Comments on: Casual Computing

By: Grover Dill

Grover Dill — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:49:29 +0000

More is not always better from a user standpoint. There are a lot of casual computer users who find conventional desktop operating systems intimidating both to use and correctly maintain. The iPad gives consumers a means of opting out of having to use a much more complicated desktop OS if all they need to do is mess around on the web and use some relatively simple apps. I believe that lots of people will be willing to pay what amounts to a pretty slight markup over netbooks for the added simplicity.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:50:47 +0000

…that does more.

By: badmonsters

badmonsters — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:27:36 +0000

or $299 for a netbook.

By: blurb

blurb — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:58:47 +0000

$999-$1499 MacBook to surf and read email and maybe do some photos or a $499 device to do the same? Also, the $499 device is lighter and has better battery life.

Apple is gonna win big on this device.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:35:37 +0000

People were right about the iPod mini. It was overpriced when you strictly compared price to storage capacity. The iPod mini was a success though because it cost less than the standard iPod; not because Apple had extra special insight into the user experience, but because Apple is usually a smart company and knows that it needs to expand its consumer base in order to make more money. The $150 price difference was huge for the less-affluent consumer base.

In that regard the iPad is the opposite of the iPod mini. Like the iPod mini the size makes it better for certain tasks, even though it doesn’t offer a major change in features. However, the iPad ultimately costs more than other devices running the iPhone OS. This move expands the consumer base toward the affluent consumer, but that group of consumers is much smaller than the opposite consumer group that the iPod mini attracted.

By: Rob Bond

Rob Bond — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:55:05 +0000

Apple depends on people willing to shell out top dollar for shiny sub-par devices.

By: steve-o

steve-o — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:26:47 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQnT0zp8Ya4

That’s the best response to the iPad EVER.

By: badmonsters

badmonsters — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:10:07 +0000

I still don’t really get it, to be honest. This device could have been so much more, but it just seems like they made a big iPod (which granted is still cool, but its nothing new).
The only thing I liked about kindle/nook readers was the e-ink because reading glowing computer screens and small text drives me crazy after awhile.
The only niche it seems to fill is the void the “look at my new toy” that some folks need so they can revel in the stares from strangers on the subway or bus.
I guess I’m just disappointed that this product could have so easily been so much more, but it just seems like Apple barely tried.

By: Grover Dill

Grover Dill — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:28:59 +0000

I appreciate this post. It’s startling to me how many people expected this device to do EVERYTHING for them once it was announced. That is not the way Apple operates. I remember when the first iMacs came out and people were horrified that they got rid of parallel and serial ports in favor of some newfangled thing called USB. People bitched about it at the time, but its hard to believe it was ever actually an issue now.

It’s funny because I totally get this device, but I did not WANT one. I have an iPhone and a Kindle DX and spend 90% of my time in front of a desktop computer anyway. But when my wife, who is a teacher, got home from work and we started talking about this thing, she decided she NEEDED ONE, STAT, OMFG. Her reasoning is that this form factor is perfect for being able to hold like a clipboard and walk around the class entering grades in the school grade system in real time, ie. she won’t have to offload all that data entry to a big batch at the end of the day. She has tried to use use an iPod touch for that purpose in the past, but has been stymied by small screen size and poor wifi performance at her school.

The iPad form factor is going to save her a ton of time at a relatively low cost, and I can’t help but think that there are MANY other use cases where this will be true once people wrap their heads around the implications of this device.

By: christiandersen

christiandersen — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:59:59 +0000

I’ll tell you anecdotally that you’re right on the gender issue. I was a computer programmer, so I like power, but I’m a very pragmatic computer user. Now I mostly surf the web and do some work in Word/Excel. After having an iPod Touch for 2 hours, I turned to my husband and said that it could replace my laptop (which he could have) if only it was the size of a Kindle. I think Apple must have been ease dropping because the iPad has filled exactly that niche!