iPad 2: The end of the laptop era?

[UltraJv]

Intel on Tablets :

"Tablets may be all the rage today, but according to Otellini, "The jury is out on the long-term segmentation by form factor."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/20 ... s_tablets/

Main problem that I see with Tablets is lack of upgrade options, need more power? - buy another.

[fmr]

Last year I started this thread for the fun of it. Now I have just realised that there actually are people who believe that the iPad will destroy the laptop market. Just look at this report:

http://www.benzinga.com/news/12/01/2270 ... top-market

So here is a splendid opportunity for some iPad versus PC action.

Discuss, troll, offend etc.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technol ... ction.html

THIS could be a replacement for laptops, specially because it is dockable, has the possibility to use a keyboard , pointer and mouse, and could run the exactly same OS of the laptops. But, then, what we have is a keyboardless laptop, and THAT could be a good starting point. iPad concept is too reductionist to replace anything serious.

[polaris20]

Intel on Tablets :

"Tablets may be all the rage today, but according to Otellini, "The jury is out on the long-term segmentation by form factor."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/20 ... s_tablets/

Main problem that I see with Tablets is lack of upgrade options, need more power? - buy another.

I realize your stance on tablets vs. netbooks etc so I won't go down that rabbit hole. But just for sake of this thread, look at who you're quoting: Intel, who's scared out of their mind because they don't really have a viable mobile platform, talking about a mobile product.

While Atom chips may be faster than ARM, their battery life (at this point in time) sucks in comparison. For the larger audience (not just music folk) battery life is an enormous factor.

[Dogboy73]

Last year I started this thread for the fun of it. Now I have just realised that there actually are people who believe that the iPad will destroy the laptop market. Just look at this report:

http://www.benzinga.com/news/12/01/2270 ... top-market

So here is a splendid opportunity for some iPad versus PC action.

Discuss, troll, offend etc.

Interesting article. I was very excited about the iPad, primarily as a music platform, offering unique Apps & ways to use them. On the other hand I've never felt the need to buy a laptop, maybe because it was just a portable computer and so didn't offer anything new or particularly exciting to me that I couldn't already do on a desktop. So I guess I've contributed to the 'iPad destroying laptop market' theme of that article by buying a tablet and not a laptop!

But for me I can't see tablets replacing regular desktops/laptops any time soon. Because tablets are so different to desktops/laptops, both in how they are used and the OS/software that runs on them, I think they compliment them more than anything. It's nice to have an iPad to do things in an iPad way musically. There are some fantastic tools & Apps on the iPad - I think it's worth getting one just to run the Lemur App. The iPad has exceeded all the expectations that I had as a music tool when I first bought one. But it's light years away from replacing my desktop.

[UltraJv]

If Apple made IOS available to OEM 3rd parties for ARM devices, it would be a whole new ball game. Youre betting the whole industry on one hardware platform, thats where Android/Windows wins. Apple survives because it cynically sells on the "luxury" factor. What if Apple hits production difficulties, as it has? who else will make the hardware? Apple are in headless chicken mode at the moment as recent events (Thai floods) have caused delays in manufacture. If you buy from just one hardware source and it goes, what then?

[polaris20]

If Apple made IOS available to OEM 3rd parties for ARM devices, it would be a whole new ball game. Youre betting the whole industry on one hardware platform, thats where Android/Windows wins. Apple survives because it cynically sells on the "luxury" factor. What if Apple hits production difficulties, as it has? who else will make the hardware? Apple are in headless chicken mode at the moment as recent events (Thai floods) have caused delays in manufacture. If you buy from just one hardware source and it goes, what then?

The whole industry was hit by the Thai floods, not just Apple. Not by a long shot. EVERY hard drive manufacturer depended on that region, and they're paying for it now. Actually, we're all paying for it, due to higher hard drive costs across the board from every company.

