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This is why iPad needs to become a fully functional computer
- Thread starter matt90036
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I have a steak knife. It can't open bottles because it lacks a bottle opener, it can't help read small print because it lacks a magnifying glass, I can't use it as a can opener, it doesn't have a corkscrew, a toothpick or tweezers. You know what, I still use it to cut steak.
I have a Swiss Army knife that does all the above and more, but there is something to be said for tools that serve specific purposes. The iPad weighs 1.5 pounds, so it is easy to take along on trips that you also bring along a laptop. I am not anti-computer, I just don't need the iPad to do everything my laptop can do.
I would like to see USB, more memory, a faster processor, an upgraded screen..mainly stuff to make the iOS better. I don't need it to replace my laptop or desktop anymore than I need a Swiss army knife at the table when I am serving steak.
I have a Swiss Army knife that does all the above and more, but there is something to be said for tools that serve specific purposes. The iPad weighs 1.5 pounds, so it is easy to take along on trips that you also bring along a laptop. I am not anti-computer, I just don't need the iPad to do everything my laptop can do.
I would like to see USB, more memory, a faster processor, an upgraded screen..mainly stuff to make the iOS better. I don't need it to replace my laptop or desktop anymore than I need a Swiss army knife at the table when I am serving steak.
You're saying that Apple could've designed iOS to be a "touch-friendly OS X." You're forgetting that it's not just the iPad that carries iOS. The iPod and iPhone lines both carry iOS. You say that the iPad should be a "fully-functional computer." However, the question of whether or not the iPad is a fully-functional computer depends not on what the iPad is but what the definition of a "fully function computer" is.
A lot of people were expecting the iPad to be a touchscreen tablet running Mac OS X. Also, they were expecting it to have a stylus. The reason for that is that that's how every tablet looked before the iPad came out-a laptop running Windows whose screen could swiveled and then folded with the screen facing outwards so the user could interact with it using a stylus.
What's revolutionary about the iPad isn't the hardware itself by any means-it's the underlying concepts. One of the key concepts is the idea of having the tablet run an OS specifically optimized for touch. The iPad was lampooned for being a giant iPod Touch. However, that's one of the best things Apple could have done with it. Anyone who has used an iPod Touch can use an iPad without learning a thing. There is absolutely no learning curve. Other important concepts are that the device should have a fast response time and a long battery life. Also, by using iOS, Apple doesn't have to maintain a separate platform for the iPad, but instead, it can maintain only one platform for three different product lines.
People can say what they want about the iPad, but it has set a new standard for tablets. The very fact that everyone is looking at Google's Android and not Microsoft's Windows to answer Apple's iPad is telling in itself. The reason-Windows doesn't belong on a touchscreen tablet. Android has worked with countless touchscreen devices. Another reason no one is looking to Microsoft's Windows to challenge the iPad is that the processors aren't made for low-powered mobile devices.
Eventually, iOS will meet Mac OS. Already, Mac OS and iOS borrow from one another. For example, Mac OS X Lion is expected to have expanded multi-touch functionality. Apple is implementing this in the iPad too in iOS 4.3. I saw a video of multitasking in iOS 4.3 using the new multi-touch gestures. They're quite convenient.
I just don't understand it. Why oh WHY do people want the iPad to be a laptop? Why do people want to buy yet another device that does the same thing as their desktops and laptops, but not as well. That's basically what you're asking for. Hey, I want to buy this tablet, but then I also want it to have USB ports so I can plug in all this **** to make it more like a laptop and I'm not forced to use the touch screen. Then why not just ****ing buy a laptop? It makes NO sense. The iPad is great because it is different. It does the things a tablet is good at doing, and does away with the rest. Things that right now are easier on a 'real' computer and would add nothing to a tablet but trouble.
What is the point of purchasing a tablet if you just want to use it like a laptop?
What is the point of purchasing a tablet if you just want to use it like a laptop?
Well, maybe people don't want a USB port to hook up a bunch of crap. Did you ever think of that? What about the ability to transfer files from a device (camera, computer, etc.) without having to rely on a network? Truth is, people talk about free wifi being everywhere, but it's really not. In it's current state, in order to place or remove files onto your iPad, you either need WiFi/3G or iTunes. To me, that's too restricting.
Yes, just pull out your MacBook you have in your back pocket. Funny, the iPad boasts its portability, but then relies on relatively non-portable hardware to transfer files on and off of it.
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I think that Keith was suggesting that you could use the copy of iTunes installed on his friend's computer. I'm pretty sure that you don't need to use your "home" copy of iTunes to transfer files into Apps.
Having said that I agree that USB storage support for all files and not just photos and videos in a DCIM folder would be a useful and practical feature given how people work today. Apple could provide this today for people who have the CCK. Placing the USB port on the device would be neater; however I think that it would also imply that the iPad would support a much broader range of hardware. I don't see how they can do this without allowing third-party drivers which opens up a whole new range of possible bugs and crashes.
