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Thats a silly excuse. People were building web sites and not just in html since the 90s or so. And how long has dreamweaver or its earlier forms been around? What kinds of pcs did ppl have back then? Plus you cant compare computers running on inefficient windoes environments processing powers to an ipad with an os designed to take full advantage of the hardware in all its apps.

Your excise reminds me how ppl keep defending Adobe and their atrocious keep-away from-ianything policies like ohotoshop being too powerful and you either have to have it all or nothing mentality, etc.
 
Who's in a position to define across the board what constitutes a "necessity"?

For some, the ipad is a luxury item that supplements a pre-existing computer set-up.

For others, the ipad is a substitute or replacement in place of a mobile computing set up.

For myself, I have an iPhone 4 and a lap top. Now the laptop is obsolete because I'd rather reach over and grab this thin, lightweight, super fast tablet rather than wait for the laptop to boot up.

The ipad 2 is a justified necessity for myself, based on my needs, income and lifestyle.
 
master-ceo said:
These type of threads really amaze me. These types of forum questions area look into our future.
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Actually, they look into the level of self absorption of the OP.

EDIT: Also, are there needed luxury items?
 
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Stirolak26 said:
Do consumers still believe netbooks are more useful or practical with movable parts and specs almost just as low?
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Netbooks are too poor in performance, But net books cost 300.


A 15" $500-700 laptop is a better investment for students than a iPad.
It will out perform an iPad by a mile and be capable of so much more.

For those buyers an iPad is an unneeded item.
 
Agreed

Funkymonk said:
yes. anyone that says no is a liar.


so what though? luxuries are nice to have
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Well said. Of course it is. $600 for a 32GB iPad?!? But so is a Rolex, BMW, etc.
Plus, I have been tucking away a $20 here and there for about 6 mths so I could buy it with "cash on the barrel" (well paid off CC immediately) so what's the harm?
 
I think Wascoms are the real luxury item tablets:
http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Cintiq-12WX-12-Inch-Display/dp/B00115OFJK

But they are so precise and awesome for a particular niche. Imagine if they combined forces with apple or if apple bought them out and we had a super precise stylus for ipads when we want to use photoshop or sketchbook pro or any art app, or browse the web with sites thst have small icons we dont want to zoom in on, etc.
 
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vvswarup said:
Programs like Dreamweaver require a lot of computing power, far beyond what tablet processors can provide. The market for low-powered devices is not as mature as the market for PCs. You could get more computing power with something like an Intel chip, but the battery life would not be as good.
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Dreamweaver is a terrible app to use for building websites IMHO. The best sites are built using a simple text editor, and to W3C standards. The iPad is easily capable of website development from a hardware point of view....it's just the software (iOS) that prevents it.

Even just having a simple file system that the browser and a text editor can access would immediately enable web developers to leave the laptop at home if they wanted.
 
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vvswarup said:
Programs like Dreamweaver require a lot of computing power, far beyond what tablet processors can provide. The market for low-powered devices is not as mature as the market for PCs. You could get more computing power with something like an Intel chip, but the battery life would not be as good.
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Huh?????😕

The iPad is already powerful enough to do impressive gaming, Photo Manipulation, Augmented reality and even Movie Editing, but the iPad isn't powerful enough for Website creation? This kind of thinking is why people often misuse terms like "innovative" or "magical". They downplay the capabiltiy of technology so much that when a game is optimized for a device or a low end camera is built in then some people think it's a miracle rather than an expectation.


Apple is supposedly working on iWeb. When that comes out is it really going to be a miracle that only Apple could have pulled off? Or is it just going to be e availability of an App that runs on current hardware? because the lack of dreamweaver or popular website development apps probably has more to do with lack of interest/demand than hardware being insufficient.
 
Maagus said:
Human brain is not wired to multitask (see science articles) and is very easily distracted.
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Multi-tasking may not be ideal or how we're wired, but it's required for a lot of work we do these days.

I can't much right my scholarly research articles if I can't have a stats program running and be pasting results tables into my article in word etc. I could do things like print the tables out and type them in I suppose, but that's less efficient and a waste of paper.

Add in that I need to have ready e-mail access to quickly respond to students and colleague etc.

I'll take multi tasking any day. My job isn't centered around focusing on on thing for long periods of time, but juggling multiple tasks at all times.

