your all forgetting one key point.
95% of technology users are fucktards.
How many friends/family members pc's have you set up/sorted out etc when they have bought a new pc or fucked up the one their using? give em something simple that works out the box and 95% of people will be as happy as a pig in shit.
as already said most iphone users believe that its the shit and the first to do touch screen etc etc. anyone with half a brain knows this to be utter bollocks but apple have still sold a shit ton of them globally
i have an iphone 3g and its is nowhere near as capable as my old HTC tytn2, it doesnt even come close in features and specs but damn me if the fucking thing doesnt just work every time i pick it up. do i miss multitasking, true gps etc, no not really and i really dont miss rebooting the fucking thing at least once a day cos i've hacked the shit out of it.
yeah its simple and lacks a shit load of stuff but hey it turns out i dont need most of that shit anyways. and frankly i'll swap it for a device that just works.
regarding the ipad, could it have been better, hell yeah but given that the fucktards who will buy it in droves have never seen the inside of a pc, never tweaked, replaced, overclocked, hacked or otherwise done anything remotely interesting with their technology it will be perfect for them. Internet check, photos check, itunes check. how many netbook/laptop users really do anything other than that anyway.
will i buy one, probably but not until gen 2 or 3, will it replace my netbook no fucking way but it may just be the perfect sofa surfer lets see what happens.
oh and yeah kindle is fucked, ipad will appeal to all the casual users leaving kindle with a niche market, they'll make money but they aint going to be huge. end off
I think this post is spot on. The ipad is not going after the market for technical users. The type of users that like to have total control over every little aspect of their equipment, operating system etc.
The market for the iPad is people that want to have the convenience of not having to break out a laptop, netbook, desktop, whatever . . to accomplish some simple tasks, like checking email, surfing the web, checking news, updating facebook, whatever . . .
The strong thing about the iphone and ipod touch is the interface and the simplicity that is presented over the technology. This simplicity allows people to do the task they want (usually not extremely technical) and move to the rest of their day, doing other things that interest them.
When I was younger, and didn't have kids, demanding job, and the energy, I was all about controlling every aspect of my technology and knowing everything about I could. I eventually turned that passion into a career around technology so I can be grateful for that.
Now, I just want to use the technology for things that interest me and not get involved in the details of registry settings, how many gigahertz I'm currently using, etc . . I still do care that the equipment is capable to accomplish the tasks at hand, but don't get involved in the details on how to get there. If I need more RAM, I will buy it without delving into who makes the best, lowest latency RAM these days.
The majority of people do not have the same type of tech background I have but still want to accomplish tasks around computing in the simplest way possible. This is the target market for the iPad.
Also, it's game changing from the standpoint that it is going to be the first tablet computer that you just pick up and know how to use. If a real OS was put on it, then there would be the immediate learning curve and barrier to adoption and being an everyday part of routine.
Say what you want about the iPhone and iPod Touch, but it's true that it has a very low learning curve on how to use it. you can give one to a 5 year old and they can use it.
Same thing will be true with the iPad but people will use it more due to being easier on the eye and in the more familiar form factor (it seems to be about 8 1/2 by 11.
Not everyone is technical, nor wants to be. And you know what? That's okay.
All that said, it is missing some key features . . .like multiple users. Don't want little johnny sifting through my email or browsing those viagara websites, right?
