The iPad will kill the Macbook.

iPad 2 already replaced my MacBook. I sold it to a friend. I've got my iMac and my iPad 2 and I am very happy with it. :p
 
I agree, eventually it will happen. But there's going to be many changes to the iPad first. iOS will have to get more advanced, you'll have to have more powerful processors and GPUs, and more reliance on iCloud. In fact, I think one day iCloud will take over heavy duty processing and graphics rendering. And I think the iPad screen will have to be bigger, without increasing the size of the device.

I say that in the future, most every day computing devices will be an ARM device that only runs "normal" every day apps on the device, but then offloads the heavy duty stuff (like video encoding) to the cloud, where you'll have supercomputer capabilities. Apple or someone else should create a developer framework to make it possible and easy to code this into any iOS app. And one day, you may walk up to a computer terminal with a mouse, keyboard, and huge screen, and log in and instantly have access to all your applications, documents, etc, and work on any terminal as though it were your own computer. On the iPad, you can easily add a mouse, keyboard, etc, and it will function identically to any laptop today. Maybe they'll develop a haptic touchscreen that actually has gradients on the onscreen elements, so it should replicate the feeling of typing on an actual keyboard (so it actually feels like you're touching individual keys instead of the whole screen vibrating).

But reliance on the cloud will only really work if we have fast and unlimited 4G available. I hope Apple one day uses their muscle to get unlimited data back into the picture. All this stuff will take many years, probably, but I think it will happen.
 
Ijustfarted said:
Pro, air, everything.

just give it a few years. 6-7 years tops.

I already know all of you will call me retarded but maybe a few years later someone could bump this and say "you know what, that guy ijustfarted was right." :D
Click to expand...
No I won't call you retarded. Just confused a bit. Fast CPU's and GPU's make lots of heat and take lots of electricity to run. I.e. they won't work in an iPad form factor. Not now, not ever. This will still be true 6 or 7 years from now.

I envision this thread getting bumped in 6 years, but not for the reasons you envision. ;)
 
OT regarding Dime's signature... I'm a liberal with a rather high paying job, but no nuts, because I'm a girl. Just thought I'd let you know that. :rolleyes:
 
dime21 said:
No I won't call you retarded. Just confused a bit. Fast CPU's and GPU's make lots of heat and take lots of electricity to run. I.e. they won't work in an iPad form factor. Not now, not ever. This will still be true 6 or 7 years from now.

I envision this thread getting bumped in 6 years, but not for the reasons you envision. ;)
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, you're making the error of assuming that the technology constraints experienced today will never change. While it's certainly true that heat and power issues constrain the design of an iPad today, there's also a history of rapidly increasing performance in systems with decreased power consumption and heat.

Perhaps your political views are influencing your views of technology.

As it happens, I agree that the iPad won't replace more powerful laptops, but that's more due to the fact that Apple intentionally aims the iPad at a market segment that's not especially interested in high performance computing. They're interested in larger, high performance iPods.
 
jsh1120 said:
Perhaps your political views are influencing your views of technology.
Click to expand...

tumblr_llziu3Jaz51qii6tmo1_250.gif
 
jsh1120 said:
Unfortunately, you're making the error of assuming that the technology constraints experienced today will never change. While it's certainly true that heat and power issues constrain the design of an iPad today, there's also a history of rapidly increasing performance in systems with decreased power consumption and heat.
Click to expand...
Wrong. We're not talking about stardate 3014. We're talking about the next 6 or 7 years, in case you missed the opening post of this thread. Do you honestly believe these constraints will change in less than 7 years? Sounds like you're views of technology are diluted with a little too much of that hope-n-change nonsense.

karilynn said:
OT regarding Dime's signature... I'm a liberal with a rather high paying job, but no nuts, because I'm a girl. Just thought I'd let you know that. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
In that case, don't get your panties in a wad. ;)
 
Last edited:
dime21 said:
Wrong. You're making an error assuming these constraints will change in less than 7 years. Would you care to place a wager on that? ;) No? I didn't think so.
Click to expand...

I would. 7 years? Do you know how long that is? Android was purchased by Google in 2005; 6 years later we have the Galaxy S 2.

7 years though? Look at the 13 inch MBA and then compare that to the slimmest computer 7 years ago.

But the change isn't just 1:1, it's drastically increasing due to More's law. As technology improves, we are able to continuously speed up that improvement, thereby improving the speed of innovation and achievement.

I think you're feeling some momentum in this topic in relation to your posts, however, don't let your feet get too far ahead of you.
 
dime21 said:
...

So you're agreeing with me... you just won't admit it. Got it.
Click to expand...

You're mistaking reaching a similar conclusion for similar reasoning. I agree, for example, that the sun will rise tomorrow. But that's not because I think the sun revolves around the earth.

That's another common error for folks of some political persuasions.
 
jsh1120 said:
Unfortunately, you're making the error of assuming that the technology constraints experienced today will never change. While it's certainly true that heat and power issues constrain the design of an iPad today, there's also a history of rapidly increasing performance in systems with decreased power consumption and heat.
Click to expand...
True but the high end systems always have power and heat concerns just as they have in the past. What revolutionary tech are you expecting to eliminate those concerns? Assuming that tech will change and address those issues doesn't mean that it will. Tech isn't stagnant but it also isn't a panacea.

jsh1120 said:
As it happens, I agree that the iPad won't replace more powerful laptops, but that's more due to the fact that Apple intentionally aims the iPad at a market segment that's not especially interested in high performance computing. They're interested in larger, high performance iPods.
Click to expand...
Did they intentionally aim it or is it a technical limitation? What makes you say that they intentionally aim it at that market segment?

jsh1120 said:
That's another common error for folks of some political persuasions.
Click to expand...
It's a common error for people regardless of political persuasion. You're assuming a false causal relationship there.
 
