iPad or iFad ?
GeordiePaul
Posts: 1,323 Forum Member
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Just been reading this article on techradar:
http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/the-ipad-isn-t-doomed-but-apple-must-ensure-its-platform-grows-1258656
What do we think then? I have an iPad Air, which I was intending to use as my main home device, after getting rid of a windows laptop, the reason being that I didn't actually need half of the capability that the laptop offered, at least not in the home environment.
However, it is kind of crap for anything that doesn't involve just "play" (you can get by but that becomes frustrating after a little while), so I have ended up buying myself a Chromebook which will land tomorrow to fill in the void that the laptop left (and am essentially no better off financially, but, toys! And before anyone says it, I know they're more limited than a Wintel machine but I have a desktop), but now the iPad is my most expensive "gadget", and by getting the Chromebook, I am kind of admitting that it is in fact just an expensive play thing (which it does superbly).
I don't think its just the iPad mind, the Android stuff to me might be a little more powerful in so much as you can be a tad more productive overall, but it compromises in other areas, and for me, its the form factor.
So, will tablets fulfil their promise, and prove to be the post PC device we were all promised eventually, or will they forever be a compromise aimed at play first and, at a push, productivity if nothing better is at hand.
http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/the-ipad-isn-t-doomed-but-apple-must-ensure-its-platform-grows-1258656
What do we think then? I have an iPad Air, which I was intending to use as my main home device, after getting rid of a windows laptop, the reason being that I didn't actually need half of the capability that the laptop offered, at least not in the home environment.
However, it is kind of crap for anything that doesn't involve just "play" (you can get by but that becomes frustrating after a little while), so I have ended up buying myself a Chromebook which will land tomorrow to fill in the void that the laptop left (and am essentially no better off financially, but, toys! And before anyone says it, I know they're more limited than a Wintel machine but I have a desktop), but now the iPad is my most expensive "gadget", and by getting the Chromebook, I am kind of admitting that it is in fact just an expensive play thing (which it does superbly).
I don't think its just the iPad mind, the Android stuff to me might be a little more powerful in so much as you can be a tad more productive overall, but it compromises in other areas, and for me, its the form factor.
So, will tablets fulfil their promise, and prove to be the post PC device we were all promised eventually, or will they forever be a compromise aimed at play first and, at a push, productivity if nothing better is at hand.
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Comments
Personally, I use my iPad a lot. Even though I sit in front of a PC during my working day, the iPad still gets used for things which are simply quicker and easier, such as online banking.
I find it comes into it's own on holiday, I use it for films and TV programmes when flying, so much better than the in flight screen.
I certainly wasn't proposing to ditch my tablet either, it is handy and a very nice toy.
But what I'm wondering is, these were touted as being post PC machines that would eventually take over the world, but sales are declining. The question is, is it declining because they aren't good work tools, or because the competition is getting better, or what?
Like I say I won't get rid of it, at least, not until a decent android tablet exists (even as a google **** I still haven't found an android tablet that's as acceptably polished and well supported as the ipad).
Incidentally, one reason I like the ipad is because it isn't a PC, I work in IT and the last thing I want to look at when I get home is another windows laptop with all the baggage that comes with it. That's why I've gone fora chrome book instead as I've had one before and what the ipad doesn't do well, the chrome book does fine without all of the MS baggage.
(Ok I like gadgets and toys as well
For example, I sold my iPad 2 to a friend quite some time ago - it does all she wants from a tablet and she STILL adores it. It is used for email and web-browsing every day how may non-teccie people would use their PC at home that much!
The truth is there is no one computing tool which is ideally suited to every task. Otherwise, we would all be using it already.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewstibbe/2013/05/30/u-s-air-force-will-save-50m-with-ipad-electronic-flight-bags/
Then the big enterprise announcement Apple and IBM form apps and sales partnership
U.S. Department of Defense orders 120K iPads, 100K iPad minis, 200K iPod touches, and 210K iPhones
Add to that a whole generation that will be more familiar with an iPad than a laptop 8 Million iPads Sold to Educational Institutions
So too early to call it a Fad
3 things that I see as wrong with the ipad at the moment. The keyboard, it works well for what it is, but desperately needs more features and power. Hopefully iOS8 will eventually address this. Lack of window or split screen ability; I doubt ios8 will have this so guess we'll have to wait a while for ios9. Finally, lack of ram which causes things like tab reloading. Having a tab reloading while you're filling a form in is a nightmare as it usually wipes everything you've done out, yet sometimes you do need to switch between apps or tabs so this happens. Windows 8 is fantastic for this. I can imagine people loving the surface pro for serious stuff, the only reason I picked the ipad over it was the apps and games.
Will be interesting to see how things pan out over the next 12 - 18 months. In the short term I'd love to see how the rumoured HTC nexus 9 goes, and will be interested to see what happens beyond.
Oddly, I am extremely curious of how chrome books (and thus chrome on a PC) will go as it's rumoured they're going to apply their GUI improvements on their web services ala android L which should carry across to windows. ChromeOS is also going to have continuation feature like the mac, and run android apps, so things are really going to hot up.
Exciting times for us gadget enthusiasts.
Maybe one day, we will have generic software that works on any hardware configuration, installing whichever software modules are needed to match the hardware you have. But we are not at that point yet, so we have to put up with varying software UI as the hardware is not mature or powerful enough to take generic functionality.
Of the current options, I would pick an iOS device over android on UI and general useage and easy of use.
A good computer/device is capable of downloading all that the internet offers and has the ability to manipulate it. Computers and the internet have been growing for decades and have blossomed into a world of functions. The more you can do with a computing device, the better it is in my view.
An iPad channels all the songs, films, books, games, sounds and applications through a vetted pay-wall, which you need an account to access. In addition, the iPad blocks many functions a PC and laptop user would take for granted such as file hierarchies and the task manager.
