Please iPad, Don't Hurt 'Em

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Devin Coldewey:

It’s not entirely fair, of course, to compare a fragmented and developing ecosystem like Android tablets to the world leader, the iPad.

This kind of stuff drives me nuts. Android gets a free pass for sucking because, well it's hard to compete with the establishment. Like iPhone did? iPhone came out in 2007, it wasn't available globally until 2008 and it was an instant hit and crushed the mighty, market leading Blackberry, and Nokia. Just like the iPod at $399 in 2001 was the defacto mp3 player within 3 years. Not successful, but the standard. No one gets a free pass.

(Via Daring Fireball)

iPad As A Distraction

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Ryas Faas, renown Apple-in-business hater:

Those seem like great additions to a doctor’s daily workflows – both in the office and while on rounds at hospitals. Those great healthcare features don’t live in a vacuum, however. They live on mobile devices that also allow their owners to check-in on social networks, send and receive texts and emails, play games, and do all manner of personal tasks. That has some doctors and hospitals concerned that iPad, iPhones, and other mobile devices could actually be putting patients in harm’s way.

Yeah, the iPhone/Blackberry/Windows Phone/Android in their pocket doesn't have any of that stuff. If doctor's are not able to focus on the task at hand, healthcare has bigger problems.

Battery-Gate

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Ina Fried on iPad Battery-Gate:

So here’s how things work: Apple does, in fact, display the iPad (and iPhone and iPod Touch) as 100 percent charged just before a device reaches a completely charged state. At that point, it will continue charging to 100 percent, then discharge a bit and charge back up to 100 percent, repeating that process until the device is unplugged.

Doing so allows devices to maintain an optimum charge, Apple VP Michael Tchao toldAllThingsD today.

What? Apple knows what they're doing? What? It was totally intentional so that it would provide optimum battery performance? What? Even unplugged at the very lowest 100% setting will give 10 hours of battery life?

Enough of that, but seriously. OMG APPLE R DOOMED!~!~!!!~!@@!!111!~ is getting old.

User-Servicable iProducts

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Allyson Kazmucha, on user-servicable iProducts:

I’m convinced that Apple can find a different practice of securing the screen without sacrificing size or thickness and would allow easier access to the internal components.

I'm not weighing in on whether the iPad should or should not be user-servicable, but this statement really gets my back up. What's your proposed solution, Allyson?

Can One Tell The Difference Between iPad 2 & the new iPad?

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Harrison Webster on a test to see if new iPad owners could tell the difference between theirs and an iPad 2:

But the fact that the resolutionary improvements aren’t so distinct goes to show just how powerful Apple’s marketing arm is.

The Apple Marketing Arm hasn't even kicked in. Maybe in the US, but here in Canada I have yet to see a commercial, billboard, or magazine ad.

Death of iPad?

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Brad McCarthy:

But then it became clear – the iPad 1 is now a 2-year-old device. If we look at Apple’s history with generational devices, especially with mobile, it wouldn’t surprise me if the eldest iPad is about to go the way of the dodo. While that might be heartbreaking to owners of the device, it’s for the best. Consider it like putting an old horse out to pasture.

I hope Apple doesn't expect me to upgrade my iPad every two years. I have friends that are still rocking the Luxo iMac. I have another friend who just upgraded her 1999 iMac. While I don't expect it to last me that long I should get more than 730 days out of $519 CDN. That means iPad essentially costs me $0.71/day. I 5-year lifespan would push it down to $0.28/day. I'd like that a lot more.

Having said all that I ordered my new iPad yesterday.

iPad: What is it Good For?

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Alex Wilhelm:

However, through every rolling update, (that are still coming even as I write this) I’m stuck wondering what the damn thing is for. By that I mean, is it a gaming device, a reading device, a productivity device, or something else altogether? Or is it simply a hybrid, borne to be something different for everyone?

Alex goes on to argue that iPad should set itself up as something specific and corner itself in a niche. WRONG. Apple has created a device that literally becomes whatever it's doing. This is the greatest part of iPad. Singular focus on the task at hand.

When I'm in Garageband all I'm doing is composing something. When I'm in 'Photos' all I'm doing is enjoying my photos. The same goes for any other app I might be using. The iPad adjusts itself to be exactly what I need.

But I always know that if I want to do something else I'm as little as three taps away. Genius.

No Live Stream of iPad Event Tomorrow

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Alex Heath:

Apple VP of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller confirmed on his personal Twitter today that Apple will not live stream tomorrow’s iPad media event on its website.

I don't like the surprises ruined so I'll be waiting for the full video to be posted before weighing in, but I am disappointed. Long gone are the days when Apple Streamed everything.

'A Faster Horse'

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Matthew Panzarino on a PriceGrabber iPad survey:

The survey [...] asked customers which feature of the new iPad 3 was most important to them:

  • 54% indicated cost reduction
  • 53% indicated better battery
  • 49% indicated SD card to store data
  • 44% indicated better camera with flash
  • 44% indicated new A6 processor
  • 41% indicated built-in HDMI port
  • 36% indicated wireless synchronization facility
  • iPad is as cheaper or cheaper than 'comparable' tablets
  • iPad has the best battery life on the market right now
  • No.
  • Almost certain
  • Updated processor is almost certain
  • No.
  • We already have that

This is why Apple doesn't do focus groups.