I'll tell you exactly what I want an iPad for - no matter how much money I spend on a laptop, I can't draw on the screen. Okay, HP makes one that looks decent for that, but Windows tablets are well proven to be awful for usability. With an iPad, I could hit one icon and then draw a picture, scratch out a small map, take handwritten notes with, say, a small map or maybe an equation. NONE of this is possible with any previous product with any real level of real-world usability.
None? I had a giveaway Casio PV-400plus which did that instantly. A set of batteries would last for months of heavy use in the thing. Oh yeah, it was painless to sync with my computer -- just drop it in the doc and hit 'sync'. As for real-world usability, it had an excellent mobile spreadsheet app I used for innumerable reasons in the few years I had it.
But you're about to give your own contradictory example aren't you?
It's something that the old Palm Pilots hit on,
Hardly NONE then is it?
but the iPad has a really usable size and the best screen around. You can get a stylus that works with it for $15, or make your own with conductive foam apparently. You can probably put something together pretty easily that would be more accurate.
Know what works even better for this drawing function you're so excited about? A $0.10 notepad and $1 pack of pens. Great battery life, automatically saves your work, easy to read in direct sunlight, and comes in an amazing number of sizes with innumerable color options. At the price-point, you can afford to have hundreds of the things just lying around!
It has that functionality plus most of the common functionality of a laptop, and maybe even better for web/video/books
Yeah, except it's not better for web, video, or books. The web part should be obvious (hint: not better). Video, I don't know about. All I know is that if I'm watching a movie, I don't want to cradle a 1.5 pound screen. For watching a movie with someone else, this wouldn't really make sense. Maybe it would be okay for youtube videos, but is that really worth (minimum) $500? BOOKS! For just $250, I can get a reader with a nice e-ink display, free wireless internet, and battery life that puts the iPad to shame. The iPad weighs 1.5 pounds and has a crummy display... compared to a/laptop/ for reading books? The iPad wins on portability.
Let's face reality here: It's not a new 'device class', it's not revolutionary, it won't shift any paradigms, it won't change the computing landscape, it won't even multi-task. It's just an expensive toy.
If you want an iPad to play with -- because you think it might be fun -- enjoy! But let's be Honest about what it is and what it can do.
You present a dishonest use case:
You get a device like this that a three year old can use to color a picture or watch a movie
No way would any sensible person give a three-year-old an iPad -- it's just a bad idea. Think about this for a minute! What happens WHEN they break the GLASS display? And you suggest this device For COLORING of all things?! Buy a Coloring Book!
Offer's also open to deaf persons. I can hear people from across a busy room of other people. Also have to turn off my HD/DVD recorder because I can hear it's fans from across my room at night.
They won't take you up on the offer -- It seems that an astonishing percentage of the deaf community prefer to remain deaf. See the recent Dan Schwartz backlash and the cochlear implant controversy.
That's Rick Strassman's book. Funny thing about it, not only was his study astonishingly flawed it doesn't even support the conclusions he reaches in his book.
I see we've found yet another way to screw blind and low-vision users out of content. [This is worse than those youtube videos that are no more than a text only slide show set to crappy music. (To anyone who makes those: I know you're ashamed of your voice, but anything is better than no voice at all and 100x better than your taste in music.)]
I guarantee that this new 3D garbage will not be used in an accessible way. It's bad enough that no one bothers to use the ALT tag properly.
For you mobile web users remember: accessibility issues affect you! This is why most of the sites you visit look like shit, are hard to use, and don't render in a manner best suited to your device.
In addition, even your fancy iPhone isn't going to do real-time ray tracing. This content will not be available to you. Sorry.
Not that it matters -- I predict that like VRML, this won't take off.
[quote]Well yes, the science is "settled", in that scientists know that the planet is warming, and that human emissions are causing it. These are observed facts.[/quote]
This is why you're not a scientist.
Neither "the planet is warming" nor "human emissions are causing it" are "observed facts". They're conclusions drawn from the available data.
I would recommend that you review an elementary school science text book.
The bottom line is, unlike a netbook, the iPad has many use cases where it is superior to a laptop.
Really? What are they?
Watching movies? I guess you could prop the thing up against a stack of books -- unless you're on an airplane...
Browsing the web? Okay. Until you need to type something or you're in a crowded place or...
Installing new applications? Yeah, that's tough on a netbook! My wife has a really hard time clicking "Ubuntu Software Center" and selecting a program.
