Not all iDevices are intended for productivity.
Sometimes it's just about having fun.
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iPad My Apple store says they're selling TONS of iPad Airs
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Not all iDevices are intended for productivity.
Sometimes it's just about having fun.
I'd be shocked if an Apple Store employee would say anything else. That being said, I'm also not shocked if it's true. It is a new iPad after all.
I agree that MS Surface is more geared toward productivity. After all, their slogan is "the most productive tablets on the planet". But if I want to be productive on the go I couldn't think of a better device than the 11" MBA. Real keyboard and a decent OS. And yes I am extremely familiar with windows 8 and the MS Surface. My problem with the Surface is that they took the productivity thing too far and fell short when creating an intuitive tablet. Even with 8.1 the Surface's portrait mode is horrendous.
When Microsoft developed the Surface they put in too much laptop and not enough tablet.
This. Although, iPads can be used to be extremely productive. Obviously a laptop/desktop is for the heavier stuff.
I agree MS went too far into productivity with the Surface. But only insofar as the design of the tablet is too far skewed landscape mode use.
Having said that, aren't you the same people spouting off about how iWork for iOS will kill MS Office? And how important these applications are? I mean, if Apple is creating productivity applications specifically for the iPad, now what?
The problem is the iPad falls well short of being suited for applications like iWork. And that's where the MS Surface 2 wins. Using a MS Surface 2 for word processing is much less absurd than buying a thick, clunky third party iPad keyboard and stand. Yet people buy all that junk and the fact that the market is riddled with these kinds of productivity accessories speaks volumes about how sorely lacking the iPad is by design.
I like Apple, but my hats are off to MS for the razor thin, backlit Type cover for the Surface 2. It's pretty slick. All Apple does is come out with some 1960s looking cheap, clunky, full body rug for the iPad as a cover.
If you think the iPad is perfect and can't be designed in a way that allows for more productivity while at the same time becomes a BETTER designed device, please, never get into product design.
Go on Behance and other such sites and see how innovative you can get with tablets. MS has shown that by building in a kickstand and slick backlit keyboard cover, you can make a tablet well suited for productivity. And the fact you can use Windows Mobile with a mouse... while this does have some problems, makes this device a clear winner for productivity over the iPad.
I played the iWork game on the iPad. Never again. It's beyond frustrating to use stripped down Apps and multi-touch gestures. The mouse and desktop Apps runs circles around these things.
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Online usage metrics so far make it pretty clear that they're not only selling quite well but people are actively using them.
This is all a matter of opinion really, and it's going to continue to be. To me, the Surface 2 is a glorified netbook with a touch interface. Meanwhile: Windows 8/8.1 continues to be a paradigm shift that few people really want or care for.
I get the impression that people are buying Windows 8/.1 devices - Surface 2 included - because they are heavily invested in the Windows platform and see very little choice. Eventually those same users will get frustrated enough to consider other options, when they realize the learning curve to another OS might not be as bad as learning to hang by your thumbs on Windows 8.1.
This is pretty much how I switched from being a Microsoft fanboy to being firmly entrenched in Apple products.
Again, depends on how you define "productivity." MS Office documents, no doubt the Surface is king on, but a lot of that has to do (obviously) with the fact that Microsoft wants that edge, and isn't releasing software for iOS for that very reason.
That said, I get a LOT of work done with my iPad, be it communicating with my coworkers, managing servers in the datacenter, or organizing my schedule and notes effectively. take my iOS devices away, and my productivity WILL suffer for quite some time while I adapt to life without them again.
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You're basically pontificating now.
The bottom line. After 1 year of sales, we'll see how the Air fairs compared to year-over-year sales. Until then, nobody, including me and you, knows how well it'll sell.
And you're missing the point about productivity. By design the iPad and iOS are poor at productivity. Terrible. And they won't get better either. Sure you can do some things with them, but desktop publishing isn't one of them. Windows 8.1 and the Surface are both, by design, excellent at productivity. Two main reasons:
1. The Surface has a built in kickstand and optional type cover integrated into the product.
2. Windows 8.1 allows for mouse input.
The iPad is a stripped down slate with no built in stand and no integrated keyboard cover. It relies on bulky, heavy, ugly and generally crappy third party options for a keyboard and stand. And any hope of mouse input is dashed because iOS isn't designed for it.