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/small-b ... ve-prices/

If anything Apple has been smarter with it because they stockpiled more drives than any other manufacturer. So while Lenovo and others have actually raised their machine prices, Apple has not (yes, I know they're "more expensive". Another fallacy, but I won't get into that here).

In terms of betting on one platform, yeah, it's nearly always been that way with Apple. However this is no mystery, and everyone is free to choose another platform if it makes them feel uncomfortable. With the exception of the clones of the 90's, Apple has been this way since the beginning. Apple doesn't just sell on the luxury factor as you say, but also how well everything works well together. You'd have to be a frothing Android/Windows fanboy to deny that.

As for platforms for mobile, I hope Windows Phone 7 gains more ground, and I think Windows 8 has promise on tablets. Having recently played with a WinPhone7 device at great length, it simply blows Android, Blackberry, and WebOS away, and is in a lot of ways better than iOS. Huge credit is due to Microsoft for coming up with a UI that is both extremely intuitive as well as completely unique, and not a derivative of iOS.

[JavaJ]

PC- Popularity Contest. Apple is winning currently. Win8 might be cool- but you have to consider how much investment has been made by iOS owners. To have to repurchase Angry Birds again might make them stay with Apple

[Sascha Franck]

For quite a time being, tablets will not replace laptops in any professional environment where computational power and flexibility is needed.
Sure, if you only want to surf, mail, write the occasional doc, upload a few photos and whatever - a tablet will be doing just fine.
But, as we are in a music related forum, for 95% of serious music production, tablets so far are laughable at best, once you compare them to adequate laptops. Yes, laughable.
This has to do with both the hardware and the OS.
They have:
- Almost no connectivity options. If you want connectivity, you have to go through quite some hoops. And even then it sometimes won't work, so ultimatively you need a desktop in addition.
- Lousy diskspace. Where are you going to save your precious sample libraries? Right, nowhere. Because there's no connectivity, either.
- No systemwide plugin format. Yeah, great.
- No systemwide file interchange options. Again, you need another computer.
- In case of iDevices, file compatibility is horribly limited and requires you to go through yet some more hoops.

If it was for Apple, none of these things will change as quickly as they possibly could (it'd be a piece of cake for them to allow you to connect an external harddrive). Simply because they want to continue selling you the latest iModel instead of, say, just using another external harddrive. Or update your RAM. Or slap in another PCI card.

All these are absolutely no issues with laptops.

If anything will make tablets replace laptops in a professional music environment, it might be a hybrid system or a quite different approach towards expandability and compatibility.

- Sascha

[polaris20]

For quite a time being, tablets will not replace laptops in any professional environment where computational power and flexibility is needed.
Sure, if you only want to surf, mail, write the occasional doc, upload a few photos and whatever - a tablet will be doing just fine.
But, as we are in a music related forum, for 95% of serious music production, tablets so far are laughable at best, once you compare them to adequate laptops. Yes, laughable.
This has to do with both the hardware and the OS.
They have:
- Almost no connectivity options. If you want connectivity, you have to go through quite some hoops. And even then it sometimes won't work, so ultimatively you need a desktop in addition.
- Lousy diskspace. Where are you going to save your precious sample libraries? Right, nowhere. Because there's no connectivity, either.
- No systemwide plugin format. Yeah, great.
- No systemwide file interchange options. Again, you need another computer.
- In case of iDevices, file compatibility is horribly limited and requires you to go through yet some more hoops.

If it was for Apple, none of these things will change as quickly as they possibly could (it'd be a piece of cake for them to allow you to connect an external harddrive). Simply because they want to continue selling you the latest iModel instead of, say, just using another external harddrive. Or update your RAM. Or slap in another PCI card.

All these are absolutely no issues with laptops.

If anything will make tablets replace laptops in a professional music environment, it might be a hybrid system or a quite different approach towards expandability and compatibility.

