Why Apple’s iPad will kill today’s computers

[marksman]

Oh yes it will definitely become the future. It will change laptops as we know them. Use it as a 11,13 or 15'' screen for portability and then when you get home, plug it into the keyboard dock (landscape or portrait) and use a magic mouse to do some ''real'' work. Then all it will need is things computers have now such as iSight and a microphone, and then we have ourselves a laptop killer. Use it as a desktop with a cinema display, use it as a laptop whenever your away and want to be as productive as possible, and use it as a tablet whenever you want the best form factor possible! EPIC WIN!

Yeah this is a pretty good vision. A small sleek pad with a touch interface that can be docked at home and at work, but still be highly functional in an amazing weight and size package while traveling.

The idea of people carrying around large laptops is going to be as funny 20 years from now as seeing people with mobile phones in the early 80s that were massive.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

This article captures a lot of how I feel, and I'm a techy guy, have been for a number of years.

…but, I'm tired. I'm tired of "tech creep." That ever-mounting management of my computer. New software. New widgets. New bugs. New installations. I would guess that a full 20% or more of my computing time is a spent troubleshooting/updating/arranging. I've started to feel like any productivity gains I get with new software is eaten up by learning new things and managing the software/hardware.

I just want to do. I've ever only wanted to do. I am not a techie for the joy of tech; I became a techie simply because of the promise to do, to create. And I have, incredible things since the first day I bought my first mac in 1987.

But, I'm increasingly aware of how much time I spend managing the tech, and I don't want to do it anymore. I recently was thinking about the unthought-of notion of "freezing" my computer to all updates for a year.

The iPad represents some of this to me. Small, discreet apps that do 1 or 2 things, but do it well, simply, and without too much fuss. In preparing to get my iPad, I stopped using my laptop about a month ago (I still have my desktop) and started to rethink the way I use computers. I began to think about the cloud. I began to think about discreet apps.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to join this shift in computing, to give power and energy to it. It's not that I don't like open computing, with my million files and hundreds of professional apps on my desktop, but in aggregate, it begins to overwhelm me. To own me.

Simplify. Edit. iPad.

 

[Jaro65]

^^^^^^
Timothy, great post. I have similar feelings. Though I am waiting for a 3G version.

 

[H. Flower]

http://gizmodo.com/5506692/ipad-is-the-future

Why Apple’s iPad will kill today’s computers
Friday, April 02, 2010

"Normal people don't like today's computers. Most loathe them because they can't fully understand their absurd complexity and arcane conventions," Jesus Diaz writes for Gizmodo. "That's why the iPad will kill today's computers, just like the latter killed computers running with punchcards and command lines."

"Of course, the iPad—the actual product that millions will buy in the coming months—won't replace all computers. The entire world is not going to run just on tablets, just like the world doesn't run only on smartphones and personal computers now," Diaz writes. "But Steve Jobs' Next Big Thing is the first computer that requires no training whatsoever, one that is truly accessible and useful for everyone. Just like the iPhone changed the idea of what a phone should be without anyone truly realizing it, Apple's new computer will completely and permanently change our idea of what a computer is and how it should behave."

Diaz writes, "The perception change will be so deep that it will kill Mac OS X, Windows and Linux as we know them today. At one point during this decade, you will no longer have a billion folders and file icons floating in a virtual desktop. There will be no more baffling setup screens. No more shortcuts to work around limitations and old conventions. These frustrating barriers—built during decades of evolution—are what make normal people hate computers. These barriers have now been obliterated, first by the iPhone and now by the iPad. Everyone will be using computers similar to the iPad. Not in terms of hardware, form factor, and specs. But on its philosophy."

--------------------------

The iPad: way ahead of its time. We're *still* in Future Shock, people.

Jesus, talk about hyperbole.

 

[Coukos34]

This article captures a lot of how I feel, and I'm a techy guy, have been for a number of years.

