i need to collect my thoughts on the tablet

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

I don't think they want it on the go, necessarily, but more on your living room table, to do stuff that might be awkward with a laptop, both because of the iPad's better viewing angle and more comfortable form factor.

Want to show someone an online article? iPad.
Vacation photos? iPad.
Restaurant reviews? iPad.
What movies are playing? iPad.
Transit schedule? iPad.
Preview a presentation you've been working on? iPad.

That's the best explanation I've seen yet. Although for that last one, I'd grab the laptop since I can't stop myself from chronic bouts of editing.

As long as I can still have real books. I like books. They don't need replacing, unless there's a worldwide tree epidemic and we're low on paper products...

 

[Gagh]

i'm guessing that the features people are pining for (like the front facing cam for ichat) are going to be in iPad 2... that's kinda what apple does best. create a great product that hooks people and then improve the product a year later so that those same people will have to buy another one. 2nd gen iPad will indeed crush the netbook market if the first gen don't.

That's part of the reason I have yet to invest in an iPhone. Umpteen variants of iPods are a clear indicator how of Apple treats its products. Besides, I am such a whore for storage, until iPhones are capable of carrying in excess of 150GB of storage space, I'm not interested.

 

[SAUSAGEMAN]

You're probably going to be very disappointed to learn that iPhones can't serve as external HDs, then .

And I like books too, but if I have to choose between 10$ and getting it now, and 20$ and waiting two days for Amazon to ship it, I know what I'll choose six times out of ten.

(The other four are for my bookshelf so people know I'm smarter than them.)

 

[Big Dick McGee]

As long as I can still have real books. I like books. They don't need replacing, unless there's a worldwide tree epidemic and we're low on paper products...

Agreed, and I'll take it one step further and remind everyone that you can currently get books for free, at your local library. I honestly can't tell you the last time I bought a book. Sure, the library may take awhile to get the new releases in, but I think saving $15-$30 is definitely worth the wait.

Plus, I can't describe in words how wonderful it makes me feel to go into the library and think that all of these thousands of books are available to me at any time, no charge. I've discovered many new authors that I like, simply because I wasn't risking anything to try out his or her book. I can't say that I'd buy an e-book from an author I wasn't familiar with, but I've read tons and tons of books that would have escaped me, had I not borrowed them.

I think the iPad and Kindle are more for people who have lots of disposable income and can afford to buy lots of books.

 

[The Question]

OK -- here are some post-launch "regular guy" realities:

What does the regular guy think this new product is:
A competitor to Kindle for reading stuff instead of buying books, magazines and newspapers.

Does it do other things besides this?
Yes, but everything else that it does only sounds sexy to Mac developers and MacGeeks.

So, is it some revolutionary new product that people can't live without like the original iPod and iPhone?
Hell no, it's a gadget that is still 6 months away from regular people even knowing what it's supposed to be used for.

AND SO SAY I. A REGULAR GUY. It ain't gonna be the New Messiah product like other Apple gadgets. Even I don't know WTF I'm supposed to do with it at this point, or what things in my life it is supposed to replace.

CLUE ME IN, MACSMARTYPANTSES!

Other than a different medium (music rather than books) people said all the same shit about the iPod. Whoops.

 

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

Other than a different medium (music rather than books) people said all the same shit about the iPod. Whoops.

I disagree. First gen iPods had one purpose: to store and play more MP3s than was previously possible with portable CD players, etc. It's only when the iPod Touch started existing in between the iPods and the iPhone that things got confusing.

 

[The Question]

I disagree. First gen iPods had one purpose: to store and play more MP3s than was previously possible with portable CD players, etc. It's only when the iPod Touch started existing in between the iPods and the iPhone that things got confusing.

They're alike in that, at the time, there were already devices on the market that had more features and were more full-fledged.

 

[Cassie]

Books are different though, I don't care what I listen to music with as long as it sounds good. Staring at a little screen to read isn't the same as breaking the spine on a book and curling up with it.

 

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

Steve Jobs wants you to curl up with his iPad. DON'T GIVE IN!

 

[Cassie]

Can I break his spine?!

 

[Fuddlemiff]

I guess this way it's easy to read in the dark. Until you start to get that throbbing pain at your temples and the words go all blurry.

 

[The Question]

So it's just like being blonde, then.

 

[Ishcabittle]

what I've been reading most is that you just have to use it once to see the real potential and magic of the device.

apple's not asking you to replace your laptop or your PDA, they're not trying to compete with ebook readers or netbooks (even if they will end up doing so) they have simply created a new class of device that anyone can use.

people that are intimidated by computers, that don't want to learn filesystems, that are sick of all of the rules and motions you go through to work with a computer are going to be overjoyed when they see this thing. there's a vid on youtube of a one year old child working an iphone, and the ipad is exactly the same UI.

so we can all hem and haw about not needing it's functionality or that we don't really see a place for it, but when your netbook takes a crap off warranty, you may just want to head to a store and play with one for a little while.

 

[headvoid]

I liked the Sausageman philosophy of a "sofa" or "coffee table" usage.

It is the first convincing arguement I have heard.

 

[Big Dick McGee]

I liked the Sausageman philosophy of a "sofa" or "coffee table" usage.

It is the first convincing arguement I have heard.

What I love is that the internet has made us all so fucking ADD that we can't even sit down to read or watch a TV show without being constantly connected to the web. Shit, some of my FB friends post status updates WHILE THEY'RE DRIVING.

There's such a thing as being too connected.

 

[SAUSAGEMAN]

There's an actual neurological reason for that. Younger people are able to actually do more tasks at the same time than older people, so ya, our minds are literally not wired to just watch TV.

 

[Fuddlemiff]

Is it illegal to use mobile phones while driving in the US? Over here it's illegal unless you're using a hands-free device, but, at least in US tv shows, people are always driving while using phones. Even if it's not illegal it's still irresponsible. You should reply to your friends' status updates to tell them that they're idiots.

 

[Gagh]

You're probably going to be very disappointed to learn that iPhones can't serve as external HDs, then .

And I like books too, but if I have to choose between 10$ and getting it now, and 20$ and waiting two days for Amazon to ship it, I know what I'll choose six times out of ten.

(The other four are for my bookshelf so people know I'm smarter than them.)

Not really interesting in them acting as external HDs, just cramming as much media on it as possible, to provide the ultimate portable tool.

 

[Big Dick McGee]

There's an actual neurological reason for that. Younger people are able to actually do more tasks at the same time than older people, so ya, our minds are literally not wired to just watch TV.

Actually, there have been numerous studies that show that multitasking is, in fact, bad for your health. To say nothing of the fact that it's terribly inefficient.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...perts-reveal-hidden-perils-juggling-jobs.html

People's brains aren't "wired differently", that's retarded.

 

[SAUSAGEMAN]

Is it illegal to use mobile phones while driving in the US? Over here it's illegal unless you're using a hands-free device, but, at least in US tv shows, people are always driving while using phones. Even if it's not illegal it's still irresponsible. You should reply to your friends' status updates to tell them that they're idiots.

Americans text while driving - brits call 911 all the time.

Actually, there have been numerous studies that show that multitasking is, in fact, bad for your health. To say nothing of the fact that it's terribly inefficient.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...ling-jobs.html

People's brains aren't "wired differently", that's retarded.

I didn't say anything about it being good - just that it happens. I can't find the study right now, but I read something about teens being able to do one more thing at a time, on average, than people in the 30s.