I've Changed My Mind About The iPad
I got an iPad for our home when the wifi version first came out. I used it for a day and then wrote a post about the iPad on the iPad. I was not very enthusiastic about the device. At the end of the review I said:
Over time it may turn into a mainstream computing platform but I don't think it is there yet and I don't think Apple has the kind of hit on its hands that it had with the iPhone.
Over the past week, I have fallen in love with the thing. And so I am telling you why.
It may be the best email device I have ever owned. It took me a while to warm up the way Gmail is rendered on the iPad and I really miss my Google Labs hacks, but I prefer doing email on the iPad to my two phones and my laptop right now.
Part of it is the fact that I can go out on my terrace with a cup of coffee, a glass of lemonade, or a glass of wine and do email in a relaxed mood. If my wife or kids interrupt me, it's easy to put the thing down and engage in a conversation. The iPad makes using a computer less of a commitment and that has important implications for the way I compute. I like how I feel when I am using the thing.
I also like the way it sits on our kitchen counter and gets used for all sorts of little things. I came home last night and my oldest daughter Jessica was making guacamole and using the iPad to display the recipe. She was getting lemon juice on it and I thought that was so cool. A baptism of sorts.
We use it for our sonos remote, to do crossword puzzles, play games, pull up menus to order in, read techmeme and hacker news, and watch the occasional youtube video. It's replaced our kitchen computer on our kitchen countertop. It's become a member of our family. And when visitors come over, they love to use it. It's great at a party.
Our iPhones, Androids, and Blackberries are our personal devices. We wear them and they are with us everywhere. Our iPad is our family computer in way that the kitchen macbook never was.
I realized that I had become smitten with it yesterday when I was headed to a place I like to grab a cup of coffee and a bite to eat and read alone before work. When I go to this place, I take out my Google phone and read blogs and occasionally do some email. I wanted to take the iPad with me but decided not to so it could stay at home on the kitchen counter. Then I thought seriously about getting another iPad just for me. I'm not going to do that just yet, but the urge is there. I'll probably wait for the first Android tablet and get that for my personal use.
So I've changed my mind about the iPad and tablet computers. In my initial review, I focused on capabilities. And tablets are stuck between the power and utility of the notebook and the size and features of a smartphone. But they also create a middle place in terms of usability. And that is what I missed in my first day with the iPad. It feels less like a computer than any computing device I've owned. It's easy on me in a way that the other devices are not. So I'm now convinced that tablets will have an important place in our homes and our lives.
Comments (Archived):
What you’re describing is exactly the space a netbook has filled in our home. Communal use, instant on, light weight, long battery life etc.Despite all the Mac hardware I already own, I still can’t see buying an iPad. Get me a tegra powered device with a PixelQi screen so that I have a powerful device that is clearly daylight readable. I’m tired of the idea that Apple can dictate what I’m allowed to do with a device I’ve paid good money for…
Isn’t it easy to say I’ll wait and buy a device that doesn’t exist yet? How is Apple dictating what you can do with an iPad?
Am over in Shanghai – left notebook at home for the first time ever. Took a day or two to get 3G up but now with both, It’s just outstanding. Have been doing board slides, spreadsheets, ppt… Everything. I also bought the Apple Bluetooth keyboard. May never buy – or travel with – a laptop again.
The Apple Bluetooth keyboard is the best keyboard I’ve ever used. Can’t put my finger on why but that’s Apple I guess. Like the ipad, just something about the look, feel, and experience that makes it really cool.
Thanks for the reminder, packing the blue tooth keyboard for Hawaii!
“And when visitors come over, they love to use it. It’s great at a party.”Sums up the difference, doesn’t it?So I believe Apple looked at how people could use a socially-oriented computing device – how it would fit into their lives and create new uses that laptops and phones couldn’t serve. They focused (as they do) on the use of it, and not the features (and probably sat smugly when every tech blogger complained at launch about the lack of a camera, flash, and so on…).Would this iPad realization shift your guidance for your portfolio companies? Do they really understand how their products could fit in their users’ lives, or are they trying to build cool features?Good post,B
It’s not too often that you get to say “Told you So” to Fred. So let me rub it in. :Phttp://www.avc.com/a_vc/201…Satish Mummareddy 1 month ago in reply to fredwilsonI agree with you on the fact that the real use cases for any new technology/medium will be discovered in due time and will be appreciated. Same reason I want to know your thoughs on the IPAD in 6 months. Right now the IPAD might be on the eliptical but I want to see where you put it in a few months. Of course you have a great intuition fine tuned by years of experience in being the early adopter but Id like to know if your initial thoughts on the IPAD are your final thoughts. :)I’d also be interested in what uses Josh or Emily or Jessica come up with for the IPAD in a few months. π
i love “i told you so”i’ve made a lot of money listening to others over my own instincts
Maybe that is the reason you “make it a point to use products for a significant time before you invest in a company”??Your first instincts maybe correct a majority of the times but are wrong sometimes. and using the product makes sure that you catch those mistakes early enough to not lose out on an opportunity.You changed your mind on the ipad in a month after using it. Short enough time to still have a shot at a deal. π
After all the positive comments and use suggestions already posted, I would just add one thing that I don’t think is trivial: the product works.Isn’t it funny that the winner of the “Disrupt” competition is a technology that just fixes stuff? That says a lot.
i didn’t see the demo of the winner but TC disrupt did have some impressive startups there IMHO. i thought the ujam thing was pretty amazing IMHO.
Just saying…On a separate note, in reference to other comments, don’t forget that if the iPhone is – to be gracious – holding it’s own against Android, this is with one single carrier that is also the worst by reputation at least. Eventually, this will change.Where I’m going with this is that the mass market – the typical users – don’t really care about “open” or “closed”. People just want a nicely designed product that works well.
I actually think it is funny that while both Google and Apple appear to be competing in the phone market they both seem to be trying to disrupt an entirely different market. Both are working to make smart phones, tablets, etc… more common in our daily life so that they can sell ads and apps against everything we do which is why Apple bought Quattro Wireless and launched iAds and why Google bought AdMob.With the launch of the IPad, Google ad revenues will benefit significantly as more queries are done (perhaps even for “guacamole receipe” and “how to clean lemon juice off my ipad”) at Google.com and more Google Adsense partner sites get visited.
Apple makes money selling hardware. It has always been and will likely always be a device centric company.Google sees hardware as something necessary to access the cloud.
Google goes into hardware to expedite the timeline necessary to remove their strategic obstacles for growth. Go into mobile to increase adoption and control the development to move in a direction that causes third party developers to create apps/sites/tools that are ready to be plugged into their monetization strategy.
Have you noticed the Facebook debacle recently? People care about open/closed, even if they don’t think to frame it that way. http://xkcd.com/743/
YOU care about that. Have you honestly heard any non-technical users say word one about this?What you call a debacle, no-one really cares about much. The comic should really have had both guys in crazy beards with a guy standing to the side continuing to post on Facebook.
Yes, non-technical users are concerned about privacy on Facebook– possibly more so than technical users, since they don’t have the resources to evaluate the stuff they hear. I just was at my college reunion and there were several people there– non-technical users– who don’t use it or use it minimally due to privacy concerns.
Four US Senators: U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), U.S. Senator Mark Begich (D-AK), U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-MN), wrote this open letter to Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/top…I’m sure some of the 6,000+ people backing the Diaspora project this summer are “non-techincal users”: http://www.kickstarter.com/…
sounds like you like tablet computers. crapple is an early mover here, though i’m sure as the market evolves, their short-sighted technology strategy will be exposed for the embarrassing blunder that it is, and the ipad will devolve into being a niche product, overpriced, and widely mocked. we are already seeing this with the iphone — android outsold the iphone in Q1.also, note how fred’s post is all about how fun the ipad is, how casual it is….la la la, so wonderful and happy, so many fond memories, la la la……further proof of how crapple is incapable of making products for serious business uses. even the most productive musicians and designers i know use windows (not that windows is a good product, of course, but illustrates crapple’s inability to make computing devices for serious business users).
“la la la”LOL.
Do you think the android phones would have outsold the iphone if the iphone was available on other Verizon & Sprint?
not sure, though i definitely think it’s possible iphone could have outsold android if they did have deals with verizon and sprint. ultimately, though, apple’s demand for full ownership of product and distribution is going to limit its reach; IMHO they will always be vulnerable until they learn how to work more productively with developers and their ecosystem at large.
Apple will make less profit if VZW sells the iPhone. This will not be offset by increased unit sales.
Do you think Apple would have surpassed MSFT in market cap if it were not for the $425 per handset that AT&T pays them?Most of apple’s PROFIT from the iPhone comes from the subsidy payment. If the iPhone goes to VZW two things happen;1) Sales drop because the handset now costs the consumer $600 instead of $200. Unless Apple decides to go low margin then instead of making $500/handset apple make $100/handset.2) Unit sales will increase (but by 5X? No). But operating expenses also go up because you’ve doubled the number of SKUs, and you need more support people.
