The iPad Launched 14 Years Ago Today as Longest-Ever Wait for New Models Continues

[ThunderSkunk]

Ha, I've been waiting for an iPad with Mac OS on it for 15 years then. Through Woz's Axiotron Modbook tablet, through 15 years of Wacom touch & pen displays on the Mac, through tablet PC's and laggy screen sharing apps. At this point a 2019 iPad mini is the high watermark. They have their work cut out for them trying to improve on that.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

I was one of the “really, just a big iPhone?“ crowd when it launched. I was very disappointed with the reveal. Much like Joshua Topolsky, I saw so much potential in terms of adapting the UI for a larger interface. Instead, we got that ridiculous homescreen. I soft boycotted it, committing to not buy one unless they re-designed the interface.

Then my girlfriend bought me the iPad 2 when it came out (crap). I didn’t want to be rude, but I really didn’t want to support the product. So I used it and found it was exactly what I expected - a big iPhone. And that wasn’t so bad actually. Battery life was so good that you never feel like you were on a timer while using it, as you would on a phone. The screen’s aspect made it pretty close to desktop browsing. It was also just so convenient to pick it up and be browsing the web in 2 seconds as opposed to booting up my desktop computer.

14 years later and my opinion hasn’t changed a damn bit. It‘s still just a big iPhone and a mere shadow of what it could be. But it’s still nice for what it is. I think of it like a magazine - It can just lounge around wherever, waiting to be casually picked up to browse the web or watch some YouTube. It’s so much better than a laptop for that. But yeah, if this thing is ever going to reach its potential, it is going to have a persistent Mac OS-like dock along the right edge for one-tap task switching.

Typed on a grabage iPad virtual keyboard that is in the worst state the iOS keyboard has ever been in.

Considering that both the iPad's virtual keyboards and physical keyboards have only ever ranged from terrible to mediocre at best, I think it's safe to assume the iPad typing experience is another ploy against the consumer to offer a typing experience that's just good enough to trick you into thinking it could cover all your typing and writing needs, but just bad enough that you'll end up buying a Mac in frustration.

"Form over function", is the phrase that describes the iPad experience for me.

iPad only be attractive if it sold for 40-60% less than iPhones Pro and MBAs.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Well isn’t that enlightening?

Here I thought my iPad worked extremely well to read/respond to emails, make/receive phone calls, visit websites to read and order products. I had no idea it isn’t.

You do realize that your iPad, even if you paid to upgrade it to a cellular model, and you're paying for a cellular data plan for it, is only able to make/receive cellular phone calls on your iPad because you have an iPhone with its own cellular plan and a phone number?

Without an iPhone with a cellular plan tied to your iCloud account and Apple ID, you'd only be able to make FaceTime calls?

In other words, your iPad doesn't work "extremely well" to "make/receive phone calls" because all the phone calls happen through your iPhone and are (arbitrarily) impossible without an iPhone.

Not only that, iPad is so innovative and high tech that you can't even make/receive calls on it if your smartphone is not an iPhone without going through all kinds of sketchy, unofficial workarounds.

But trust me, bro -This is only about offering the user the best experience and a fair price, totally not about forcing you to only buy over-priced Apple products. It just happens that Apple's experience is always the best and that's why Apple won't let your pick and chose what you want or work any non-Apple devices into your Apple setup.

/s

 

[Mainsail]

If you watch the 2010 iPad launch, Jobs' describes the iPad as a third type of device that sits between a laptop and smartphone. It was not intended to be a stand alone device. At least, not originally. The iPad was intended to be a complementary device. Per Jobs, the iPad was suppose to be better than a smartphone or a laptop at certain specific things, or it had no reason to be: email, browsing the web, photos, books, watching video, etc.. The iPad was really a response to the Netbook market. Apple wanted a lighter thinner longer battery life more elegant tablet solution compared to Netbooks, which at the time, were pretty awful.

Today, the lines have blurred. iPhones are larger with more screen real estate. MacBook Air is thin, light, and has amazing battery life. iPads have keyboards and pointer control (trackpads/mouse). Also, iPads now have a form of multi-tasking. This controversy about the iPad seems to be at least somewhat due to the fact that all there categories (smartphone, iPad, and MacBook) have become much better and more capable, so they are kind of bumping into each others space. This overlap is actually a positive development, but it seems to be perceived as a negative.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

You do realize that your iPad, even if you paid to upgrade it to a cellular model, and you're paying for a cellular data plan for it, is only able to make/receive cellular phone calls on your iPad because you have an iPhone with its own cellular plan and a phone number?

Without an iPhone with a cellular plan tied to your iCloud account and Apple ID, you'd only be able to make FaceTime calls?