I think the more people who disown real computers in favour of very limited, money-hungry tablets, the worse the internet will eventually become. Eventually, there won't be a free and open internet, just a collection of overpriced, ad-filled, data collecting, tightly controlled app stores.
I think Microsoft said that Windows 9 will be a converged system, tablets phones and laptops using, or maybe pretending to use, one standard OS.
Expect even more of the above.
How so?
Want to watch a movie you ripped, you can.
Want to watch a TV series from someone other than Apple then you can. https://www.netflix.com/?locale=en-GB http://www.amazon.co.uk/Prime-Instant-Video/
Want to read a book you scanned, as a PDF you can. http://marvinapp.com/ http://www.goodiware.com/
Want to listen to an audio book from a source other than Apple you can. http://www.audible.co.uk/
Why the need for file hierarchies? the hunter/gather debate has been going on for some time on platforms other than tablets, and you can have hierarchies on your iPad DropBox or Transporter if you feel you must.
The serious stuff is the reason dad has the Surface Pro. He likes the fact it can run full MS Office and everything and he finds the USB port and keyboard useful. All he has to do to transfer files is plug a USB drive in. He tried the iPad but didn't get on with it at all and now mum uses it. She drives me mad with it. She's always on it and any time I try to talk to her she just grunts or doesn't hear what I'm saying because she's stuck on her iPad >:(
It is now getting to be like 2 topics per day wit new posts in them !
THis is a bit of a dead forum when you compare it to the PC and the Mobile ones
There is a lively thread here:
http://www.avforums.com/forums/ipad.430/
I'd even go as far as saying that the advanced(trumpeted occasionally as 'not so easy') Android tablet features are seldom discussed either.
And I could have missed it, but I've also yet to see any discussion on 'made for iPad' apps, apart from that being an argument for buying an iPad.
Were these forums ever that busy ? Unless there's something to complain about (like Windows 8) I've always found them pretty quiet.
I haven't noticed any fall-off in the use of tablets among people I know. It's probably that people are now more familiar with them, they're no longer a topic of conversation.
I don't think people rush out to update their tablets as much as they used to, but sensible people are not desperately up-dating their smartphones as much either. Not good for the market, but perhaps it's finally dawning on people that they are being treated like idiots by the marketing gurus.
This is true, it just seems to be suckers like me who want the latest and greatest. However, I'm sure soon there will be a time when even I don't bother - probably the moment I get something that is "perfect" in almost all respects, we aren't quite there yet but we are certainly getting close (I realise there is no such thing as perfect but you can get pretty close).
I still think tablets have got a long way to go before being "perfect", I think for a tablet to be "perfect", it will have to be able to do what a laptop does, just as easily, and be as light, portable and with as good battery life as a more scaled back machine. None exist yet, even the SP2/3 is too big/heavy and laptop like but they come fairly close. If it wasn't for the fairly dire gaming support I might have considered one as my main machine, as they do make quite a bit of sense in many respects.
Tablet hardware is clearly capable of it but the software just aint there yet.
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1980638&page=3
You cant be doing that gaming on your Chromebook ! It is at the bottom of the pile.
You seem to be betting on both Chrombook and tablets whilst wanting high end gaming.
Your themed comments can be an enigma Paul.
I don't really follow?!
I said in the other thread I rarely do video editing, but a chromebook can do it (as in, a quick look at the store revealed 3 chromebook apps capable of basic video editing).
The last video I created was well over a year ago. That should tell you how much I do that. Hence, it doesn't matter to me whether a Chromebook can do it or not. I can remote into my desktop with the Chromebook (or Tablet) if I need to do more, or just use a wireless keyboard and mouse, and the TV (where the desktop lives). It really isn't a problem. The PC cost £130 brand new
As for gaming, I'm not sure why you think I want that either? I play stuff like Deer / Dino Hunter, CSR Racing (all on iPad), and am quite happy with games of its ilk. I'm not sure why you think I want high end gaming, I have not said that anywhere?
I do wonder about some of the posts directed my way at times though
But the Pro essentially, has a Macbook Air chipset, thus with a good 8 times the CPU grunt of the iPad. It can do iPad type games at a canter, it is the high end PC games it really struggles with.
And that can't be its problem because you already said you only really used Windows for video editing ! And the 'iPad for games' double confirms it.
BTW I had no problem with you duplicating that thread discussing the iPad sales decline
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1989084.
I'm likely the most critical of Windows here, but I seek to do it via understanding. That surface pro whilst OTT expensive still beats these basic tablets by miles.
It is even more confusing as you keep wanting to tell us you are an expert.
I hardly EVER do video editing, but if I did, I have a Windows box. Comprende? My Windows box is used for XBMC (watching films, TV). I'm not sure why you keep banging on about mother ****ing video editing?!
Yes I know the surface pro is more powerful than an iPad but you seem to be completely missing the point as to why I didn't want the SP. Because its a trouble free device without having to get my hands dirty keeping Windows running sweet. The surface pro IS just a very compromised laptop, and a very compromised tablet. It tries to be jack of all trades but is a master of none.
As for the games situation, the Surface Pro will really struggle with any remotely high end PC game. For casual mobile games, you cannot seriously be suggesting that Windows 8 is up there with the choice on the iPad?! Oh, I guess thats exactly what you're doing by bleating on about specs that matter not in the real world for the application for which i use an iPad.
Still carry on, its obvious you are just trying to pick holes in every post I write on here.
And boohoo I'm so sorry for not noticing your other thread. Please accept my heartfelt apologies.
Like I said, SP does iPad type games with ease, even beating this 'fastest kid on the block' Shield.
Don't you even see your own comments as being so so often 'random' ?