I’ll be honest with you… Although the iPhone is not the smartphone for me, I’m a huge fan of Apple. I love the Mac. There are at least 7 iPods in my house at the moment. I’m even seriously contemplating making my next laptop a MacBook. That being said, I was really hoping that the iPad would have been a device that I would just have to go out and get day one. Needless to say, I was sadly disappointed.
The iPad is nothing more than an iMiss
In my opinion, the iPad is nothing more than an iMiss. There are so many reasons why the iPad misses the mark, but, for the sake of brevity, I am going to just rattle off 10…
- The iPad is a big frigging iPod Touch — no explanation really need here other than the iPad is a big frigging iPod Touch.
- No Multitasking — Apple must know that only being able to do one thing at a time on an iPhone sucks. What in the world would make them think it wouldn’t suck to the tenth power on a tablet.
- The iPad solves no problem — Less accessing proprietary content offered only on the iPad, what do you do with this thing that you can’t do more effectively on other devices that are generally less expensive?
- Ebooks are ridiculously overpriced — Why the 33% premium on eBooks that will cause me way more eyestrain while reading them than on real eReaders… Seriously Apple, what were you thinking on this one?
- The iPad is a big frigging iPod Touch — This point was worth mentioning twice, as the iPad isn’t even as cool as the iPod Touch.
- No Flash Support — Jobs says that the iPad offers the best web browsing experience available yet his little fight with Adobe keeps the iPad from accessing much of the content available to you on the web. #FAIL
- 4:3 Screen Format — Watching movies on the iPad might be cool only if the thing were WideScreen.
- No USB Port — You need an adapter for USB? You need an adapter for just about anyting that you would like to plugin to the iPad, but, no USB? Are you frigging kidding me?
- No Camera — A device like this really should have a front facing camera. Apple knows this. They just want to nickle and dime your by making you buy an accessory, or, upgrading to next years iPad which undoubtedly will have a camera.
- Only Runs Apps From The App Store — Controlling what Apps go into your App Store is one thing. Only allowing Apps from your App Store to run on your hardware is completely another. You get away with this on the iPhone because you were first, the market is still catching up, and people don’t think of iPhones as computers, but, more of an appliance. The iPad, on the other hand, won’t have this luxury. Android is coming for you hard on this point, but, I will leave that for another post…
The list of reasons that the iPad is an iMiss goes on and on, and, even with all that has been said, Apple made the price point low enough that a lot of people will buy it without much thought to whether it sucks or not. The iPad will probably do fairly well, but not nearly as well as they hype machine that is Apple is hoping for.
…all the more reason to go with one of the many Android based tablet devices hitting the market soon….
I am actually kind of surprised at Apple. They’ve completely left the door open for Google to enter this space and do what Apple should have done.
More Apple bashing as usual.
I think this is more specific to the iPad as compared to Apple in general. Wouldn’t you say…
I am a sworn fan of all things apple…but the ipad is underwhelming. I plan to buy one as soon as they are available but I don’t see it changing my life the way macbook or iphone does. I really agree with what others are saying – this should have been hit out of the park and Apple seems to have missed.
Robb, I think that you are dead on, especially with your last point. Apple paved a way for Google to do the Tablet right. The question is will Google act quickly enough to capitalize on it.
Wow I know this is a BlackBerry blog but geez… you’re calling a device that hasn’t shipped yet a miss? Apple has enough time if you think about it to turn this device around. Especially since a lot can change in a little over a month.
The iPad is what the iPad is. These things aren’t changing in the next month, so, yes, I am absolutely calling the iPad a miss…
Didnt they call the iPod a miss as well initially? I’m just saying.
Do you really think that all Apple can fix all this stuff in the next month or so. If it isn’t a miss, why would Apple even need to?
Actually, you’re wrong about that. What Jobs showed was only running OS 3. OS 4 is coming out and I think you will see many enhancements that maybe Jobs didn’t want to tip his hat to at this time.
True, I will give you that OS could could and probably will change a bit. Even if it does, however, it could possibly only affect 1 of my ten issues… The inclusion of flash support, and we know that this isn’t going to happen…
I am the biggest Apple Fanboy on the planet but I wasn’t as impressed with the iPad as I thought I would be. Still probably going to get it but this seems very 1.0ish.
Robb, I think you’ve been looking at some of the posts that I have been leaving all over the place! haha. See my replies here: http://blackrimglasses.com/archives/2010/01/27/thoughts-on-the-ipad/. I said some of the very things at BGR too. This was a complete miss for me. The camera and multitasking were a must. Not a nice to have… a MUST HAVE!
Apple was lame to release a 10″ iPod Touch and call it anything other than a 10″ iPod Touch.
I agree with everything you said.
What a poorly written article. Completely one-sided bias, it would probably serve the author and the article some justice to show some objectivity. The author fails to point out why the iPod Touch is a bad device (I can’t be bothered to look for that article; if it exists, the author should have included a link) so that nullifies Point #1. Point #5 is also unsupported because it doesn’t explain WHY the iPad is “not as cool as the iPod Touch”.
