Point #2 is a crock. No one ever takes into account what it costs to pay all the people for R&D as well as to manufacture it and distribute it. And since Best Buy is selling it for the same price as the apple store I doubt they are making no profit off it. Everyone can piss and moan about features but not one of you knows what it really costs to make these. Only what the parts cost ( and even that is most likely wrong since only apple and the companies they made the deal with know what they paid for parts). Everything else is speculation.
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Why Are Some People So Anti-iPad?
- Thread starter ChocolateApple
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Point #2 is a crock. No one ever takes into account what it costs to pay all the people for R&D as well as to manufacture it and distribute it. And since Best Buy is selling it for the same price as the apple store I doubt they are making no profit off it. Everyone can piss and moan about features but not one of you knows what it really costs to make these. Only what the parts cost ( and even that is most likely wrong since only apple and the companies they made the deal with know what they paid for parts). Everything else is speculation.
I use a name for my iPad that I coined. It's the gPod. General Purpose Online Device. Since most of functionality is involved with the internet, I felt it deserved more than just the GPC (general purpose computer) description.
was the ipad everything i expected it to be? No
Are there features I wish the iPad had? Sure
Do I wish there was a camera? Yes
Do I wish there was a 128GB model? Yes
In the end, do the benefits of getting an iPad outweigh the drawbacks? Yes
Do I have $699 to invest on one? Yes
Is it worth it to me? Yes
I bought the 64GB model on launch day and I'm happy with it. Sure, i'll upgrade next year. Where is my source of this money? Sports Officiating. I love officiating games, it allows me to participate in a game I love, get paid, and turn around with that money and buy stuff I like.
I wouldn't spend regular paycheck money on an iPad but referee money, I'll definitely spend it.
If I get a job where the 3G ipad will be much more useful, I'll go out and purchase one and chalk the $900 up as a cost of doing business.
Are there features I wish the iPad had? Sure
Do I wish there was a camera? Yes
Do I wish there was a 128GB model? Yes
In the end, do the benefits of getting an iPad outweigh the drawbacks? Yes
Do I have $699 to invest on one? Yes
Is it worth it to me? Yes
I bought the 64GB model on launch day and I'm happy with it. Sure, i'll upgrade next year. Where is my source of this money? Sports Officiating. I love officiating games, it allows me to participate in a game I love, get paid, and turn around with that money and buy stuff I like.
I wouldn't spend regular paycheck money on an iPad but referee money, I'll definitely spend it.
If I get a job where the 3G ipad will be much more useful, I'll go out and purchase one and chalk the $900 up as a cost of doing business.
Everyone has an opinion and they are entitled to it. If you have the IPad or you are counting the days until you get it and are happy about it, then just enjoy the moment and forget the negative remarks. I am loving mine and have no regrets about the purchase!
It scares people, almost subconciously, when other humans don't see things the way they do. It has to do with the trust required to live together peacefully in a social world. Forums like this one are a social world. I see the iPad as a device stuck between two proven functional states, and not that good for either. Why don't you see it that way? We both have the same view of the device. For example: My differing view may be thanks to my experiences with Apple and computers in general over the last 30+ years. I can't tell your age, so I don't know if your opinion is based on a similarly lengthy experience or colored by Apple's recent successes with no history to balance against them. You are equally untrusting, and resentful of my opinions for the same reason. It is human nature. It is magified by the impersonal disconnection yet social nature of these web forums. It is the reason countries go to war.
I predict that as the average web data speed climbs, forums like these will evolve toward a form that reduces that disconnect. Perhaps with no text entry but instead a small audio/video post required. Individual threads to become more of a live conversation. Someday. Maybe.
JMHO. Refections on the thread topic. Not an iPad attack.
I predict that as the average web data speed climbs, forums like these will evolve toward a form that reduces that disconnect. Perhaps with no text entry but instead a small audio/video post required. Individual threads to become more of a live conversation. Someday. Maybe.
JMHO. Refections on the thread topic. Not an iPad attack.