- Sascha

First, I'm not quite sure what you mean by file compatibility, when most of the major audio apps all use standard file formats (at least the apps I use, anyway). Second, there's a good reason for not allowing the attachment of hard drives: security. Additionally, you have to remember that for most people, the inability to add hard drive storage is irrelevant for what they're using it for. For those it does matter (someone who's wanting to watch tons of movies in one sitting) there are wireless solutions already available. Of course that doesn't help audio fans, but that's not Apple's primary customer for the iPad or iPhone.

[Sascha Franck]

First, I'm not quite sure what you mean by file compatibility, when most of the major audio apps all use standard file formats (at least the apps I use, anyway).

Open a zip file on your iDevice. A rar file. A flac file. What about ogg? Need more?
Heck, iOS, without any extra apps installed, can't even playback the movies you recorded with the very same device (.mov) once you took them off your iPhone/iPad.
iOS is BY FAR te most incompatible OS regarding files there has ever been. It royally sucks ass.

Second, there's a good reason for not allowing the attachment of hard drives: security.

They could filter out certain file types if they wanted.

Additionally, you have to remember that for most people, the inability to add hard drive storage is irrelevant for what they're using it for.

I was talking about audio production.
And regarding that, an iPad, compared to a decent laptop, is a joke in almost all aspects.

- Sascha

[polaris20]

First, I'm not quite sure what you mean by file compatibility, when most of the major audio apps all use standard file formats (at least the apps I use, anyway).

Open a zip file on your iDevice. A rar file. A flac file. What about ogg? Need more?
Heck, iOS, without any extra apps installed, can't even playback the movies you recorded with the very same device (.mov) once you took them off your iPhone/iPad.
iOS is BY FAR te most incompatible OS regarding files there has ever been. It royally sucks ass.

Second, there's a good reason for not allowing the attachment of hard drives: security.

They could filter out certain file types if they wanted.

Additionally, you have to remember that for most people, the inability to add hard drive storage is irrelevant for what they're using it for.

I was talking about audio production.
And regarding that, an iPad, compared to a decent laptop, is a joke in almost all aspects.

- Sascha

You just like complaining. There a ton of free apps for a lot of those, and the rest are largely irrelevant. Ogg? Really? ZIP, RAR: iZip which is highly rated and free, and there are more apps. Ogg and FLAC? OPlayer (unfortunately $3) will, but you're better off just converting to Apple Lossless anyway.

Complaining about the iPhone because it doesn't come natively with an app that can be had for free or cheap and easily is simply retarded.

Just filter out certain formats? You don't know much about security. The minute that's opened up, minutes later it's circumvented. Comparing iPad to a decent laptop? Sure a laptop is more. A decent one is also twice as expensive and double or triple the weight.

Honestly dude, if you hate Apple and their iOS model so much, why are you still here? All you do is bitch and moan about Apple, Android, and God knows what else. Just don't use it. Really. It works fine for a lot of people, otherwise IK wouldn't be selling tons of their awesome devices.

EDIT

[Sascha Franck]

You just like complaining.

No, i like to point at issues.

There a ton of free apps for a lot of those, and the rest are largely irrelevant. Ogg? Really?

I don't want to open a separate app for each file type. I want to doubleclick it in some file browser and the app responsible for opening it will start. As easy as that.
If you prefer the convoluted mess that iOS is when it comes to file compatibility - more power to you.

Complaining about the iPhone because it does t come natively with an that can be had for free and easily is simply retarded.

Show me *any* free app that plays .mov, .avi and .mpg reliably. Any! And please don't say VLC because that's a joke.

- Sascha

[polaris20]

You just like complaining.

No, i like to point at issues.

There a ton of free apps for a lot of those, and the rest are largely irrelevant. Ogg? Really?

I don't want to open a separate app for each file type. I want to doubleclick it in some file browser and the app responsible for opening it will start. As easy as that.
If you prefer the convoluted mess that iOS is when it comes to file compatibility - more power to you.

