Official Blog Post: What The Bloody 'ell Happened?

[djaychela]

The fact that the stupid Pad doesn't even have an SD slot to watch movies or whatever is going to be a definite negative. Of course knowing Apple, they will put on in the next iteration and act like it's a revolutionary idea they invented. They don't want an SD reader now, as they want you to buy your video's off itunes, not supply your own, then the next one will have on specifically for the purpose of storing more of your itunes content. REVOLUTIONARY!!!!

There is an adapter that plugs into the iPad's port that allows you to read SD cards:

http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/ - look near the bottom.

 

[Awakening]

In many ways I would love an iPad but then I would not be satisfied with using a stand/dock to get a keyboard, I would really really miss multitasking, the lack of SDHC capability is a joke and maybe I will find the system too locked, not sure. It's also more expensive then the Pandora. The OS and the software looks very interesting but it's not useful enough for me.

Yes, I'm interested in the Touchbook but then it's not more powerful then a Pandora and without the keyboard the batterylife isn't very good.

 

[Poem58]

The fact that the stupid Pad doesn't even have an SD slot to watch movies or whatever is going to be a definite negative. Of course knowing Apple, they will put on in the next iteration and act like it's a revolutionary idea they invented. They don't want an SD reader now, as they want you to buy your video's off itunes, not supply your own, then the next one will have on specifically for the purpose of storing more of your itunes content. REVOLUTIONARY!!!!

There is an adapter that plugs into the iPad's port that allows you to read SD cards:

http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/ - look near the bottom.

Yeah, that's wonderfully convenient to have sticking out of the Ipad from the bottom no doubt. And it says that it is for importing media so maybe you cannot actually read directly from it in any case not nearly as good as an integrated slot, but I bet the next one will have one!

 

[Asmo]

The iPad strikes me as the Nintendo Wii of Laptops.
It doesn't appeal to me, but I can see where the market for it lies.

 

[TrashyMG]

The iPad strikes me as the Nintendo Wii of Laptops.
It doesn't appeal to me, but I can see where the market for it lies.

If the Market is for raging fans that will buy anything that the said company comes out with, with out question. Then yes I can see the similarities between the two companies.

Have a Launch Day Wii.. it's a cool toy.. that collects dust.

 

[Exophase]

Edit: PA Semi did fab the A4 though, right? I'm confused somewhere because at the conference Steve Jobs said they are making their own silicon. Or did they just have another company fab it for them?

PA Semi was fabless, and I don't know of Apple possessing one. "Making their own silicon" probably means designing the chip, which is the main part of the work - most companies who design and sell chips don't actually have their own fabs. Even nVidia doesn't.

 

[fischju2000]

The iPad strikes me as the Nintendo Wii of Laptops.
It doesn't appeal to me, but I can see where the market for it lies.

If the Market is for raging fans that will buy anything that the said company comes out with, with out question. Then yes I can see the similarities between the two companies.

Have a Launch Day Wii.. it's a cool toy.. that collects dust.

To continue going off topic: Bannerbomb that Wii. There is a massive homebrew scene http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Main_Page - My Wii has replaced an Xbox with XBMC.

 

[mindlord]

To continue going off topic: Bannerbomb that Wii. There is a massive homebrew scene http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Main_Page - My Wii has replaced an Xbox with XBMC.

Exactly, and now that you can run stuff off USB drives, storage for all that homebrew goodness is no longer a concern. I'm totally glad I got a Wii, and my wife loves it.

 

[lulzfish]

The iPad strikes me as the Nintendo Wii of Laptops.
It doesn't appeal to me, but I can see where the market for it lies.

I honestly think the market lies in old people.
For both devices.

 

[Asmo]

The iPad strikes me as the Nintendo Wii of Laptops.
It doesn't appeal to me, but I can see where the market for it lies.

I honestly think the market lies in old people.
For both devices.

Well, the iPad launch was an old guy sitting in a comfy chair using the thing to 'read' the web.

 

[Tom`]

The iPad strikes me as the Nintendo Wii of Laptops.
It doesn't appeal to me, but I can see where the market for it lies.

I honestly think the market lies in old people.
For both devices.

I don't know about that - remember, one of the main selling points of the Wii is and was that it's considerably cheaper than the competition. It's still a game console - sure, it has an innovative interface, but it's not trying to create a space where before none really existed the way the iPad is. It's a neat idea - the portable internet tablet could probably do well if implemented better - but I think Apple is shooting themselves in the foot somewhat by having it be expensive and locked-down. They're trying to cater to the "trendy hipster" demographic - to be fair, they're part of Apple's traditional base, but I can't see this device having anywhere near the popularity of the Wii, particularly among older people and those outside of Apple's usual target market.

Anyway, back on topic!

so... where are those new cases?

 

[Pleng]

I don't know about that - remember, one of the main selling points of the Wii is and was that it's considerably cheaper than the competition. It's still a game console - sure, it has an innovative interface, but it's not trying to create a space where before none really existed the way the iPad is.

You are joking right?

The majority of Wii owners I know are people who've never owned a games system in their life. Most people I know who own Wiis would have never had a Playstation or X-Box in the house. My parents and grandparents play with the Wii; you would have never got them to play a 'normal' games system.

Then you've got people like me; people who got disillusioned with the dull repetitive games market. People who got disinterest in games at the point people started regularly saying things like 'once you learn it, it's a really good game' and 'it takes you a couple of hours to really get into it'. I also would have never entertained an X-Box or Playstation, but quite happily own a Wii.

Just look at Nintendo's adverts compared to Sony/Microsoft's. They aren't even remotely aimed at existing traditional gamers.