Listening to Music? Totally superior to a $35 Sandisk mp3 player (which actually has an SD card slot) that fits easily into your pocket. You got me there. It would be much more convenient to carry around a significantly larger device. (That is to say, it would be stupid to buy an iPad for this purpose even though it could very well be more convenient than a notebook.)
Managing Music? I don't know if you've noticed, but contrary to popular belief this isn't something apple does very well -- iTunes is great for finding downloading music but a nightmare for managing the same. I'll stick with Amazon for getting music and manage it like I do everything else, thanks. (Believe it or not, most users 'get' basic file management. You know, because they do it all the time. I've found that people are usually amazed at how easy it is to copy music to and from their 'not an iPod' generic mp3 player. They're especially pleased when they find out they can use it in place of their USB Flash drive.)
Managing Pictures? Where do I plug my camera in? Oh, I see. I need to buy an adapter.
Ah, I know!
Reading books! Defiantly better than a notebook, netbook, smart phone, desktop, etc. -- at least for those of us who don't mind reading on a computer screen. Of course, if *this* is the reason you're buying an iPad, you've just spent way too much money.
---
I just don't see any advantage that a tablet like the iPad has. I've used an iphone before, it was certainly fun to play with -- but after the novelty wore off I couldn't get to my blackberry fast enough.
Let's look at the iPad for what it is: an oversized iPod touch that's inconvenient to use as an mp3 player.
It's not going to be good for grandma (who "does email"). It's not going to be good for the college student (who need to do real work, like typing papers. The expensive add-on keyboard just turns it into a netbook -- the thing it's supposed to be superior to.) It's not good for the traveler (it offers no advantage over the netbook for business, and it's awkward for watching movies -- it's just an extra thing to lug around.) It's not good for the casual web user (facebook/email/IM require lots of typing).
Well, you get the idea. Back to my original question -- what good is it? For what purpose is an iPad superior to a netbook? What would you actually *do* with it and how does it excel at those tasks?
This is a bold statement considering that you can't define intelligence!
I don't buy Searle's argument that a system which operates by symbol manipulation is necessarily unintelligent -
This is likely because you don't understand Searle -- his 'chinese room argument' isn't just hand waving, as is often assumed. The point of his illustration is to show that you can't get semantics from syntax -- and all sensory input is purely syntactic.
but neither is there any indication that it's coming any time soon.
That's what got me. How could it possibly replace paper in schools (as noted on their website) if you can't save and electronically transmit the data to the instructor?
Have standards in school dropped so significantly that our students need only a single sheet of paper per day? Are the kids expected to hand-in their pad for grading? Even at 1/8 inch, a stack of 30 pads is a good load for the poor teacher to lug home for grading.
I was hoping this would make a good replacement for my old Casio PV-400 plus. The most-used feature (for me) was the "quick memo" which let you write directly on the screen. The thing was incredibly fast, with the memo screen up and running as quick as pressing the dedicated button. It ran for about 6 months on a set of AAA batteries under heavy use. I ran my life on it for years.
I can easily see a $30 writing pad, with good battery life, and reasonably sized display replacing paper for many applications at work and school -- This toy, unfortunately, just isn't it.
Slashdot Mirror
I'll tell you exactly what I want an iPad for - no matter how much money I spend on a laptop, I can't draw on the screen. Okay, HP makes one that looks decent for that, but Windows tablets are well proven to be awful for usability. With an iPad, I could hit one icon and then draw a picture, scratch out a small map, take handwritten notes with, say, a small map or maybe an equation. NONE of this is possible with any previous product with any real level of real-world usability.
None? I had a giveaway Casio PV-400plus which did that instantly. A set of batteries would last for months of heavy use in the thing. Oh yeah, it was painless to sync with my computer -- just drop it in the doc and hit 'sync'. As for real-world usability, it had an excellent mobile spreadsheet app I used for innumerable reasons in the few years I had it.
But you're about to give your own contradictory example aren't you?
It's something that the old Palm Pilots hit on,
Hardly NONE then is it?
but the iPad has a really usable size and the best screen around. You can get a stylus that works with it for $15, or make your own with conductive foam apparently. You can probably put something together pretty easily that would be more accurate.
Know what works even better for this drawing function you're so excited about? A $0.10 notepad and $1 pack of pens. Great battery life, automatically saves your work, easy to read in direct sunlight, and comes in an amazing number of sizes with innumerable color options. At the price-point, you can afford to have hundreds of the things just lying around!
