Why So Many Geeks Do Not Get the iPad

[Jodles]

Audio is the one area where choosing something purely based upon the specs is a flawed mentality. The specs on a lot of audio equipment these days are vastly exaggerated that its pointless to base anything on specs, and beyond that, better specs do not mean better audio quality. Specs are useful for knowing whether or not you're going to fry a tweeter or amp by underpowering a speaker, but beyond that, specs cannot convey quality of the tone, soundstage, and all the intangibles that make audio great.

One principle from the audiophile community that I think is analogous the mobile devices is "crap in, crap out"....as in, no matter how good your hardware is, if your source material is crap, it will sound like crap. A lot of the Android devices are running wonderful hardware that SHOULD be able to handle a lot without issue, but is running a *crappy* (IMO) software/source material. Android is so unstable that it causes issues on all sorts of highly spec'd devices.

It all depends on what spec you're looking at. Everybody's looking at how many crazy watts they get; which I mentioned in my post. But yes I kind of lost my point a little bit. People should of course use their ears first; but then, considerations as to whether the integrated DAC of the iProducts is sufficient, what the continuous wattage is, how flat its frequency production is, etc. But yeah, my point wasn't the best

 

[19101984]

this thread is a brilliant example of why some android fans dont get it. there's a reason why all iPad ads show a use-case and not tech specs. people allegedly "brainwashed" by those ads saw a use for an iPad in their lives.

on a samsung galaxy tab 10.1v or bazillion-cored random tablet, show me;

• a 4 year old child or an elderly woman's first foray into a computing device. confusion free. no?
• a musician making beats, using synthesizers, full blown DAWs, audio processing, midi support, etc to create their latest hit song to share with the world. no latency thanks. no?
• a photographer/designer tweaking their images to pristine portfolio quality. no?
• an indie moviemaker editing his/her latest faux professional documentary. no?

android offers many things but it sure as hell doesn't do everything an iPad does. to me personally, apple's strict control has made iPad a device that works. simple case is illustrated with the design, audio, and video industry using macs as an industry standard rather than others.

undoubtedly, i wish the iPad had flash, a file system (or a modern rethink of one), and shiny widgets but hey, at least it's got tools (apps).

Obama, the Pope, Queen of England. they got the iPad. shame you didn't.

ps: when i say got, i mean "understood"

 

[victoria stiles]

As far as technology goes, we are inventing new machines and gadgets constantly. Competition between leading edge companies in technology leads to the launch of new, better products that serve to showcase the involved company's ability to serve up reliable, long lasting cutting edge technology. However there was a lot of disappointment from users even right from the convention when the CEO of Apple introduced the product. A lot of iPad applications have service fees and need to be bought, additionally most of the accessories also need to be bought, including the iPad case! Not a lot of people are keen on making so many different purchases along with the cost of the iPad itself.

 

[radiogoober]

As far as technology goes, we are inventing new machines and gadgets constantly. Competition between leading edge companies in technology leads to the launch of new, better products that serve to showcase the involved company's ability to serve up reliable, long lasting cutting edge technology. However there was a lot of disappointment from users even right from the convention when the CEO of Apple introduced the product. A lot of iPad applications have service fees and need to be bought, additionally most of the accessories also need to be bought, including the iPad case! Not a lot of people are keen on making so many different purchases along with the cost of the iPad itself.

In what world did this occur? The iPad is the most successful tablet on the planet. No other company has produced a device that has given it any serious competition since it was introduced almost two years ago.

Also, you say people don't like buying apps? What the heck are you talking about? The app store is one of, if not the most, lucrative software industries on the planet.

Last, you complain that accessories aren't free? That's why they are accessories. They are extras. iPad cases are a huge market.

Those are really strange complaints. I've never seen anyone complain they had to buy apps or accessories. Really strange.

 

[Piggie]

Strangely enough I have a different take on the HiFi analogy.

I would take a very nice sounding HiFi system, no flashy light, no million watts, just well make, sleek design but with beautiful accurate sound.

Then I'd take a $10 pair of cheap computer speakers connected to a low grade mp3 player with lossy audio tracks.

The iPad is the cheap $10 speaker system, but people are trying to make out it's the very high end quality product. That's the problem.