My understanding was that all phones were subsidized by the plan. And it was just a matter of how much of the plan the phone manufacturer got.So i was working under the assumption that apple would make somewhere between 300-400, if they had gone to all carriers.
All cell phones are subsidized, I don’t think any other handsets have the size of subsidy the iPhone has.Do your math. You assume Apple would make between $300 and $400 if on all carriers. The handset costs $250 to make. That would put the retail price (before subsidy) at ~$600. In a non exclusive situation the subsidy is likely to be ~$100, so now the price in $500.At a retail price of $500 (instead of $200) how do you think iPhone sales would be effected? You can buy an unsubsidized iPhone right now, I believe it is $700.Apple and AT&T have gotten themselves into a symbiotic relationship. Despite the blog noise I don’t see the iPhone on VZW before LTE goes mainstream and the price model can get reset.
The iPhone subsidy is almost twice that of what any other hardware manufacturer is getting. They get about $200 up front and the balance as a portion of the monthly service bill. That latter part is what no one else gets and it was explicitly tied to exclusivity.
After using Windows for many years in business I now use a Macbook as do quite a few of my colleagues. Works great for business purposes, particularly as more and more computing is done in the browser so the underlying OS is less and less important. So we have a mix of OS X and different windows flavors.
I think the key is having your company transition as well. I know that at my company, we all use windows, and there are 2 people who have a mac and try to do work on those machines, and they have a very very difficult time with so many things–our systems were designed for windows machines. If we were to ever become a multi-platform company (and I really hope we don’t, I strongly dislike crapple products and don’t want to support them), it would become easier for those people, and I’m sure a lot more company employees would start using macs as well.
” I strongly dislike crapple products and don’t want to support them)”May one of the hundreds of thousands of viruses jump up and bite you in your (I am sure very cute) tushie. :-)Seriously, I totally understand your feelings. However, if you get a Mac and run bootcamp, you can totally run all your windows OS, windows programs, windows viruses checkers, etc and still have a better quality hardware Mac sitting underneath. Also, if you ever consider checking out a possibly corrupt web site, you can shift to the mac and brouse the web with out a care. Just a thought,en
Not to nitpick but Apple’s hardware is assembled in the same factories in China by the same workers with the same parts as everyone else’s hardware.
Except they put the “cool” in in Cupertino.You have to hand it to Jobs, the guy is a marketing genius and a real visionary.On a side note, the guy successfully gamed the organ transplant industry to get a liver by using his wealth to dramatically increase his odds of getting a new liver through multiple OPO (organ procurement organizations) listings, eventually getting a new liver in Nashville.Having been diagnosed with an “uncommon islet cell neuroendocrine pancreatic tumor” which metastisized into his liver, he was able to cure the pancreatic tumor which then enabled him to be eligible for a liver transplant.He registered at multiple OPOs and thereby dramatically increased the probability of success.The guy is whip smart and clever in everything he does.
While it may be the same factory and some of the same parts, I have worked in and with companies that make a name brand and a side brand version of the same product. And yes they were made by the same people…….. BUT.Many times a company will specify better reliability parts, also more detailed testing and burn-in requirements. They can also require more detailed inspections so that they get the “better” quality part and the cheaper buyer gets a functional but less quality part.Samsung makes good products but my flat screen tv died one year (and after the coverage was over) after I bought it. THe repair man had exactly the right caps to repair the unit. The original parts were rated for 10 volts in a 15 volt circuit and he replaced them with 25 volt rated parts. The tvs must break so much that the techs know what to carry in advance. Did the factory even respond…… nope. Just buy another tv…. :-(I have used both Apple and Pcs over the years and both break down. But Apple has jumped in and repaired their computers long after other vendors would forget about me.I just see more quality in the build, the design and the service. Just a thought. en
Having the company transition has not been important Roughly 25% of a 25 person company use Mac. Outside of the occasional networking issue, no big deal. I’m not sure what you mean by “our systems were designed for windows machines”. if you mean proprietary software that’s one thing, but file and print sharing work fine and after that it seems to me to be user preference. Plus Mac can always run vmware/parallels.
Kid, I’ve seen a lot of top designers and musicians use Crapples. Pretty much exclusively actually. I’ll agree with you on the enterprise and business front, but not the creative arts front.PS: I blame you for the Phillies scoring precisely 0 runs in this Mets series.
“further proof of how crapple is incapable of making products for serious business uses.”Well then it’s a good thing they’re not marketing the iPad as a serious business machine. Go find a press release from Apple saying that corporations should replace all their business computers with iPads. Apple *knows* these aren’t serious business machines, and that’s why they’re targeting the media consumer in their advertising.Time will tell what becomes of the iPad, and you may be right, it may fade into obscurity or ridicule. But you can’t say it’s because Apple doesn’t know how to make a serious business machine with this device clearly isn’t supposed to be.
my comment that they’ve never made a serious business machine is not inreference to just the ipad, it is with *all* crapple products. mostbusinesses still need windows because of the downloadable software era –while things are moving to the browser i still need to download lots oflittle software apps, as do many others. as for phones, lol, blackberry isfor serious business users, iphone is for children who want toys. same holdseven more true for ipod and itouch. as for the tablet, guaranteed when theandroid tablet comes out it is better for those focused on bottom lineproductivity. probably won’t be as good for watching disney movies though.
Wow, it’s a good thing you know so much that you can speak for every business on the planet. Yeah, there are definitely no businesses out there using Macs. None. Not even Google – oh wait, yeah, they just announced they’re booting MS out of the office.You’re a fking idiot if you really think that Macs aren’t capable in the business world. I granted you iPad, I will not do the same for Mac. As for iPhone, the numbers speak for themselves. They may not be as high as Blackberry, but they’ve been in existence far less time. They’ve been making massive inroads, despite your idiocy in proclaiming them “toys”.
lol….oh boy, it’s getting wild and festive in here…..for the record i would like to declare myself the winner of this beef, on grounds that my opponent has directed personal insults at me, calling me an idiot. but even though i’ve already won this beef on grounds of disqualifying conduct i’d like to make a few points to emphasize what i am saying:1. many businesses still need software that does not run on macs. hence, PCs continue to dominate in business offices. 2. iphone is no match for blackberry for business users (for whom ease of typing is an extremely high priority). iphone is clearly not a business/productivity tool; not the right apps and no keyboard. high sales does not mean it is a business tool, in this case it simply means there is a large percentage of children who do not make productivity a priority. also, android outsold iphone in Q1 — surely a sign of things to come. crapple fanboys should prepare for embarrassment. because this time, when crapple falls, they won’t be getting back up.
If being called an idiot made one right automatically, Sarah Palin would be President and Supreme Overlord of the Universe by now. You’re still wrong. And you’re still an idiot.But I love how you use one quarters’ worth of sales to declare the iPhone dead. Especially considering Android is an OS, not a phone. Android will continue to outsell iPhone from this point onward because it’ll be on *every other phone being sold* (except for the obvious, like Blackberry or whatever weak unit Microsoft is toying with). Sheer volume alone will ensure that iPhone remains a minority unit, which is just fine by me – I like Apple better when they’re not dominating a niche anyway… not that they ever have.
you continue to misinterpret what i say, yet another indication i have definitively won this beef. i did not say the iphone was dead. i said crapple has no enterprise presence and cannot get one because they do not make products that cater to the needs of enterprise customers. i then noted their embarrasing lack of a presence in the enterprise market for mobile phones.yes, iphone will be a niche product. just as i said earlier. thank you for agreeing with me, and in doing so implicitly conceding that i have in fact won this beef.
I like it for all the use cases you mentioned except email. I can’t type on it at all. Half of the time i hit the space bar I end up hitting v, n, or b instead.
Fred – I really agree with this take. I had a similar reaction to the iPad at first, posted thoughts similar to yours (with a link to your post, as a matter of fact) and since then I have warmed up to the device exactly as you describe.http://www.ithinkthisworldi…E-mail on the thing is terrific, I’ve also enjoyed reading books on it and the document management capabilities are far better than I initially observed – iPad version of Dropbox really helped. I did wind up lugging my Macbook on the business trip I mention in my post, but only used it to Skype chat with the family… absent that it could easily have been an iPad-only trip, as I assume many others will be.
What’s its utility at a party?Also….yours is just wifi, right? Do you wish it was 3G or is wifi plenty?So many questions!
It’s a great party piece in itself… a recent one I went to was a bit of a melee with everyone wanting to take a turn playing with it and the thing didn’t get put back on the coffee table all evening!
showing stuff on the web
“But they also create a middle place…” Interesting. Sounds a bit like what Schultz tried (& accomplished) w/ Starbucks. He created a “3rd place”. Work, Home… & Starbucks. Laptop is “work”, Mobile is “home” & the iPad is… well you get the point. The way you speak about the iPad in this post actually reminds me of how people 1st spoke about Starbucks.