Whoa... whoa whoa whoa
Let's get something straight here. What the tear-down people do is estimate (e.g., guess, but they're good guesses) the cost of the hardware and sometimes of the actual manufacturing process.
That's it.
You also have to add into this figure:
Rent/Leases (people work in buildings, right?)
Salaries for developers, support units (and they don't work for free)
SG&A (Gotta sell, plane tickets aren't free either, nor is advertising)
Warrantee support
Distribution costs (or do you think UPS shipped iPads for free too?)
...
...
(list goes on a long way, just giving you some major ideas)
Only then can you get a true idea of how much Apple is making on a device. Honestly, 50% gross margin for a HW device is fairly low - and especially for Apple.
It's a 100% gross margin
and thats on the entry model that they make the least profit off of. No worries though everyones entitled to their opinion, I think the vast majority will always feel Apple products are overpriced but obviously not everyone will feel the same way.
It's a 100% gross margin
You're right, it's 100% GM - oops!
My point was that HW costs are just a part of the overall costs. People get paid out of those margins, buildings are maintained, benefits, taxes....
Anyone looking at this and thinking Apple is pocketing $250 per iPad is nuts...
Apple's product launches are so successful because they know how to drive people nuts. Everytime another one of these Apple products come out, people act like they have a mental disease! You guys know what I'm talking about. It's as if people come down with Apple-itus.
Here are the 4 stages of Apple-itus:
—& there you have it. Apple-itus.
Here are the 4 stages of Apple-itus:
- #1: Denial.
"The iPad is just a giant iPhone. It doesn't do anything that a netbook can't! You're stupid for buying it…you must have money to waste!"
- #2: Envy.
"…there you go using your stupid iPad again. Let me see it—I need to check my mail." […two hours later…] "Here's your stupid iPad back. Enjoy your capitalist device!"
- #3: Concession.
"Yeah—it's cool but: I can't!—I just can't afford it…I don't have a use for it…I'll wait for the next generation. Can I use yours?"
- #4: Acceptance.
"Hey dude. I bought one. It's so cool! I told you the iPad was awesome! Let's play Scrabble."
—& there you have it. Apple-itus.
But it gives the trolls something to latch onto. The list seems to constantly get smaller though.
I am an iPad owner who is thinking about taking it back. I find it hard to type and I only score 30wpm on the typing test (search in the iPad forum for typing and you should easily find it, I'll post a link when i get a chance). I can't get used to keeping my inactive fingers above the screen and i make a LOT of mistakes. I'm not trying to turn it into a netbook or anything else it is not, however the inclusion of iWork got me to think i could use the iPad to take notes in class. Without also carting along a bt keyboard I can't keep up whether in the memos app, evernote, or the memos app. To me this could be a deal killer.
I love the size and weight. I mostly love the browser, but it does not handle admin of drupal based web sites properly. I'm sure drupal.org will be putting out updates to cover the tweaks required because the iPad browser treats every swipe as a scroll and cannot possibly handle drag and drop, but open source can be slow. So I might just take mine back this week before the return window closes and take another look in the fall when 4.0 is out.
If i do post negatives about iPad, it won't be because I'm a hater. I love the form factor and almost everything about it, I just don't know if I can live with a couple of quirks that prevent me from doing things i expected to use mine for.
I agree that some who post negatives are haters or they are trying to bait, but there are legit concerns about the tradeoffs Apple made in the design. I wish the competition was better in the user interface category but unfortunately linux and windows are so far behind os x in ease of use, I don't anticipate a serious threat except possibly from an android based tablet.
I love the size and weight. I mostly love the browser, but it does not handle admin of drupal based web sites properly. I'm sure drupal.org will be putting out updates to cover the tweaks required because the iPad browser treats every swipe as a scroll and cannot possibly handle drag and drop, but open source can be slow. So I might just take mine back this week before the return window closes and take another look in the fall when 4.0 is out.
If i do post negatives about iPad, it won't be because I'm a hater. I love the form factor and almost everything about it, I just don't know if I can live with a couple of quirks that prevent me from doing things i expected to use mine for.