The iPad is a jack of all trades, that struggles to do everything to an ok level. It does not exceed in any area, and most of us have better products that to 1 task far better than the iPad does.

I'm not criticising the iPad for this, just stating a fact.

For Music, a proper quality HiFi is much better that the music an iPAd can produce. Heck, even a $10 wallmart radio has a better speaker than the iPad.

99.9% of us probably own TV's that have vastly larger screens than the iPad does for watching movies on.

Most of us also have computers with larger screens, better speakers, vastly more computing power, proper keyboards etc etc.

The iPad is worse at almost every single task than a product that's been made to do that job.

Which is what you need to accept if you own and iPad or any similar product.

Jack of all trades, master of none.

 

[jmpnop]

Strangely enough I have a different take on the HiFi analogy.

I would take a very nice sounding HiFi system, no flashy light, no million watts, just well make, sleek design but with beautiful accurate sound.

Then I'd take a $10 pair of cheap computer speakers connected to a low grade mp3 player with lossy audio tracks.

The iPad is the cheap $10 speaker system, but people are trying to make out it's the very high end quality product. That's the problem.

The iPad is a jack of all trades, that struggles to do everything to an ok level. It does not exceed in any area, and most of us have better products that to 1 task far better than the iPad does.

I'm not criticising the iPad for this, just stating a fact.

For Music, a proper quality HiFi is much better that the music an iPAd can produce. Heck, even a $10 wallmart radio has a better speaker than the iPad.

99.9% of us probably own TV's that have vastly larger screens than the iPad does for watching movies on.

Most of us also have computers with larger screens, better speakers, vastly more computing power, proper keyboards etc etc.

The iPad is worse at almost every single task than a product that's been made to do that job.

Which is what you need to accept if you own and iPad or any similar product.

Jack of all trades, master of none.

Couldn't agree more with you, well said

 

[vitzr]

No flash, no sale.

 

[palpatine]

i used to agree with that jack of all trades analogy. i called it a spork as opposed to a dedicated utensil like a tv or kindle. but, i've changed my mind.

i prefer watching videos on it, even though i have a wonderful hd tv. it is nice to have the movie in my hands (or propped up on the table next to my chair). it isn't "better" than the tv. it's just different.

the same thing can be said for reading. although i much prefer the kindle's screen, i quite enjoy the ipad's ability to zoom smoothly and hold many times the amount of files in various formats. again, it isn't "better", just different.

with all of the wonderful productivity apps out there, i've been relying mainly on the ipad for my work. my mbp is much faster. but, i don't carry my mbp on bike rides, and the mbp's battery life doesn't compare. again, not "better," but different.

i would also extend the analogy to other tablet manufacturers. if i had the money, i'd buy some of them, but with limited means, i purchased the one that best fulfills my needs. the ipad is great. not perfect. but, it gets the job done (at the moment). other people may have different needs, and so they turn to other devices. i think the market is large enough and diverse enough to support more than one platform.

 

[boss.king]

As I said a year ago on this site, and as Steve Jobs said this week, we are now living in the Post-PC world. Oh sure, tons of PCs still sell, but they are no more the industry and consumer focus than are mainframes (which also continue to sell). The reason so many people online do not get the iPad is because they are used to thinking in the PC era, and they have not yet accepted and realized that we are now living in the Post-PC era, or as I call it the Tablet Era.

People love to throw spec sheets at the iPad to say why it is inadequate, as if that has anything to do with anything in the Post-PC era. That is PC era thinking. It no longer applies. Think about buying a car. In the early days you had to be an enthusiast to know anything about cars, and a good mechanic too. That's not true today. Hardly anyone goes into a dealership and decides based upon ignition timing specs compared to the competition. No, people go to the dealership and decide based on features, and how the car performs, and how it looks, the reputation of the manufacturer, and the price, and based on what they are used to. The mechanics of the world might still look at specs, but the vast majority of car buyers do not know and do not need to know what is under the hood.

Tablet buyers today want to know how it performs, what features it has, how it looks, the reputation of the manufacturer and the price. Not on spec sheets. The iPad performs well, has the features people enjoy, looks fantastic, comes from the manufacturer with the best reputation for quality, is priced cheaper than or equal to anyone else, and comes from the company that makes that great music player and phone.