So no, it is not undeeded luxury item, it is much more suitable for content consuming than current computers (not only netbooks). Emphasis on content consuming.
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Like I said in my earlier post--it does have a much better form factor for things like reading than a laptop or desktop.

But the fact that even those things can be done on computers we already own does make the iPad a luxury.

I'm not sure why you and some others are so defensive about it being called a luxury. It's not a slight on the device. Most all tech gadgets beyond computers are pure luxuries. Computers have moved beyond being pure luxuries as people just have to have them for school and work these days. But things like tablets, mp3 players, e-readers etc. are luxury gadgets as a lot of that stuff can be done on a computer, or one can buy paper books (or use the library for free) etc. so they are luxuries. Very few HAVE to have those kinds of gadgets for school or work etc. They may be nice to have and make some tasks easier etc., but they aren't required and all work could be done on computers you already own--so that makes them a luxury in my eyes.

And nothing wrong with that! I have an iPad, Kindle 3, a couple MP3 players, a nice TV, a blu ray player, DirecTV service, an Xbox 360 and on down the line and I LOVE all that stuff! But they're all luxury items. I don't need any of them to do my work, make ends meet etc. They're all for entertainment. The iPad does get used a tiny bit for work purposes, but not much as I find most work easier to do on a computer than a tablet, so the iPad is 99% and entertainment device for me.
 
dmaul1114 said:
Multi-tasking may not be ideal or how we're wired, but it's required for a lot of work we do these days.

I can't much right my scholarly research articles if I can't have a stats program running and be pasting results tables into my article in word etc. I could do things like print the tables out and type them in I suppose, but that's less efficient and a waste of paper.

Add in that I need to have ready e-mail access to quickly respond to students and colleague etc.

I'll take multi tasking any day. My job isn't centered around focusing on on thing for long periods of time, but juggling multiple tasks at all times.
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Unfortunately my job requires that as well. Thus at the end of the day I am not able to focus on reading very long but interesting article on my computer because there are so many things that distract me even after work (e-mail, Twitter, IM, another opened tabs) and because of the necessity to multitask in my job, I can't focus only on that article. Thus I am glad that I can read in distraction-free environment like Instapaper or Zite on iPad. There I truly focus only on that article because of the singletasking environment.


dmaul1114 said:
But the fact that even those things can be done on computers we already own does make the iPad a luxury.

I'm not sure why you and some others are so defensive about it being called a luxury. It's not a slight on the device. Most all tech gadgets beyond computers are pure luxuries. Computers have moved beyond being pure luxuries as people just have to have them for school and work these days. But things like tablets, mp3 players, e-readers etc. are luxury gadgets as a lot of that stuff can be done on a computer, or one can buy paper books (or use the library for free) etc. so they are luxuries. Very few HAVE to have those kinds of gadgets for school or work etc. They may be nice to have and make some tasks easier etc., but they aren't required and all work could be done on computers you already own--so that makes them a luxury in my eyes.

And nothing wrong with that! I have an iPad, Kindle 3, a couple MP3 players, a nice TV, a blu ray player, DirecTV service, an Xbox 360 and on down the line and I LOVE all that stuff! But they're all luxury items. I don't need any of them to do my work, make ends meet etc. They're all for entertainment. The iPad does get used a tiny bit for work purposes, but not much as I find most work easier to do on a computer than a tablet, so the iPad is 99% and entertainment device for me.
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I agree. But because by that definition, we can call nearly everything, which entertains us or makes something more comfortable, a luxury, I don't think that it is in fact luxury at all. I believe that over the time the term luxury is still evolving based on the evolution of things that surround us (gadgets, computers, etc.). It was not that long ago, when notebook was considered luxury. Now it is not (or at least for me it is not).
 
Maagus said:
Unfortunately my job requires that as well. Thus at the end of the day I am not able to focus on reading very long but interesting article on my computer because there are so many things that distract me even after work (e-mail, Twitter, IM, another opened tabs) and because of the necessity to multitask in my job, I can't focus only on that article. Thus I am glad that I can read in distraction-free environment like Instapaper or Zite on iPad. There I truly focus only on that article because of the singletasking environment.
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That's just a personal thing I guess. I don't have problem focusing on things.

