Comments on: Can this tablet thing be a massive fad? http://almaer.com/blog/can-this-tablet-thing-be-a-massive-fad blogging about life, the universe, and everything tech Sat, 08 Sep 2012 07:06:53 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Edwin Khodabakchian http://almaer.com/blog/can-this-tablet-thing-be-a-massive-fad/comment-page-1#comment-48830 Edwin Khodabakchian Mon, 12 Mar 2012 03:06:10 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=3024#comment-48830 Interesting read. To me, the iPad/iOS versus MacBook Air/MacOS is not as worrying as the app vs web discussion: the biggest difference I see between iPad and MacBook Air is not the keyboard or touch screen but the time spent in the browser. Interesting read. To me, the iPad/iOS versus MacBook Air/MacOS is not as worrying as the app vs web discussion: the biggest difference I see between iPad and MacBook Air is not the keyboard or touch screen but the time spent in the browser.

]]> By: Rob http://almaer.com/blog/can-this-tablet-thing-be-a-massive-fad/comment-page-1#comment-48820 Rob Sun, 11 Mar 2012 12:35:14 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=3024#comment-48820 The Macbook Air is just an iPad with an attached keyboard which makes all the difference. I do appreciate my iPad version one for reading and movie watching and especially in the car. The Macbook Air is just an iPad with an attached keyboard which makes all the difference. I do appreciate my iPad version one for reading and movie watching and especially in the car.

]]> By: Axel Rauschmayer http://almaer.com/blog/can-this-tablet-thing-be-a-massive-fad/comment-page-1#comment-48819 Axel Rauschmayer Sun, 11 Mar 2012 07:09:32 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=3024#comment-48819 I don’t think tablets are a fad. They are a different form factor that works in different situations (e.g. in bed, in the kitchen, in situation where a notebook is too obtrusive, etc.). Many people don’t even want keyboards! When I showed my physiotherapist my iPad, her eyes lit up – and I’m pretty sure that in general, she more or less hates computers. That doesn’t mean I’ve fully figured out what tablets actually are (probably the main tablet hurdle for professional tech people), but I know that they are complementary to keyboard computers. As for the perfect convertible device: I have yet to see any “dockable screen” solution that works well, mechanically. However, the iPad’s support for Bluetooth keyboards is surprisingly good. So this pairing constitutes the perfect convertible device for me. Except for one thing: Having to touch the screen while using the keyboard is awkward (ironically, Apple itself has figured that out a while ago). So, I would simply give the current iPad UI a cursor, the Bluetooth keyboard a trackpad, and be done with it [1]. Beating Apple can be done, they have left several windows open for competitors, especially software-wise. But so far, competitors have been incredibly sloppy. And, to be sure, the hardware part of Apple’s products is very hard to compete with. I’m hoping that B2G will make a difference and that Mozilla is disciplined enough. [1] http://www.2ality.com/2011/11/adaptive-uis.html I don’t think tablets are a fad. They are a different form factor that works in different situations (e.g. in bed, in the kitchen, in situation where a notebook is too obtrusive, etc.). Many people don’t even want keyboards! When I showed my physiotherapist my iPad, her eyes lit up – and I’m pretty sure that in general, she more or less hates computers. That doesn’t mean I’ve fully figured out what tablets actually are (probably the main tablet hurdle for professional tech people), but I know that they are complementary to keyboard computers.

As for the perfect convertible device: I have yet to see any “dockable screen” solution that works well, mechanically. However, the iPad’s support for Bluetooth keyboards is surprisingly good. So this pairing constitutes the perfect convertible device for me. Except for one thing: Having to touch the screen while using the keyboard is awkward (ironically, Apple itself has figured that out a while ago). So, I would simply give the current iPad UI a cursor, the Bluetooth keyboard a trackpad, and be done with it [1].

Beating Apple can be done, they have left several windows open for competitors, especially software-wise. But so far, competitors have been incredibly sloppy. And, to be sure, the hardware part of Apple’s products is very hard to compete with. I’m hoping that B2G will make a difference and that Mozilla is disciplined enough.

[1] http://www.2ality.com/2011/11/adaptive-uis.html

]]>