I’m really not sure I understand why someone would need an iPad. Nor do I understand people’s jubilation over finally getting their hands on one. Isn’t it just like a really big iPhone (and I assume these are the people who are on their third generation of iPhone)? I guess it has some of the same functions as a Kindle or netbook, but really, is it truly necessary to your life? Perhaps the idea of a touch screen almost-computer is exciting, but HP has had a Touch Smart computer for years. Oh, you Mac people.
Similarly, HP is one of my clients and earlier this week I was there giving a presentation. As thanks for my efforts, they gifted me a DreamScreen. I didn’t even know what it was. I will equate it to a Digital Photo Frame Plus, since it has WiFi capability and you can do things like check weather, view your FaceBook page and listen to music via Pandora. But that’s about it. My first thoughts upon receiving it (not to sound ungrateful) were 1) “Where will I plug this in? I’m out of outlets.” and 2) “Won’t it collect a lot of dust?” Unlike the iPad, it is not mobile since it has to be plugged in at all times or it will not work. Conveniently, it does come with wall mounts, so you have the option of having your local weather report flashing at you on your wall at all times. A huge miss for HP – especially since this is now in market the same time as the iPad – is that it seems like it should be a touch screen and it’s not. Which I don’t get, because HP nailed touch screen technology ages ago.
My experience did not end well since I couldn’t get it to hook up to the internet (admittedly, this might be because I can’t remember the password for my wireless connection, but it was still very frustrating) so basically all it did for me was give me the option of viewing digital photos in a slide show (since I do not have children or pets, this has limited appeal for me), and display 13.3 inches of the current time, like a really big, expensive clock. After about 20 minutes, I repackaged it in its box and now have plans to sell it on eBay when I have a chance.
Perhaps I am not the best person to have an opinion on this since I have never even understood why people need a Kindle – what’s so wrong with old-fashioned books? Turning pages is too difficult? Plus, I’m getting old and staring at computer screens makes my eyes water. Call me crazy, but I now wonder if Steve Jobs is less of a technological genius and more of a genius at getting people to spend money on things they don’t really need.
With regards to books — my iPhone has reinvigorated my reading habits. I read way too many books, but for the last few years I’ve been splitting my time on the road for work, in the office, at my place, at my girlfriend’s place, and camping and boating or hiking nearly every weekend. Which meant I didn’t always have the book I was interested in *right* now.
Having hundreds of books on my iPhone allows me to read whatever I want wherever I am without having to haul them all around. And more importantly without having to figure out where to put another hundred books when I’m not reading them.
I could never be bothered with an iPod because that always seemed like just one more thing to carry. But my iPhone also, if you’ll excuse the word, re-Kindle’d 😉 my love of music. My CDs were scattered to the winds and I never had what I wanted handy, so I had mostly quit listening to music. But it was trivial to throw them on my iPhone and once again have all of my old favorites with me whenever and wherever I found myself. And it freed me from annoying radio stations.
I’ve not bought an iPad.
But I know several people that I’m thinking about buying one for. There are quite a few people who really do only “consume” data and create very little. And for many of them, the iPad *might* be a better choice than an actual computer. Aside from being a phone, it can do all that an iPhone can do, but with a larger screen. So it’ll also be an excellent portable movie device and it should excel at casual games. I actually have a few friends who plan to ditch their cable TV and watch “TV” via Netflix streaming on an iPad instead (granted they could do the same thing on a computer).
So no, I don’t know that anyone truly *needs* an iPad, but far too few of us (at least in the USA) live a life of selective simplicity. Otherwise we wouldn’t have all these 3000+ square foot McMansions surrounding our cities being warmed by the glow of 40+ inch LCD TVs ! 😉
But I think the iPad just might free me of having to fix my relative’s annoying Windows computers for the first 8 to 12 hours of any extended visit. And for that I would be quite thankful. 😉
reinharden
Great post, thanks. I’ve enjoyed your blog for quite awhile and I should comment more. It’s always an interesting and great read. Keep on posting!
Thanks Tyson! Really appreciate the compliment and the comment (and, of course, the readership)!!
The iPad is actually the first Apple product I’ve ever owned. Oh wait, there is my old iPod nano, but does that really count?
For me the iPad feels much more like stepping into the world of Mac vs. PC.
Ok, so the iPad really isn’t a Mac. Yes it really is more like a big iPod Touch.
I probably wouldn’t have bought one, but my wife knew I secretly wanted one. So she got a bunch of family members together to buy me one for my 40th b-day.
Do I really need an iPad? Probably not. I don’t really need in iPod either. Heck I work from home day and night. I don’t really “need” a cell phone.
But after using an iPad for about a week and downloading various apps (free and paid) here is what I can do with it.
Some of the more obvious things –
eBooks, movies, youtube, itunes music, photo album,
Pandora, Netflix, iheartradio, facebook, kindle.
Great internet browsing.
I have yet to get all bent out of shape because of the lack of flash.
For $10? I downloaded SketchBook Pro and I now have a fabulous art/drawing tool. This is something I never would have done with a PC because I don’t have a drawing tablet.
So I can say that the iPad is helping me expand my artistic abilities.
$4? Downloaded Guitar Chords app to help me remember how to make all those chords.
Free – downloaded Epicurious.
iPad is great tool in the kitchen. Epicurious has lots of decent reipces and allows you to quickly make shopping list and then email list to any email address (I use a blackberry phone).
The not so obvious things –
Connect to my corporate Gmail account.
Install ReaddleDocs and have a great file manager for my google docs and other email attachments. Plus a great pdf manager/reader.
Mobile Mouse – amazing utility that lets you use your iPad as a multitouch intelligent mouse for your PC! Also basically turns iPad into multitouch drawing tablet for PC.
iTap RDP – another amazing utility that lets me connect to my PC or my customer’s Windows servers. Brings the windows desktop onto the iPad screen and allows me to navigate and control Windows as if I was in front of the remote machine.
LogMeIn Ignition – another remote control utility that allows me to take control of computers running LogMeIn (assuming I have appropriate login/password info).
GotoMeeting – allows me to connect to GotoMeeting sessions and participate in screen sharing, webinars, etc.
As of July 1st, Starbucks will have free wifi.
Did I mention battery life? Nothing can touch the iPad.
I usually take my laptop on vacation in case there were any work-related emergencies. Now I can just take my iPad and have enough functionality to deal with any issues that might come up.
Reading things on paper is still my preference, but I hate wasting paper and toner to print out 50 page pdfs.
Things about how much money, trees, etc can be saved.
Bottom line, I could have lived without it. I wouldn’t have forked out the nearly $700 (after adding docking adapter and tax).
BUT I am pleased to have one and it has given me more flexibility and creativity and opened my eyes to the amazing products that Apple makes.
I have to agree with whoever it was that said, “those that don’t understand the iPad haven’t held one and used one.”
Regarding Steve Jobs genius… I think it’s safe to say that Bill Gates is way ahead of him at getting people to spend money on things they don’t really need.
I’ve been a PC guy for 20 years, but I hope (finances allowing) that my next laptop will be a Mac.
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for the comment. Glad to hear that you’ve found so many uses for it. I’m sure if someone handed one to me I might find as many uses for it as well. But, since no one has, life will go on ok without it. Oh, and bravo for saving trees.
twynne