I agree that some who post negatives are haters or they are trying to bait, but there are legit concerns about the tradeoffs Apple made in the design. I wish the competition was better in the user interface category but unfortunately linux and windows are so far behind os x in ease of use, I don't anticipate a serious threat except possibly from an android based tablet.
A lot of folks are just "haters". They drink a quart of Mac flavored "Hater-ade"
with every meal and snack.
Like the chick in the PC shopper ad says "I guess I'm not cool enough for a Mac". Yeah sweetie, that's right. You're not "cool enough".
I am loving the iPad. I have hardly touched my laptop since I got it. In fact, the only reason I am not using it now is because my daughter won't give it back.
with every meal and snack.
Like the chick in the PC shopper ad says "I guess I'm not cool enough for a Mac". Yeah sweetie, that's right. You're not "cool enough".
I am loving the iPad. I have hardly touched my laptop since I got it. In fact, the only reason I am not using it now is because my daughter won't give it back.
That's a good legit reason to be disappointed, I'm upset over the VGA out, I was planning on using that in presentations during a web site development, to show safari on the projector and go over the sites I was building (I'm a web dev) and I come to find out my $30 dongle is pretty much worthless cause you can't mirror to a display (that's what I expecting).
If it doesn't meet your expectations then that's a terrific complaint, as long as you weren't expecting a full blown laptop.
I was one of those who was underwhelmed when the iPad was announced. But I pre-ordered a 3G model anyway. I even stood in line and got a WiFi model to "try out" since it would be easier to return if I really didn't like it (and then cancel the 3G order).
Well, I'm probably going to return the WiFi model this week, but I'm still going to get the 3G model. I happen to REALLY like it. Is it a bit quirky? Yeah. Is it a laptop? Nope. Does it let me do a great deal of what I would normally do on my laptop? Yep. It works well. And it will get even better over time.
You can like it or hate it; doesn't bother me. There will lots of competitors. There are those who feel the Droid is superior to the iPhone... and it probably is in many ways. But I'm going to an iPhone when Verizon gets it because of the support. The apps, the way the UI works, etc.
As for Apple's profit margin, that's irrelevant. There's nothing wrong with profit. Despite what the liberals of this country would have you believe, profit is not a four-letter word.
Rob
Well, I'm probably going to return the WiFi model this week, but I'm still going to get the 3G model. I happen to REALLY like it. Is it a bit quirky? Yeah. Is it a laptop? Nope. Does it let me do a great deal of what I would normally do on my laptop? Yep. It works well. And it will get even better over time.
You can like it or hate it; doesn't bother me. There will lots of competitors. There are those who feel the Droid is superior to the iPhone... and it probably is in many ways. But I'm going to an iPhone when Verizon gets it because of the support. The apps, the way the UI works, etc.
As for Apple's profit margin, that's irrelevant. There's nothing wrong with profit. Despite what the liberals of this country would have you believe, profit is not a four-letter word.
Rob
Most of it comes out of jealousy. To some people, if it doesn't have a retarded Start menu, require Anti-Virus, require Registry maintenance, require the user to spend their entire Friday night tweaking it so it run one or two programs smoothly and/or require endless driver fixes, it's well.....useless.
Right - and your attitude is better? No - people aren't necc JEALOUS because of the iPad or people who have them. Perhaps a small percentage who are immature might be - but that's not a majority. There are people that see value in the iPad and those that don't. Just because someone doesn't see value in it for them, doesn't make them a hater or JEALOUS.
#1 - you can download and upload files via the iTunes conduits for apps that make use of it, not to mention the many 3rd party apps emerging that do it. True, the current implementation of the file system is clunky. Is it as you presented: no. Hulu is developing an iPad app. Autodesk has made a very nice drawing app called sketchbook pro that can export as a layered PSD file, and if Adobe doesn't make a Photoshop version, other apps will fill the void.
#2 - is crap, as others pointed out.
