Ordered my iPad last week

I've used a Mac to do digital signal processing, designed electronic circuits from schematics to board layout including running SPICE analysis, used it for instrument control in a lab, done data analysis, and ran EMC simulations on a Mac. I'm glad you clarified it for me that none of this is really "computing"
 
Let's be clear, the difference between Windows based machines and Macs isn't the price tag, but rather business philosophy. Apple's philosophy is to breed a reputation of dependability by rigidly controlling development. Microsoft's philosophy is to foster competition amongst its 3rd party developers (both hardware and software) to accommodate greater diversity in their product offering. There is absolutely no question which model has been more successful, it really isn't even close.

If you have the cash to pay for the extra overhead which goes into rigidly controlling the product offering AND your needs are anticipated for by Apple, then there is really no question that an Apple product is going to be a better product for you... but to this point those criteria have satisfied about 5% or less of the computing market.

In any event, this thread really isn't a Mac v MS thread, this is about the specific offering of the iPad, Apple's first dive into the tablet market in 20 years. Tablets have not been a growth area ever, and by all accounts this device appears underpowered and overpriced... but since no one has ever had much success here, no one really knows what the magic combination really is. So lets see what happens.
 
Laugh all you want but if the only difference was price, then UNIX would be king.

Microsoft success was in giving a playground to developers. That competition in hardware specifications is what drove the price down.
 
I couldn't add anything more than what mia1994 has said.

Right now the iPad appears to underperform relative to its price tag, but Apple has the luxury of testing this product on the Market to determine what features ultimately must be included, and what the price ultimately should be.

And, they have many consumers not only willing but eager to fund that marketing research for them by purchasing first generation iPads, which is certainly not a bad place for Apple to be.
 
You greatly overstate the nature of the "mess", and I'm sure that MS will find a way to sleep at night with their >80% global market share and absolute lock down of business computing. As for the mobile computing space, MS has 20% of the US smart phone market while idling, and has been the single biggest backer of the tablet market for a decade. I'm not sure how you support the statement you just made.

Look I have no interest in playing MS cheerleader to your Apple Fanboi. That is a false dichotomy if ever there was one. I'm a gadget consumer and I go where the products are regardless of who produces them. Both MS and Apple have shown repeatedly that they are capable of whiffing, and neither gets to be held up as being the right way to go. The gadget market, as with everything else, needs both leadership and competition in the market place so it is simply a bad decision making to hang your hat with one team.
 
uisge beatha, I don't think either of those interpretations are inaccurate, but the end result is really undeniable. In any event, the price dropped because of the availability of the product, not because perceived value.

Maduro, harrumph! The fact is, anyone who knows anything about how it works doesn't much care for Flash. The problem is Flash is such a huge part of the web, it is not reasonable for a manufacturer to just take their ball and go home, and expect that to satisfy the consumers. Not supporting 3rd party browser platform plugins (Flash being the leader) cripples the browser. I get doing it on the iPhone, but on the Touch and the iPad it is just being obstinate.
 
As a counterpoint, MS made their fortune selling an operating system only. there are probably thousands of programmers out there that would like to write device drivers for Mac, probably for free, if Apple were to open up their OS to other hardware. This has already happened to a small extent with the whole "hackintosh" thing. And apple doesn't build any of their hardware, they just carefully and thoughtfully spec their computers. (intel chips, standard RAM, HD's etc), and of course they package it together themselves.
 
Got my iPad today (typing this on it).

Very impressive for its intended market, which admittedly is not techies like me but I wanted to have one around the house. I think that's where this thing will really shine though, as an information appliance, for lack of a better term. Something to have lying around for the occasional email, web browsing, etc. It lends itself well to very casual use, which is why I think it will appeal to many people who don't need heavy lifting with their computers. There are lots of them out there and I think Apple has done something smart here and executed well on it.

The responsiveness is crisp and fast, and the software is beautifully designed for this screen with many typical OS X elements (Mail, Safari, iPod, etc) redone for this platform.

It's not for everyone but it wasn't intended to be. And Apple will sell a **** load of them.
 
Goodness... Didnt mean to start such a debate, you guys lose me when u start throwing out all the techno jargon.
I would say I'm an average american and this thing (typing on it) works well for what I do which is just a lot of surfing, email, keeping up with my horns baseball!
Having said that I am pissed they didn't allow this thing to be compatible with a g4 which is all I have right now, I had to go by the apple store to get them to activate it for me.
This thing is unbelievable to me, I take it wherever I go, read a book watch a movie,listen to music. I'm one of those folks that didn't need spreadsheets etc so it's right up my alley.
No company is perfect, apple just allows me fewer headaches than ms.
 
Maduro loves him some Apple hate.

Most people don't care about open standards and interoperability, they care about something that works well and performs reliably. Apple's 'control' over the environment is what makes this possible, and consumers are voting with their dollars.

In reply to:
Click to expand...
 
Apple's claim to the title of "innovator" is a tricky thing. Their most profitable units over the last 3 years have been on devices which have been in the market for a long time. Apple's "innovation" had nothing to do with hardware and everything to do with UI. There is no question that their additions to these markets (digital music, smartphone & perhaps tablet) have been substantial, and the benefits are definitely enjoyed by the consumer.

Apple's dominance in digital music is best described as absolute. That said, as you go through their product line, the more complex the product is, the less dominant their offering is in the market. This is not a coincidence. Apple locks down their systems so tightly that the more you can do on a system the more likely your needs will differ from Apple's offering.

The iPad may very well be a "game changing" device, but my bet is that the way in which the game is changed will more closely resemble what happened in the computer and smart phone markets, than what happened in the digital music market. Which is to say, Apple's offering will enliven the market and increase competition in the space, but ultimately when the dust settles Apple will likely not be the market leader (at least in terms of units sold). I sincerely hope this is the case, because I am a prime example of a consumer who would purchase a tablet machine, but the iPad itself is not likely to ever be an acceptable solution for my needs.

Apple is a great device company, but I think pretty much everyone would agree that Apple's management style is not very pro consumer. Which is to say, both the computer and device markets NEED Apple in them, but as the only, or even the main player.
 
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