iPad – pretty, pointless

19 responses so far ↓

• Greg // Jan 28, 2010 at 12:15 pm

  I understand what you mean, I can’t work out it’s reason yet. Surely you’re still better off buying a laptop? The ipad can do things but not life changing tasks, I can’t really see the practicality behind it

• David Bradley // Jan 28, 2010 at 2:07 pm

  I *can* some reasons to buy this device if you’re hooked on the portability of your iPhone/iPod Touch but would prefer a bigger screen, but it’s going to be awkward to work with and certainly not one you’d be able to type on comfortably for any length of time, especially if you’re perching it on your lap (doubly awkward for men, I’d say). As a “cool” lifestyle gadget to show off at dinner parties and conferences fine, but it’s not a workhorse, it’s not a games console, and it’s not a phone, even if it is all three of those things rolled into one…

  Mind you, at less than $500 for the basic non-3G model, that’s a nice toy for those who like shiny things, right?

• Roy Scribner // Jan 28, 2010 at 3:58 pm

  I’ve played with tablets for 10 years, but the bottom line is that a pen and paper are still faster and more accurate for taking notes and anything that does not fit in your pocket tends to get left on the desk.

  There might be an entertainment niche for this type of product, but I would have expected a 16:9 aspect ratio and the requisite I/O ports to support the transfer of photos and video from cameras.

• David Bradley // Jan 28, 2010 at 4:58 pm

  It doesn’t have ports? That’s just silly. But, even if it did, they wouldn’t be standard USB or whatever anyway, look at the stupid connection you get with an iPod, for instance.

• Mike // Jan 29, 2010 at 4:36 am

  The iPad is a dud. Apple knows it, but they have to keep pumping new products out. Some folks will drink the kool-aid for sure, but this will turn out to be a flop.

• Werbeartikel // Jan 29, 2010 at 8:35 am

  I typed in “ipad pointless” into google because I wanted to see if I was the only one who thought this – glad I’m not the only one! Who in their right mind wants to whip this out on a train and fear it being robbed, in the same respect, who’d want to use this to write emails in a clumsy way over using a computer. Jack of all trades, master of none!!

• Eugene // Feb 1, 2010 at 1:25 am

  To me it seems like a step backwards. The iphone does the same crap and it fits in your pocket. I don’t see the point in it.

• Tyler // Feb 1, 2010 at 9:57 pm

  It should have been a full-out computer running the newest version of Leopard. It literally is just a super sized iPod Touch, I’d rather have the Touch that can fit in the palm of my hand and pocket. The iPad was a great idea but like Eugene said it’s a step back or in the same place.

• David Bradley // Feb 2, 2010 at 8:03 am

  The app 2x zoom offers one advantage for anyone middle-aged (such as myself) whose eyes are starting to fail and cannot focus on 1:1 screens on a Touch but doesn’t want to succumb to prescription glasses…

• John Jenkinson // Feb 13, 2010 at 10:25 am

  the one thing that could’ve made this product something that you really needed to have was if it had a word processor on it, only then would it cross the bridge between a net book and a laptop.

• Mark // Feb 26, 2010 at 11:40 pm

  I agree with Eugene, the iPad is just like going back in time, the whole point of the iPhone and iPod touch is that it’s small, not the size of a dinner plate. How are you going to be able to conveniantly carry one round anyway?

• Jaysquared // Mar 9, 2010 at 2:07 am

  And what’s more, if you do find a way to carry it around, it’s so thin you’ll constantly worry about breaking it…

• David // Apr 21, 2010 at 11:53 am

  @ Mark – but then compared to modern, compact phones, the Iphone is a step back in time. It got bigger than most phones, didnt have a removeable battery, didnt have bluetooth file transfer, didnt have 3G, can’t run Java apps, has a low quality camera, no flash – apart from being touch screen, and the app support, its like 10 years behind everything else…

  Apple needs to get the basics sorted first on all of their products, before adding the flashy bits..

• David Bradley // Apr 21, 2010 at 12:29 pm

  Well said, David. I certainly will never get an iPhone, unless they pay me.

• Curtis // Jun 3, 2010 at 9:57 pm

  I’ve got to admit it’s possibly one of the most pointless things I’ve ever seen!! But if you do look back at the iPhone yes it was a step back then all of a sudden it got popular and apple sorted it’s problems out making it one of the most successful phones of all time. I do however think that apple have there work cut out trying to give this thing a purpose. I’ve got to admit if they made it a real mac product with the normal operating system I would cancel my MacBook pro order right now and get one with a keyboard (wireless or not)!!

• David // Jun 4, 2010 at 10:58 am

  @ David Bradley

  Not all of us will use touch screens. A for the fatique of using your arm constantly on a vertical screen, the poor viewing angle of using it on a horizontal screen, and the simple fact that a mouse can do many simple things with a click or scroll, and the pointer is highly accurate. If we put our fingers on everything, icons need to be bigger, layouts different, scrolling and moving screens around require more arm movement….For people who spend all day on a computer, we won’t be able to lift our arms by the next day..

• Bill // Jun 11, 2010 at 4:16 pm

  It seems pointless, why would people buy this ipad for around £500 when you can go and buy a nice laptop. Then you get a computer, games system, music and video with loads more memory and space. Also the battery wont die on a laptop in around a hour. Pointless and expensive.

• Molly // Jul 2, 2010 at 12:18 am

  I agree, sure the technology is good, but it is just a giant ipod touch. With a giant price tag.

  Everyone is like “wooow you can do play the piano on it and you can read books on it”
  Well, how often are you going to actually do those things? If you are a big reader, surely you would just go out and buy a book?

  The design is irritating, I have tested one for myself and I found it very awkward when holding with one hand, as you would when walking. Even with two hands it isnt much better, the keyboard is really annoying and I kept pressing the keys I didn’t want to hit.

  On to the internet, people have laptops for a reason. The laptop design hasn’t been bettered, and I don’t think it ever will be. Even if ‘touch technology is the future’, Buttons, keys, will never be out.

  I would actually rather have an ipod touch because its smaller and actually fits in your pocket.

  I’ve finished my rant now =P

• Groove // Jul 16, 2010 at 12:33 pm

  The only reason I’d probably buy an I Pad is if they developed software for it e.g some form of music software fore it like logic pro so that you can do something useful with it. It’s cool and all but I honestly don’t see a purpose apart from blatant consumerism and self-indulgence. I mean an I Pod is cool when you want to listen to music on the go, laptops can be used when you want sit down somewhere do some work/check e-mails/play games, where as the I-Pad does everything a laptop does but dosen’t have the important bits. I mean it’s not even small or handy s you might as well be carrying a laptop. Either way, HUGE waste of time.