The iPad will kill the Macbook.

[AppleTech22]

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.

Things just don't get faster, everything on a device changes. Hell maybe we can wirelessly transfer video by then, and sharing and editing will be like butter on a touch interface. Or maybe it won't be touch at all. Maybe it will be a 45" iTV with and iPad like interface to edit on so you can literally touch up spots in a video or photo.

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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 can, but we have no idea what kind of crazy new system or technology will arise in more than 5 years. Just saying that the device normally revolves around or intends to integrate that new whatever

 

[Young Spade]

Things just don't get faster, everything on a device changes. Hell maybe we can wirelessly transfer video by then, and sharing and editing will be like butter on a touch interface. Or maybe it won't be touch at all. Maybe it will be a 45" iTV with and iPad like interface to edit on so you can literally touch up spots in a video or photo.

We can do that now?

Unless you mean edit on the iPad but have the video transferred to a larger screen wirelessly? That isn't practical. It's a lot easier and more efficient to have a somewhat medium sized screen (21/27") in front of you and a mouse to manipulate.

Fingers are inaccurate. That's why the iPad sucks for editing and typing documents without the keyboard (and it still does then). What you're saying would be cool, but there's a reason we aren't doing it now.

You can do it anyway on the device but you see it's only for the funny pet video or of your kids doing something cute.

You can, but we have no idea what kind of crazy new system or technology will arise in more than 5 years. Just saying that the device normally revolves around or intends to integrate that new whatever

So what's your point? Why would I need to predict what kind of new crazy technology comes out?

But we can, all you have to do is read current tech news and have a general idea of what people want and where technology is going.

Augmented reality. That's something that's slowly moving into the limelight. Sony is doing it, Kinect has a big movement behind it, it's only a matter of time before it gets implemented into phones on a larger scale. The only thing holding it back is bandwith (If you want to host it the same as voice to text) or CPU (which is how they are probably going to have to do it).

^Talking on that note, when phones have 4 cores in them (next year we'll see it), we will be able to process that augmentation on a much more realistic scale. Rather than holding the phone up and waiting for something to happen, you'll be able to move the phone around and also interact with other phones as well, which is where it will really shine. Being able to see people's Twitter or FB links and touching the phone to like, add, or follow them is going to be BIG.

In terms of desktop computing, no you can't really "predict" what it will look like, but you can only go "so far" from what you have now or there is going to be a disconnect. You also have to remember that computers are here to simplify what we do and increase our efficiency; that's the direction Apple is going.

Everybody knows (and can see) they're trying to merge iOS and OS X. 1/2 years down the line we'll see a tighter integration than we have now. I'm thinking full iPhone sync to macs (applications, syncing, text, voice, data, everything wirelessly when in close proximity). They are already getting ready to roll out the messaging thing similar to BBM so that's a given they'd expand on that.

It isn't "that" hard, you just have to know where to look, how to think about it, and have a general "feel" about how a company operates.

 

[techkidd4400]

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.

I agree I should have ended where I started by saying "Tablet" rather than iPad. I think the iPad will continue to be the dominant Tablet for a few years at least, but that is not the point. The point isn't that a Tablet has magic powers that a laptop lacks, but rather that the Tablet - due to its lightweight, form factor, touch screen interface etc - is easier, more appealing than laptops to use in circumstances where paper is still dominant. These new uses and future improvements to Tablets will overwhelm the few remaining perceived advantages of using a laptop.

 

[jsh1120]

I agree I should have ended where I started by saying "Tablet" rather than iPad. I think the iPad will continue to be the dominant Tablet for a few years at least, but that is not the point. The point isn't that a Tablet has magic powers that a laptop lacks, but rather that the Tablet - due to its lightweight, form factor, touch screen interface etc - is easier, more appealing than laptops to use in circumstances where paper is still dominant. These new uses and future improvements to Tablets will overwhelm the few remaining perceived advantages of using a laptop.

I'm willing to be convinced (See bold above) but it ain't there yet. For filling out forms, especially by one-time users, I think you're correct. But months of practice with a variety of handwriting note apps (another area where "paper is still dominant") has not yet yielded results that are comparable in speed, efficiency, or looks to a pen and paper or a keyboard.

The novelty is seductive and the functionality of various handwriting apps is impressive. But even after spending many hours honing my technique, I'm still much more productive taking notes in meetings with a pen/paper (for diagrams, figures, etc.) and a keyboard (for text.)

 

[techkidd4400]

I'm willing to be convinced (See bold above) but it ain't there yet. For filling out forms, especially by one-time users, I think you're correct. But months of practice with a variety of handwriting note apps (another area where "paper is still dominant") has not yet yielded results that are comparable in speed, efficiency, or looks to a pen and paper or a keyboard.

The novelty is seductive and the functionality of various handwriting apps is impressive. But even after spending many hours honing my technique, I'm still much more productive taking notes in meetings with a pen/paper (for diagrams, figures, etc.) and a keyboard (for text.)

I think many of us agree with your pointbabout note-taking. I am looking forward to seeing how Lenovo's thinkpad tablet performs with its pen. If Lenovo does reasonably well, this may change Apple's reluctance to add a pen to the iPad.

 

[Illumination]

Absolutely. Because there are no places on earth where you can't access the internet at broadband speed.

Thank you! Finally someone gets why this iCloud foolishness won't work for everyone!

 

[Young Spade]

due to its lightweight, form factor, touch screen interface etc - is easier, more appealing than laptops to use in circumstances where paper is still dominant. These new uses and future improvements to Tablets will overwhelm the few remaining perceived advantages of using a laptop.

I'm willing to be convinced (See bold above) but it ain't there yet. For filling out forms, especially by one-time users, I think you're correct. But months of practice with a variety of handwriting note apps (another area where "paper is still dominant") has not yet yielded results that are comparable in speed, efficiency, or looks to a pen and paper or a keyboard.

The novelty is seductive and the functionality of various handwriting apps is impressive. But even after spending many hours honing my technique, I'm still much more productive taking notes in meetings with a pen/paper (for diagrams, figures, etc.) and a keyboard (for text.)

I'm with that guy^

The iPad sucks for replicating material. Yea you can type on it, but if it couldn't do that, what could it do? Text input is the most basic feature ever.

Try using an iPad effectively in a Calculus, Statistic, Chemistry, Micro Biology, or formula based class. Because you simply can't. I got an iPad in October last year and I'm majoring in Micro Biology now.

I sold it 4 months later. I just had no use for it. Textbooks are now coming in looseleaf format where you can take what you want to class (so that eliminates the need to scan/pdf the pages over), and you can't draw on the damn thing because the resolution is too small and fingers are too large.

It's great for converting a book to take with you if you're just reading/referring to it, however, if you're serious when you're studying (and this is, of course, subjective), you'll be annotating, jotting down notes in/on the book, and drawing diagrams and whatnot depending on the subject matter.

I loved it, but after a while I thought, "Why do I still have this?" It's great for lounging, but why not just use a laptop which is easier to use? Unless you have a stand, a tablet just isn't easy to use for an extended period of time. It isn't. I don't lay around on the grass, I'm either in a coffee shop, library, or my room; which means I have a table or a desk in front of me.

 

[paulcdb]

Damn, should I cancel the order for a MacBook air now?

 

[bruinsrme]

I agree with the OP

The ipad will kill off every computer. Why, because so many people will have nerve and ligamnet damage from holding their ipad/tablet that they won't be open up a laptop let alone type any longer.