The iPad is a very good consumption device and a very poor productivity device for many applications.
These are the facts.
Someone is bound to ask this, so it might as well be me.Did you ask if people were complaining about the screens?
That's only on MacRumors. If someone posts that his MacBook Air screen has a blueish tint, and suddenly everyone on MacRumors has a screen with a blueish tint.
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Because it's smaller. And cheaper.
Others choose the Air because it is bigger.
In regards to "flying off the shelves". YES!
Seriously (assuming this actually transpired) what did you think she would say???
OK I guess if they weren't flying off the shelves I wouldn't expect an Apple sales person to say so. Anyway I think I'm pretty good at detecting when someone is making something up or saying something store management told them to say.
What is so innovative about the Surface?
It's basically an OK laptop and not a very good tablet. iPad Air, MBA and rMBP all have better battery life. Most people I know don't do real work on a 10" screen. Office hasn't really been optimized for touch. Surface is hardly ever marketed with out the kickstand in use and touch or type cover attached yet I think most who have used it would agree a real laptop has better keyboard and trackpad, screen has better viewing angles and it works much better when actually using it in your lap. Surface works best on a flat surface. There's nothing that really makes Surface a great tablet. It's thicker and heavier than other tablets. Microsoft never shows it in portrait mode. It's not an ideal product for curling up in bed and reading a book or watching a movie on. It's not the kind of product you'd slip in your purse/handbag/backpack when your out and about. With the Air, I can slip it in my handbag and not even feel that it's there.
Microsoft knew trying to copy the iPad and Android tablets was a non starter. So they came up with this "no compromises" idea. The only problem is, there are compromises. You don't end up with a great laptop and a great tablet, you end up with both being mediocre.
The other thing is I think consumers have spoken and see tablets as primarily consumption devices and are perfectly fine with that. Using myself as an example, I work with Office all day at my job. The last thing I want to do when I come home is use office on my tablet. Plus I can't imagine trying to use Excel on a 10" touch screen anyway. And my Fortune 50 company is never going to give us Surfaces when they get deals with Dell and HP on cheap laptops (and we haven't completely migrated to Windows 7 yet, my PC is still running Windows XP). So who exactly is the Surface for?
The Air is not useful to those who use a retina macbook at home. The air is not portable enough (for most) to carry out on a daily basis. Thus, the mini is more valuable for portability. It gives you twice the size of an iPhone so you attain the benefit of screen size but retain the portability of the phone. Sort of like why people by laptops vs. a desktop with a 13 or 15" monitor.
The Air is only 25% bigger (screen size) than the mini, but 100% less portable.
People are buying the iPad Air instead of the mini because the much lower weight and physical size of the iPad Air compared to the older iPad models makes it very attractive to many users--and text/graphics readability is way better on the Air than on the mini.
100% less portable because it has a 33% larger footprint?
Maybe if you carry a small purse/manpurse or early 90's era fanny pack, but i'm pretty sure the Air fits in most backpacks and briefcases.
...said the person who then spent several paragraphs pontificating about how they feel Windows tablets will dominate, the iPad is doomed, blah blah...
Perhaps, but we don't need to wait to know how well (or not) Windows tablets have been selling.
You repeat this mantra quite a bit like you're trying to convince yourself of it.
They are for YOUR paradigm of productivity, and as I've said before, that's fine, for you. However, you aren't everyone. I'm glad you enjoy your Surface, but that doesn't mean I do or will. And it doesn't mean competing platforms, iOS included, universally inferior for everyone's use cases.
Are you cutting and pasting from marketing materials? I mean, seriously... you've said "builtin kickstand and optional type cover" like a PR person would. It's worse than a scripted Apple PR response, to be honest.
It's also telling when a couple of pieces of plastic are billed as the "iPad killing" features. Sorry, but no.
There's that marketing copy again.
This reasoning makes clear that you've got a set paradigm for how you think tablets should operate. It's your opinion, and again, that's fine. Not everyone agrees. There are certain things I would like to do on a tablet, and certain I don't care to do on a tablet. They're clearly different from yours, and evidently different from those of other iPad buyers
No, they are opinions. You're welcome to those opinions, as long as you label them correctly.