I don’t have one yet but just before it came out I was looking at our coffee table and I realized it could and would replace just about everything on it. When you add in other stuff – controlling temp in your home, integrating it with netflix or boxee, it just seems to me that they’ll become the central nervous system of the home. The uses for businesses and schools are pretty cool too … but I bet a lot of people come to think about these the same way you are.
Aieeeeee!Loved the iPad when I first played with it in an Apple store and could see utility for business and travel as well as home use, but have resolutely avoided buying one until the 2nd generation comes out. My theory was 2nd gen Apple products always have nice upgrades that would be useful to me, so still trying to resist the temptation…
I’m totally with you. I’ve been telling people that I’m waiting for the 3GS version of the iPad – which is the point at which I jumped on the iPhone because I felt that it had evolved into the unit I wanted it to be. The iPad as it is now is really nice, but we *know* what’s coming down the road. Two years and two versions later, the iPad will have 90% of everything that people are currently wishing it had. I can go that long without one.
I wonder if the iPad let you do a part of the work in a more relaxed way, or will it turn to be another bite of the work in our always shrinking free time slice? because it’s easier to sneak it in rather than going and sitting in front of the computer?
BTW, the iPad license agreement forbid to drink wine while using it. It hurts the user experience.Please see section 10.2.1 π
i like to break apple’s rulesonce i get the machine, its mine, not theirs
To summarize this comment… Apple is an early mover. In your opinion the product is a blunder, but we don’t know that yet, and the iPhone proves this. Fred (who has a good memory and hums show tunes on his terrace) is happy with the iPad and that means the iPad can’t be used for business. Your friends (the most productive ones) use windows to compose music and design, which is a damning indictment if the iPads suitability for deployment among serious business users (who presumably work in music and design, and do not hum or have fine memories).
grudgingly – this is the conceptual genius of Jobs – to see it being incorporated despite the initial public backlash
The backlash wasn’t from the public but from some of the boisterous technorati. Who frankly should have known better.
on sunday at the disrupt hackathon there were hundreds of developers working on their laptops with dozens having an iPad on their desks too. None actually working on them, just having them on their desks as a kind of geek trophy (we know the iPad is impotent when it comes to coding) -this reconfirmed by general negative thoughts about it.But then over the 3 day conference I saw literally hundreds of people sitting using the iPad as their sole computing device all day long- emailing/browsing/IM – it just looked so natural and comfortable for them. Laptops have already been discarded by early adopters in lieu of iPad’sNeedless to say, iPads are completely sold out in NYC and I’m going to be screwed into paying GBP prices for one on my return to London!
I have found that the fastest way to get an iPad in NYC is to reserve one in a store (if you have a couple of days before going back). Stores get fresh shipments almost every day and will put aside reserved iPads for that day. Apple emails you – and you go and pick one up. I did this a couple of times already and it was very fast and convenient. Definitely faster than waiting for one to arrive from apple’s online store.
The 3G version is a real game changer. When traveling only take my iPad now and leave the laptop home. The battery life for me is the most important thing. My MacBook Pro gets 3-4 hours. I have never run out during the day with the iPad, 8 hours or more. Just started reading books on it and love the experience.
Curious: you reading books in Kindle app or iBooks or both?
I use both. Apple’s book store does not have as large a selection as Amazon, so Apple has lost a number of sales to me. It seems that Apple’s bookstore is more of a Walmart approach, whereas Amazon has all of the books I am interested in.
I am quite surprised it took you this long. The iPad was always a game changer because of the “experience” it delivers. It was never about what functionality was missing. In Australia it comes out tomorrow. I can’t wait…
some things take me a long time to grok
We’ve had exactly the same type of family experiences. The lightness of the device, the instant on from sleep, and the comfort in using it (with the case), encourage (or don’t inhibit) usage. So ours has been in pretty heavy rotation and used in places where we wouldn’t have used a laptop. The only additional thing I would note is that it makes a great car computer. For playing videos or games on a road trip it’s a nice form factor.At the risk of beating a dead horse since I’ve mentioned this on previous posts, the shareability you describe points to the one OS deficiency imo — lack of user accounts. While the Gmail iPad app is great, ideally I’d like to be able to pull mail into the Mail app, but already set that up for my wife. Or use my own set of bookmarks, etc. I don’t know if Apple thought it was going to be more of a personal device and less of a shared device, or if the lack of accounts is a marketing strategy to drive more sales, but having user accounts would be a nice plus.I posted elsewhere a reply to Kid’s posting on using Apple stuff in a business setting. While I like my Macbook there, I don’t see a great usage for the iPad in the business. When I’m working in the office I like to work on giant screen(s) and frequently multitask… and while it would be good on a business trip, the Macbook works just great as well.
Fred- I’m quite curious why i) your iPad is the family computer when the kitchen laptop was not? and also ii) why the iPad is better then a laptop for the glass of wine on the deck? Is the weight, the portability, the speed to “on”? Personally, lack of print capability is a deal killer for me for now.
it is the form factorit’s just easyi can’t really explain ityou have to experience it
The idea that a netbook competes with iPad is completely insane to those who have used both. You have to be taking a very superficial viewpoint to think that the iPad will not be a hit.
So how do you deal with the lack of user accounts? Can your whole family read your email? Or get into your Facebook account? I use AirVideo on my iPod Touch and wouldn’t want my entire video library available to the whole family (for obvious reasons). How do you deal with these issues?Lack of user accounts is the one thing stopping me from getting one of these for general home use.
Gmail – login logout?
too cumbersome, and kinda defeats the “instant on” argument.
When it gets multiple accounts – you’ll have to login
one login automatically opens all accounts – email/facebook/etc. as opposed to having to log in and remember to log out of each service.
we log out of web appsbut that’s how we used our kitchen macbook too which did have accounts
The fact that it’s less of a commitment to use is something that has been pointed out by a lot of people. It’s not a “feature” and yet it might be the most significant thing.That being said, I find it very interesting that what struck you about it is that it makes it easier to do email, because a) you may be the person I know, along with a couple other VCs, who gets the most email and b) you’re not a fan of touchscreen keyboards in general. I’ve always thought email was the iPad’s weak point, because the touchscreen would, I thought, make it harder to do email. That was my main “block” to using it as I do a ton of email as well and really need to be able to type fast. But that endorsement of email on iPad coming from you might change the way I look at it.Very interesting.
i’ll be back later after I install a wall full of ipad photos. I’m just wondering if this is a good omen or a bad one…i know it is a consumer good, and yet i keep thinking-don’t consumers do stuff after a while? Or won’t they want to? Not that pad form is bad, (I’m fine with it) I just wonder when the limitations will catch up with them-or is this just a sign of how consumer we are that what we do and make that we don’t need that sort of stuff in computing. In that case:(I like it when people make stuff…
Fred,I have had exactly the same experience. At a recent technical conference I went a week without actually opening up my laptop – iPad email, twitter, web, and IM for 10 hours a day.My one “mistake” was buying the iPad for my family use and now I cannot get it out of the clutches of my wife, and older kids (7 and 5 year olds). I do see how tablet makers will really have to figure out multiple accounts/parental controls that are built into OS and into Apps via OS-level SDK.However, while I originally planned to get 2 or 3 of them for home use, I have decided to wait and see whether we cannot share this one in the home, and what next version of iPad and new tablets will look like. Call it a “lean house-startup” :)Finally, one of my use cases was for a college student to be able to take it along and record lectures (long battery life!) while taking notes and looking things up on the web when in library/study session. Turns – perfect device for that too.
Is there an app that lets you record audio and key it to the text that you’ve entered? When reviewing, instead of having to listen to all the audio, you could scan the notes and click on a note to start audio from that point.
Yes it’s called “soundpaper” – haven’t tried it but reviews seem to be positive.
I do not have one, but I did read about one in Pogue column, I think,in NYTimes. I was going to look into that. There are definitely appsthat do this, although how good/amazing they are I am not sure as Ihave not tried them yet.It is a great feature for meetings.- SF
Android tablet on board! Acer shows 7-inch Android tablet, e-readers and 720p phone http://bit.ly/ab8Oqp
A nice articulation of why I’m bullish on the iPad.That said: I’ve always thought my lifestyle was not suited to one (so I haven’t purchased it yet). I feel like the iPad thrives in family / couple environments that involve couches. For the single young geek (that doesn’t have long train rides or spend much time on airplanes), it’s very much a luxury device. I think Kortina just returned his on similar grounds.Also–I like the baptism with lemon juice. But iPhones and iPads are great with the full body condom of a clear plastic bag in the kitchen.