Geeks will continue to rant and rail about how the iPad doesn't perform well when they browse, doesn't have the feature THEY want, that Apple is Teh Evil, and is grossly and greedily overpriced. The other 95% of humanity won't have a clue what they are talking about, and will continue to buy iPads in record numbers.

Nobody cares what's under the hood of today's handheld devices. They just want it to work. The iPad does that very, very well. And we see how the market responds in today's Post-PC era.

Apple gets it. How long will it take for the geeks to realize that spec sheets no longer matter?

Just because we are (allegedly) in the post-pc era doesn't mean tablets are any good. I Would happily buy an iPad if I could find any use for it at all beyond what the things I have can already do, but I can't. A lot of 'geeks' don't want to get an iPad because it simply has no place in their workflow, it has nothing to with not liking Apple.

EDIT:

Strangely enough I have a different take on the HiFi analogy.

I would take a very nice sounding HiFi system, no flashy light, no million watts, just well make, sleek design but with beautiful accurate sound.

Then I'd take a $10 pair of cheap computer speakers connected to a low grade mp3 player with lossy audio tracks.

The iPad is the cheap $10 speaker system, but people are trying to make out it's the very high end quality product. That's the problem.

The iPad is a jack of all trades, that struggles to do everything to an ok level. It does not exceed in any area, and most of us have better products that to 1 task far better than the iPad does.

I'm not criticising the iPad for this, just stating a fact.

For Music, a proper quality HiFi is much better that the music an iPAd can produce. Heck, even a $10 wallmart radio has a better speaker than the iPad.

99.9% of us probably own TV's that have vastly larger screens than the iPad does for watching movies on.

Most of us also have computers with larger screens, better speakers, vastly more computing power, proper keyboards etc etc.

The iPad is worse at almost every single task than a product that's been made to do that job.

Which is what you need to accept if you own and iPad or any similar product.

Jack of all trades, master of none.

Just saw this post, very well thought out and rationalised argument, couldn't agree more.

 

[cperry2]

Here's a good reason (and forgive if it's already been touched upon):

The ipad is an appliance, if not a computer.

"Geeks", generally speaking, want to tinker with their gadgets. They want to have absolute control over the device. The problem is really more about the software. It's bolted down. Of course, it's this very schematic that makes it such a successful and profitable device, especially for developers.

I for one am very happy such a device exists because the things I need a computer on the road for are actually most capably achieved by the ipad. I don't have or want an iphone because data plans are generally outrageous in Canada (and the states, for that matter), and I tend to like to sit down to use a device rather than pulling it out on the fly.

So on the one hand, you can argue the ipad "isn't good at anything". For me, what with doing my real work on a desktop at home and an ipad for light, on the road stuff, I feel like I'm getting far fewer compromises than were I to have a laptop. Now I understand everyone's use case is different; some people need a laptop, etc,; but for me it really hits the spot.

The ipad is good enough at doing some key things that makes it more appealing than anything else in terms of ease of use or utility. I call it a "scanning and drafting" device. For example:

- Light email - as fast as an iphone for checking, as fast as a laptop for quick replies
- Newsgathering - probably the #1 reason. Flipboard, Zite and Pulse. There's nothing like it.
- Making music. I can't think of a better combination of mobility and responsiveness for putting down a musical idea. I use it all the time.
- Writing. Yes actually. I use an app called iA Writer for drafting essays. I like to do all my research first and then write in a stream-of-consciousness style. The program offers a "focus mode" that only allows me to see one line at a time. It allows me to actually write in a stream of consciousness because I am never reminded of anything preceding the current line. Not for everyone, but I've found success with this method. (Editing afterwards on the desktop, of course.)


So I would argue that the problem is that people are comparing the ipad to a laptop or a phone and seeing nothing but compromise. I would argue that one has to consider the things that the ipad can uniquely do that offer an optimized experience between the capabilities of a smartphone and laptop, that allow it to excel at a few things, quickly, intuitively and capably enough.

So is it necessary? If it was your only mobile device (besides a non-smartphone), it could be the best thing for you depending on your requirements.

If you already have a laptop or a smartphone - or both - probably not, honestly. But it is still nice.