Does Windows 8 on a tablet have a word definition lookup feature? I think you should use it if it does, to see the difference between fact and opinion.
It ain't. When i bought the iPad 3, i had to wait weeks. When i bought the Air, i walked in 1 hour after they opened and bought one. There was only one other costumer in the shop besides me and i live in the second largest city in my country. The Higher usage is due to more stock avaiable at launch.
Name one productive thing that a iPad does better than an surface pro.
Also try to look up what fact does mean:
a thing that is indisputably the case.
"she lacks political experience—a fact that becomes clear when she appears in public"
The fact is, the surface pro is better for productivity.
For me? Everything. Try to get an ssh session going on any Windows device on an efficient, clean interface. Try remote desk-topping into Windows, Mac AND linux workstations. Evernote is much cleaner. And I'm replying to you in this thread on my iPad, and it's doing the job quite well.
Again... For ME. It's an opinion. you obviously disagree... your disagreement does not make your differing opinion a fact.
And I'm disputing that Windows is universally better at productivity for everyone. that makes it, by definition, not indisputable. Not a fact.
We're now arguing semantics, and that's a sign this debate is not going to get us anywhere. Fortunately, it's not up to us. Sales will ultimately determine if the iPad Air is successful or not, and so far the answer appears to be yes.
Troll much? what a load of BS! Accessories are crap?, not hardly, just one of many that I love is my Clamcase Pro! Stand AND Keyboard in one.
MS Surface is a fail, no more than a pimple on Ballmers butt
What is so innovative about the Surface?
It's basically an OK laptop and not a very good tablet. iPad Air, MBA and rMBP all have better battery life. Most people I know don't do real work on a 10" screen. Office hasn't really been optimized for touch. Surface is hardly ever marketed with out the kickstand in use and touch or type cover attached yet I think most who have used it would agree a real laptop has better keyboard and trackpad, screen has better viewing angles and it works much better when actually using it in your lap. Surface works best on a flat surface. There's nothing that really makes Surface a great tablet. It's thicker and heavier than other tablets. Microsoft never shows it in portrait mode. It's not an ideal product for curling up in bed and reading a book or watching a movie on. It's not the kind of product you'd slip in your purse/handbag/backpack when your out and about. With the Air, I can slip it in my handbag and not even feel that it's there.
Microsoft knew trying to copy the iPad and Android tablets was a non starter. So they came up with this "no compromises" idea. The only problem is, there are compromises. You don't end up with a great laptop and a great tablet, you end up with both being mediocre.
The other thing is I think consumers have spoken and see tablets as primarily consumption devices and are perfectly fine with that. Using myself as an example, I work with Office all day at my job. The last thing I want to do when I come home is use office on my tablet. Plus I can't imagine trying to use Excel on a 10" touch screen anyway. And my Fortune 50 company is never going to give us Surfaces when they get deals with Dell and HP on cheap laptops (and we haven't completely migrated to Windows 7 yet, my PC is still running Windows XP). So who exactly is the Surface for?
That's great for you but it doesn't erase the fact that many of Apple's productivity Apps have all been created for the iPad. These types of Apps are what creates demand for productivity based accessories. In other words, there are people out there who "try" and use the iPad for productivity. And by the fact that Apple has created these Apps for the iPad, Apple themselves believe the iPad should be used for productivity also.
And you're right, I couldn't imagine having to use a spreadsheet program to do any real work on a 10" touchscreen. With the Surface, you can use a mouse and keyboard all integrated into the hardware and software.
Who wants to use a mouse and keyboard on a 10" tablet? And if someone says "docking station" I'll say fine, then work on making Surface a better tablet - thinner, lighter, longer battery life, no desktop mode when being used as a tablet, etc. In terms of a work machine, what advantage does Surface have over Ultrabooks? If it was an awesome tablet you could use that as the advantage but it's not.
Never, ever, did I say Windows tablets will dominate and the iPad is doomed. Never. Ever. And I don't think this either.
I have done actual supply checks at major sales channels as of last Friday. The response:
1. The iPad Air is selling very well.
2. The Surface 2 is selling well, and unlike last year, there are few returns. And the returns that do happen are mostly people returning the RT for the Pro. And returns are at industry averages.