I wasn't saying the current iPad SHOULD be a fully functional computer (which is what the OP appears to be saying). What I'm saying is that, in a perfect world, we wouldn't have to use Goodreader to download files. We wouldn't need specialized apps to run certain types of videos. We wouldn't have to tether to a computer to transfer files. My point is that a lot of the things we CAN'T do on an iPad as easily as we could on a full-fledged PC are a function of technological limitations (both hardware and software). If those limitations go away, and they obviously will over the next several years, then what we end up with is something a lot more PC-like in terms of breadth of functionality than the current iteration of the iPad and probably the next one as well.
Put another way, I'm NOT saying what I want is Snow Leopard on my iPad. I don't. But, to give you a practical example, what I do want is to be able to save a Word attachment from an email and edit it with a non-crippled version of Word on my iPad and then synchronize that via Dropbox to my PC. I want this process to work as seamlessly on my iPad as it does on my Macbook Air. And I think that's where we're headed. Does that mean OS X [insert random cat name] and iOS will merge? Maybe, maybe not. But, clearly they are converging and clearly, to me at least, the trend will be towards enhanced interoperability between apps on the two operating systems. It's when this happens that the tablet form factor can fully realize its potential (ie, portability/touch combined with robust functionality) and the laptop as we know it will start to look a little dated.
You can do this now, except for the "non-crippled version of Word," which Microsoft has yet to supply.
But I do this all the time: Open doc-format email attachment in Pages, edit, and save to Dropbox using DropDav.
I'm probably in the minority here, but personally, I found the iPad to be sub-optimal as a "real computer" for the simple reason that it lacks any sort of robust editing capabilities. You can attach a keyboard to it. But if you want to do serious content production and are less than perfect (like me) you will find your hands constantly moving from the keyboard to the screen where you have to press-and-pause to do even simplistic cut-and-paste. Having the trackpad of the MBP/MBA right underneath the spacebar, coupled with full editing tools, is SOOOOO much easier for content production/creation purposes. In particular, I used a bluetooth keyboard with my iPad so that I could keep the iPad positioned at a comfortable reading angle and distance from my eyes. The lack of real editing capabilities and the constant reach out, press-and-hold-to-do-edits was just tedious and broke my workflow.
Leave it where it is today...a content consumption device. You can answer quick emails on it if you'd like, maybe enter a few numbers into a spreadsheet template to run a quick analysis or whatever. But as a "fully functional" computer...nothing beats a REAL "fully functional" computer. If you need portability, grab an MBA...even the small 11" netbook version runs circles around the iPad in that regard.
Leave it where it is today...a content consumption device. You can answer quick emails on it if you'd like, maybe enter a few numbers into a spreadsheet template to run a quick analysis or whatever. But as a "fully functional" computer...nothing beats a REAL "fully functional" computer. If you need portability, grab an MBA...even the small 11" netbook version runs circles around the iPad in that regard.
Yes, exactly. I fairly often use my iPad to transfer large files between my home and work computers. Just transfer them using Goodreader.
Of course, you need a charging lead, so you have to have that with you unless your friend has one.
iPad is like a bottle opener that can only open 30% of all the bottles. Instead there are bottle openers that can open 100% of all the bottles. So is the iPad really a good bottle opener? Well it must be, ´cause Steve says so.
Hopefully iPad 2 can open 100% of all the bottles, just like the others can. Otherwise it´s going to be a "bag of hurt" for Apple.
I don´t necessarily want iPad to be a laptop, but I could use an "iPad Pro", that would be like a laptop and iPad in one device. I wouldn´t like carrying a MBA/MBP and an iPad with me. One device is enough.
Because I want one device, that is like a laptop and like an iPad. MBA with a touchscreen minus the physical keyboard would be perfect. Having two devices makes NO sense. And because iPad cannot do anything that an iPhone or a laptop can already do. It´s just a luxury item.
The point is this: I could sell my laptop and not have to carry two devices with me. That´s just stupid actually.
iPad is not so great at it´s current form. Like I said, it can´t do anything that we already could do just fine. And it does everything worse that we already could do, especially internet browsing!
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There are a lot of things on the iPad that you can only do by touching the screen, but edit, as in copy/cut and paste, can be done from the bluetooth keyboard. Use shift+arrows to select, and command+c,x,v to copy, cut and paste.
You mean it only opens 30% of the bottles *you* want to open. For me, it opens about 90-95% of the botttles I use. The rest, I don't mind doing without -- it's a reasonable tradeoff for the excellent battery life and portability of the iPad.
This would be the best addition for me. Able to have a folder or make folders to keep documents pictures etc in would be ideal. I am hoping Apple has something like planned for a future update!
Your analogy is way off. It would be more correct if you said "I got a steak knife that cannot cut steak" when comparing it to the iPads lack of USB.
Yeah but it could open 100% of the bottles with the same battery life.
Arguing with you guys is like arguing with children. I'm done with this thread.
well, i guess we'll have to wait and see how this brand-new device plays out. if only we could look into the future, say a half-year after its launch date, and see if it really is the totally useless device you're predicting... or if it's actually something terribly useful, and an extreme success. man, i bet you'd be really embarrassed if that were the case.
oh wait...
LOL!! maybe because people are so intense with apple's products that they nearly forgot that there are other options or brands to choose form.