Fuck Ipads.. I Like Windows Netbooks..
- Thread starter ben42us
- Start date
For gaming? Yes.
For everything else? Um, no.
Frankly, I don't see a big advantage to a "pad" over a small laptop... just a waste of money IMHO. :dunno:
Rey C.
Racing is life... anything else is just waiting.
How do you figure? The newer Intel based Macs will run the Mac OS, Windows and Linux. The average PC will only run Windows and Linux. The MacBook Pro laptop that I've picked out will run everything from AutoCAD, FeatureCAM, MasterCAM, TeleChart, TradeStation, MiniTab, MS Office Suite, and any other piece of software that I would use, as well as the best PC/Windows desktop. Plus, I'll also have access to recreational Mac software that I might play around with, like Final Cut Express.
I'll keep my remaining Windows PC's until they die. But as they do, each of them will be replaced by a Mac. The only Wintel machine that I miss is my IBM ThinkPad. But once I get the MacBook fitted to a dual monitor setup, I doubt I'll miss the old ThinkPad all that much.
I've been using PC's since the mid 80's and I haven't had a Mac for 25 years (it still works, BTW). But given what Macs are now, vs. the average Wintel machine, it wasn't at all hard for me to choose a Mac over a PC.
To each his own though. We all have different needs.
busenbust
^^^^
A netbook can do everything an iPad can for $300 cheaper, and without having it locked down.
Rey C.
Racing is life... anything else is just waiting.
I saw a report on Bloomberg yesterday that netbook sales are down over 40% (year over year), and the loss of that demand for Windows 7 contributed to Microsoft's biggest one day loss in about two years. Despite the fact that MSFT continues to make money in other areas, analysts can't see where the earnings growth will come from in the future. And right now, Microsoft has no tablet strategy (Ballmer infamously laughed off the iPad, just as he laughed off the iPhone) and their mobile phone strategy is questionable at best. So the stock tanked yesterday, and it's been dead money for about the past ten years. The only reason I can figure that Steve Ballmer still has his job as CEO of MSFT is that he has pictures of Bill Gates blowing Elmo the janitor back in the 80's. Any other company would have fired this goofball years ago. The best money in MSFT the past six or seven years has come from shorting it at $28+/- and covering around $25+/-. A buddy of mine on another board is a dedicated Microsoftie and I told him to do this. But instead of listening to me, he kept drinking the Ballmer Kool-aid. Four times since I gave him that advice, he could have made that trade and made money EVERY SINGLE TIME! Even on 100 shares, he could have bought himself an X-box with every trade.
I think other tablets will eventually do a better job of delivering the goods than they are now. But for now, the iPad is seen by analysts as THE tablet device which is shaping the tablet revolution. And the OEM's who have, or still are relying on netbooks, seem to be suffering the most: HP, ASUS and Acer. Some are offering netbooks for not much more than the cost of production... which pretty much makes them not much more than a commodity.
Whatever tablets do or don't do, the market is speaking. And it seems to be saying that it likes the tablet form better than the netbook form when it comes to light computing. My girl's brother-in-law ran the Softpauer Formula One app on his iPad 1 while I was at his house. If I'd been drunk enough, I'd have gone out and bought an iPad for that experience alone - it kicked the ass of any PC based F1 timing & scoring site I've ever seen (and I've seen them all). Luckily, I wasn't that drunk, since I don't believe I (truly) need an iPad yet. But by the time they get to iPad 4 or 5, I'll probably get one too. Just like the little iPod Touch I got last year, by the time it's fully developed, it should all but replace my laptop/deskptop for casual use.
I think other tablets will eventually do a better job of delivering the goods than they are now. But for now, the iPad is seen by analysts as THE tablet device which is shaping the tablet revolution. And the OEM's who have, or still are relying on netbooks, seem to be suffering the most: HP, ASUS and Acer. Some are offering netbooks for not much more than the cost of production... which pretty much makes them not much more than a commodity.
