I being playing around with the Apple iPad for a little over a week and although I like it everyday more I use it I would say its definitely not a game changer out of the box like the iPod or the iPhone were, but it sure will be one day.
When your talking about the iPad, the discussion has to start with it as a e-book reader and the natural comparison to Amazon’s Kindle.
Although actually there is no comparison; the iPad Kicks the Kindle’s ass.
The iPad certainly looks and feels like a book.
It’s in color.
You flip pages of the book, with your finger, just like you do it when reading a hard book.
As you flip the pages over you can even see the words leaking through on the backside of the page your flipping.
And of course you touch to navigate, rather than to use the mouse and click like on the Kindle.
The store for ibook is just like iTunes and you can search by author, or title or type of book or simply check out the many lists like the New York Times bestsellers list for new material.
Like the Kindle, if you find a book that looks interesting you can preview the first 40-50 pages for free.
The free sample download takes less than 5 seconds.
But the ibook store is navigated by touch rather than that wheel and click of the Kindle.
While your reading your book on the iPad you can also listen to your music using the iPod function, glance over to see your e-mail or the latest news. sports or stock results, then go back to your book.
Because at the end of the day the Kindle is just a book reader, whole the iPad.com is a computer
A computer that is REALLY easy to use.
Its so simple even a 99 year old can do it.
Is the iPad a laptop replacement?
For me absolutely not.
Yet
First of all, at best your going to get 64g of memory.
If I took my entire iTunes library with all the music, movies, TV shows and videos and moved it to the iPad, I would be out of room.
A typical Laptop has at least 200g-250g of room on the hard drive.
64g is simply not enough for use as a laptop replacement.
There are other limitations.
No Flash. The battle between Jobs and Adobe is becoming legendary.
You can’t install Firefox and have to use Safari. It’s not the worst thing in the world, but I prefer Firefox.
I guess if all you were going to do is check your Facebook, surf around the internet and run your Apps, and check your e-mail (assuming you only got a couple of hundred a day) it wouldn’t suck just to use the iPad.
However, I would hate to have to rely on it to write blog posts, or have to work on excel files on it or even to have to use it to handle the thousands of e-mail’s I get a day.
Down the line, I can see uses for the iPad that would make it a game changer.
Every student in a class room could have one, and could use it to take quizzes or tests or learn lessons a virtual chalk board.
Test scores could be computed instantaneously, compared against the rest of the class, graded on a curve and back to the student within seconds.
Everyone at a meeting could have an iPad to follow a presentation rather than having to look up at a screen, they could make notes and comments that everyone else could see.
You could see one installed in the wall of every room in a house and used to run the lights, sound, air conditioning, TV; the brain of a true smart home.
The possibilities for the iPad are really endless and there will be an App for that.
Undoubtedly there will be a lot of companies making millions selling Apps for the iPad.
I don’t think its a stretch to say that when its all said and done, that the iPad, and iPhone will create more millionaires then any devices in the history of mankind.
It’s not a game changer today, but it will be.
I see mobile devices and Apps really hurting the need and demand for domains.
Hey, download the new opera mini browser for your iphone and ipad. It really is 6x faster like they said. Now doing domain maintenance on godaddy with opera is a pleasure compared to using safari which takes an eternity…
i’ll wait the RIM version 😉
What are your thoughts on the impact to the domain market? I can see it being possibly detrimental to it and in the process ushering in a new era of the walled garden Internet (AOL 2.0) which no one in their right mind would want.
Steve
I don’t think the iPad is going to help domain type in traffic.
Its a device made for Apps.
I wrote a post back in January on the effect Apps in general might have on domains:
http://www.thedomains.com/2010/01/03/are-apps-the-biggest-threatsto-domains/
Pretty clear from reading your post that you’ve never used a Kindle.
The Kindle is set up so that “next page” is under your thumb as you hold it naturally (it’s on both sides so those who are left-handed can use it, too.)
It’s half the weight of the iPad, so you don’t get arm strain after reading for a while. (I’ve read for 6+ hours straight on my Kindle with no issues.)
It gets up to 2 weeks of battery life with the wireless turned off.
It doesn’t have a “wheel”. It has a simple pointer (I wouldn’t really call it a mouse, as a mouse has an on-screen counterpart which is not present with the Kindle).
It has built-in 3G wireless that works anywhere in the U.S. so you can download books on the go–which is super awesome; I often download books on the plane to read on the plane.
