IPad 2 is a Comin'

[famousringo]

rocketpig said:

They're actually incredibly useful if you're a general user. They play games, compose email, surf pretty much any non-Flash website, and do all the things a non power user would need out of the machine. Pack the iPad into a slim bag along with a keyboard and you're good to go at any coffee shop, restaurant, friend's house, etc.

For me, it's just about useless. If the machine doesn't run Photoshop, Illy, or Dreamweaver and allow me to RDP in and fix any problems with the server at work, it's just a toy. I'll stick to my 13" Macbook Pro (though that will almost assuredly be replaced by that slick-as-hell Macbook Air within 24 months or whenever I decide the MBP is too slow for my needs).

The iPad certainly won't replace those other professional apps, but it will let you remote desktop into a server. And let me tell you, it really takes the sting out of having to do midnight server admin when you can do it from your bed.

Anecdotally, I've never seen any piece of tech get adopted at my workplace faster than the iPad. Not smartphones, not iPods, not Wiis, not even laptops. Half of management has one already. It's not for everybody -- one co-worker returned his because he's married to his MBP -- but most of them seem very happy with their purchase, and lots of people yet to own one seem envious.

Part of the success is because it strikes a good balance between portability and usability. Smartphones fit in a pocket, but they sacrifice a lot of screen and interface to do it. Laptops have great screens and interfaces, but the clamshell design makes them clunky and unbalanced, and insufficient power often means you have to tether your laptop to a power brick for extra awkwardness. Many people iPads easier and more pleasant to use than a smartphone, while also finding the extra portability means they end up taking the tablet places they wouldn't take a laptop.

The other part of the success is that iOS is being positioned as an app console, just as Nintendo is a game console. People prefer using apps on iOS devices for many of the same reasons gamers prefer game consoles to gaming PCs. An easier, more intuitive interface, software which requires little to no configuration and is highly optimized for its task, easy access to new content, easy and convenient software updates, little risk of malware, etc.

Just trying to help people in this thread understand why tablets are (finally!) becoming so successful.