Whatever tablets do or don't do, the market is speaking. And it seems to be saying that it likes the tablet form better than the netbook form when it comes to light computing. My girl's brother-in-law ran the Softpauer Formula One app on his iPad 1 while I was at his house. If I'd been drunk enough, I'd have gone out and bought an iPad for that experience alone - it kicked the ass of any PC based F1 timing & scoring site I've ever seen (and I've seen them all). Luckily, I wasn't that drunk, since I don't believe I (truly) need an iPad yet. But by the time they get to iPad 4 or 5, I'll probably get one too. Just like the little iPod Touch I got last year, by the time it's fully developed, it should all but replace my laptop/deskptop for casual use.
I feel the same way,but I think ben42us sums it up when he says...
Exactly! That's all it is,and the funny thing is that as long as it's new a shiny,there are suckers that will buy it.
cemilearizona
Banned
what is the difference?
PC was a genious word created by IBM n Bill Gates...
Laptop is just a different version of a computer, it is still a personal computer...
and all netbooks suck, they are cheap, but try to install office, or try to use them for netflix streaming... their cpu is very very slow...
if you have a pc, i think tablets would be a great alternative if you have some cash...
Rey C.
Racing is life... anything else is just waiting.
Sorry, Zell, but I think that's being overly dismissive of what these devices can actually do. I could call most computers "toys", simply because most consumers use them for non-productive activities: surfing the internet, playing video games, etc. Outside of work, how many people even open Excel on a regular basis? How many people even know what Minitab is, much less use it?
All of these devices are no more than what the user makes of them. They're limited not just by their specs, but also by the available programming and the abilities of the user. One can use an iPad to play games or one can use it to put together a sales presentation. One can use it to Facetime chat with a girlfriend or one can use it for portfolio management/stock trading. You can send an email to share a funny story or you can send resumes for a new job opportunity. There are now about 350K apps for the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad. From what I've read, there are about 88K iPad specific apps. Some are games. Some are for casual pursuits. And some are business related.
As I think I mentioned earlier in this thread, my girlfriend's school system uses iPads for children with learning and behavioral issues - these children seem to be more comfortable with the touch interface than with laptop/desktop machines. As of February of this year, 65% of the Fortune 100 were either piloting or using iPads: Dupont, JP Morgan Chase, Daimler-Benz and Wells Fargo among them. If you're into auto racing, you'll notice Tony Kanaan using an iPad while in the pits to process how his lap times can be improved. For what these organizations and people need, they seem to believe that the iPad (and the associated apps) fits the bill better than the laptops that they replaced. From the medical and legal fields to academics and sports, the form factor and applications (thousands more by the month) seem to be meeting consumer demand more than netbooks.
I don't really get into why people do what they do, or why they buy what they buy. I think people should buy whatever product that best meets their needs or desires. I just observe the market and try to make decisions based on what I see... not what I WANT to see.
I first started using computers in the early 80's. And to be honest, I'm simply amazed that the little iPod Touch that goes everywhere with me now (in my pocket) is more capable and powerful than ANY computer I had access to back in those days. Putting brand battles, desktop vs. laptop vs. tablet and what-not aside, that in itself is pretty amazing when you think about it.
I think a more likely answer is that besides the handful of situations where something like an iPad might very well be much more functionally better or situations where the small increase of functionality is enough for the people that have money to blow, is that humans often are dumb stupid panicky animals that often follow the heard and they get really attracted to things that are gimmicks or part of a new fad. Is there situations where it might be better?...I guess so, but the value on the dollar for the marginal benefits seems pretty poor to me. It's more likely it a new cool thing and people buy it because of that like people have done with countless products in the past. Now that doesn't mean it won't work or continue to catch on because things have before. People are weird like that. I just don't see it as some great thing, especially considering the cost for the diminishing returns for marginal benefit. If in the future it gets cheaper it might be more worth it from my point of view.
vodkazvictim
Why save the world, when you can rule it?
You like windows? :ban:
That's pretty much where I was going to go with my reply,with the main emphasis on "gimmick".
My other dislike about the Ipad is that it really doesn't bring anything new or to be more exact,innovative to the market.It's nothing more than a bigger version of an Iphone,without the calling capabilities,am I right?
I think if it were presented as the new thing to replace your standard laptop,then I guess I could see that there is some "real" merit in the device,but as I echoed before,it's just a toy to me.
I've heard quite a few people that wanted to get one pretty much say that they wanted one for the same reason,"because it's cool".Not because of what they can do with it,like I've heard of someone that is writing a book on one,but because it's cool.