In other words, your iPad doesn't work "extremely well" to "make/receive phone calls" because all the phone calls happen through your iPhone and are (arbitrarily) impossible without an iPhone.

Not only that, iPad is so innovative and high tech that you can't even make/receive calls on it if your smartphone is not an iPhone without going through all kinds of sketchy, unofficial workarounds.

But trust me, bro -This is only about offering the user the best experience and a fair price, totally not about forcing you to only buy over-priced Apple products. It just happens that Apple's experience is always the best and that's why Apple won't let your pick and chose what you want or work any non-Apple devices into your Apple setup.

/s

And you do realize that voice over IP apps have existed for decades?
You could buy a cellular iPad, download a voice over IP app that’ll give you your own custom phone number, and… There you go.
Not sure why you would want to do that, but it’s possible.
I know there are people who have replaced their phones with iPad minis.

 

[mazz0]

Visual artists around the world disagree with you

Well they would be objectively wrong. It has not brought about a post-PC world. The fact it has some use cases that suit you doesn't change that fact.

 

[Eric_WVGG]

It's so wild to see that v1 with the inch-thick bezels

remember how controversial it was when they reduced the bezel size? "How will you hold the thing without accidental taps blah blah"

 

[FaustsHausUK]

A niche is still a niche. Still didn't kill the PC, it killed Wacom tablets at most.

Around the time the iPad was released, I remember experts saying Apple were screwed if they didn't release a cheap netbook. Some examples:

Why Apple must do a Netbook now

With news that users are hacking Windows and Linux Netbooks to run OS X--and run it pretty well--Apple needs to release a Netbook of its own before it loses ground in the highest-growth laptop category.

www.cnet.com

Apple Still Oblivious to Netbook Opportunity

Netbooks may be the fastest-growing niche in the computer spectrum but Apple, in its infinite wisdom, still appears to be in no hurry to come up with one that meets its exacting standards. "We’ve got some ideas, but right now we think the products there are inferior and will not provide the...

www.wired.com

Should Apple make a netbook? If Tim Cook wants to be its CEO, yes

In a market where high-end sales are diminishing, the man temporarily in charge at Apple needs to make a bold move to safeguard its future

www.theguardian.com

Why Apple and Google need to get into the Netbook business

This crappy photo-edit of a fairly standard netbook design illustrates the power of Apple branding.ZDNet Editor in Chief Larry Dignan recently picked up a Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Ubuntu Netbook and pinged me for tech support questions regarding his new toy -- he couldn't get it functioning on his...

www.zdnet.com

Apple instead released the iPad. iPads are still making money for Apple over a decade later. Can you tell me what happened to netbooks, including the best-known brand - Asus' Eee PC line?

 

[Seamaster]

Can you tell me what happened to netbooks, including the best-known brand - Asus' Eee PC line?

They hang around—like a bad smell—as Chromebooks.

 

[spinedoc77]

14 years ago, Jobs said that the iPad would usher the world to the post-PC era....
... and it failed miserably since people continue to use PCs and Macs more than ever.
All thanks to the awfully limited iPad OS.
It could have killed the traditional computer but they preferred to just sell both as incomplete devices.
Good job, Tim.

This. The iPad was an incredible evolution to the clunky, frankly terrible Windows tablets of the day, even if it was just an oversized iPhone. But in 2024 it's still an oversized iPhone and it's been years since I switched back to Windows tablets. Don't get me wrong, plenty of people can and do use the iPad for work and play, it's just a shame it has so much wasted potential because of Apple's business model of selling you multiple devices.

 

[phenste]

Steve specifically said it was not going to “kill” traditional PCs.
In fact, during the all things digital 2010 conference, he specifically compared the iPad to a car, while the traditional PC is like a truck.
The vast majority of consumers can get by with a car, but there will always be those subset that absolutely need a truck.

man, this video just took me back. I miss seeing Walt and Steve shoot the sh*t at All Things D. for all of his faults, Steve was incredibly well-spoken on his company’s products and its vision. I’ll always admire that.

 

[gpat]

Apple instead released the iPad. iPads are still making money for Apple over a decade later. Can you tell me what happened to netbooks, including the best-known brand - Asus' Eee PC line?

Netbooks turned (worsened) into Chromebooks and cannibalized the education market, which made Apple's fortune since the 80s. Huge wasted opportunity.

Yes, Apple does make money in other markets, no, that's not the point.

 

[MRMSFC]

And now it’s the most insidious babysitter since the television.

