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[GraveRobberX]

They have so much money right now that the next incredible step they could undergo for the american manufacturing is to shift all the production to the USA. What an amazing thing would be for so many unemployed people.

You do realize where iPads/iPods/iPhones are manufactured right?

"Made in America" is a dinosaur, made in Taiwan/China are top dogs, when they start getting up there pay wise, companies will move somewhere cheaper
No company wants to lose money just cause or unless your company's name is Sony to hardheaded to move forward, shift their outlook

 

[Cheebo]

The iPod topped out because people transitioned to using their phones for music and there came a point when upgrades where marginal and incremental ala PCs and laptops. I think there's a difference with phones because the carriers basically bribe you to upgrade every 18 months to 3 years. And Apple has positioned to take advantage of this even in the "free phone with contract" space. Nobody is bribing you to upgrade your iPod (sometimes for free) every 2 years.

I think the iPad might have a higher risk of "topping out" than the iPhone. Nobody is bribing you to upgrade every 2 years. But it's growing faster than the iPhone was, so who knows.

IPad market is in no threat of topping out. It is on track to surpass the iPhone market. The tablet market will take over the consumer pc market almost entirely.

 

[Tobor]

Look, I love me some Apple products, but this is classic Apple PR spin.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/25/tech/mobile/apple-ceo-windows-8/index.html





With all the changes to OS X in Lion and Mountain Lion, convergence between iOS and OS X is inevitable. Maybe not in the same way as Windows 8, but probably close. This just seems like a classic "who reads anymore?" or "Who would ever want to watch video on their iPod?" type of misdirection.

Not seeing the inevitably. It's certainly a possibility, but I don't think so. I think the desktop metaphor has life in professional environments, but it's no longer needed by the majority in the consumer environment. Cramming the two together solves a problem no one has.

I've yet to hear a compelling argument for Windows 8 style convergence in the consumer space.

 

[Cheebo]

Steve Jobs even talked about it saying they tested it and touch screen interface on MacBooks was uncomfortable.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

With all the changes to OS X in Lion and Mountain Lion, convergence between iOS and OS X is inevitable. Maybe not in the same way as Windows 8, but probably close. This just seems like a classic "who reads anymore?" or "Who would ever want to watch video on their iPod?" type of misdirection.

Unless they remove the trackpad/mouse and keyboard as the input for their computers and force touchscreens on people, I just don't see why it's inevitable. I argue that it simply doesn't make sense to converge the two. They have different purposes and different input systems and thus need different OSs. Sharing cool features is one thing, but becoming the same OS just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Kilrogg]

Not seeing the inevitably. It's certainly a possibility, but I don't think so. I think the desktop metaphor has life in professional environments, but it's no longer needed by the majority in the consumer environment. Cramming the two together solves a problem no one has.

I've yet to hear a compelling argument for Windows 8 style convergence in the consumer space.

The bolded is what matters. Sure, there is value in converging the two types of OSes. But that value is in the corporate space. Microsoft would very much like convergence on that front, but regardless of whether they think it's good or bad for consumers, it's hard to deny the fact that convergence is good for Microsoft. Suddenly you wouldn't have 2 parts of the company working on 2 different OSes anymore. The OS business of Microsoft would become easier to manage.

As for consumers, well, I don't see what the point is. The Metro UI (or any touch-based interface) has no upside for users of keyboard/mouse-based computers. Only the classic Windows-side of Windows 8 will matter to consumers.

 

[Angry Fork]

100% tax on "everything above what's necessary to keep the company running and continue R&D" would make every company in the entire world shut down instantaneously. If you can't make a profit, you can't maintain a buffer against risk, which means you won't take risks.

Why would Apple shut down if they had enough money to continue running, and extra to invest in new devices? I'm just saying I think the extra they currently have is too much. I would completely kill the ability for people to become millionaires as well. In my ideal world everything above say 500,000$ of personal income goes to social welfare programs. Nobody needs more than 500k per year to live an EXTREMELY comfortable life with a full family, cars, home etc.