I’m in the same boat…I go to the city about once a week for various meetings and I’ve switched from lugging a laptop along to just bringing the iPad (btw, I got to briefly meet Albert yesterday at ‘Out of the Kitchen’ when I was just starting one such meeting, always amazed at who you run into at random spots in the city!)…anyway, I find the iPad is perfect for casual meetings where you just need to pull up some quick web pages or jot down some short notes…When I’m not using it for meetings or demos, I find it’s also a great little TV (netflix on iPad is awesome!) and the kids REALLY love it (the games don’t hurt their interest either!).We keep finding new uses for it all the time as well…
The modern woman:Wake up, get dressed, put your face on,
Apple completely nailed the device that I wanted: the computer that starts to let me forget that it’s “a computer” and take it for granted as an appliance that’s just there and useful.This is how I described what I hoped the iPad would be last summer:”What I think this could be is the absurd, decadent device that I dearly want: it could be the computer that sits on the kitchen counter to look up recipes, gets carried over to the sofa so that IMDB can quickly settle an argument, moves to the dining room table for a quick email checkβ¦the computer that sits around the house and elegantly takes care of all the dumb little stuff that we now take for granted.” (From here: http://bit.ly/9uJyU0)
can you predict some more things for me whitney?that was damn good
Totally agreed. Bought my second one so the first can stay on the kitchen counter. Game, industry and lifestyle changing.
I love the fact that you have (had) a kitchen computer! I’ve only just used to the microwave….!Having said that, my favourite thing at the moment is watching BBC iPlayer through my TV via the Wii. It makes the Wii a games console that my wife can appreciate and makes watching stuff from the internet much more accessible and family friendly.Be interesting to see how Google TV takes off.
While I agree with the usage of the iPad and its capabilities, the direct phrase “It’s become a member of our family.” is a little bit extreme. I would never use that phrasing for an electronic machine.
I agree and use it almost exactly the same way. AAPL needs to embrace that this is often a shared/family device and reflect that in Itunes, email profiles, etc…TUAW did an article on this: http://bit.ly/b7lia1
still, i’ll wait for an iPadMacbook to change my mind…
I had many of the same concerns as you – how could it be used if one already has all the other devices – glad that you found a common ground – family. I guess each of us will find our own sweet spot for the device.
There is a GooglePad in development (I came up with the idea for the GooglePad in 2004 and told them to make one :-), as well Notion Ink’s Adam is going to be really amazing. The iPad is just one of many great devices that will be tablet based. My thought is, the iPad is a great device, even though I have little use for it right now. I spend most of my time on a laptop, yet I see the tablet would work great as a control device. Interestingly, people are installing them in their kitchens and cars, and not even using them as a portable device.
for sure
Lemon juice has no place in guacamole.
Well, if there’s no lime juice around, it does.
OMG, Fred!You can literally get arrested in Texas for putting lemon juice in guacamole. On the third offense, I think you get deported to Kansas.Let’s nip this practice in the damn bud.This would never have happened when Bush was President.
it probably wouldn’t have happened when bush was president, but 9/11 being an inside job would.
In Arizona, you can get deported if your lemon can’t show ID, either. π
Shana, where are you? If, yesterday, you were snickering because they were discussing fashion, today, it’s recipes!
Having a bad day…if you must know…(last critiques, and it didn’t go well, but I graduated)Trying to decide what my life will be like next…probably work, then my own company…or work company? or go back to school? I dunno…part of me wants to reboot life for a bit…
Remember, there has never been a worldwide shortage of critics. Endure and flourish. There are many things in life that victory is just being on your feet at the end.
:)I know. College was extremely difficult for me emotionally, it’s an extremely long story as to why: However, I’m really glad I chose there to lean that lesson, and that i learned it early (rather than later in life). Truthfully, I’m a tad burnt out ,. and could use a long week of vacation. If I were to continue doing art (which I doubt I would do professionally, however, you never know where life takes you) I think I would need me time and a lot more practice for what I want to do. (Basically the equivalent of an engineering degree, and even then…)Though I can say, this place did teach me how to stand at the end emotionally. The most painful and exhausting lesson I ever learned: Still learning parts of it. We’ll see what happens next. I’m looking forward to next…(It’s a good school though)
+1
:)I know. College was extremely difficult for me emotionally Truthfully, I’ma tad burnt out and I switched mediums. If I were to continue doing this(which I doubt I would do professionally, however, you never know where lifetakes you) I think I would need me time and a lot more practice for what Iwant to do. (Basically the equivalent of an engineering degree, and eventhen…)Though I can say, this place did teach me how to stand at the endemotionally. The most painful and exhausting lesson I ever learned: Stilllearning parts of it. We’ll see what happens next.(It’s a good school though)
Sorry about the critiques, but major congratulations on the graduation. How much longer are you in Chicago? I’m there next week but pretty slammed with meetings and reports. Shana, with your brains, multifaceted talents and heart, you are going to do great things. More on this later. For the moment, I have an insane amount of work to get done.
I flew back nearly immediately. beyond a few close friends (most of whom are moving on, and hi everyone!!!)I hope I get a world of stuff done. Who knows though? It’s extremely interesting watching people my own age, everyone striking out on their own paths…you’ll see this soon too!Thank you.
YAY Shayna!!!! Congrats!!!!
Until very early sunday morning. Redeye….
congratulate on your graduation shananow the fun part starts
Thank you. I sent an email to reply to this- but disqus is having problems. I’m definitely hoping it is fun. I went to a college famous for having a t-shirt that says”Where fun comes to die”So the new plan is to do fun things. A different sort of learning process. After I take a long nap.
Thanks-We have a famous shirt here”Where fun comes to die”I need a change- I love that shirt, but I think I need to start havingfun…
I think structured education is mostly designed to be critical if you’re in a funnel that’s trying to drive creation and innovation. You’ll only think more when you have a reason to. Otherwise it’s boredom, which some people are okay with. Hang in there though, and don’t worry about what others say or you reputation. Worry about your character and how you react to the situation. π
π Thank you.This is going to sound like a strange comment- being here was a huge learning exeperience for me, and probably the #1 reason I stuck around. I never really liked traditional schooling past a certain point in my life, although I saw its benefit. I sort of outgrew it.I really question, after doing both at the same time, the long term need of certain kinds of college experiences. I definitely had some amazing learning experiences, however when we talk about “this is how to get a job” and its relationship to college, I’m often to this day surprised at the absolute non-correlation.My friends in college definitely did help me start learning to code (among with some people here, and some external friends)- but it had very little to do with what I was learning. Same with a good deal about economics (one class, and I took to textbooks), or a whole slew of other subjects. I’m sort of worried if this is a) a good thing or b) the fact that I am seeing a rising population of students who are gaming the system and are trying to use college and specific majors and schools to land in specific jobs (not my report, my old resident head who teaches a writing class)It creates a huge question: What is the purpose of education, and knowing what is it, how do we educate around it?
Work/start a company is my bet. But life’s an adventure, it may surprise you. Hope you feel better, and graduating is what mattered, gratz!
Thanks. Currently it is find job, learn ruby, launch website for fun. (which does have a purpose…mostly learning, but I realized I have a problem and that lots of people share my problems, hence if I learn ruby and then rails to solve said problem, i should be ok, and maybe other people will be too…)
You may wish to start with Sinatra instead of Rails. It’s leaner and simpler for beginning web apps (I may prefer it, just started using it a couple of weeks back).Great choice of language btw, I <3 Ruby, just wish it could crunch numbers faster π
oopsit was lime juiceis that any better?
Much better.But I’ve put- known other people who’ve used lemon juice before and it turned out pretty good still. π
Still waiting for my moment of epiphany with the iPad. I bought it on the first day but have probably only used it 4 hours total. I find it too heavy and cumbersome to hold for long periods of time, I don’t want to lug it around the city to cafes, etc., and I find that position of sitting in front of my kitchen or home office iMac gets me in a more productive frame of mind and ergonomic position to get work done. I also have my iPhone with me most everywhere I go so checking and responding quickly to emails or reading Twitter updates is just more immediate and convenient with a pocketable device.Where the iPad does work for me is for relaxed Web surfing, out on the patio (though the reflective glare almost makes the iPad unusable during the day) and for HD games. Everytime I pass by the iPad at home I feel guilt and shame for not loving it as much as I am told I should.
Just the simple fact that you can instantly turn it on, pull up a Web page, and then hand it to someone makes it a revolutionary device. The insane battery life helps, too.I enjoy using my iPod Touch, but it’s mostly a “lean-in” device because of the smaller screen. But I could see an 8-inch tablet being a good compromise between the Touch and the iPad.Like the Touch, I use the iPad mostly in the landscape orientation, and what I hear from others, they do too. I’m surprised that Apple designed their keyboard dock for portrait mode.
no way – you can view recipes on it in the kitchen? AWESOME. And you can just put it away when something comes up on the terrace while sipping wine? Incredible?how have lived with only a laptop up until now?
SIlly person. I’d never use my laptop in the kitchen- did you not read the part about Jessica splashing lemon juice on it? Now, consider the keyboard on your laptop. And yes, you can sit outside and do email, but Fred’s saying the feel of doing that on the ipad is different, more casual, less task oriented on the iPad.Read next time before you hit Post.