Other than this, we won't know for sure until both companies report quarterly earnings.
Right...
This contributes nothing to the point at hand.
When all else fails, attack the person. I've stated facts. This above also contributes nothing.
Sorry, but nobody said the kickstand and keyboard covers were iPad killing. Nobody. That's your challenged comprehension skills. What these two integrated aspects give the Surface is uniqueness and an edge when it comes to productivity.
There's that useless posting again.
That's your opinion. Your reasoning makes clear you've got a set paradigm for how you think tablets should operate. It's your opinion, and again, that's fine... and blah blah. Again, a complete failure of yours to accept, understand, acknowledge, etc. the facts.
Facts:
1. The Windows Surface 2 has a built in stand. Propping up the device hands free is required for serious productivity.
2. The Windows Surface 2 has available an integrated keyboard cover that is backlit and includes a trackpad mouse. This cover is razor thin, light, and well integrated into the hardware and software by design.
3. The Windows Surface 2 has software that allows for mouse input, including several productivity Apps like word processing, spreadsheets, graphics programs, etc.
4. The Windows Surface Pro 2 comes with a pressure sensitive stylus that works with full versions of Adobe Photoshop and the like.
5. The iPad does not come with a built in stand and cannot be propped up without a third party stand. Out of the box it's only use is to hold it. While some third party stands work, these stands are not well integrated into the product because the product was never designed for them.
6. The iPad does not have an available keyboard cover that weighs .1 pounds, is backlit, and includes a trackpad mouse. The third party iPad keyboard accessories are not well integrated into the product because the product was never designed for them. The iPad was also never designed for mouse input which is why it's not an available accessory.
7. Mouse and physical keyboard input is more productive than multi-touch for things like real graphics work like in Photoshop, and desktop publishing work like word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, as well there's writing notes, Emails, etc. Some reasons why this is the case is: a. the meaty finger compared to mouse input is not precise enough to do this kind of work (e.g., real Photoshop work). b. Mouse input is faster compared to using hands for clicking user interface elements. Just trying to select a string of text in a word processing program with fingers and then making that text bold, italics, then colouring it, etc. is slow and imprecise compared to mouse input. Selecting, resizing, and dragging objects into different locations is also less precise and slower with meaty finger input. c. Having a real keyboard is much faster than typing on a screen keyboard. The fact that the Surface's is so well integrated into the product and includes a trackpad mouse where the iPad lacks this makes it better for productivity than the iPad.
8. The Surface Pro runs full desktop Apps, the iPad doesn't. iPad Apps are stripped down versions of their desktop counterparts. No full Photoshop or Illustrator or Pages or Keynote etc. Therefore, the Surface has the ability to run full scale productivity Apps.
9. The Surface has a file system, the iPad doesn't. Users have to rely on iTunes, which is slow, byzantine, and limiting. File systems are better for productivity as they allow quick access to files and the ability to organize these files.
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Ergo, the Surface is better for productivity than the iPad.
Is the Surface flawed? Yes. Pretty much everything is. The iPad is a better "consumption tablet" than the Surface. But the Surface is a better "productivity tablet" than the iPad. I have both of them, and both of them serve a purpose. When I go on longer trips, I want the Surface with me because of how versatile it is. With the iPad, I have to strap heavy, clunky accessories to it so it'll be propped up on a plane and have a keyboard. In this case, I just use a laptop.
I design software for a living for iOS and Windows. This software is productivity based and tablets are a major focal point. I've done the testing, seen the user feedback, and tried myself. I deal with things like Fitts principle and making software interfaces efficient everyday. There are major problems with productivity on the iPad as discussed and I'm just scratching the surface regarding the commentary. No, the iPad doesn't suck because it sucks at productivity. It's an excellent consumption tablet and I like it. But the Surface has shown with unique hardware and software that a tablet can be more than a consumption device.
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100% less portable because it has a 33% larger footprint?
Maybe if you carry a small purse/manpurse or early 90's era fanny pack, but i'm pretty sure the Air fits in most backpacks and briefcases.
Portability is binary. It either fits in a pocket or it doesn't. If you need to carry a briefcase or backpack then I might as well carry a laptop.