I think the arguments in favor of 'benefit of all' trump the 'desires of a few'. In other words something like homeless veterans for example should be completely eradicated before we allow people to buy yachts.

Is the wage situation in China better or worse than it was 5 years ago? Think carefully before you answer.

Better, but I'm against the principle itself of a CEO being a billionaire while his wage slaves exist and have no choice but to work or die. It's not a matter of how much they make but them having no say in what they make despite being used as tools for the profit of a few.

 

[Cheech]

With all the changes to OS X in Lion and Mountain Lion, convergence between iOS and OS X is inevitable. Maybe not in the same way as Windows 8, but probably close. This just seems like a classic "who reads anymore?" or "Who would ever want to watch video on their iPod?" type of misdirection.

I'm not entirely clear on Windows 8's interoperability yet. So I love me some Quicken; it's my most used PC app at home. But what I'm reading is that the Windows 8 version for tablets doesn't even use x86, so I won't be able to run Quicken on a Windows 8 tablet. Right? It sounds like a clusterfuck in the making. They're trashing a whole app ecosystem if that's the case, and the biggest one in the world at that. What are Windows 8 tablets supposed to run? The shit made for Windows phones? Good luck with that, gents.

I think Apple keeping iOS and OSX separate is the way to go, at least for the time being. I'm sure they will merge at some point, but tablet-sized hardware isn't there yet.

 

[dLMN8R]

I'm not entirely clear on Windows 8's interoperability yet. So I love me some Quicken; it's my most used PC app at home. But what I'm reading is that the Windows 8 version for tablets doesn't even use x86, so I won't be able to run Quicken on a Windows 8 tablet. Right? It sounds like a clusterfuck in the making. They're trashing a whole app ecosystem if that's the case, and the biggest one in the world at that. What are Windows 8 tablets supposed to run? The shit made for Windows phones? Good luck with that, gents.

I think Apple keeping iOS and OSX separate is the way to go, at least for the time being. I'm sure they will merge at some point, but tablet-sized hardware isn't there yet.

You need to read some more. What you say is true for Windows RT - the ARM version of Windows 8 - but not anything based off of Intel hardware.

With Intel's Medfield architecture, it'll be very easy to have a Windows 8 tablet that has both full backwards compatibility with x86 while also having the battery life and portability comparable to an iPad:

There is no reason why Apple couldn't do the same thing with Medfield or whatever Intel does next.

 

[Cheech]

You need to read some more. What you say is true for Windows RT - the ARM version of Windows 8 - but not anything based off of Intel hardware.

With Intel's Medfield architecture, it'll be very easy to have a Windows 8 tablet that has both full backwards compatibility with x86 while also having the battery life and portability comparable to an iPad.


There is no reason why Apple couldn't do the same thing with Medfield or whatever Intel does next.

Very good, thanks for the info. My laptop at home is kind of sickly, but I'd like to try to hold out for a Windows 8 tablet. I have an iPhone and love it, but I hate the OSX app ecosystem with a passion. That's pretty much what is keeping me from going "all in" with Apple at home. Windows apps are cheaper and more plentiful, and yes, there's the Quicken factor. I wish somebody more competent than Intuit was overseeing Quicken. Just make a damn HTML5 version of the thing and call it a day.

 

[malyce]

$649 + ($45*24 months) = $1729
$200 + ($70*24 months) = $1880

The difference between contract and no-contract is actually pretty negligible unless you are able to get your phone for $300 or less. Paying Apple's full price on an unlocked phone more-or-less negates the price advantage of using a prepaid carrier.

Straight Talk's speeds are throttled by AT&T, so you get unlimited use but not at the speeds you want.