You should also use this nifty fanboy product: http://www.usscreeningsourc…
i use a thinpad x301. it does not weight much more then the ipad. it’s anout 1,3kg. and the keyboard is water(or even lemonade proof) and i can do shitloads of things more then with an ipad. i still dont know where for it is apart from showing it around and use it heavily in public that everyone can see “uuuuuuhhhh he’s got an ipad”
A little bit of sarcasm detected here!P.S. Your laptop, if you’re a guy, is reducing your sperm count (from the heat). Just saying..
The iPad has an “IT” factor. One that can’t really be described in processor speed, RAM, resolution, features, etc. “IT” just feels right, fun, and easy. Don’t over think it, just have fun using it.It’s the only “computer” I know of that I love (as a techy), my fiance loves (and a definite non-techy), my mom at 73 uses are her sole computer, and my nephews and nieces can’t get enough of. A device that can span that many users, and that many user preferences and still feel perfectly right, unique, and thoroughly engaging to all of them is a pretty damn fine piece of tech.
I live in Colombia, and one thing that keeps surprising me is that I see heaps of RIM devices here. Everyone seems to have a BlackBerry. Very few iPhones. The only explanation I can come up with is price. That, and the fact that Android hasn’t penetrated the market yet, although I start to see it advertised here. So while the iPad is a fantastic device, incredible UX, they won’t drop in price much (if they would they’d start competing with the iPod Touch etc.). Which means that most of the world will end up using Android tablets.I’m betting on Android, then.
me too
“Over time it may turn into a mainstream computing platform “The iPad is not intended to be a computing platform. It is intended to be a media consumption platform. That’s how your daughter was using it. demonstrating that this is a far larger market.
I think you missed the part where he said it was his favorite email device.Those mistaking it for a consumption device are, well, mistaken. They simply cannot see the ways in which is might be BETTER for some non-conumption tasks.
got one the day it came out, and completely agree. didn’t know what to ‘do’ with it for a few weeks, but now, use it for both email and workouts and cooking. walked into my overstuffed media room and realized everything (books, music, dvds) could all be swallowed up by this one (relatively) little device.
Based on my experience at home, the iPad is a social device meant to be passed around. I have shared more content with my wife with the iPad than ever before. Apart from email, it is a great News and Twitter device too.The apps are not there yet in terms of creating content beyond email and tweets. I hope they get there soon so we can use the iPad for more than just consuming content.
I’ll get one when it runs Emacs (ie never).http://jjinux.blogspot.com/…The iPad is not really a computer, it’s an appliance. (unless you jailbreak it)
Have you seen the HP TouchSmart Tm2-1070us? Install Linux on that bad-boy and you’re ready to rock. π
Maybe that’s why so many non-geeks love the iPad. They’ve had “real computers” for decades, and are tired of the hassles they bring.
as i get older, I find I’m joining a small minority that despite the hassles wants to dig deeper. I don’t know why that is.they are huge hassles. I also admit to wanting to smash mine at times. but…..
The day everything is on devices and in the cloud, and tech types have to go through Apple and Google to create an app and get paid, they will yearn for the day when benevolent Microsoft was setting standards.
Good thing that day will never come. Apple does not want to rid the world of traditional computers. No one does.
According to Steve Jobs, we’re in the post-PC era, and cross-platform development tools are evil – http://www.apple.com/hotnew…I’m sure someone must have said no one wants to rid the world of mainframes… paradigm shift happens._________________________________________________________________The New Busy is not the old busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox.http://www.windowslive.com/…
When the iPad first came out I wanted to wall mount it in out kitchen. My wife uses her laptop for recipes, which is always a disaster waiting to happen.The pad & touchscreen is such a versatile form factor for so many occupations that are enhanced by real time information. Although, this form factor has been around prior to the iPad. A friend of my worked as a pharmacist in a Manhattan a neonatal icu and she has been using a swivel touch screen laptop for years. For instance, the HP TouchSmart Tm2-1070us.
“Two of mankind’s greatest inventions, together at last.”See http://vimeo.com/11886557
That’s awesome.
I’ve been talking to a bunch of doctors recently and they are totally fired up about what they will be able to do w iPad and what they in the very near future can do w iPhone (access patients records, email scripts, etc).
Still torn between WiFi only and 3G … Have to believe that after reading about how you and others are using your, maybe WiFi would be sufficient. Oh, and if I buy one, I will almost certainly have to buy two to prevent squabbling!
Yea right. Console yourself for spending the amount you did mate. The best gadgets you can have are a computer and a smart phone period! As the old saying goes, “3 is a crowd”
Same experience for me too. Using an ipad is undeniably cool and after the first few minutes of usage any early hesitations I had about the device were totally gone. That said, I don’t see my 13″ MacBook Pro as being inadequate for any of the ways I would use an ipad. At the moment I don’t have any particular use case where I would prefer/need an ipad over my MacBook.
“I can go out on my terrace with a cup of coffee, a glass of lemonade, or a glass of wine and do email in a relaxed mood.”That nails the reason why I like the iPad. When I come home from work, I want to catch up on news/sports/blogs/etc, but I don’t want to feel like I’m working.Most of the positive reviews of the iPad seem to center around what a versatile family device it is. This is great for family apps such as Sonos, but I wonder if the iPad is friendly to multiple accounts on a single machine. For example, can it easily switch between GMail accounts? To Last.FM listens go to a single account? As more people share a single device, it will be important to support multiple user profiles.
My ipad has merged itself into my life in a way I never expected. It is to the point where it has really cannibalized the utility of my iphone, almost to the point of questioning if I need and an iphone (not phone in general). I ordered the wifi version and decided to upgrade to the 3g last week. The iphone used to be my second brain, the ipad is now my second brain and one that is a great edutainment device for my daughter (one that her little fingers can actually use well).
This convergence is pretty obvious. I wonder if Apple is troubled by the obvious implication of an iPad/iPhone w/ a Bluetooth ear piece.iPad, iPhone, iTunes, computer, network device, entertainment delivery, DVD player, PDA, GPS, bookreader, TV — it’s all coming together and the convergence is a beautiful thing to see.I wonder if Apple thinks of the iPad/iPhone as cannabilizing the iPhone. Sales are sales after all.
>I wonder if Apple thinks of the iPad/iPhone as cannabilizing the iPhone. Sales are sales after all.I have to believe they do only because I think there are surely a lot of early ipad adopters who are voicing the same opinion as me in a world where a basic phone can be acquired for pretty much nothing, but a net only 3G connection from AT&T is only $30 (compared to $50+ for iphone).I am eager to see if Sprint/Froyo OS wifi hotspot phones start eating into the 3G ipad model sales. I currently have an iphone (which can’t tether) and ipad (wifi) and a laptop with Clear. If I can buy an android phone with wifi and use the wifi htospot with with ipad/laptop, no need for iphone (and its plan) nor Clear/WiMax at that point (assuming coverage is good).Will be an interesting next 2-3 years in the number of “connection points” people have/relinquish.
“Our iPhones, Androids, and Blackberries are our personal devices. We wear them and they are with us everywhere. Our iPad is our family computer in way that the kitchen macbook never was.”This difference makes me think of the iPad as that other great technological marvel that once was the shared gathering place for the family: the TV. That, plus many of the other comments in the thread about being on the coffee table, being shared at parties, and, of course, the fact that it simply works. Much like the TV, most people (this community excluded, perhaps) don’t give a damn HOW it works, they just love the fact that they turn it on, and it does.
we don’t hover around each other on the iPadit’s a personal device that can be used by everyone
Families have gathered around a flame since time immemorial. Cavemen had the campfire. Soonafter the hearth. Then the TV.Now the iPad?
I have also come around with the iPad. At first I had reservations of what it was actually capable of and the ridiculous price points set to it. Now I really want one and will grudgingly accept the restricted possibilities.
The $499 base price seems pretty reasonable to me for an Apple product. Their stuff has never been the cheapest thing in the store.
I’m seeing more and more iPads left laying about in offices now – they are a kind of “guest terminal” – handy.
I wonder if iPads laying about will become an easy thing to steal. There isn’t any way to physically lock it like a laptop is there?
Custom: http://tweetphoto.com/17133839
Joe, you obviously do not have or have never had any teenagers.Your teenage children will go out — often to establishments that serve alcohol though they may only be drinking pop since they may not be of drinking age — and DONATE their phones and laptops and digital cameras and now, surely, their iPads to complete strangers.Believe me, I know.Why?Because they are teenagers and they think they have an unlimited refreshable supply of such implements because they can tell their Mommies — somebody stole them.
oh man, that is so true JLMi’ve donated dozens of devices to the world that way
devices like these should all be remotely brickable to make them useless if they are stolen, decreasing the incentive to steal it in the first place. the ipad can be remotely wiped through mobile me, but afaik can’t be bricked.