…but, I'm tired. I'm tired of "tech creep." That ever-mounting management of my computer. New software. New widgets. New bugs. New installations. I would guess that a full 20% or more of my computing time is a spent troubleshooting/updating/arranging. I've started to feel like any productivity gains I get with new software is eaten up by learning new things and managing the software/hardware.

I just want to do. I've ever only wanted to do. I am not a techie for the joy of tech; I became a techie simply because of the promise to do, to create. And I have, incredible things since the first day I bought my first mac in 1987.

But, I'm increasingly aware of how much time I spend managing the tech, and I don't want to do it anymore. I recently was thinking about the unthought-of notion of "freezing" my computer to all updates for a year.

The iPad represents some of this to me. Small, discreet apps that do 1 or 2 things, but do it well, simply, and without too much fuss. In preparing to get my iPad, I stopped using my laptop about a month ago (I still have my desktop) and started to rethink the way I use computers. I began to think about the cloud. I began to think about discreet apps.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to join this shift in computing, to give power and energy to it. It's not that I don't like open computing, with my million files and hundreds of professional apps on my desktop, but in aggregate, it begins to overwhelm me. To own me.

Simplify. Edit. iPad.

Wow. Could not have said that better. I wish people took a step back and considered your %20 argument. It's so true...(very well written post btw.)

 

[H. Flower]

I just don't see how any tech savvy person could agree it's a leap forward.

 

[mac-slap-happy]

This article captures a lot of how I feel, and I'm a techy guy, have been for a number of years.

…but, I'm tired. I'm tired of "tech creep." That ever-mounting management of my computer. New software. New widgets. New bugs. New installations. I would guess that a full 20% or more of my computing time is a spent troubleshooting/updating/arranging. I've started to feel like any productivity gains I get with new software is eaten up by learning new things and managing the software/hardware.

I just want to do. I've ever only wanted to do. I am not a techie for the joy of tech; I became a techie simply because of the promise to do, to create. And I have, incredible things since the first day I bought my first mac in 1987.

But, I'm increasingly aware of how much time I spend managing the tech, and I don't want to do it anymore. I recently was thinking about the unthought-of notion of "freezing" my computer to all updates for a year.

The iPad represents some of this to me. Small, discreet apps that do 1 or 2 things, but do it well, simply, and without too much fuss. In preparing to get my iPad, I stopped using my laptop about a month ago (I still have my desktop) and started to rethink the way I use computers. I began to think about the cloud. I began to think about discreet apps.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to join this shift in computing, to give power and energy to it. It's not that I don't like open computing, with my million files and hundreds of professional apps on my desktop, but in aggregate, it begins to overwhelm me. To own me.

Simplify. Edit. iPad.

Anyone who doesn't agree with this simply hasn't been in the tech field long enough yet. I reached this conclusion about 5 years ago when I switched over to Macs. That alone simplified my tech load greatly, but I see the iPad as the next stage of this simplification.

This is coming from a tech savvy person that has been in the computer industry for 20 years now. The iPad *will* change everything.

 

[SactoGuy18]

I don't think it will kill today's computers.

As a media playback device, the iPad is definitely among the best, but as as a real computer, not quite there yet!

Indeed, I can see improvements for the second-generation model: higher resolution (possibly going as high as 1600x900) and more flash memory storage. Why 1600x900? This will allow for full-resolution playback of HD videos downloaded through the iTunes Store.

 

[spinnerlys]

I don't think it will kill today's computers.

As a media playback device, the iPad is definitely among the best, but as as a real computer, not quite there yet!

Indeed, I can see improvements for the second-generation model: higher resolution (possibly going as high as 1600x900) and more flash memory storage. Why 1600x900? This will allow for full-resolution playback of HD videos downloaded through the iTunes Store.

iTunes Store HD movies come in 1280 x 720 (if 16:9 is used as aspect ratio). 1080p/i movies use 1920 x 1080 as a resolution (again if in 16:9 ratio), so 1600 x 900 is not really logical, except that it is divisible by 100:100 and you get 16:9, so in other words you just cancel the four zeros.