Once T-Mobile's 3G works with the iPhone, that will be the best deal in cellular for heavy data users.

lol... More like $200 + ($90*24 months) = $2360/$649 + ($45*24 months) = $1729

 

[border]

With all the changes to OS X in Lion and Mountain Lion, convergence between iOS and OS X is inevitable. Maybe not in the same way as Windows 8, but probably close. This just seems like a classic "who reads anymore?" or "Who would ever want to watch video on their iPod?" type of misdirection.

The analyst is just dumb, paying attention to one small part of the metaphor and failing to see the major point of it.

Apple is not opposed to convergence on general principle -- they simply will not sacrifice functionality and the user experience just to create a convergence device. Their feeling is that a desktop class OS is only going to frustrate and annoy people using a tablet. Tablet users do not want all the headaches that come with a desktop OS -- installing codecs and drivers, hardware compatibility issues, chasing down some obscure directory that an installed program has chosen to hide itself in, worrying about malware and bloatware and how every other app wants to install some bullshit toolbar on your browser. All that hassle comes with virtually no advantage for someone that just wants to do everyday fun stuff like email, web, Facebook, etc.

The Microsoft employee's response seems pretty monumentally stupid as well. "It's not a toaster/fridge. It's a toaster/oven"? When was the last time anyone actually used a toaster oven to cook anything? Oh yeah honey, the casserole will be done just as soon as I pull it out of the toaster oven!

 

[Stumpokapow]

Why would Apple shut down if they had enough money to continue running, and extra to invest in new devices?

Because any risks that don't pay off will cost them money they're not allowed to have, and any risks that do pay off given them no benefit.

They'd be better off shutting down the entire company and sticking all their money in T-Bills. Such an action would be EV+ for them. Actually, I'm not sure T-Bills would exist, since the demand for long-term investments would be very low in a climate that punishes profit so heavily.

In my ideal world everything above say 500,000$ of personal income goes to social welfare programs. Nobody needs more than 500k per year to live an EXTREMELY comfortable life with a full family, cars, home etc.

Imagine that a person produces one million dollars a year worth of wealth by working twelve months a year and producing 83k a month. Imagine that his top marginal tax bracket for wealth over 500k is 100%, and imagine further that there are no loopholes that would allow him to pocket the money through some underhanded schemes. Imagine further that the entire world implements this policy so there's no risk of capital flight.

Why wouldn't he take a vacation for the last (or coldest, more likely) six months of the year? And presumably shut down his company while he's on vacation?

Better, but I'm against the principle itself of a CEO being a billionaire while his wage slaves exist and have no choice but to work or die. It's not a matter of how much they make but them having no say in what they make despite being used as tools for the profit of a few.

You seem very concerned about this. You should consider getting involved with labour rights NGOs in China. I will warn you in advance: None of the labour rights NGOs in China share your ideological dedication here. They're all very practically focused on winning incremental improvements across the board (less child labour, better health and safety standards, lower working hours, better wages, non-wage benefits, etc).

I don't mean to insult your intelligence here, but is this something you've really thought through? You're interested in social justice and economics and public policy. Have you been taking courses in sociology, political science / public policy, economics / monetary / tax policy? I think you'd face pretty immediate shell shock if you studied any of these subjects, because they're not so shallow that the answer can be summarized in a sentence.

The real world is a very, very complicated place with lots of interlinking systems and variables. There's no overnight solution that involves flipping a switch and screwing the rich and then just prospering as a society. The imbalances that are present in US society didn't appear overnight, they're a result of a very very complicated policy regime that incrementally adjusted a number of settings resulting in greater wealth disparity. It's not going to be undone with really simple thinking.

 

[rezuth]

They have so much money right now that the next incredible step they could undergo for the american manufacturing is to shift all the production to the USA. What an amazing thing would be for so many unemployed people.

I don't think they would want to build 20 factories and I don't think they want the responsibility that comes with it. I also don't think they can find enough qualified people to make quick enough changes to products. There is a big reason why people manufacture in China and its not just the money, everything is made there. From the screws they use to the glass panels, the enourmus size of the population and with that educated engineers.