Its display is designed for reading and doesn’t cause eyestrain like the typical LCD display that is included with the iPad.
Everyone I know with both a Kindle and an iPad prefers the Kindle for straight-up reading. And most people I know with Kindles (myself included) have no interest in the iPad!
So–don’t dis it until you’ve tried it. Especially if you’re reading for several hours in a row…the Kindle will still be with you long after the iPad runs out of juice.
-Erica
Erica
I do have a Kindle.
I had two I gave one away, still have another one sitting here.
Both my wife have used it and the iPad is better.
Have you tried the iPad, my guess is no.
You can download books on the go with the iPad 3G as well
If you want to save the $30 monthly fee to AT&T you can get what I have which is the Verizon wifi hub which will give you access to the net not just for your iPad but for up to three more devices for one monthly charge.
http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/07/the-verizon-mifi-2020-ev-do-portable-wifi-router/
the LCDreaders/tablets iPad + ChromePad + webOSpad + WM7pad(?) will surely influence the domains market
WTF Berkins… Stop being ignorant. It doesn’t compete with the kindle because the kindle is an E-BOOK READER OKAY? The i-Pad is NOT an ebook reader got it? It has an ebook store, and an ebook app. It does not have E-INK the crucial point in this discussion.
Since you probably don’t read books? Maybe you are just doing casual reading? Not sure, but anyone with eyes knows that if your read an entire book on th iPad you develop eye-strain. You can’t argue with that fact. Maybe you are special and don’t get eye-strain from reading on a LCD, but 99% of people who read do. So maybe you should re-think comparing the kindle to the ipad. Because you just sound like you have no idea what you are talking about.
Maybe you are trying to justify purchasing such a crap device? The iPad is for nubs, I might buy one for my mom. But as a computer expert I laugh at its inferiority.
Michael, Just trying to put this in context; are you a Blackberry/Microsoft guy or an Iphone/Apple guy? I am a Blackberry/Microsoft guy and therefore anything Apple-ish makes we wonder whether getting over the learning curve is worth it….So, am wondering what your user experience is based on…
Also have you guys ever tried to view compete or certain google analytics stats etc. on iPhone iTouch iPad etc? You can’t! Because there is no flash support. Which everyone thinks is no big deal.
http://siteanalytics.compete.com/thedomains.com/
Not being able to check analytics and compete is a pretty big deal for me, too bad your apple overlord doesn’t seem to think flash is important. It’s another joke to hear the argument that flash is just online video… NUBS!
Zak
I was a Microsoft guy until a little over a year ago after my $4K dell laptop died while on vacation out of the country, which was 2 years after my Sony Laptop died, and another previous Sony died a 1 1/2 before that.
As far as a learning curve to switch from windows to a Mac it took me 4 hours.
The question for me isn’t how long does it take you to switch over but how much time you save once you do.
Here is a post I wrote a last year ago telling you how to do it:
http://www.thedomains.com/2009/03/09/i-swtiched-from-a-pc-to-a-mac-under-4-hours-heres-how/
Daryl
No flash support, I said that in the post and its one of the things that make the iPad in my opinion not a laptop replacement.
Kindle doesn’t have flash either or a browser for that matter.
I am tired of all the iPad causes eye strain BS. I’ve been reading 100+ pages a day, for a year and have yet developed eye strain
William, theamazingipad.com
The Kindle does have a browser. Where do you get all your misinformation? Stick to talking about domain names…at least you know a lot about that field. :-/
-Erica
Erica
I’m fine if you want to use your B &W Kindle, just wanted to make sure you know they have movies that talk as well now.
the innovation that made the “LCDtablets” real isn’t the processor or the display but the MULTITOUCH, so, these “LCDpads” will be a success when the software makers will offer many good programs (and ebooks) greatly based on multitouch (rather than keyboards and mouse) input, like already happened with the smartphones
William: What planet do you live on? I am asking because on Earth the globe takes 365 days to rotate around the sun. Apparently you live on another planet, because the iPad has not been out for a year. Thus you fail, and obviously suffer from more than eye-strain. kthnx
Michael: Erica is right in the fact that the Kindle does have a browser. Although both of your statements come off as crass I do believe that you are taking a biased view of the kindle by saying B&W is inferior. Eventually they will have a color version of E-Ink and you will see just exactly why the screen of an iPad is cheap garbage. Apple mass manufactures this stuff to sell to it’s sheep. You have bought a product based on hype of tech blogs and media coverage telling you how revolutionary it will be. I know you make enough money for this to not really be a big issue, and sure it may have it’s fun little features.