Great at a party and good in the kitchen. I think I’m in love, too.
That sounds exactly like the advice my Dad gave me about luring a wife.Good in the kitchen and great in bed.Ooops, sorry.
It’s much better for your marriage if you contract out the cooking rather than the sex.
As a working wife and mother I will say this.Similarly to analyzing outsourcing, there are core strategic activities that are tied to the person; and medium and non-essentials that are independent of the person.Sex and birthday parties are among the core essentials that no one else should ever do. I’d include a few family dinners a week, regardless of who cooked it. You can’t substitute for being together. And your kids need to have their friends know who you are, so being present in the children’s school community in a way you can handle.Many other things can be ‘delivered’ in a variety of ways, by outsiders. I do not need to scrub my bathtub if I can afford for someone else to. Really bad use of my time.The key to happiness is figuring out what is core and being committed to them and excellent at them (including sex!). And having no guilt about outsourcing the rest.
Oh c’mon JLM have some standards.She should be great in the kitchen AND great in bed.And easy on the eyes, but secretly, very smart.That’s what my mama taught me, anyway.
Get a room!!!!!
Damn it Fred….I’d convinced myself that I didn’t want one even though as an iPhone fanboi I knew it would appeal to me…now you come along and make me want one again….What does Gotham Gal think of it? Does she give it the thumbs up? could be a deciding factor if I think Mrs F will accept another gadget into the household.
gotham is not as smitten with it as our kids
I finally went and used jailbreak on my iPad this weekend and it now can do backround applications and has made my experience even better.
can you send me a link to how to do that?
Sorry it took me so long to respond, but I just got the notification in my e-mail now.Here is the link:http://spiritjb.com/When you get that taken care of just go to the cydia link that is put in one of your pages and got the featured packages tab and then free extensions and get Backrounder…..You can also so find the Wi_fi Sync app that Apple rejected here under the networking tab in sections. Haven’t tried it yet myself.Any questions, send me an e-mail.
Fred,How do you think your usage / feelings would change with the 3G model? Do you enjoy the limitations of the WiFi or is that more negative than positive?
the next pad i am getting (probably android) will have 3g
I think Apple has done something which is pretty interesting.They have produced a line of products which clearly benefits from the appeal of “high” industrial design a la Bosch, BMW and others. They have made seemingly utilitarian products attractive and have created a sense of “industrial cool”. They have captured our imagination.Face it, the finger flick puts everybody into the “hey, look at me, I’m a tech whiz” mode. It is simply a positive vibe to touch the screen, flick the finger and get what you want. In some ways, it really is “giving the finger” to the whole world.Apple has become a cult like force in the marketplace based upon its cool. It has created brand loyalty to a series of products which are produced in the same Chinese factories that everybody else is using — figuratively speaking, mind you.Apple has also been pretty insightful as to where their physical operating system is going to pick the low hanging fruit of actual consumer use — e-mail, entertainment, web surfing — as Fred indicates all the things you can do with a cup of coffee or wine in your hand on your deck.Apple has developed a product which is just cooler — by a very great margin — and which is now really a luxury consumer piece of jewelry.I love that they are whipping the marketplace with their brains and it is a fabulous example of personal leadership on the part of Jobs.A unique American success story.
Agreed.Take it one step further. Think of the Minority Report/Iron Man style interactions with computers. Wave your hands in the air, work with 3D models floating in front of you. There is something *very* “I’m a tech whiz” about applications like that. The touch screen is preparing us for that kind of experience. I’m 35 – I have no doubt we’ll see it in my lifetime.
I am old enough to have been in business before the invention of PCs. I bought the first Apple IIC ever used in the real estate business in Austin, TX. I wish I had had the wisdom to hang onto the damn thing.I do have a 64K x 64K floppy disk laptop. It is a relic.I have already experienced that phenomenon and it is virtually impossible to remember what it was like before.
A friend and I wrote a Sci fi table top rpg set in the far future when we were in college. One of the devices was a portable hand held tablet like networked computer, nick named “Globals”. Everyone had them and used them for communication, search, and financial transactions.We both purchased original iPhones the day the were released 8-9 years later.
Microsoft did it last year with Natal. An Israeli startup is competing with a gesture platform as well.It was cool seeing the 2006 interview Robert Scoble did of the Microsoft motion tracking tech. It’s the second Google result down if you search: scobleizer microsoft gesturecan’t cut and paste the link π
yes, but I actually hate that. I want to make it dirty man….
Right on Shana. The smooth curves of technology conceal a gilded cage.
Funny. i went through the same mental process. I can stop using it as my first machine at home. Btw if you agree would love to feature your best apps in our VIP http://appsfire.com/index.p…
So the iPad is Apple “getting” social?
I appreciate that you are very open to changing your opinion. Too often people fall in love with their opinion especially when they previously advocated for them.
“It feels less like a computer than any computing device I’ve owned. It’s easy on me in a way that the other devices are not. So I’m now convinced that tablets will have an important place in our homes and our lives.”Booyah…’tis what i’ve been saying all along.
and you have been right all along
It is very frequent that many people reviewing technology focus on the numbers on the box, rather than the usuability, which is what the iPad is all about. Good for you that you took another look and re-evaluated.I used to own a tablet toshiba waay back (the one with the swivel screen and a pen), and although it ran windows (useless interface for finger-sized navigation), the simple pleasure of reading PDFs and email in tablet mode was enough to convince me of their value when the got lighter. The iPad IMHO nails all those problems. Roll on era of the light weight tablet with custom interface design.
My 2 year old just picked it up and started using it. I hope my daughters, aged 4 and 2, never learn to use a mouse. The finger is so much more natural. (By the way, got to get your web site working correctly on the iPad as your streampad bar doesn’t stay at the bottom of the screen.)
It’s also nowhere near as accurate as a mouse. You want your daughters to never use a mouse? I guess that rules out careers in science, architecture, art or medicine. There are some applications that demand the precision that only a mouse (or stylus) can provide.My own daughter is 4.5, and she can operate the mouse and my iPhone with ease. You really can do both π
I didn’t intend to leave out styli. As a person who started developing for PalmPilot and PocketPC 13 years ago, I have no problems with styli. I think a stylus is an extension of the hand where a mouse is not. It acts as more of a lever.As for mouse, it is probably a vain hope that they never need to use one. I just can’t imagine our schools progressing fast enough to preclude them. But they already know how to use a pencil/pen/marker/paintbrush (non-electronic versions of the stylus) and they are very good with their fingers. So why do they need a mouse?
Completely agree. When friends ask me what apps I love, I draw a blank. But really, above all else, browsing, watching videos and email are awesome on the device, and that’s why I love it, and it’s also why I feel like an Android tablet could beat the iPad where an Android phone couldn’t beat the iPhone.
Sell the sizzle, not the sausage!
Exactly. All the computing power in the world is worthless if you can’t use it when and where you want to.
My laptop and iPhone are mine, and my wife’s are hers, but the iPad really does belong to the house’s (though technically it’s hers too :))Like you said, guests love it, and it feels completely natural to let anyone pick it up and start using it, while letting someone use my computer is always slightly awkward. Brooke has taken it grocery shopping before, but in general it is the sitting on the couch / working in the kitchen device. And it has definitely made my actual Sonos controller obsolete – we both use our iphones, and the controller was for guests; now, it’s all on the iPad.My one complaint is that there aren’t user profiles on there, so I could setup my own AIM / use the email app / facebook, etc, but the web versions of each of those are pretty good so it isn’t a big deal besides having to re-authenticate every time.p.s. +1 on whomever said lemon juice in guacamole is a crime π
it was lime juice daryni don’t cook so i don’t pay attention to that kind of thing
hah, just giving you a hard time with everyone else. I know GG wouldn’t allow such a travesty!
Ditto.. Similar transition to me. On-line shopping experience was my first ah hah.
I’m hoping an Android tablet comes out within the next six months. While the idea of a family-use tablet is great, I still can’t bring myself to drop a minimum of $500 on something that is not open-sourced and is run by what is now the most powerful computer company in the world. Apple is no longer the little company that could with the cool commercials. They have turned into Microsoft and in effect, have turned me off to jumping on every new highly-controlled and proprietary product that comes along.My only Apple product is a mini used only for media entertainment. I’d jump on a similar Android product in a heartbeat.
no need to wait for an Android tablet:http://www.dealextreme.com/…
So were you buying nothing but Apple gear when Microsoft was the dominant company? Do you only use Bing because Google is the dominant search company? Do you only use Linux because Windows is no more open source than OS X or the iPhone OS?Or does the fact that Apple is now the biggest fish in the pond really have *nothing* to do with your lack of desire to buy their products?If you don’t like the company, if you don’t want to buy their stuff, there’s *nothing wrong with that*… but be honest about the reasons.
You’ve been infected by the coolness factor, burn it and burry it.