 

[Mitsurux]

The part that amazes me is how little itunes peice of the pie is... since all of the devices use it for digital content...

 

[LCfiner]

The part that amazes me is how little itunes peice of the pie is... since all of the devices use it for digital content...

which is why anytime you may have read an analyst or blogger talking about how Apple could or should reduce the price of their hardware and make all their money from their cut of app and media sales, you know they're full of crap

 

[leroidys]

Good for them and good for people that enjoy their products. I still don't see the appeal of an ipad though...

 

[Tobor]

Good for them and good for people that enjoy their products. I still don't see the appeal of an ipad though...

Sometimes the world just passes you by.

 

[Cheebo]

Good for them and good for people that enjoy their products. I still don't see the appeal of an ipad though...

It's a computer. It's a computer form factor just like a desktop or laptop.

 

[Angry Fork]

Because any risks that don't pay off will cost them money they're not allowed to have, and any risks that do pay off given them no benefit.

They'd be better off shutting down the entire company and sticking all their money in T-Bills. Such an action would be EV+ for them. Actually, I'm not sure T-Bills would exist, since the demand for long-term investments would be very low in a climate that punishes profit so heavily.

The benefit they get is having the reputation of creating something millions use. People become programmers because they like it otherwise they wouldn't do it. I'm beginning to become iffy on the idea of the free market in general though as it seems to me like it's just freedom for the rich to continue to exploit anyone who isn't rich. And then a few from the lower class become rich by stepping over everyone else around them ie dog eat dog competition etc. kind of thing.

There are exceptions like say Valve and Google that uses the profit it makes to re-invest in the company and actually improve and do new things but I'm not sure if the majority of companies are like that. I'm not sure the re-investing Apple does when they put out a "new" product every year with incremental updates justifies the profit they're allowed to keep (not saying Apple is the only company that does this I'm just saying companies in general). Then there's the debate in my head on whether ipads are useful enough to have so much money put into them in the first place when there still isn't a universal healthcare system etc. that sort of thing. I feel like they shouldn't be separate, companies shouldn't be able to amass massive wealth if the country is in debt and having huge problems.

Imagine that a person produces one million dollars a year worth of wealth by working twelve months a year and producing 83k a month. Imagine that his top marginal tax bracket for wealth over 500k is 100%, and imagine further that there are no loopholes that would allow him to pocket the money through some underhanded schemes. Imagine further that the entire world implements this policy so there's no risk of capital flight.

Why wouldn't he take a vacation for the last (or coldest, more likely) six months of the year? And presumably shut down his company while he's on vacation?

Why would he want to other than just to spite the government? What kind of person would close up shop and fuck up the lives of all his employees for 6 months? What if the only people allowed to run such countries were people that didn't care about the extra 500k and continued work because they loved doing what they did and knew their work is important to the lives of every other employee in the company. If they stop the machine stops and other people are effected. The extra 500k they produce helps other people in the country, I feel like that's a good enough incentive on it's own to continue doing what you like to do.

You seem very concerned about this. You should consider getting involved with labour rights NGOs in China. I will warn you in advance: None of the labour rights NGOs in China share your ideological dedication here. They're all very practically focused on winning incremental improvements across the board (less child labour, better health and safety standards, lower working hours, better wages, non-wage benefits, etc).

I don't mean to insult your intelligence here, but is this something you've really thought through? You're interested in social justice and economics and public policy. Have you been taking courses in sociology, political science / public policy, economics / monetary / tax policy? I think you'd face pretty immediate shell shock if you studied any of these subjects, because they're not so shallow that the answer can be summarized in a sentence.

The real world is a very, very complicated place with lots of interlinking systems and variables. There's no overnight solution that involves flipping a switch and screwing the rich and then just prospering as a society. The imbalances that are present in US society didn't appear overnight, they're a result of a very very complicated policy regime that incrementally adjusted a number of settings resulting in greater wealth disparity. It's not going to be undone with really simple thinking.