It has that functionality plus most of the common functionality of a laptop, and maybe even better for web/video/books
Yeah, except it's not better for web, video, or books. The web part should be obvious (hint: not better). Video, I don't know about. All I know is that if I'm watching a movie, I don't want to cradle a 1.5 pound screen. For watching a movie with someone else, this wouldn't really make sense. Maybe it would be okay for youtube videos, but is that really worth (minimum) $500? BOOKS! For just $250, I can get a reader with a nice e-ink display, free wireless internet, and battery life that puts the iPad to shame. The iPad weighs 1.5 pounds and has a crummy display... compared to a /laptop/ for reading books? The iPad wins on portability.
Let's face reality here: It's not a new 'device class', it's not revolutionary, it won't shift any paradigms, it won't change the computing landscape, it won't even multi-task. It's just an expensive toy.
If you want an iPad to play with -- because you think it might be fun -- enjoy! But let's be Honest about what it is and what it can do.
You present a dishonest use case:
You get a device like this that a three year old can use to color a picture or watch a movie
No way would any sensible person give a three-year-old an iPad -- it's just a bad idea. Think about this for a minute! What happens WHEN they break the GLASS display? And you suggest this device For COLORING of all things?! Buy a Coloring Book!
Some people...
I'll bet 10 to 1 that if the article had read "iPhone Predicted a Century Ago By Nikola Tesla" most of these posts wouldn't exist.
Offer's also open to deaf persons. I can hear people from across a busy room of other people. Also have to turn off my HD/DVD recorder because I can hear it's fans from across my room at night.
They won't take you up on the offer -- It seems that an astonishing percentage of the deaf community prefer to remain deaf. See the recent Dan Schwartz backlash and the cochlear implant controversy.
The world wide web is all the websites accessible by using an Internet browser.
Fail
They could benefit from a flash to floppy adapter:
http://www4.shopping.com/xPO-JVC-FlashPath-CUVFM40U
While you can still buy them, I don't know if JVC is still making them.
Johnson Creek Original Smoke Juice -- Made in the U.S.A.
http://www.johnsoncreeksmokejuice.com/
It's good stuff; top quality.
"But they have the same capabilities."
Uh... my desktop and notebook are touchscreen portable tablets???
Wow! Thanks for the heads up!
That whooshing sound you hear is the point the other user made flying over your head.
Yes, the Kenbak-1 is quite obviously "microprocessor-free" -- it predates the microprocessor! :)
I'm not sure what your point is, really. It seems reasonable to me that a newer computers are likely to be more advanced than an older ones.
Crazy foreign revisionist history. Everyone seems to forget the humble Kenbak-1. Play with it here.
Yes, it predates the Micral 8008. It's also American made.
That's Rick Strassman's book. Funny thing about it, not only was his study astonishingly flawed it doesn't even support the conclusions he reaches in his book.
You do know the difference between observation and inference, right?
The content of your ridiculous posts suggests that you don't.
Go do some reading. You've got a loooong way to go.
I see we've found yet another way to screw blind and low-vision users out of content. [This is worse than those youtube videos that are no more than a text only slide show set to crappy music. (To anyone who makes those: I know you're ashamed of your voice, but anything is better than no voice at all and 100x better than your taste in music.)]
I guarantee that this new 3D garbage will not be used in an accessible way. It's bad enough that no one bothers to use the ALT tag properly.
For you mobile web users remember: accessibility issues affect you! This is why most of the sites you visit look like shit, are hard to use, and don't render in a manner best suited to your device.
In addition, even your fancy iPhone isn't going to do real-time ray tracing. This content will not be available to you. Sorry.
Not that it matters -- I predict that like VRML, this won't take off.
It had everything to do with your post. You claimed that AGW was not a fact. I explained to you how it is both a fact and a theory.
Nope. I did not claim AGW was not a fact -- I claimed it wasn't an observed fact. My post clearly explained why.
Work on that reading comprehension. It will serve you well.
Wow, you're a total moron.
Your little fact/theory diatribe had absolutely nothing to do with my post.
Before you pickup that science book, I'd recommend a short course in reading comprehension.
[quote]Well yes, the science is "settled", in that scientists know that the planet is warming, and that human emissions are causing it. These are observed facts.[/quote]
This is why you're not a scientist.
Neither "the planet is warming" nor "human emissions are causing it" are "observed facts". They're conclusions drawn from the available data.