And I don't think the iPad is any less distracting than a computer. I'm getting push notifications from various things while reading and it's just as easy to switch from a news app to some other app as it is to switch from say the nytimes.com on the pc to another site or another program. Just like I could turn off notifications on the iPad, one can turn off IM programs, Twitter feeds etc. on the PC to focus on one thing.

The iPad is still a multi-function device, so there are still things to distract you even if it doesn't have true multi tasking. Something like the Kindle is better for reading with no distraction since it really doesn't do much else but display e-books (web browser stinks, but they did add games recently).



I agree. But because by that definition, we can call nearly everything, which entertains us or makes something more comfortable, a luxury, I don't think that it is in fact luxury at all. I believe that over the time the term luxury is still evolving based on the evolution of things that surround us (gadgets, computers, etc.). It was not that long ago, when notebook was considered luxury. Now it is not (or at least for me it is not).
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Entertainment and things that are bought purely for comfort are 100% luxuries IMO. The only things that aren't luxuries are food, water, shelter, clothing and whatever you MUST have to do your job or school work (which provides your income that's a requirement to live).

A notebook can still be a luxury. If one has a desktop at home and doesn't travel for work, then a laptop is definitely still a luxury item. If it's their only computer (and needed for work or school) or they have to travel a lot for work, then it's not a luxury.

But that's just how I look at things, others are free to have their own opinions on what a luxury is of course! 😀
 
Of course it is.
Anything that can be done on an iPad can be done on an iPod Touch for a fraction of the price.
 
Shambles said:
Of course it is.
Anything that can be done on an iPad can be done on an iPod Touch for a fraction of the price.
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That I disagree with. Several things I do on the iPad--like read PDFs of research articles--just couldn't be done on the iPod touch as the screen is too small. Same with anything trying to work with documents etc.

The iPad screen is already a bit too small at times, much less trying to do anykind of work on the iPod touch or any smartphone or PDA. That's why I've not bothered with getting a smartphone, I just don't want to do much of anything on a screen that small. And I'm not away from a PC or laptop enough to really need an internet device in my pocket anyway (especially not to pay for a data plan).
 
dmaul1114 said:
And I don't think the iPad is any less distracting than a computer. I'm getting push notifications from various things while reading and it's just as easy to switch from a news app to some other app as it is to switch from say the nytimes.com on the pc to another site or another program. Just like I could turn off notifications on the iPad, one can turn off IM programs, Twitter feeds etc. on the PC to focus on one thing.
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Its funny because one of my big justifications to buy an iPad was for reading books. But after a year of iPadding then I've only finished 2 books because the iPad is so feature rich that its too distracting (for me). And the obtrusive notification system doesnt help because whenever im focusing on something then BAM, right in the middle of the screen is a message that requires interaction to get rid of it. So in comparison to a computer, I probably get much more productivity done on my Macbook. But I simply "enjoy" the iPad more. And "Enjoyment" = "Luxury".
 
iVeBeenDrinkin' said:
Keep digging,
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Alas, it's this blind fanatacism that has run amok on this forum that allows it to pile up.

If this is your cunning plan to carry on win a civil conversation, it's sure to be a Pyrrhic victory.
I'm sure you'll find whatever you want.
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It's not like I cut the numbers from whole cloth or something. This is another website's teardown of a product. If you have contrary numbers to cite, cite them. If you don't (and I suspect you don't because the iSuppli report was also featured on the front page of MR last week), then don't waste time becoming angry or upset that they don't support your notions of what things cost.

BTW, you forgot R&D and marketing.
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I did factor them in. The bill of materials and labor only reaches 53% of retail price, or 47% potential profits. I pared this down to 40% to be generous (because it does not cost an additional $51 to market and research an iPad).

R&D is amortized over the life of the unit. With a successful product, it typically only reaches a few dollars per unit at the end of the cycle. Since millions of iPads (the original) were already sold, and only minor tweaks were done to the second one, it is probable that the total R&D cost was actually quite low for the iPad 2. Apple didn't really need to invent any new tech or invest in any dramatic new infrastructure to make the iPad or iPad 2, so that again cuts against an overly large R&D budget for the iPad or iPad 2.

Apple doesn't have a very aggressive marketing arm compared to other companies in the tech sector (I see far more ads for other mobile phones or computers, for example). It relies more on word of mouth and its retail presence. Even if Apple spent $30 million to market the iPad, 2010 sales alone would only make the cost $2/unit.
 
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