#3 - what is "real computing"? As defined by you? I am doing quite a bit of "real computing" on my iPad all the time. Writing documents, making spreadsheets, watching movies, annotating PDFs, watching netflix, slinging content from my Tivo, watching ABC. And doing it fast on software that was custom designed for the touch interface and on an OS custom designed for the hardware. Real computing on a netbook for me is a miserable experience, using mini-laptop with an OS designed for much more robust hardware, and apps that are designed for a bigger screen and more faster computers. No thanks for me. But if that meets your definition of better, because it has a camera, and run windows apps at a slow speed, then have at it.
#4 - it would be better if it had a front facing camera for video conferencing. Can't disagree there.
It's one thing for you to see it your way, and for me to think something different. We can agree to disagree. What baffles me is when someone who sees it your way: "the iPad as a device stuck between two proven functional states, and not that good for either", who can not recognize that there are a two words that are very important: "for me" (edit: it looks like you covered that with the words, "I see", which is just fine too). The way it is often stated implies it is a fact, when it is obviously an opinion. That's what rubs me the wrong way with the anti-iPadding.
There are over 500,000 people in the last 8 days who voted with $500 or more out their wallets to disagree with you, BTW.
As far as I can tell there are several types of folks out there who routinely cruise these forums throwing out negative comments....
1) The Killjoy - can't stand to see anyone enjoying something that they don't own so they try to "diss" the product. Happiest when everyone else...isn't.
2) Mr Do It Yourself - You know the type, he builds his own computers, he wants maximum flexibility, and he can't stand being "steered like the "herd" into doing things the Apple Way....no way.. .no how...not me!!!!
3) Corporate Assassin - Yes, other companies actually pay people to take competitors products down a notch (Apple probably does it too...it is a corporation thing)
4) Never Happy - some people just like to whine. No matter what you give them it is never good enough or doesn't do exactly what they want it to. But the iPad doesn't.....
5) Blue Meanie - some people are just nasty and mean and hiding behind an alias affords them to ability to be who they really are
6) Smug B@stard - similar to 4) but with the added twist that they like to throw technical terms around and make it sound like every post made by others is made by a drooling neanderthal (usually low self esteem at root of problem). Never responds to folks who they perceive as having more knowledge than themselves.
7) Tidy Organizer - categorizes everything in terms of existing products only. When something comes along that does not fall into existing category, gets defensive and aggressive (e.g. "but I can't run Photoshop on it", "its not a laptop", etc.)
8) The Fixer - thinks that their great idea will be incorporated into next version of iPad. Well maybe if it is truly a "great idea" AND Apple actually reads these forums..
9) Other Side Fanboys - Just like we defend Apple, they defend and attack from the "other side" (MS, Droid, Adobe, Flash, etc.). If paid....see 1)
10) Windbag - writes long winded sophomoric psychology tinged rants......oops....that's me.
I'll give you personality #11.....The blind man! These people lack any sort of vision. They can't visualize anything conceptual. If they can't feel it and taste it, it cannot possibly exist. Also see "Flat Earth Society". These people also have trouble looking forward to foresee any possibilities for anything new or different. Once again, if it hasn't already been done it can't possibly happen. Much like dogs, these people live only in the moment with no real cognitive awareness of the past or future. Thank God for these people! It would be a much more competitive planet without the blind ones.
I certainly believe this. The user satisfaction level seems unusually high despite the harsh words people threw around before the launch.
MacRumors is sharp (some would say they're all about the haterade). So if there were something drastically wrong with the iPad, I'm sure I would've heard about it by now.
The most common one I have found is when people dont know much about the ipad. Once you tell them more and more about it they love it. Or at least hate it less.
I had a friend that said convince me that it's not a big iPod Touch. At that point I realized. I really don't care what other people think. I love my iPad. That's all that really matters. I really don't care at all what other people think. Their loss not ours. In fact because of people like that we don't have the virus, malware, etc problems that Windows has. God bless them. WIthout them we'd have huge problems! Enjoy all of your Apple devices!