| FaRmLaNd said: There aint no way I'm ever going to use the ipad. However I doubt apple will fail to find a market for it. It simply isn't useful for me. I don't read books on computers, if ebooks with their advanced digital ink screens haven't convinced me a normal computer screen that kills me eyes certainly wont. I can't edit video effectively on it. Thus its worthless for my industry. I mean I nead terabytes of data ever year just to keep working. Thus a desktop is what I use. I game on my windows pc and my 360 and DS. So unfortunately I think the ipad is simply a device that wont fit into a lot of peoples lives. However I wont be the one to doubt apple, they're one of the most successful companies in the tech world for a reason. They know how to create demand for their products (and they are very sexy). But their is a reason tablets have less then 3% of the Australian portable computing market. And thats because they're simply a niche product with niche appeal. Apple will transcend that niche market somewhat but by how much I don't think anyone is certain. |
To first talk about the 3% thing. Every iPod Touch, iPhone, Android phone, Palm, and Windows CE device, is a tablet computer. One with a small screen, but that does not make it less of a computer. If you factor those devices into the mix, it's more then 3%.
No one is saying a tablet will become the only option for computing. For you (and me), it never will. I am a software developer. There is no way I would develop on a tablet. I need a full PC.
But, we are not the mass market of users. Most users browse the web, send email, manage and edit photos, chat on IM, play games, and other basic things that a tablet would be perfect for (maybe not the iPad).
For example, none of the things to mentioned will work with a netbook either, and millions of those have sold to a market.
But again, the point here is not about the device, it's about someone releasing the first thing on the market, that for a very large portion of the world can replace a PC. One that your grandmother can use. One that had 140,000 apps available right from the device. You don't need to think about where your going to get your word processor, or a game, or a weather app, you know where to go to get them all. You don't need to drive to a store, or order a boxed item online. You don't need to worry about if it will work on your computer. You don't need to worry about spyware or viruses (provided Apple does there job in those departments).
You just pick it up, and use it. That's the part that's the future. The hardware is not the big story here.