Complaining about the iPhone because it does t come natively with an that can be had for free and easily is simply retarded.

Show me *any* free app that plays .mov, .avi and .mpg reliably. Any! And please don't say VLC because that's a joke.

- Sascha

Oh for crissakes, convert the stupid video! It's not that f'ing hard, and it's a free app to do so.

Also, is it that hard to click the "open in" button? I guess so. Perhaps you should go back to a notebook. And I mean paper, not the computer. Honestly, you're not pointing out issues, you're whining about issues of which there are pretty simple alternatives/workarounds that millions of people do every day. If you don't like it, really, get rid of the damn phone, and quit talking about how you're upgrading to the 4S. If I were a whiny as you about my phone, I'd simply find another. It's not that hard.

[Sascha Franck]

Oh for crissakes, convert the stupid video! It's not that f'ing hard, and it's a free app to do so.

You really don't get it. Not even at all Please continue defending your sheepish following of all the iOS goods when talking to other persons but those who actually have a clue. Have you ever converted a full movie to .m4v or so? Preferably using the H.264 codec so the quality is acceptable? Apparently you haven't. I for one don't want to waste hours on that.
But then, as said, you don't even remotely get what I'm talking about anyway. File compatibility under iOS is as lousy as it gets, when you compare it to *any* other more or less recent operating system. There is NO way around that. If you don't want to accept that fact (!), then please stop talking to me. Better even mute me entirely. Because I know what I'm talking about and will continue being an informed person, rather than a brainwashed iOS zealot.

Also, is it that hard to click the "open in" button?

There's no "open in" button for videos.

And regarding going back to a paper notebook, this is exactly what YOU should do because you clearly don't get along well with computers as you can't even trim your quotes at all. Unless you simply don't bother, which would make you a stupid, ignorant person. Decide for yourself: Not bothering or being downright stupid?

- Sascha

[polaris20]

Oh for crissakes, convert the stupid video! It's not that f'ing hard, and it's a free app to do so.

You really don't get it. Not even at all Please continue defending your sheepish following of all the iOS goods when talking to other persons but those who actually have a clue.

No, you really don't get it. Someone with your anal retentive demands isn't the target market for Apple, or Microsoft, or Google. The phone OS has to suit the needs of the general population, not some guy sitting there trying to open ogg files. And as I've said multiple times before, I've used ALL of the platforms (except perhaps WebOS) so I know that all of them have their strengths, all of them have their faults. So you can stop with the feeble "defending your sheepish following" bullshit comments.

Have you ever converted a full movie to .m4v or so? Preferably using the H.264 codec so the quality is acceptable? Apparently you haven't. I for one don't want to waste hours on that.

Apparently I do all the time, as does my wife. And guess what? It's really pretty damn easy. And yes, H.264 all the way.

But then, as said, you don't even remotely get what I'm talking about anyway. File compatibility under iOS is as lousy as it gets, when you compare it to *any* other more or less recent operating system. There is NO way around that. If you don't want to accept that fact (!), then please stop talking to me. Better even mute me entirely. Because I know what I'm talking about and will continue being an informed person, rather than a brainwashed iOS zealot.

No, you don't know what you're talking about. You're a complete utter moron with such a strong sense of self-entitlement it's astounding.

There's no "open in" button for videos.

And regarding going back to a paper notebook, this is exactly what YOU should do because you clearly don't get along well with computers as you can't even trim your quotes at all. Unless you simply don't bother, which would make you a stupid, ignorant person. Decide for yourself: Not bothering or being downright stupid?

- Sascha

How many years in IT have you worked? How many users do you support? How many server platforms do you support? You don't know shit about this industry despite making it sound like you do. And no, I don't bother trimming quotes, because for ignorant morons, it's simply not worth the effort.

Continue you're whining. Whatever makes you feel good about yourself. If you want to be seen as the village idiot constantly complaining about shit, more power to you.