Last edited:
Ijustfarted said:
Pro, air, everything.

just give it a few years. 6-7 years tops.

I already know all of you will call me retarded but maybe a few years later someone could bump this and say "you know what, that guy ijustfarted was right." :D
Click to expand...

I agree. The iPad/Tablet is an incredibly versatile device. This past month I was given an iPad to complete electronic forms while waiting to see my dentist. My dentist must have contracted with a developer to create a very user friendly interface for patient information. No one ever used a laptop for this because it was the wrong form factor. This is why the iPad kills the laptop.
 
takeshi74 said:
True but the high end systems always have power and heat concerns just as they have in the past. What revolutionary tech are you expecting to eliminate those concerns? Assuming that tech will change and address those issues doesn't mean that it will. Tech isn't stagnant but it also isn't a panacea.
Click to expand...

I'm not assuming that technological advance is a panacea. I'm just extrapolating from what I've seen in the last couple of years. The latest generation of intel chips, for example, provide significantly greater power and generate less heat than the immediately prior generation. No one can foresee a technological brick wall. And I'm not suggesting that power and heat won't continue to be concerns. But the evidence is pretty obvious that performance has increased tremendously while power demands and heat costs have diminished.

Take a look at virtually any review of the latest quad-core laptops. Battery life is longer and heat less than the previous generation. I'm just suggesting there is no reason to believe that those advances will suddenly cease.



takeshi74 said:
Did they intentionally aim it or is it a technical limitation? What makes you say that they intentionally aim it at that market segment?
Click to expand...

I had commented that with the iPad Apple is aiming at a market segment that is not especially interested in high performance computing tasks. It's not an especially original or controversial assertion. You could sell an iPad to every single techie and not come close to reaching the sales figures of the iPad.

Apple aimed the iPad at folks that wanted a larger and more powerful iPod and that was genius. Such consumers don't need (or want) the complexity of a computer. Until the iPad they were forced to "overbuy" in the laptop product space. I doubt seriously that Apple is going to mess with that delighted market segment by adding features that are already available in laptops.
 
techkidd4400 said:
I agree. The iPad/Tablet is an incredibly versatile device. This past month I was given an iPad to complete electronic forms while waiting to see my dentist. My dentist must have contracted with a developer to create a very user friendly interface for patient information. No one ever used a laptop for this because it was the wrong form factor. This is why the iPad kills the laptop.
Click to expand...

You do realize you just based your entire argument on the iPad > Laptop because you used it to complete an electronic application right?

As in, you do see the problem here correct? I think you should change the ending and, instead of stating some defining ending, suggest that this is one of the reasons as to why you think (insert your position here) is plausible.

I for one would have been able to input all of that information faster by just using a laptop that I could put on my lap. Typing is faster (than 1 handed which you would have had to do while holding) and hitting tab would allow me to select data fields faster than moving your finger 2 inches after every entry.

Not trying to rain on a parade here, but it seems that a lot of people just seem to want to justify the iPad when a laptop would be better suited for the job.
 
Pop quiz:

In six or seven years, when MacBooks are all dead, how am I supposed to import movies from video cameras, edit them and share them? Am I really supposed to trust this to some touchscreen device with a tablet-class processor?

I know everything will be faster by then, but 1080p video cameras might be the standard by then, meaning you'll need more processing power and storage.

You also can't convince me that everybody will be happy with a 10-inch screen for all uses. If Apple releases a 21.5" Thunderbolt display, I foresee many more people buying one of those and a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. Those will co-exist with iPads nicely.
 
I'll never say never :)
When I started work computers were the size of double decker buses with less computing power than a give away pocket calculator.
I'm 50/50 with my 15" MacBook Pro and my iPad 2 .... Have work & play suitable for both at this stage.
 
At this point I am finding a better workflow with my MacBook Air and my iPhone than with my iPad. Upgrading to the iPad 3 is becoming even less likely for me now. Maybe it's just because the MBA is new to me, but still. Over time, the iPad won't be the iPad and the MacBook won't be the MacBook. It's either going to be a brand new product or a culmination of both that become Apple's best mobile "computer". I am telling you right now though that we cannot predict what it is going to be like for one company's products up against each other that far ahead in time, we have no idea where the industry will be.

Just my two cents.
 
I don't understand why people say "we can't predict..."

Yes we can, people here do it all the time. For some reason people think that their lack of ability applies to not only them but to everybody else here.

For instance, this whole HP Touchpad deal was a big surprise to everybody. It didn't take rocket science to realize this would happen. It was priced too high, nobody knows about Palm, and I didn't see one ad for it on television.

They released it early and it got universally sub par reviews then updated it a month later and made it usable. You'd think with a company on its last leg (in the consumer market anyway) they'd be smarter about their decisions.

I think this attests to many companies not realizing how far their heads are in their asses (HP/Palm and RIM are two great examples).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Back
Top