Anyway, that was a huge tangent but I felt the need to write a rebuttal of the previous argument. The bottom line is that many geeks don't get the ipad because it is not a personal computer, it is an appliance designed to augment the personal computer. There might be a day where apple creates a professional tablet with all of the capabilities of a mac, but for now I don't see it.

 

[cperry2]

this thread is a brilliant example of why some android fans dont get it. there's a reason why all iPad ads show a use-case and not tech specs. people allegedly "brainwashed" by those ads saw a use for an iPad in their lives.

on a samsung galaxy tab 10.1v or bazillion-cored random tablet, show me;

• a 4 year old child or an elderly woman's first foray into a computing device. confusion free. no?
• a musician making beats, using synthesizers, full blown DAWs, audio processing, midi support, etc to create their latest hit song to share with the world. no latency thanks. no?
• a photographer/designer tweaking their images to pristine portfolio quality. no?
• an indie moviemaker editing his/her latest faux professional documentary. no?

android offers many things but it sure as hell doesn't do everything an iPad does. to me personally, apple's strict control has made iPad a device that works. simple case is illustrated with the design, audio, and video industry using macs as an industry standard rather than others.

undoubtedly, i wish the iPad had flash, a file system (or a modern rethink of one), and shiny widgets but hey, at least it's got tools (apps).

Obama, the Pope, Queen of England. they got the iPad. shame you didn't.

ps: when i say got, i mean "understood"

Flash video is here or on the way with adobe's new media server iteration, without all the troubles of real flash on mobile thanks to dynamic streaming. I personally couldn't give a crow about the games and ads that won't make it through. Total win for apple, and all mobile devices really.

Widgets are making their way into the notification tray. Not sure if third parties can develop for it though. I think a dashboard on the spotlight search page could work (only bring up the keyboard once you choose the search bar, replace the widgets with search results once you type), just like on Lion.

The file system is a tricky one. Apple has already preferred to keep the files away from you, instead preferring compiled metadata inside applications. I think it's smart to take advantage of computer that way instead of relying on some pre-computer file cabinet metaphor. Dropbox fills the void for me, for now. Too bad apple isn't employing something similar to it with icloud.

Personally I can't wait for the doubled resolution. That's going to have prosumer/ professional photographers drooling. My hope is that apple starts to throw their weight behind 1080p across the line - 1080p capable aTV2, 1080p recording on iphone 5, real 1080p playback on a res-doubled ipad3, etc. Hopefully even 1080p itunes content. Then I'd consider it. 1080p support is showing up on ios 5 betas, so a man can dream....

 

[Carouser]

Strangely enough I have a different take on the HiFi analogy.

I would take a very nice sounding HiFi system, no flashy light, no million watts, just well make, sleek design but with beautiful accurate sound.

Then I'd take a $10 pair of cheap computer speakers connected to a low grade mp3 player with lossy audio tracks.

The iPad is the cheap $10 speaker system, but people are trying to make out it's the very high end quality product. That's the problem.

The iPad is a jack of all trades, that struggles to do everything to an ok level. It does not exceed in any area, and most of us have better products that to 1 task far better than the iPad does.

I'm not criticising the iPad for this, just stating a fact.

For Music, a proper quality HiFi is much better that the music an iPAd can produce. Heck, even a $10 wallmart radio has a better speaker than the iPad.

99.9% of us probably own TV's that have vastly larger screens than the iPad does for watching movies on.

Most of us also have computers with larger screens, better speakers, vastly more computing power, proper keyboards etc etc.

The iPad is worse at almost every single task than a product that's been made to do that job.

Which is what you need to accept if you own and iPad or any similar product.

Jack of all trades, master of none.

This isn't 'stating facts' it's a bunch of selective rubbish. I can't take my 'better-screen-tv' onto a plane or in bed; i can't buy a desktop which works as well as the iPad and is as portable for $500; your simple HiFi with 'beautiful accurate sound' would cost an arm and a leg and would be so specific in function (it wouldn't even have a tuner, do you have any experience with audio gear at all) that it would be a niche product at best - this is exactly what happens in the audio world. Complaining that the iPad is a jack of all trades, master of none is irrelevant because people find its utility to be worth the cost, plain and simple. The alternatives are too expensive, or too impractical, or a meaningless comparison. Did you hear my smart phone can't run AutoCAD and that my car isn't as fast as a Lear Jet? A bloo bloo, such compromised products. Nice FUD.