 

[no_idea]

Visual artists around the world disagree with you

Ah yes…the less than 0.5% of professionals

 

[wbeasley]

Around the time the iPad was released, I remember experts saying Apple were screwed if they didn't release a cheap netbook. Some examples:

Why Apple must do a Netbook now

With news that users are hacking Windows and Linux Netbooks to run OS X--and run it pretty well--Apple needs to release a Netbook of its own before it loses ground in the highest-growth laptop category.

www.cnet.com

Apple Still Oblivious to Netbook Opportunity

Netbooks may be the fastest-growing niche in the computer spectrum but Apple, in its infinite wisdom, still appears to be in no hurry to come up with one that meets its exacting standards. "We’ve got some ideas, but right now we think the products there are inferior and will not provide the...

www.wired.com

Should Apple make a netbook? If Tim Cook wants to be its CEO, yes

In a market where high-end sales are diminishing, the man temporarily in charge at Apple needs to make a bold move to safeguard its future

www.theguardian.com

Why Apple and Google need to get into the Netbook business

This crappy photo-edit of a fairly standard netbook design illustrates the power of Apple branding.ZDNet Editor in Chief Larry Dignan recently picked up a Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Ubuntu Netbook and pinged me for tech support questions regarding his new toy -- he couldn't get it functioning on his...

www.zdnet.com

Apple instead released the iPad. iPads are still making money for Apple over a decade later. Can you tell me what happened to netbooks, including the best-known brand - Asus' Eee PC line?

and almost every tech site had experts who bagged the iPad.

from "silly name" to "no one will buy one".
where are they all today? still around and pretending they never said what they did.

I have an Eee PC - in the collection drawer.
it was a toy. a desirable one at the time.
but it did prove very portable tech with a better set of tech specs was a good idea.

 

[wbeasley]

This. The iPad was an incredible evolution to the clunky, frankly terrible Windows tablets of the day, even if it was just an oversized iPhone. But in 2024 it's still an oversized iPhone and it's been years since I switched back to Windows tablets. Don't get me wrong, plenty of people can and do use the iPad for work and play, it's just a shame it has so much wasted potential because of Apple's business model of selling you multiple devices.

how awful that a business wants to sell you multiple products...

why dont Kelloggs just make one box size?
why arent all tvs just 65"?

it's almost as if people need choice because they have different needs at different times...

 

[wbeasley]

Netbooks turned (worsened) into Chromebooks and cannibalized the education market, which made Apple's fortune since the 80s. Huge wasted opportunity.

Yes, Apple does make money in other markets, no, that's not the point.

lots of schools have mandatory iPad purchase for classroom delivery of content today

 

[spinedoc77]

how awful that a business wants to sell you multiple products...

why dont Kelloggs just make one box size?
why arent all tvs just 65"?

it's almost as if people need choice because they have different needs at different times...

What an odd comment, no one is saying it's "awful," no need for the hyperbole. You can see the amount of commenters who lament not having a full OS on the iPad. Certainly most on here are most likely more technically oriented than your average consumer so that may skew the wants and needs, but I do tend to personally opine that a certain subset of consumers would love to have something with the functionality of MacOS on their tablet. Personally I'm in that subset, and since Apple isn't giving me what I want I voted with my wallet and went back to a Surface Pro. Anyhow that's my personal take. I almost didn't respond here because I wasn't in the mood to go down to a juvenile level, but I suppose I'm bored as I finished my reports early this morning.

 

[wbeasley]

What an odd comment, no one is saying it's "awful," no need for the hyperbole. You can see the amount of commenters who lament not having a full OS on the iPad. Certainly most on here are most likely more technically oriented than your average consumer so that may skew the wants and needs, but I do tend to personally opine that a certain subset of consumers would love to have something with the functionality of MacOS on their tablet. Personally I'm in that subset, and since Apple isn't giving me what I want I voted with my wallet and went back to a Surface Pro. Anyhow that's my personal take. I almost didn't respond here because I wasn't in the mood to go down to a juvenile level, but I suppose I'm bored as I finished my reports early this morning.

how did you go back to a Surface Pro?

all the law suits are claiming it's SO HARD because Apple TRAP you...

oh dear, you've just proven the point.

It can be done, and not that hard.

 

[aParkerMusic]

No, it failed because it was nothing more than a glorified phone without a SIM card. There's almost no reason to buy it if you've got a smartphone.

It's also essentially a crippled laptop.. it really doesn't do anything exceptionally well.

They really need to up the ”Disagree” limit these days.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But I’ll never understand the disdain some folks have for exceptional technology that just doesn’t fit their personal use case.

I have a phone because it’s portable and I need to make phone calls. When I’m home, I exclusively use my iPad (well, these days when I’m not enjoying my Apple Vision Pro). It’s my favorite device, it does what I need and want, and only in fringe cases do I need my Mac.

To say an iPad is simply a large phone is to say you don’t understand the product, and never wanted to give it a chance.

I can consume, I can create, and I can stay connected with my iPad. Exactly what 99% of people want from a device.