 

[diabolic]

Anyone who doesn't agree with this simply hasn't been in the tech field long enough yet. I reached this conclusion about 5 years ago when I switched over to Macs. That alone simplified my tech load greatly, but I see the iPad as the next stage of this simplification.

This is coming from a tech savvy person that has been in the computer industry for 20 years now. The iPad *will* change everything.

I completely agree. I've built most of my computers over the years, tweaking the latest video cards and overclocking processors, but I see the inevitable future of the home appliance computer. Some people just don't get it yet, but they will eventually.

 

[ct2k7]

Of course the best thing is that Microsoft will be building even better operating systems

 

[ftaok]

I walked into a video editing station yesterday, with about 10 monitors set up. They stretch along a rack 8 feet across and six feet high. All controlled with a single input device. So, the future will mean that I'll have to move all across that rack to touch on monitors in order to use them?

Probably not. Perhaps your single input device would be a touchscreen that can "mimic" any of the 10 racked monitors. Just press a touch button to switch from display to display. Perhaps there would be other input screens available on that single input device.

 

[undrpsi]

He is right. I talked about this in another thread.

The distance computers have come in terms of ease of use and user-friendliness has been miniscule given the amount of time involved.

Most all computers are still too over-complicated and nerdtastic in their need for someone learned to help manage them at given times.

I am not sure why it has taken the computer industry so long to get close to a point where computers might actually just allow people to do stuff instead of forcing them to know a lot of stuff about it.

It would be like having a hammer that required you to know the entire history of hammers and how to properly build one, when all you want to do is push a nail through a piece of wood.

Having been one of the targeted tech geeks by friends, families and neighbors over the years, I would be much happier telling them, get device x, and you won't have to worry about that stuff.

I used to own an ISP in the early days of the internet. The convuluted machinations required to get people online was insane. While that process is easier today, the actual computer interfaces and usability and reliability are still only a few steps ahead of where they were back then.

Exactly...and I used to run a BBS on Amiga's back in the late 80's when things like 'fidonet' were the 'shiznet', as my kids say.

I loved the hammer allegory...hahah...very funny.

I agree that the iPad is not the end product but the first product linking various technologies together. It's not perfect and some of the underlying handling is a WAG on where it's going but it's a start. I think that multi-touch is an example of something that will quickly become commonplace just look how many companies offer it (I think I saw a GPS unit with it now). My only concern from personal experience is 'screen goo' . When I bought my last car I passed on the model with the built-in GPS/NAV/Radio because as soon as you turned it off all you could see is a 4.3" widescreen with finger smudges all over it.

The sandbox approach is a love it or leave it technology for a lot of people. To me, especially because of my experience with both iTunes and XBOX Live, it's been a driving force for app development. No longer do you HAVE to have a large software lab, lot's of financial backing, and a marketing firm. You could actually be a guy sitting in your basement having fun and making some nice cha-ching on the side. I get the 'limited and edited content' but you also have to put it into perspective that they make an effort to also eliminate badly coded or malware software (not perfect but they do try). I would rather have a bullet proof OS and the ability to just code apps than tweaking registry and processor usage (yawn). As many have said, including me, it's not perfect but it's a V1.0 device...as time goes on there will be advancements from both Apple and others. It will drive competition so everyone will win.

Besides...who doesn't like to see Steve get on stage, stick out his tongue, and go "Nyah, Nyah, Na-Nyah, Nyah!!"

Viva La Revolution!

 

[Yr Blues]

Kill? You have to sync it to a real computer to even use it.

 

[Jaxdialation]

Hard to argue with a 10 to 15 year projection. But for the heck of it I will say you are full of carp. Show me the data and analysis underlying your statement please.

Not now but i would say in 10 to 15 years yes it will.

 

[FSUSem1noles]

Kill? You have to sync it to a real computer to even use it.

+1

 

[Stella]

Your dreaming. iPad can't match what a regular PC can do. It can't even multi-task, neither can you experience the full content of the internet.

iPad will not destroy computers of today. Someone is caught up in the hype.