EDIT: 'Struggles to do everything at an okay level' you have got to be kidding me

 

[Piggie]

This isn't 'stating facts' it's a bunch of selective rubbish. I can't take my 'better-screen-tv' onto a plane or in bed; i can't buy a desktop which works as well as the iPad and is as portable for $500; your simple HiFi with 'beautiful accurate sound' would cost an arm and a leg and would be so specific in function (it wouldn't even have a tuner, do you have any experience with audio gear at all) that it would be a niche product at best - this is exactly what happens in the audio world. Complaining that the iPad is a jack of all trades, master of none is irrelevant because people find its utility to be worth the cost, plain and simple. The alternatives are too expensive, or too impractical, or a meaningless comparison. Did you hear my smart phone can't run AutoCAD and that my car isn't as fast as a Lear Jet? A bloo bloo, such compromised products. Nice FUD.

It's always been the case.
When you want a small portable device, even decades ago, you generally have to make compromises.
My old Portable radio would not sound as good as my radio on the hifi system at home, but it's the price you are willing to pay for it being portable.

Does not make it wrong. It's just something you have to accept.

I'm thinking how great it was, when I was a child to actually have a big physical album for Christmas. A lovely big book, which seemed even more massive when I was a kid. Strong cardboard covers and glorious glossy artwork and pages of my favourite cartoon characters inside.

I can only think now how horrid it would be to have that same lovely and enjoyable real physical product just as an eBook file.
It's had the sole ripped from it.

But if we want to carry 100 albums with us on holiday, then it's a practical compromise perhaps we will take. However you can't beat the real thing.

 

[fizzwinkus]

I guess some people don't think of new advantages in portability, battery life, ease of use, and convenience as "compromise".

 

[NebulaClash]

Just because we are (allegedly) in the post-pc era doesn't mean tablets are any good. I Would happily buy an iPad if I could find any use for it at all beyond what the things I have can already do, but I can't. A lot of 'geeks' don't want to get an iPad because it simply has no place in their workflow, it has nothing to with not liking Apple.

That's how I felt about tablets for the first week with my iPad. I wondered if I made a mistake. Then it just clicked. Now I would keep my iPad over any other device. It's the one I cannot live without.

So the geeks can continue to use their trucks for decades. I will also use a truck when I need one. But don't tell me this sports car has no use to it. It does, and it's brilliant.

----------

I can only think now how horrid it would be to have that same lovely and enjoyable real physical product just as an eBook file.
It's had the sole ripped from it.

The soul of a book is in its words. That's why a scroll of words would thrill people hundreds of years ago, even without a physical cover or heft to the book. The words make it soar.

I never want to read a paper book again for as long as I live. ebooks are so superior that this is it for me.

 

[boss.king]

That's how I felt about tablets for the first week with my iPad. I wondered if I made a mistake. Then it just clicked. Now I would keep my iPad over any other device. It's the one I cannot live without.

So the geeks can continue to use their trucks for decades. I will also use a truck when I need one. But don't tell me this sports car has no use to it. It does, and it's brilliant.

I never said it has absolutely no use, I said many people have no use for it when they're existing hardware does the job just as well, if not better. My girlfriend has an iPad, and after a few months of using it at her place I couldn't imagine a worse device for my needs. That said, it works perfectly for what she needs it for.

It can work brilliantly for you, and that's great, but not everyone has a use for it.

 

[19101984]

Those are really strange complaints. I've never seen anyone complain they had to buy apps or accessories. Really strange.

crack.. it does strange things to normally intelligent people.

so a man can dream....

dreams are always good. dreams brought us the iPad after all

Jack of all trades, master of none.

it's the greatest computing/learning tool for a child. it's a one of the best latency free portable recording audio unit. the easiest to learn computer for non tech-inclined folks.

it's quite silly to think that everyone that understood the iPad's innovation are sheep to apple. many people i know who do not want anything to do with apple has embraced the iPad once they started using it.

it's opened up computing to such a vast array of people who would never have touched. if you sit back and look at a child interacting with it, i can feel what steve felt when he first announced the device.