#4 — The eBook store is not public yet so you can’t compare their offerings to those available on the Kindle. Perhaps the books will have some type of multimedia, instead of just words. And take it with a grain of salt, but Steve Jobs does mention in this interview that the prices for the eBooks would be the same as Amazon (http://bit.ly/cneYlG). And unless the author has spent some time reading books on the iPad already, stating that it will cause way more eyestrain is an unsubstantiated claim (at this point).
I agree with #2, #6, #8, and #9 but a simple software update can fix #2 and #6 while inevitably, #9 will be fixed with the 2nd gen iPad. #8 is not likely in the iPad’s future but more grievous than that is the lack of support for flash memory cards. Honestly, I have an 8GB memory card for my digital camera so to think 16GB, at the low end, is enough built-in storage for the iPad is ridiculously. Given the fact that the iPad prominantly features iTunes and photos, the available storage capacity choices are impossible to deal with. Again, storage capacity will be fixed in future gens but for now, it’s a big negative point for the iPad.
For someone that has a MacBook Pro and is in love with my BlackBerry, I would have to pass on the iPad, but not for the majority of the weak reasons on this list.
Teddy Kennedy’s “True Compass” on the iPad is $14.99. On the Kindle, only $9.99. (This is from the keynote)
According to the technical specs, the iPad uses a 9.7 in IPS display. I don’t need to wait until the iPad comes out to know that any display with a refresh rate is hard on your eyes when read for extended periods.
As far as the iPod Touch goes, I don’t point out that it is a bad device because I don’t think that it is a bad device. As a matter of fact, the Touch is pretty cool in my book. My point was that the iPad is nothing more than a big iPod Touch. Is this a subjective opinion, yes, but, nullified because you disagree, absolutely not.
As far as the memory is concerned, I wholeheartedly agree. This probably should have made my list…
I am the biggest Apple hater on the planet but my friends who are Apple fans hate this thing too. I can’t imagine that you say that this is a poorly written article yet you agree with most of it. You attempt to discredit points 1 and 5 but I couldn’t stop laughing. So to me they are valid. Not only because they were funny but because what is cool about something that you already have but only bigger? The iPod touch is cool because it is small and does a lot. I thought this was an obvious point.
Now the second half of your post explains your thinking for the first half. Because the article was not stating that the iPad could not become something more that an iDUD. The article is stating that the iPad as it exists today SUCKS. You say you can’t talk about the book store because it is not released yet then you turn around and say that points 2 and 6 can be fixed with a nonexistent update. Stop it. You are trying to change the rules of the discussion to suit your arguments. Which is a sure symptom of APPLE FANBOYISM. A very nasty virus that is easy to cure. Take off the Apple Glasses and see this pile of junk for what it is. AN ISCAM.
Rick james said it best “I wish I had 4 hands so I can give this thing 4 thumbs down!”
Well, I was disappointed because it wasn’t the “laptop/netbook” type of device I was expecting or hoping for. However, I don’t think that the device will be a failure.
There’s a market for Kindle’s and Nook’s, and the iPad has joined the group, yet offering more than just reading. I could go on with a few reasons why I would buy this device, but keeping it short, the price isn’t bad and I wouldn’t mind having such a device to use for reading, browsing, etc. Basic stuff without having to boot up my laptop when hanging outside my backyard, in bed, or reading the morning paper while eating breakfast. Can’t read everything in a comfortable format on the iPhone or iTouch like you probably can on the iPad.
As for the reasons listed in the post, I can agree with a few, but one that shouldn’t be up there is the lack of a camera. Comon’. Can you imagine holing up a device that size to take a picture? I don’t walk around with my laptop or tablet snapping pictures. That one is kind of funny… Another one is the multitasking. 4.0 may possibly allow it. If so, then I’d definitely purchase this device. May do so either way.
C’mon blue… Every tablet should come equipped with a front facing camera for video conferencing…
My bad Robb. I read through the article too fast and didn’t catch the “front facing” part…I just read through the list quickly. Yeah, I’d like to see a front facing camera, but not sure if it would be a deal breaker.
Looks like it will have a front facing camera after all. Latest SDK shows…
Let me first say that I am an Apple fan and I plan on getting an iPad, but, I agree with quite a few of your points.
You hit the nail on the head when you said that the iPad solves no problem. I am going to buy one because am a gadget freak and simply want to have it, but, I can’t really think of anything I need an iPad for that I can’t already do with my Macbook Air, Kindle, or iPhone 3G S. Maybe I could replace my Kindle with the iPad but, I won’t look forward to paying a premium on the books.
I look at the iPad as the 1.0 device. Maybe even the 0.9 device. Give Apple some time to get it worked out and I am sure that it will be stellar by the time the second edition comes out.