This guy is such a tool. His first thoughts were wrong about the device, and now that it looks to be a smash hit, he has just “changed his mind” about the device, but wait, hold it, he wants to go buy one, but is going to wait for the first android and use it for his personal one. What? He sounds like a politician.
hey dougcould you imagine, just for a second, that i changed my mind because of what i saw happening in my home and in my hands?you have a very cynical attitudeit wont’ serve you very well in life
I think it’s more complicated. You wanted psychologically to not like the closed and locked device, Apple’s gilded cage of iPhone OS. But after using it, and seeing it used for a few weeks/months you can’t deny the evidence. It’s irresistible for certain uses, and situations.This has been my take, and I’m hoping for a personal android tablet as well.
A tool? That’s unnecessary.Sounds like a politician?Try: Sounds like a human.
You can try out the JooJoo if you want to try a different tablet just for yourself.
yuck, an iPad, really?not a real computer since there are no real apps that you use daily on your current computer.
Apple has always pioneered the next generation mass market computer platform. The tablet format will ultimately replace the notebook format as the notebook has been replacing the desktop. Give it 5 years and some software and hardware upgrades and we will wonder why we even had reviews like this.
Only for consumption specific use cases.No one wants to run excel or write a term paper on a touch screen.
Agreed on the shared functionality. Every time I have friends over, we use it to share information that would feel awkward if done over a phone or huddled around a laptop. I hadn’t properly identified it as different from my personal devices, but it’s true. I’d never let someone onto my computer in the same way.
I respectfully decline in my review – http://www.youtube.com/watc…
“Then I thought seriously about getting another iPad just for me. I’m not going to do that just yet, but the urge is there. I’ll probably wait for the first Android tablet and get that for my personal use.”I love my Ford. I use it for everything. I may buy another Ford for even more useful stuff.Geeee.. guess I will go out and buy a Chevy….. …. ….. What?You just said you like the iPad for all its features and how easy it is to use them. So you want to buy an Android pad (that does not exist yet) cause it has less apps, less support, and is less easy to use.Are you a moron or just blogging to hear yourself click????? :-(Just a thought,en
“slot cars are fun, maybe when they come out with RC cars that can go anywhere I’ll get one of those?”
“Just a thought”Some thoughts should remain just that…(which is why I removed my earlier, more caustic, response to this comment…also realized that this commenter may be the same person showing up throughout the comment stream under different names but with the same tone and therefore not warranting engagement… we need a bouncer…Kid where are you?)
please don’t call me a moronand i don’t blog for traffici want an android to experience it vs an iPadi tried an iPhone but prefer the android phone
Sorry if I came across a little heavy, some days get long. But you post did seem to say, very strongly….. I like it, its great, I really like it……… guess I will buy something else. ??????I guess I see too much of the paid troll stuff that I get cynical. π If you had indicated that you were trying different phones to evaluate,,,, that would have made more sense.Just a thought and enjoy what ever phone, computer, car, etc that floats your boat. Life is too short to do otherwise. :-)Later,en
I had a booth in Startup Alley at TC Disrupt. While i was demo’ing on a laptop, i noticed that some people were demo’ing on iPads. I have to say that it is a much nicer demo experience. The viewer is closer to the screen and can interact with the service.I could see the same situation happening at a lunch meeting. Pulling a laptop out a lunch is always awkward whereas an iPod would be easy.Basically, for entrepreneurs, the iPad is a great pitching device
we haven’t seen a pitch delivered on an iPad yet, but we willone issue is connecting to a LCD projector
I’m really excited about the potential business uses of the iPad. It’s simplicity and relatively low cost could bring a lot of analytics capabilities to small businesses that haven’t had them. I cringe when I see businesses pull out the binders with the Groupons they’ve sold and manually cross off a used Groupon. Stick that data on an iPad and you can get immediate data on outstanding redemptions, redemption trends, spend above Groupon value, etc. Maybe even a bump like model where the customer can click on their device to redeem and it shows up completed on the iPad.Likewise for foursquare… an analytics focused app.I think there’s a new OpenTable competitor that is using iPad’s for the restaurant’s reservation book. I’m surprised we haven’t heard about some super trendy/expensive restaurant using iPads to present their menu/wine list yet.
Excellent points. In fact, I’ve seen the iPad used as a POS device in a few notable restaurants.
I understand your fascination. Although I will never buy an Apple device, I am utterly hooked on touch screen devices. My Droid is almost the only thing I use for basic computer tasks. When I start to use my laptop, I feel it is missing something. And then I realize I prefer a touch screen and custom keyboard. I want to just push a button instead of moving a mouse. It’s just more efficient and enjoyable an experience. By the way, I will never buy an Apple device because I’m a tinkerer. And I would rather not jailbreak anything which is why I prefer the more open nature of Android. Otherwise I think Apple’s products are excellent.
Seriously, can anyone be a VC these days?
lol, my favorite type of comment. ok mr. smarty pants since it’s so easy you raise a fund and invest in startups, keep us posted on how that goes
km: Is your full time job trolling the comments in Fred’s post? I’d guess that it may be.
he’s the bouncer herehis job is out out the assesposts about apple stuff are great for him because they come out in droves
It’s amusing and somewhat effective.
lol well actually i’m in the market for a full-time job, so who knows –perhaps trolling is my calling!
My wife and I both have the iPad and her Macbook and my Dell Netbook are the loneliest devices in the house, next to the TV and my Roland V-Drums. I also like the way I use the iPad and the “instant on” connection. Reading blogs, email, Stocktwits, books (Kindle app kills the Kindle) and am working on making the iPad the ultimate pitchbook. It is a game changer as we enter into an all app world.
(Responding to kidmercury) It’s not easy by any means, that is why most of Union’s attention is derived from this blog instead of investment results.
what do you mean by that comment?i’m interested in it
What’s amazing about the iPad is its un-amazingness. Most new platforms don’t have 200K apps in 1.0 so that piece of the equation is a non-factor barely worth a mention. 10 hours of battery time with no heat generated and no worries about eating pizza while using the iPad means that you no longer have to THINK about computing. And web and email simply rock, which seems so counter to the Apple is less open meme. Don’t even get me started on audio and video quality, not to mention media library leverage. As someone smarter than me said, it’s like holding an HD TV in the palm of your hands.Most un-amazing is that it has replaced my PAPER notebook in business meetings. Previously, I had to decide between paper notebook and my computer notebook (simplicity and lightness versus power and girth). Now, the iPad has simply swallowed up that job, excepting cases where heavy document creation/manipulation is involved.Heading to the couch, the john, hopping in a cab, a conference room or grabbing a cup of joe at the cafe, iPad’s un-amazingness, and the fact that 85M iPhone and iPod touch owners KNOW how to use it, makes this a remarkably un-remarkable device.I guess that explains the traversal many users experience between disappointment and elation, something that I blogged about in:iPad First Impressions: The Good, the Not So Good and the Not Yethttp://bit.ly/9QWLxPCheck it out, if interested.Mark
I have to fully agree with you! I’m in the same boat. I was very hesitant about the iPad and thought that I would have to “work” to fit it in to the way I use computers. Not enough power to do what I do all the time, but can perform some tasks… That was until I started using it. And just as you said – it’s become the family computer here as well.. Everything from a game of scrabble to reading the blogs I read every day. And it’s shared in the house…
Well now that you’ve changed your mind about something you’ll never be able to be a politician π
thankfully
I’m an iPhone developer so I bought the iPad just to develop on. now that we’ve had it for a month it sits on our coffee table and the whole family uses it for various reasons. It’s actually pretty cool.
Not going to be long before you’ll want your own Fred.I’ve started carrying two around…one for writing notes, emails etc., and one for consuming content concurrently. Together they weigh less than most macbooks/netbooks and each has almost 10 hours in battery-life and that key “instant-on” feature.I’ve found that my 3G iPad has become an even more personal device that’s always with me, than my smart-phones and laptops.And very separate from the shared iPads for the family and visitors around the house.
you are a power user if there ever was one michael!
I’ve got to say I had the same experience – I was very skeptical and couldn’t see it anything but another device with no purpose, but for the same reasons you note, I now believe it has great potential. Now I just need to learn to abstract from the greasy fingerprints on the screen to really feel at one with it :).
Glad to see that Fred has realized iPad is less about computing features and more about a completely new experience. I wrote about that right after Steve Jobs keynote, http://bgracely-exft2009-wf….
Looking for an early tablet using Android … here’s one. Ordered mine today.http://bit.ly/dz645eReview about Android tablets here …http://bit.ly/aMNv4z
It might be time for a Scottevest to carry that iPad. :)http://www.scottevest.com/v…
A 21st century pocket protector!!
iPad kitchen tip: put it inside a 1 gallon Ziploc bag. The touch screen works just fine through the plastic and it’s protected from stray cooking juices and splatter.
