Why has the iPad been so successful?

[tekrex]

Why is it that you can't say anything negative about Apple?

You see what happens. You mention that Apple isn't perfect and the fan boys start biting your ankles.

@1991 - Get a life. While you are at it get some accurate metaphors as well. Van to Corvette? The accurate metaphor to my statement is that I bought the best minivan on the market at that time. I felt that yes it was great but it was missing some key components that would allow you to make the most use out of said van. Like the back seats were not removable. I bought a van because I wanted room to take things with me yet they welded the seats in place. Why? So if I wanted more space I'd have to buy the next bigger model.

I didn't buy something that didn't suit my needs. I bought the best product on the market at, for me, at the time. BUT it could have been made better then it was and Apple left themselves open to competition because of it. What is odd is why something so obvious wasn't "clear" to you.

@Tinman, do a google search for Synergy. It's a KVM minus the V. You use your mouse and keyboard from your main PC via your network to control another PC. That is, it doesn't physically attach to the iPad, so rotation is not an issue.

Safari has issues with Pop ups mostly. Quite often not allowing scrolling so I can't get to the selections I need.

@iVan, good choice, I like shiny things as well. I'll admit that I'm a gadget whore. I love them, but unlike some people I'm not such a knob that I can't admit that the things I love could be better.

 

[RAC]

You see what happens. You mention that Apple isn't perfect and the fan boys start biting your ankles.

Exactly, I like the iPad but it's not perfect and I would like to see some improvents.

I think that fixed memory and no SD card support similar to the "van with the welded seats" scenario. If you want more memory, throw out a perfectly good iPad and by another one. Please!!!

I won't even mention the "welded in" battery.

This is totally opposite to the original Apple II concept. The reason that it wiped out the Tandy TRS whatever was that it had 8 expansion slots and replaceable memory. Granted that mounting the memory chips in IC sockets wasn't good for obtaining reliable connections.

 

[Superbike81]

You see what happens. You mention that Apple isn't perfect and the fan boys start biting your ankles.

@1991 - Get a life. While you are at it get some accurate metaphors as well. Van to Corvette? The accurate metaphor to my statement is that I bought the best minivan on the market at that time. I felt that yes it was great but it was missing some key components that would allow you to make the most use out of said van. Like the back seats were not removable. I bought a van because I wanted room to take things with me yet they welded the seats in place. Why? So if I wanted more space I'd have to buy the next bigger model.

You have just forfeited your right to an opinion, and if you are indeed a man, you have forfeited your testicles. Why? Because you willingly bought a minivan.

 

[iceman]

I also dislike Safari. It would be nice if it had tabs.

You can use other browsers but you can't set them as default.

 

[epb]

Given the failure of tablet computers to achieve success over many years why has the iPad sold so well?

Oddly enough, the original intent of your post got lost in Apple debates, so I quoted it again.

I think the iPad has done better than previous tablets because its size, battery life, and portability are better than every tablet pc released until now, and the popularity of the iPhone/iPod meant the interface was familiar to a large customer base.

Which is the crux of the matter: if you moved to an iPad from an iPhone, it's an upgrade up a product you were already happy with. If you moved to an iPad from a laptop or netbook, it's a downgrade using a new, unfamiliar platform.

 

[Tinman]

@Tinman, do a google search for Synergy. It's a KVM minus the V. You use your mouse and keyboard from your main PC via your network to control another PC. That is, it doesn't physically attach to the iPad, so rotation is not an issue.

Huh? You wrote "No REAL keyboard or mouse" on the iPad and my point was where the heck you gonna put a keyboard, when it would lock you into one orientation, and to me no longer be the tablet as I like it. I doubt I would even have an iPad right now if had had some clunky keyboard attached to it.

I have the Apple bluetooth keyboard that works great with the iPad. But I don't use it much, as in most cases I do fine with the on-screen keyboard.

I won't even take my laptop on small business trips anymore. My iPad is easier with which to travel--though I do take the BT keyboard (it's very thin). My laptop has essentially become a glorified RDP client device anyway. With iTap RDP and VNC on my iPad I can travel lighter, and don't lose much in functionality when all is said and done.




Michael

 

[Alanfujii]

I saw the original post and been meaning to throw in my thoughts. Sorry to see it get a little testy.
That being said, my thoughts on the original post of why the iPad is doing so well is more than it's an Apple product. Apple has had it's failures also (Newton, Apple TV etc.). The iPad does have some redeeming qualities that the tablet PC never could achieve. I know because I bought a couple of generation of the UMPC era.
Here are my thoughts in no real order

One definite advantage is they are using a mobile OS rather than try and give you a strip down desktop OS. The UMPC were excruciatingly slow, especially boot up which it essential for a ultra portable device.

I have to admit Apple really has something with this no stylus/keyboard thing. I'm not an old Apple diehard. I got pulled in because of the iPhone. I only bought it because the phone I was waiting for the Palm Pre didn't live up to expectations. But when I started using the iPhone I really have to tip my hat to Apple or actually Steve Jobs. I'm not a SJ fan but I can imagine him being there telling the engineers who probably continually came to him with compromise solutions. No stylus! No keyboard! That being said Apple has changed the way we interact with mobile devices.

Beautiful packaging- There's no doubt Apple really has the product presentation down to an art. But there is a methodology behind what you see. Being in the industrial design and engineering field I understand the amount of user research and ergonomic studies that go into developing product to this level if refinement.

Web surfing, emails, ebooks are much better than any of the UMPC's I bought. The net book is not much better. The iPad makes it a fun experience and that is a big plus.

Again like any body else it could be better. Camera facing for Facetime, SD card for expanded storage, Flash or somentype of translator. But for a first product it not bad. The UMPC had 3 generations of product and they never got it right.

I see the rumor mill talk of a 7" inch iPad. I just don't see the advantage. I predict you're going to find they don't do that well. The screen is too small. I've had four systems with the same small screen and it just doesn't do it. I will admit the pinch finger thing allows better manipulation of the screen than traditional windows but I have an iPhone that I use in a pinch and it's very doable. I don't need another compromised system. I believe Apple got the size right. It's perfectly fit right in the middle between my iPhone and my 17 inch laptop.

Well that's my input. I like the iPad so far.