I'm not concerned the way I am about things closer to me but that's the same with everyone. I don't know Chinese and there's no real way for me to change things anyway without having actual power/influence. The small incremental changes to me feels like compromising for scraps. Like begging billionaires to give you a 25 cent raise or something. That's more realistic and possible sure but isn't that repulsive?

I'm not insulted btw I'm still in the beginning stages of getting interested in this stuff and have no problem admitting I don't know anywhere near enough but I still have opinions based on what I read and do know. I try not to get involved in things I don't know much about but if that's the case then I wouldn't be able to talk about anything political until I get degrees in poli science/economics. Everyone is constantly learning and I wish I could know it all now but I can't so I'm working on it. I know enough to know that I'm in favor of worker co-ops and workers having control over production. I know that the kardashian's being paid 40 million$ to continue their show (someone made that thread a while ago) is absolutely unjust and shouldn't be allowed if people can barely survive month to month. Why is this sort of free market allowed? Why are colleges allowed to spend more on their sports teams than computer science courses? I know it's because it makes others money but my point is to get rid of that entirely.

I recognize the country is getting worse and worse in terms of wealth gap and all I hear from people is we should work on soft legislation piece by piece, small changes etc. It's very clear that is not working, not when the people in charge have no incentive to make things better for everyone else. If nobody made a stink about Foxconn and there were no suicides Apple wouldn't have done a thing to better wages in the last 5 years and it's terrible that the workers have to save up months to buy the product they spent 14 hours a day to build. If that's what the free market is about I don't like it.

 

[Cheebo]

Then there's the debate in my head on whether ipads are useful enough to have so much money put into them in the first place

Wait WHAT? The iPad almost on its own entirely re-inventing the home PC market and over-turned what the consumer expectation is for a home computer and single handidly set in motion the trend for tablets to top desktops & laptosp to be the primary PC form factor sold to consumers.

You'd hard pressed to find a single technology analyst who'd tell you the iPad isn't one of the most importance evolutions in history of the PC industry.

It's comparable in significance as the Macintosh was when it released in 1984 and lead the charge for the graphic based UI for computers.

Especially when looking forward. The tablet market by 2015 will be bigger than the Desktop & Laptop market on its own.

To deny the importance of the iPad and whether Apple should have put money in it in the first place is absolutely absurd.

 

[Angry Fork]

Wait WHAT? The iPad almost on its own entirely re-inventing the home PC market and over-turned what the consumer expectation is for a home computer and single handidly set in motion the trend for tablets to top desktops & laptosp to be the primary PC form factor sold to consumers.

You'd hard pressed to find a single technology analyst who'd tell you the iPad isn't one of the most importance evolutions in history of the PC industry.

It's comparable in significance as the Macintosh was when it released in 1984 and lead the charge for the graphic based UI for computers.

Especially when looking forward. The tablet market by 2015 will be bigger than the Desktop & Laptop market on its own.

To deny the importance of the iPad and whether Apple should have put money in it in the first place is absolutely absurd.

I recognize the ipad is significant I'm just not sure if the majority of people are using them for something other than facebook and angry birds. If it turns out they're extremely useful in hospitals to take the place of clipboards for example or have important stuff on the tablet in general that's great but I don't know how much money Apple could have saved if they developed the ipad with functionality suited to that rather than have engineers worry if the GPU can handle Epic's next visual showcase.

 

[Cheebo]

I recognize the ipad is significant I'm just not sure if the majority of people are using them for something other than facebook and angry birds. If it turns out they're extremely useful in hospitals to take the place of clipboards for example or have important stuff on the tablet in general that's great but I don't know how much money Apple could have saved if they developed the ipad with functionality suited to that rather than have engineers worry if the GPU can handle Epic's next visual showcase.

It's been used all over the place. Hospitals, schools, hell the Air Force recently bought a ton of them for work use.