So, yea, Nintendo have created a market all of their own.

Sorry about the off-topic rant!

 

[Prometheus]

Ditto what Pleng said, on all counts. (Though in the case of myself and my lot, we're all on the "lost interest in the industry's usual stuff and behaviour" side.)

I highly recommend the writings on Sean Malstrom's blog for anyone who has trouble understanding that us "expanded/lost audience" folks aren't an alien species, by the way. :lol:

 

[WizardStan]

The Wii fell into the market of "people that like to have fun but never really considered owning a game system". It was affordable, easy to setup, easy to use, and (in North America at least) came with a fun game.
To be compared to the Wii, the iPad would need to target the people that could use the features of it, but haven't considered other alternatives. Unfortunately, almost everyone that could benefit from owning a computer already owns one. On the other hand, it should be very easy to setup and use, and the fact that it can only do one thing at a time will actually be a plus to a lot of people (mostly new users afraid of technology).
On the other other hand, that is quite a bit of money to be investing in a computer if the user isn't aware that they could use it.
A lot of promotion for the Wii came from word of mouth: someone bought one, friend who doesn't play games much comes over and they play baseball or golf, friend likes, friend buys, cycle repeats. I can't imagine the iPad having much "here, check this out" potential, but we shall see.

 

[hobbyman II]

the only thing the Ipad has going for it is the Apple logo on the back of the case, basically, the Ipad sux big ones, the Internet has spoken, who wants a web tablet that can't use the web fully and can't do any alternative functions well?, the Archos web tablet is better than the Ipad in almost all respects, Ipad is a dumb idea, badly implemented, I can't imagine what they where thinking.

hey!, lets build a giant Iphone, but without the phone part!

wot?

just dumb, far better tablet devices have died before this feeble effort, I doubt this will do any better even with the church of Jobs trying to prop it up.

 

[Prometheus]

the Internet has spoken

And the internet doesn't matter - only the customers matter. People have scoffed at many things, and in many cases those things have gone on to find markets, or create new ones.

I'm certainly not saying that this will be the case with the iPad, of course - the point is that some chattering (and viral messengers) on the interwebs will not decide the fate of a product, those who use it will.

 

[Tom`]

I don't know about that - remember, one of the main selling points of the Wii is and was that it's considerably cheaper than the competition. It's still a game console - sure, it has an innovative interface, but it's not trying to create a space where before none really existed the way the iPad is.

You are joking right?

The majority of Wii owners I know are people who've never owned a games system in their life. Most people I know who own Wiis would have never had a Playstation or X-Box in the house. My parents and grandparents play with the Wii; you would have never got them to play a 'normal' games system.

Then you've got people like me; people who got disillusioned with the dull repetitive games market. People who got disinterest in games at the point people started regularly saying things like 'once you learn it, it's a really good game' and 'it takes you a couple of hours to really get into it'. I also would have never entertained an X-Box or Playstation, but quite happily own a Wii.

Just look at Nintendo's adverts compared to Sony/Microsoft's. They aren't even remotely aimed at existing traditional gamers.

So, yea, Nintendo have created a market all of their own.

Sorry about the off-topic rant!

I still stand by my statement - the Wii brought console gaming to lots of people who never even thought about owning a console before, true. But that's not analogous to the situation with the iPad. The WIi was still a game console, just one that was usable easily by more people, and cheaper.

The iPad, on the other hand, isn't trying to bring "computing to people who have never owned a computer" - for one thing, that group is not very large or likely to buy gadgets. It's probably trying to appeal to the people who already own iPhones and such.

 

[Chip]

I don't know about that - remember, one of the main selling points of the Wii is and was that it's considerably cheaper than the competition.

Sure, three years ago. Right now the Wii and Xbox 360 arcade are both $200. For about a year (until Nintendo finally lowered their price), the 360 arcade was $50 cheaper than the Wii.

I know a lot of people who own Wiis. I don't know a single person who plays games on it with any frequency. I bannerbombed a Wii for a friend who then downloaded or copied every game made for the system. He's got over 100 games sitting on a hard drive, and last I heard, he hadn't even turned the thing on in months. Instead he plays purchased games on his un-modded 360 every damn day. There isn't anything worth playing on the Wii, even for free.

 

[Pleng]

I know a lot of people who own Wiis. I don't know a single person who plays games on it with any frequency. I bannerbombed a Wii for a friend who then downloaded or copied every game made for the system. He's got over 100 games sitting on a hard drive, and last I heard, he hadn't even turned the thing on in months. Instead he plays purchased games on his un-modded 360 every damn day. There isn't anything worth playing on the Wii, even for free.

Absolute rubbish.

With Homebrew installed the Wii becomes a great retro gaming device and media centre.

And to say there's nothing worth playing is ludicrous. I agree that games that are actually worth playing are thin on the ground. In fact I don't regularly play anything other than the two Nintendo sports packs. And, sure, I don't play Wii games every day. It's very much for use when friends and family visit. Maybe your friend doesn't have many visitors?

 

[hobbyman II]

you can't say that!!

are you insane?, the big bad internet troll will get you for sure :unsure:

when the Internet speaks (or in this case...laughs uncontrollably), then a product is doomed h34r:

tablets have been done innumerable times in the past, and current ones like the Archos 9 are better than the Ipad just from a familiarity pov (re the OS), not to mention you can run familiar software on it, it's not locked, etc, the only thing hurting Archos is their own attitude, but they seem to make enough money anyway, tablets have been around and plugged so many times it isn't funny any more, they missed a metric ton of functionality on the Ipad, why should it succeed where better devices failed?

no hope, bury it and pretend it never happened (like Lucas did with the star wars Christmas special)