HOWEVER if it wasn’t made by apple no one would care. It is just a stupid tablet pc that does not even run OSX – Which is also a pile of crap. Do you know why I use windows 7? And all other big domainers like Slavik, Shilling, etc use windows??? SPREADSHEETS. Have you ever used office on OSX? Me neither, because it sucks. And if you are a real domainer you use excel everyday. What am I supposed to do with an iPad? Twitter everyone that my cat just fell off my desk every 25 minutes? Seriously, it is for grandma and grandpa who are too dumb to use a real computer. So you get them this iPad thing so they can keep in touch with you. It doesn’t have a phone because no one wants to talk to their grandma! OPEN YOUR EYES MHB!
Fact: Apple is for people who don’t know how to use real computers. That is why these people say “My apple has never had a virus” Because these are the people that got a virus on windows. These are the people that clicked the “scan my computer now” link when a pop-up came up in their browser saying “VIRUS ALERT” The PEBMAC 🙂
I have both a kindle 2 and an ipad and the kindle is a million times better as an ebook reader. anyone who thinks the ipad is better for books doesnt sit there and read very many pages or doesnt need to hold with one hand. i ride the subway to work everyday and its impossible to get a seat. you have to hold onto the pole with one hand and then i have the kindle in my other hand. it is lightweight and easy to use with one hand. the ipad is heavy but great for other things like playing my games. i couldnt imagine standing up for 40 minutes reading a book with my ipad in one hand. also i think the e-ink is superior for reading books. the ipad is nice for casual reading or reading pieces of websites.
Obviously, we have two groups of people on earth with respect to views on iPad. One group is represented by the die-hard status quo people who still want to be bothered by the computing problem besides doing their real task. They prefer to have many pop-up windows and the opportunity to deal with computer problems while using computer as a tool to do their actual task. The other group is represented by those who just want to use computer as a tool to do their real task. They will appreciate the technology advancement brought by multi-touch and user friendliness of iPad. It happens that iPad is an Apple product. We need to objectively look at the device and not jump into conclusion even without trying it. You can buy and use whatever products as you wish, macbook vs windows, iPad vs kindle, ipad vs netbook, etc. You do not have to get others to follow you and use the same device. At the end of the day, which device survives and which becomes history are decided by the market. If iPad is not what people want, it will not be sold millions in such a short time. Or, you are telling me that these million people are just Apple fan or cult members? You must be kidding to believe that people would buy iPad because it is an useless Apple toy. Come on! Wake up! We need to replace the traditional keyboard and mouse computer form to progress since the multitouch technology and others are now mature to be used in real product. Forget about those vaporwares that the production plans have just been trashed.
Daryl
I use excel everyday on my Macbook Pro, it works just fine and most importantly doesn’t lock up my computer with a spinning wheel everytime I open up a file.
As far as working on an excel file on a iPad I wouldn’t do it. I do think I said it wasn’t a laptop replacement, yet for it to be a “game changer” its doesn’t have to ever become a laptop replacement, it can just be what it is a whole different device which excels at something other than excel
NR
Your right I haven’t tried using an iPad standing in a subway.
I remember holding on to the pole with one hand and trying to read a book with the other, no great joy either, one of the reasons I left the greatest city on earth some 30 years ago.
Check out the new iPad’s App,
http://www.200linx.com/
It also works on regular PC – Firefox, Explorer and Safari browsers.
200Linx.com will make your surfing experience a whole lot easier..
Hello there
If you leave only for a minute your american bubble, you`ll discover WePad (Neofonie`s product), the german rival to IPad (based onLinux and Android). Talking about !real! tablet …
Lol
@Daryl. I haven’t been reading on an iPad for a year… I’ve been reading on an iPhone for a year. My apologies for not clarifying. Since the only “major” difference is the screen size, I expect the iPad reading experience be even more pleasurable then the iPhone one
love the ipad …
one month with the ipad and i have yet to decide on a case …
too much choice online … hehe …
I am loving the comic apps and flipboard …
http://www.subcorpus.net/2010/10/month-with-apple-ipad.html