And yes it also plays Epic games. Why can't it also be used for Facebook and Angry Birds? iPad is a computer, it can be used for entertianment, education, and work. Just like any other computer.

 

[leroidys]

Sometimes the world just passes you by.

Yep, that's fine. I realize that I'm not in the majority here.

It's a computer. It's a computer form factor just like a desktop or laptop.

Yeah, I would just rather have something I could carry around without a bag like an iphone, or something with more functionality like a laptop. Tablets are just worst of all worlds gimmickry to me.

 

[Cheebo]

Yep, that's fine. I realize that I'm not in the majority here.



Yeah, I would just rather have something I could carry around without a bag like an iphone, or something with more functionality like a laptop. Tablets are just worst of all worlds gimmickry to me.

If all you need a computer for is browsing the internet, social networking, checking e-mail, light gaming, etc which is most of home consumers out there then the iPad (or a similiar tablet) is probably the best computer on the market for those needs.

 

[reKon]

Yep, that's fine. I realize that I'm not in the majority here.



Yeah, I would just rather have something I could carry around without a bag like an iphone, or something with more functionality like a laptop. Tablets are just worst of all worlds gimmickry to me.

hey, well people want to pay for convenience... even it's $500+ (along with the fact that Apple knows how to market things well to the general consumers and their fans)

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Yeah, I would just rather have something I could carry around without a bag like an iphone, or something with more functionality like a laptop. Tablets are just worst of all worlds gimmickry to me.

gotta try one, dogg.

don't knock it until you've spent some time with one.

 

[reKon]

gotta try one, dogg.

don't knock it until you've spent some time with one.

$499 =[

 

[Talon]

Gimmicks don't sell to this extent.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

$499 =[

Full refund if returned in 14 days?

Or maybe a friend that has one and uses it lightly?

Gimmicks don't sell to this extent.

Beanie Babies!

 

[Keylime]

My iPad timeline:

iPad 1: This product is neat, but I'm still using my iPhone more. Hobby device
iPad 2: I'm using this thing by preference for just about everything. iPhone as a backup
iPad 3: I sold my laptop and no longer have a dedicated PC at all (my wife does and I have a Mac Mini as an HTPC that I could use in a pinch if required)

...what's the point of a laptop, anyways? The best thing about the iPad is that it's my main computer, with me all the time, always has internet connectivity, has good games on it, checks all my news/RSS in great ways, looks great, lasts forever....

iPad, it only does EVERYTHING awesomely.

Kind of over the top...but yeah, no need for a laptop from this guy anymore. I don't write longform papers. I don't code. I don't play computer games anymore....

 

[Dreams-Visions]

...what's the point of a laptop, anyways?

13" - 18", sir!

and a bunch of stuff you don't do.

 

[Cheebo]

My iPad timeline:

iPad 1: This product is neat, but I'm still using my iPhone more. Hobby device
iPad 2: I'm using this thing by preference for just about everything. iPhone as a backup
iPad 3: I sold my laptop and no longer have a dedicated PC at all (my wife does and I have a Mac Mini as an HTPC that I could use in a pinch if required)

...what's the point of a laptop, anyways? The best thing about the iPad is that it's my main computer, with me all the time, always has internet connectivity, has good games on it, checks all my news/RSS in great ways, looks great, lasts forever....

iPad, it only does EVERYTHING awesomely.

Kind of over the top...but yeah, no need for a laptop from this guy anymore. I don't write longform papers. I don't code. I don't play computer games anymore....

Yep same here, it is my main computer now. 90% of all my home computing is done on it. I have a MacBook Pro as well but I barely need to use it anymore. iPad does virtually everything I need from a computer.

 

[SuperBonk]

My case against the iPad is not that it can't do anything better than a laptop, it certainly can.

However, I don't think it does things much better than a laptop and a smartphone. At least, it doesn't do enough for me to satisfy the need for that space.