Sorry,but if that's the only reason that you want one,I would say that for the cost,and the features,you could get something better for your money.
Rey C.
Racing is life... anything else is just waiting.
I see your point. And that's pretty much how I look at netbooks. While at least a tablet (iOS and/or Android) offers something different in the way of the user interface, user experience and applications, the netbook is just a scaled down, cheaper version of a laptop. It's basically the "internet appliance" that Oracle and others tried to (unsuccessfully) pitch back in the 90's. During the recession, for people who just wanted a cheap device to surf the web, the netbook concept was a good deal. And in developing economies, maybe it still will be. But right now, the image of the netbook is sort of like that of a disposable lighter. While the iPad is probably closer to a nice Zippo. The disposable will do everything that the Zippo will, and it's cheaper... and less messy. So why do people buy Zippos? Because Zippo has a "name" and it commands a premium. Whether in America, Europe or Asia (China and Japan, anyway) branding and consumer perceptions are very important. I think that's part of it. And I think you have a point that some people (though I have no idea what percentage it might be) go for the new, hip consumer item. I mean, back in the early days, people bought Commodores and whatever, and those things cost a fortune and would barely print a letter that you could read. So yeah, some people do buy things just because Mr. Jones across the street has one. That's how some fads get started. And it's also how some consumer trends get started. Steve Ballmer's problem is that he can't seem to tell one from the other.
If I had $500 and I could only buy one device, I'd buy a cheap laptop for the $500 before I'd look at a netbook for $300 or an iPad for $500. But for the person who is just going to surf the web 90% of the time, play on Facebook, write a few emails and maybe type a letter once a month, the netbook might be the better option. :dunno: But from what I've read, the overwhelming majority of people who buy tablets/iPads aren't buying them as primary computing devices.
Long AAPL and short MSFT for about the past 6 years. I just try to stick with whatever's working at the time.
Rey C.
Racing is life... anything else is just waiting.
In part because he missed/laughed off the tablet revolution, a major money manager is now calling for Steve Ballmer's dismissal as CEO of MSFT. But Ballmer owns too many MSFT shares (second to only Gates, I believe). Plus, as long as Bill Gates doesn't turn on him, the Clueless One is probably safe until he takes his golden retirement package around 2017 (by his own words). Now, after laughing off the iPad (the iPod and the iPhone), and now that Windows sales are suffering with the slaughter of the netbook by tablets (not just the iPad), Ballmer is working his dumb ass off to develop a Windows based tablet strategy. Three days late and ten dollars short - as always. 
If I was a MSFT shareholder, I'd put a contract out on this dufus.
And I just read this today:
I have no need for one now. But one thing seems clear to me: as tablets continue to become more capable (with more apps and better hardware), and netbooks/cheap laptops offer nothing new, the tablet market will just continue to grow. The biggest criticism I have of the iPad, and other tablets, is that you still need a computer to sync them or perform recovery operations. Once cloud computing becomes more prevalent, I would think that the need to have a computer to sync them largely goes away. Course, the downside of relying on cloud services is you lose a lot of capability if you don't have an internet connection. That's the biggest downside of Google's Chrome OS, IMO. But at least with the iPad, if/when they move syncing to the cloud, there's also the option now to have a local, wireless storage solution if the cloud is unavailable. Lots of possibilities on the horizon, it seems. More options = good for consumers.
If I was a MSFT shareholder, I'd put a contract out on this dufus.And I just read this today:
I have no need for one now. But one thing seems clear to me: as tablets continue to become more capable (with more apps and better hardware), and netbooks/cheap laptops offer nothing new, the tablet market will just continue to grow. The biggest criticism I have of the iPad, and other tablets, is that you still need a computer to sync them or perform recovery operations. Once cloud computing becomes more prevalent, I would think that the need to have a computer to sync them largely goes away. Course, the downside of relying on cloud services is you lose a lot of capability if you don't have an internet connection. That's the biggest downside of Google's Chrome OS, IMO. But at least with the iPad, if/when they move syncing to the cloud, there's also the option now to have a local, wireless storage solution if the cloud is unavailable. Lots of possibilities on the horizon, it seems. More options = good for consumers.