You’re right, its a ” big frigging iPod Touch” and that’s why the iPad will be a huge success; it makes Kindel seem obsolete. As a consumer device, I can’t imagine many choosing a cheap laptop or netbook over the iPad; its more portable and convenient to use, especially when just relaxing and weighs only 1.5 lbs. And when you add the iTunes ecosystem, its a very compelling product.
I don’t have an iPod Touch but I do have a 5 lb macbook: the iPad is a nice bridge between them. I suspect very shortly eBay will be flooded with kindles, cheap laptops & netbooks. And Dell, HP & others will be rushing to release an equivalent device, as Rim did with the original Storm.
All I have to say is that I agree with you a hundred percent. I really don’t see any reason to buy that thing and it has no flash support did I read that right, I’ll stick with bb and my laptop for now they give me everything I need.
iPad = iPod version 1.0. Remember the old 5GB spinning wheel first generation iPod? Now look at the iPod Touch and how much it has changed from that first generation. Why has it changed? Well, the componentry has allowed what is possible now that was not then.
Doesn’t it makes sense we’ll see the same development process for the iPad – and in time, many of the “shortcomings” will be addressed. Naysayers tend to forget things like physics and limits of processing power and energy consumption so Apple has to make certain compromises (something RIM aficionados should intrinsically understand) . In a few years when PA Semi processors are pushing 2 ghz with better efficiency, the possibilities will open up. This isn’t meant to be a full fledged computer but an appliance between your phone and your computer. In that context, this device does not miss – those who believe that are essentially bitching that a motorcycle doesn’t have a back seat and four doors.
as soon as you said “I’m even seriously contemplating making my next laptop a MacBook” you lost all credibility, and have no business writing this piece. not saying you’re wrong, but no business. fail.
I am not a hater general hater of Apple and don’t believe that liking Macs and PCs is like mixing oil and water. Why is credibility lost if I buy a Mac?
So. I’ve had my BB 8320 for about a year, love it. Have debated on getting iphone, although I won’t make that change soon, (many other expenses with children around).
One thing, about Apple is that I do love my MacBook as much as I love my BB 8320. It just works. I had previous PCs, desk and lap versions that would not be as reliable.
Concerning this article. For me the iPad is not really a piece of electronic equipment that I would purchase, it does seem immature, as some pointed out 1.0ish. True, as time passes there will be improvements made, however, if there are such improvement made, then Sony should really step up its game since they were releasing eBook before the Kindle came around. To me, Apple is toying with the idea.
I agree Robb, I was impressed with the unveiling, but let down by the specs. Though I am generally anti-apple, I do have a touch as it has the xm/sirius app which is how i listen to my satelite radio in my car, but the ipad, is really far from being a game changer. But don’t expect it to be cut from the team yet. With windows 7 starter filling up the gaps for netbook and Google taking advantage of the fumble, i’m sure there will be an updated edition in the near future.
I’m not sure if this has been said before, but who the hell is going to read a book on that screen?! Its a bright LCD backlit screen! If you read a book on it your eyes are gonna melt after prolonged use
Uh…so what happens to folks that sit at their computer all day staring at the screen? Programmers, developers, gamers, etc.? Also, CRT’s burn out your eyes, not LCD’s, and you can adjust the brightness of the screen as well.
Yeah, I’m one of them! We have to have mandated breaks from the screen or have filters on the monitor
ok idk even know where to begin with explaining how stupidddd this review is… first of all, its def not a big ipod touch, nor is the ipod touch “cooler” than the ipad.. the ipod touch if fucking worthless.. we all know that apple “dumbs” down their products and you are right it is to get every nickle and dime out of ppl.. and the no camera thing pisses me off too… but i will deal with no camera on my ipad because i have an iphone.. and if you want multitasking and a bunch of other features that your bitching about, jailbreak the motherfucker.. also you should look up why steve jobs doesnt not allow for adobe to be supported on the ipad.. he has a very good reason why.. apple has proven itself very well that you do not need adobe to view things on the internet.. plus adobe is not reliable and is inefficiant. and what in the bloody fuck are you talking about no usb port? theres one right at the bottom you fuck.. its the usual ipod usb connector that apple has been using since basically the first ipod.. look you can hate on apple all you want.. but they are the best.. no one can do it like them. whether its their computers or smartphones.. theres just nothing like.. so you can sit back and hate all you want. But us apple fans are just gunna laugh and keep enjoying our amazing pieces of technology:)
Now that the iPad has proven itself as a runaway success, there’s no point in keeping this pseudo soothsaying drivel on the web.
Hilarious – I just bought my iPad 2. I’d say it’s not an iMiss – cute little saying though… my die hard Microsoft friends are loving it and saying that “it’s time to buy and Apple product” Hee Hee, I told them so!
ANDROID!!! You can just take more…..
I’ve got an ipad 3, just because i could get it for free and it sucks!
You can only watch porn on it because you have a privat mode in safari….
Greatsz, thomas