Of course, I realize I'm a very specific individual and the iPad has taken many strides to satisfy the needs of the laptop end of the spectrum. I have full reason to believe that my need for a tablet will only grow.

 

[Cheebo]

However, I don't think it does things much better than a laptop and a smartphone. At least, it doesn't do enough for me to satisfy the need for that space

Well, iPad shares a OS with the iPhone but it isn't trying to be a smartphone. It's trying to be a computer.

 

[kame-sennin]

at some point, growth like that is unsustainable - right? No sign of it yet it seems but surely its inevitable. Does anyone see that in the next few years?

Apple's strategy seems to be to surf from one product category to another, riding each subsequent wave of growth. If executed successfully, there's no reason to expect things to change. The real question is whether or not new product categories (TV, wearable technology, whatever else Apple is planning) will create larger markets than Apple's existing products.

Yes, and then not being able to sell iPads, which would probably double in price.

This is a common misdirection. In reality, labor - even potential American labor - is a small part of the iPad's total cost. There's no doubt Apple would make a smaller profit on the iPad, but it is well documented that Apple's profit margins are huge. I haven't seen any estimates that show the manufacturing cost of an American made iPad to be higher than the retail price of the current iPad. If you have an actual estimate that contradicts this, I'd be interested in seeing it. It's my understanding that Apple switched to Chinese manufacturing, something Jobs was reluctant to do, because Chinese factories were more capable of keeping up with demand.

 

[SuperBonk]

Well, iPad shares a OS with the iPhone but it isn't trying to be a smartphone. It's trying to be a computer.

That's exactly what I said.

It just doesn't do that great of a job for me, at the moment.

 

[vicissitudes]

My case against the iPad is not that it can't do anything better than a laptop, it certainly can.

However, I don't think it does things much better than a laptop and a smartphone. At least, it doesn't do enough for me to satisfy the need for that space.

Of course, I realize I'm a very specific individual and the iPad has taken many strides to satisfy the needs of the laptop end of the spectrum. I have full reason to believe that my need for a tablet will only grow.

Basically, everything I do on a laptop, I can do much better on either an iPad or a desktop.

So the laptop is superfluous to me now, not the tablet.

 

[SuperBonk]

Basically, everything I do on a laptop, I can do much better on either an iPad or a desktop.

So the laptop is superfluous to me now, not the tablet.

I realize that.

In a few years when there are new revisions and I'm not in school, I'll feel the same way.

 

[Beerman462]

I think Windows 8 sounds like a pretty solid idea. From what I understand there will be 2 different verions. There's the arm version which will use the metro api only and it's for phones and tablets. Then there is the x86 version which can run in a normal desktop fashion or with the metro api interface. It would make something like the asus transformer a true desktop/tablet. The point of windows 8 isn't touch interface on a desktop. Although it could work with a nice touchpad.

 

[kame-sennin]

Good for them and good for people that enjoy their products. I still don't see the appeal of an ipad though...

Have you tried one? I didn't understand the appeal until my dad bought one.

Then there's the debate in my head on whether ipads are useful enough to have so much money put into them in the first place when there still isn't a universal healthcare system etc. that sort of thing. I feel like they shouldn't be separate, companies shouldn't be able to amass massive wealth if the country is in debt and having huge problems.

There's no deficit crisis. We can have universal healthcare and iPads. The government does not need to garnish Apple's profits in order to finance health insurance. That may be a prudent thing to do in the long term, but it's not immediately necessary. We don't have fundamental services in the U.S. because the right wing (and corporate democrats) simply do not want to fund those services.

I recognize the ipad is significant I'm just not sure if the majority of people are using them for something other than facebook and angry birds. If it turns out they're extremely useful in hospitals to take the place of clipboards for example or have important stuff on the tablet in general that's great but I don't know how much money Apple could have saved if they developed the ipad with functionality suited to that rather than have engineers worry if the GPU can handle Epic's next visual showcase.