I would recommend that you review an elementary school science text book.
The bottom line is, unlike a netbook, the iPad has many use cases where it is superior to a laptop.
Really? What are they?
Watching movies? I guess you could prop the thing up against a stack of books -- unless you're on an airplane...
Browsing the web? Okay. Until you need to type something or you're in a crowded place or ...
Installing new applications? Yeah, that's tough on a netbook! My wife has a really hard time clicking "Ubuntu Software Center" and selecting a program.
Listening to Music? Totally superior to a $35 Sandisk mp3 player (which actually has an SD card slot) that fits easily into your pocket. You got me there. It would be much more convenient to carry around a significantly larger device. (That is to say, it would be stupid to buy an iPad for this purpose even though it could very well be more convenient than a notebook.)
Managing Music? I don't know if you've noticed, but contrary to popular belief this isn't something apple does very well -- iTunes is great for finding downloading music but a nightmare for managing the same. I'll stick with Amazon for getting music and manage it like I do everything else, thanks. (Believe it or not, most users 'get' basic file management. You know, because they do it all the time. I've found that people are usually amazed at how easy it is to copy music to and from their 'not an iPod' generic mp3 player. They're especially pleased when they find out they can use it in place of their USB Flash drive.)
Managing Pictures? Where do I plug my camera in? Oh, I see. I need to buy an adapter.
Ah, I know!
Reading books! Defiantly better than a notebook, netbook, smart phone, desktop, etc. -- at least for those of us who don't mind reading on a computer screen. Of course, if *this* is the reason you're buying an iPad, you've just spent way too much money.
---
I just don't see any advantage that a tablet like the iPad has. I've used an iphone before, it was certainly fun to play with -- but after the novelty wore off I couldn't get to my blackberry fast enough.
Let's look at the iPad for what it is: an oversized iPod touch that's inconvenient to use as an mp3 player.
It's not going to be good for grandma (who "does email"). It's not going to be good for the college student (who need to do real work, like typing papers. The expensive add-on keyboard just turns it into a netbook -- the thing it's supposed to be superior to.) It's not good for the traveler (it offers no advantage over the netbook for business, and it's awkward for watching movies -- it's just an extra thing to lug around.) It's not good for the casual web user (facebook/email/IM require lots of typing).
Well, you get the idea. Back to my original question -- what good is it? For what purpose is an iPad superior to a netbook? What would you actually *do* with it and how does it excel at those tasks?
Well, there's Brigham Young University
Not Ivy League, but certainly a high-profile school.
There's nothing that theoretically prevents it -
This is a bold statement considering that you can't define intelligence!
I don't buy Searle's argument that a system which operates by symbol manipulation is necessarily unintelligent -
This is likely because you don't understand Searle -- his 'chinese room argument' isn't just hand waving, as is often assumed. The point of his illustration is to show that you can't get semantics from syntax -- and all sensory input is purely syntactic.
but neither is there any indication that it's coming any time soon.
On this we're in complete agreement.
For $3000, I'll make it go up to 12.
Those darn Vulcans never let us do anything! Zefram Cochrane must be turning over in his grave.
That's what got me. How could it possibly replace paper in schools (as noted on their website) if you can't save and electronically transmit the data to the instructor?
Have standards in school dropped so significantly that our students need only a single sheet of paper per day? Are the kids expected to hand-in their pad for grading? Even at 1/8 inch, a stack of 30 pads is a good load for the poor teacher to lug home for grading.
I was hoping this would make a good replacement for my old Casio PV-400 plus. The most-used feature (for me) was the "quick memo" which let you write directly on the screen. The thing was incredibly fast, with the memo screen up and running as quick as pressing the dedicated button. It ran for about 6 months on a set of AAA batteries under heavy use. I ran my life on it for years.
I can easily see a $30 writing pad, with good battery life, and reasonably sized display replacing paper for many applications at work and school -- This toy, unfortunately, just isn't it.
I don't think you've thought this all the way through. In fact, I'm certain you haven't.
It has no buttons and does not use a stylus.
Nope, no buttons at all...
Except the Sleep/Wake button, the volume-control buttons, and the home button.
Intents are a very good idea. Android just does intents in the worst possible way.
Well, that's my whole opinion of Android really. A few really good ideas implemented in an astonishingly poor way.
I see the difference in names:
WC3 - Wankers Creating Crufty Crap
W3C - World Wide Web Consortium
However, the two organizations goals seem to parallel one another.