Your perspectives sounds like mine – minus the family attachments. Not that I wasn’t sold on the iPad, but I wasn’t sold on its fervor. For me, its been the battery life and the way it kind of “goes away” that has been my primary likes. I don’t do apps (just downloaded Wired, wasn’t happy), and can care less about it replacing the email on my Nokia – but it is a great browsing and reading device. And one where when its not needed, it doesn’t beg to be used again.That is something about mobiles, netbooks, and even laptops just haven’t seen to have gotten down very well.
The liver transplant actually took place at Le Bonheur Methodist hospital here in Memphis, TN.
I have enjoyed your posts for a while…thanks. Several hours after reading your post about changing your mind about the iPad, I’ve found myself thinking about it several times. It just now occurred to me why…and I’m not kidding about this… it may be the first time I’ve heard a VC say out loud that he had changed his mind. I’ve run VC-backed companies for a number of years, and they’re always right the first time.I find your writings to present a very different perspective; which I find very refreshing.
Do yourself a favor and just buy one for yourself. Having to share it with other family members, and rip it out of the hands just to get to use it, gets old. It’s just not worth the hassle. We have two of them now π
Very well written sir. People claiming it as an over sized iPod may be true only to those who haven’t used it yet. I was once a party to it and was still the same until today when I played for the first time. It’s gorgeous and the multitouch display does it all.Cheers all. π
Now if Engadget is right about the next Apple TV being a $100 appliance that can use a Time Capsule for storage, then the iPad will come into its own as the extension of your home media center into your lap and out the door βΒ note also this Apple patent filing from yesterday http://goo.gl/twTV, for starting to watch something on one screen then picking up where you left off on another…(Wow, that random goo.gl hash is super-appropriate!)
I agree. The more I use the iPad the more useful I find it. I rarely use my desktop PC anymore. When I do, I now find myself remoting into it via RDP from the couch or my bedroom. I think the current apps have only scratched the surface in terms of capabilities of the device. Wired magazines app is a great start for digital magazines but it still has a long way to go. They will have to consistently step it up to sustain their pricing model.Kevin@ideaMASShttp://ideaMASS.com
Hmmm…I’ve been using a laptop for over a decade, and I’ve got 5 kids with no signs of slowing. I must be a superhero.
Hmmm…I’ve been using a laptop for over a decade, and I’ve got 5 kids with no signs of slowing. I must be a superhero.
Then why not buy a second iPad, for heaven’s sake?!
The ipad was a hit for easy usage yesterday. Tablets have really become a great user interface for the web. Looking forward for a personal android as well, but I’m not sure how to carry it while out walking (may look odd with something that big in my hands, although I already look like a nut gazing down I to a phone for hours a day).Ps I enjoy lemon juice in my guac. /disagree with JLM π
An interesting point about Apple is that they target the premium consumer market segment, and they tend to dominate that segment. Now Apple is getting into serving ads via mobile, and the premium consumer segment is also the most sought after by advertisers. Apple is happy to let other companies fight over the middle to lower market segments, competing on price, raw device specs, etc. It’s a smart strategy. I expect Apple to do very well in the mobile advertising space.
Sometimes I think, based on the negative columns written by tech experts, that the tech experts are the ones who don’t get it, that they can’t see the forest for the trees.Most people drive a car to get places, and they rate the car by how little it interferes with their drive. A minority drive to places to be in a car, and those folk, while entitled to their opinion, miss the point of a car completely.That’s what’s so great about Apple products. They make the product itself disappear. I’ve had too many fights with other computing platforms to ever switch back. I don’t fight with Apple products, I just go ahead and do what it is I sat down to do.At least you have the decency to say that you’ve changed your mind, but to put out a review after using it for an evening seems a bit like posting for page-rank.
Fred, you should read Clay Christiansen’s Innovator’s Dilemma. Any disruptive technology starts out as LESS functional than the competing technologies. The iPad is a classic of example of a disruptive technology. It currently lacks the functionality of a desktop PC or laptop but that’s typical of disruptive technologies. It’s not where the puck is, it’s where it’s going.
agreed on the post—- similar has happened with me. ther is no doubt that the ipad/tablets are a simpler, faster, less committed, more infused way to compute.i can’t get over the lack of multitasking tho – that must change and fast
Quick email/Gmail question: are you using web interface in Safari or Apple Mail app?
SafariI don’t like client software unless there isn’t a decent web option
I guess my only hesitation to chime into the ‘disruptive platform’ idea is that I have been using my laptop computer to do all of the things you mentioned in this post – which are, definitely, cool things – for at least four years. And for most of that time, the laptop has been about the same size (generally, of course, just a bit bigger) Is the iPad sexy? Yes. Is it sleek? Yes. Is it a ‘game-changer’ or a ‘disruptor’? No. Tablet form factors are perfect for systems such as in-arm solutions for doctors, Fed-Ex/UPS, and other business roles where one arm is used for input while the other arm is used for business. Tablets are also great for input in drawing/writing/sketching form, where you sometimes need an electronic cocktail napkin. I agree that tablets are useful, but I’m not convinced that the iPad has more utility than a laptop (of any make or model).
I agree with exactly with your impressions. I also like how easily it disappears into a bookshelf full of books when not in use.
Disclaimer: I am not an Apple fan and I don’t own a iPad. When I saw Steve Job do the introduction of the iPad, what really stood out to me was when talked about the iPad changing computing to be more intimate. I know some would say that was just marketing hype, but when you look at the form factor and ease of use it becomes very apparent why Fred changed his mind about the iPad.
Just like Internet Appliance Network!
Only a decade too early
Wow, this a lot like how my ipad is getting used!http://beth.typepad.com/bet…
I like how when I drop it, it never breaks. Ever. Amazing. Thank you, Apple.
First bash ruthlessly, then fall in love with it and then go gung-ho-crazy about it. This has become so stereotypical. Welcome to Stage 2.Apple turned so many of your ilk into nonstop BS-blathering apes (“We wear them and they are with us everywhere”) in the past 10 years, why don’t you stop calling yourselves nerds and take a few gardening courses for recreation?
eldest, even?
Funny there is no mention of the Newton. That was my second thought when the iPad was released (my first thought was how to get over that name). I figured it would be a flash in the pan, something that is cool but ultimately goes no where.Then I spent several hours using the iPad going through all the things that I would normally do on a laptop. I came to the same conclusion as Fred. It is not about the functionality (plenty of which is missing from this first iteration). It is a game-changer in the same way the iPhone changed the way we think about being productive yet mobile. This is the first computing platform that is truly family oriented and collaborative in a way that the desktop / laptop / smartphone are not. I also see this device having the most impact in is educational and training circles; in the home, schools, music, sports, etc.That being said, the device costs too much (is anyone really getting the $499 model?), it does not have a camera / webcam, and getting files on/off the device is a pain. However, those things will come, and Android and Windows based devices will soon create the type of healthy competition that makes these devices more accessible and full-featured.
Gee whiz thanks so much for sharing this with us. Our lives are immeasurably enriched by it.
i am happy that you feel that way
That’s extremely cool. I think it’s great how a device can grow on us over time. Sometimes we’re quick to judge and we don’t give something enough chance to really change our minds. I often use my iPod touch in the kitchen. I have splashed flower, lemon juice, etc. on it, cleans right off easy peasy. I am really wanting an iPad so I can have it on a stand and be able to read recipes with ease. The large screen would be perfect.
Agreed: the iPad grows on you as the more social/polite device to use in a family environment. That’s what I use mostly over the week-end as I hang out with the family – as opposed to working in the home office on my computers. But it is the very first tablet that gets right the balance of rich features and ease of use – mostly because it is a grown up phone O/S as opposed to a shrunk down version of Windows.
c’mon, EVERYONE knows lime juice is better. Such misuse of an iPad.
A couple of commenters have touched on the lack of user accounts, but how do you handle this? For example, reading the web — whose google reader account, which safari settings, delicious account, twitter accounts are set into the preferences on the family iPad?I’m asking because we just got one and didn’t get through the first itunes and mail setup experiences without hitting this issue. Any tricks out there?
Fred – longtime avc reader and new ipad owner here. Curious, how do you type on the device (portrait? Landscape? Thumbs? Full hand? Bluetooth keyboard?) …typing has been very arduous for me and is the one thing keeping it from being the killer email device that you describe. I’m several times more efficient in a laptop or an iPhone…
landscape for typing all the way
steven johnson taught me to cross my legs and stick it on that “table”
Well, it wasn’t built “by” Adobe. It was just built using Adobe InDesign CS5. http://bit.ly/WiredMag
It’s possible, but from the article it sounds more like it was a “collaboration” between Wired and Adobe. Starting off as an Air app, but ending up being an export from InDesign. Probably due to Apple preventing use of Adobe’s original packager. I’m glad they found a solution and were able to get the product out there. It’s a great first step and only a taste of things to come from publishers. Kevin@ideaMASShttp://ideaMASS.com