I understand where you're coming from, but we don't need to be that utilitarian about innovation. When motion picture cameras were invented, they were a novelty designed to wow people with moving images of body builders or crying babies. No one could have predicted the benefits to society that the moving image would bring, and those benefits are in no way diminished because the technology also enabled TV shows like Jersey Shore.

 

[Cheebo]

What's the point of making a dual iPad/MacBook with stuff like this out there?

http://vimeo.com/40708667

 

[Good Job Bob]

What's the point of making a dual iPad/MacBook with stuff like this out there?

http://vimeo.com/40708667

OS X?

That looks really nice btw.

 

[Beerman462]

What's the point of making a dual iPad/MacBook with stuff like this out there?

http://vimeo.com/40708667

Because thats just an iPad with a keyboard and not a full x86 desktop os?

 

[noah111]

It's so cute when people who don't know a single thing about OS X pretend they do. I just want to squeeze those cheeks! Yes I do!

So very true. I know because I was in their shoes once.

 

[Gamecocks625]

My iPad timeline:

iPad 1: This product is neat, but I'm still using my iPhone more. Hobby device
iPad 2: I'm using this thing by preference for just about everything. iPhone as a backup
iPad 3: I sold my laptop and no longer have a dedicated PC at all (my wife does and I have a Mac Mini as an HTPC that I could use in a pinch if required)

...what's the point of a laptop, anyways? The best thing about the iPad is that it's my main computer, with me all the time, always has internet connectivity, has good games on it, checks all my news/RSS in great ways, looks great, lasts forever....

iPad, it only does EVERYTHING awesomely.

Kind of over the top...but yeah, no need for a laptop from this guy anymore. I don't write longform papers. I don't code. I don't play computer games anymore....

Pretty much me except I use a desktop PC at work, but everything else I do at home is on my iPad. My wife uses our Dell studio laptop as that's her main computer, but I never touch it anymore. Work - PC; Home - iPad is what works for me.

 

[Slurpy2k20]

Fun fact from Daring Fireball:

the $1.67 billion in profit Apple earned in Q4 2009 was a record for the company. Yesterday, a mere 10 quarters later, Apple announced $11.6 billion in profit — about $1.5 billion short of the company’s highest-ever $13.06 billion from one quarter ago. I.e., a sum of money that three years ago was a record quarterly profit is now just the blip between the (historically strong) holiday quarter and the (historically weak) January-March quarter.

Damn that's insane. Their record smashing holiday quarter a couple years ago constitues ~10% of what they're earning now in non-holiday quarters.

 

[UraMallas]

If all you need a computer for is browsing the internet, social networking, checking e-mail, light gaming, etc which is most of home consumers out there then the iPad (or a similiar tablet) is probably the best computer on the market for those needs.

Not for me. That is all I use my computer for and without a physical keyboard I couldn't live. I've tried tablets but I do a lot of my computing on a couch or in bed. I've found the tablets I've tried to be unwieldy in that position and more trouble than they are worth. I will continue to buy a small laptop/netbook until they stop making them because I fall somewhere between the entirely too casual tablet and the hardcore laptop demographic for my computing needs. For an anecdote, I have a roommate with an iPad who asks me to use my netbook weekly. When I ask why, it's always the same "I can't do what I need to do on my iPad." I feel the same way. When the iPad comes with a sturdy, snap-on keyboard then I will take a serious look at it but to pay double the price for less functionality is crazy to me.

 

[jmdajr]

Someone asked me the other day to recommend them a laptop. I asked what they wanted it for. They said to play on the internet. I told them they might as well just get an Ipad.

I don't have one because I feel my phone does most of what the Ipad does and I don't see myself carrying it around. If I'm going to really watch TV, I'll just watch TV. Gaming..not interested really. Not on there anyway. And heck I have plenty of laptops still. But once they break.. who knows. I still want to see what Windows offers.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

I don't have one because I feel my phone does most of what the Ipad does

Nah man. That extra 6" of screen real estate matters.