I'm thinking how great it was, when I was a child to actually have a big physical album for Christmas. A lovely big book, which seemed even more massive when I was a kid. Strong cardboard covers and glorious glossy artwork and pages of my favourite cartoon characters inside.

I can only think now how horrid it would be to have that same lovely and enjoyable real physical product just as an eBook file.
It's had the sole ripped from it.

But if we want to carry 100 albums with us on holiday, then it's a practical compromise perhaps we will take. However you can't beat the real thing.

don't push your own personal attachments off as facts please. that's your own preference. you have to accept change as much as the fact that 25 million other people get the iPad and you don't.

ps: i have families across the globe, they very much appreciate viewing our family gatherings via their facebook app in the lounge rather than wait for a relatively more costly and time costing big book.

 

[Jimmy James]

Using your car analogy; I'm towing an 8,500 lb trailer on a long trip filled with mountain passes. Towing capability (specs) matter to me. If I'm looking for a new truck it better perform and have the towing rating to back it up.

Why should my electronic hardware be exempt from this criteria?

(By the way, I love the iPad)

 

[fizzwinkus]

if you are referring to steve job's car/truck analogy, then you are fitting it perfectly. if i had a need to monitor the cpu voltages of my machine to control its thermal envelope, an iPad would not be a good fit either.

you have a specific need, and are wanting a machine for that specific duty.
the majority of drivers, in sedans, compacts, econoboxes, etc. don't have a specific need to tow 8,500lbs through mountain passes.

they also have no need for manual or a dual clutch system, and likely have no idea how many foot pounds they are putting down at the wheels. a full automatic allows them to drive without the hassles specialized capabilities bring and get back to the things they do care about in life.

fully automatic = iPads and iPad type devices
manual control = computers as we know them today

 

[19101984]

if you are referring to steve job's car/truck analogy, then you are fitting it perfectly. if i had a need to monitor the cpu voltages of my machine to control its thermal envelope, an iPad would not be a good fit either.

you have a specific need, and are wanting a machine for that specific duty.
the majority of drivers, in sedans, compacts, econoboxes, etc. don't have a specific need to tow 8,500lbs through mountain passes.

they also have no need for manual or a dual clutch system, and likely have no idea how many foot pounds they are putting down at the wheels. a full automatic allows them to drive without the hassles specialized capabilities bring and get back to the things they do care about in life.

fully automatic = iPads and iPad type devices
manual control = computers as we know them today

perfectly said. lots of truck drivers (not saying all) do not seem to understand that it's such an innovation for car drivers because car drivers were forced to drive and struggled with trucks in the past.

when steve said magical, i scoffed. now, as i watch my mum and family members who struggled with computers whizzing email to one another and surf the internet like no tomorrow, i'm deeply amazed at what a forward thinking man he is.

this device changed lives. it introduced technology to lots of people who couldn't have done so otherwise. that's a bigger innovation than pushing specs, which is more of a battle balance between costing and profitability.

 

[ender land]

Using your car analogy; I'm towing an 8,500 lb trailer on a long trip filled with mountain passes. Towing capability (specs) matter to me. If I'm looking for a new truck it better perform and have the towing rating to back it up.

Why should my electronic hardware be exempt from this criteria?

(By the way, I love the iPad)

There are a lot of people who has to tow an 8,500 pound trailer maybe once a year and still get a brand new truck, and drive it all around town

Sure, maybe if that's all you do (tow huge trailers) then your analogy fits. But for many people who drive trucks, they don't need the towing capacity more than a few times a year, and yet they pay a premium for the truck/gas for the 99% of times they don't tow something requiring a truck.

An iPad might not be able to tow something 8,500 pounds. But it's not designed to do that, it's designed to do the 95% of stuff which you do not need the huge power to do...

 

[NebulaClash]

That's the thing, the iPad is ideal for what 90% of the general public does 90% of the time on a computer. That's a sweet spot for a manufacturer to be in.

It's what Verizon is missing with their absurd Droid commercials that are targeted so closely on young male geeks that it turns off everyone else who sees them. Hey, idiot Verizon, the geeks already know about Android! Try to reach the mass market instead with your ads.

That's what Apple does and it's very effective.