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Damn right its a game changer

really? movie/tv studios couldn't figure out a way to get digital content to people until the iPad? its the iPad that is a game changer? not hulu, netflix, appleTV?

what am I missing? this iPad doesn't do ANYTHING that a laptop can already do.......oh.....and it doesn't run OS X. so its not really a computer.

its a locked down appliance. a step backwards for technology. now I see why movie/tv execs like this thing. its a locked down box.

Feb 09, 10 - 09:25 pm Comment from: disposableidentity

@ mike g, the iPad is the first computer most people will ever watch TV on.

That's a game changer.

People used to say things like "imagine watching Friends and being able to click on Rachel's sweater to buy it from The Gap". But that was never going to happen on a TV, or on a PC.

That will happen on the iPad.

Feb 09, 10 - 09:25 pm Comment from: theloniousMac

What they like about it is that since it isn't a computer, you sneaky folks won't be running your handbrake-ish evil thief software and stealing their precious content.

Feb 09, 10 - 09:28 pm Comment from: TheMacAdvocate

You're missing the point - totally. Step back...LOL dude. Go lug around your laptop for the same functionality. You'll show those kool-aid drinking morons!

The iPad opens up simple, intutive computing to masses of kids and adults who aren't as experienced with computers as you or me. I'd reccomend reading the previous MDN article about old and new world computing to get a grasp of the concept.

Feb 09, 10 - 09:29 pm Comment from: Chas

@mike g

Of course it runs OS X, as does the iPhone and the iPod touch. Apple simply remove those modules that serve no purpose on a handheld device. Try not to look so dumb in future.

=:~)

@mike g
you're missing the fact that it's a device that will be convenient to use sitting down on the couch, at the breakfast table, on your night stand. everywhere and anywhere a laptop is cumbersome or not necessary. A beautiful experience requiring no computer skills to navigate. It will be bigger than the Iphone. Give it some thought you'll get it.

Business rule 1: Make sure you're biggest shareholder is happy.

Feb 09, 10 - 09:38 pm Comment from: Spark

Nobody wants to say it, but I will!

The iPad will replace the magazine basket next to the toilet. Okay? I said it. I've already patented an iPad charging toilet paper dispenser. So there.

Wake up? Seriously? How hard is it to use a full blown OS X device. Really? My dad has an iMac and my mom a Mac Mini. They're both in their 60's and they just get it. Do they really need a device that dumbs it down any further? Where do you store all your pictures? How about your documents? Maybe the world doesn't want to use iPhoto and iWork. Or maybe my 11 pages of application icons on my phone just make more sense in a folder called APPLICATIONS. I dunno, call me crazy. The iPad looks ridiculous with those iPhone looking icons all over the screen. Why not a stack at the bottom at least?

Come on guys. Do you honestly believe what you're saying? Now a laptop is too bulky to carry around the house and watch TV on? Wha? At least my laptop can play flash. Sure its a dying codec (maybe) and it plays like crap on the Mac...I'll give you that....but....a device that locks out competition is NOT a step forward.

Besides, OS X (desktop) is open and allows multitasking. I don't see it having stability or security issues. Stop believing EVERYTHING Apple tells you.

@ mike g.
The ipad might be limited it what it can do and it, in general, might not be introducing anything we haven't already seen (thanks to apples iPhone $ iPod) but, if you've ever used a multi touch device from apple then you'll know what the big game changer deal is about.
It's the immmersion apple creates.

Feb 09, 10 - 09:45 pm Comment from: justme2

Maybe it doesn't do everything a laptop does...but there are times you don't want to lug around your laptop. Say you're going on vacation; you (or your Significant Other) won't necessarily want to bring along the laptop with all your work and important stuff on it. You'll want something that you can check family email, look up info on your destination (places to go, restaurants, etc.), keep tabs on sports scores back home, and maybe read a book or watch a movie en route if you're not driving ( ever try to handle a laptop in the front seat of a compact car?). The iPad's going to be perfect for vacationers, especially with more budget hotels offering free WiFi to attract customers.

Feb 09, 10 - 09:51 pm Comment from: Spark

"The iPad's going to be perfect for vacationers"

I can leave a paperback on the chaise lounge while I take a dunk in the pool, but I don't think I dare turn my back on an iPad laying around. They are going to be big on the black market.

More like garbage to me! Nothing revolutionary or game changing about this inferior toy. My tablet PC has been doing these things that this toy can now do for years until this thing showed up.

http://www.bing.com When it comes to decisions that matter, Bing & Decide

@ mike g.
the iPad is obviously not intended for you but in my extended family
we need a bunch of them not to replace any of our computers but to ad to them. At least 12 in the first order

Feb 09, 10 - 09:57 pm Comment from: Msavwah

Speaking of another "game changer"
google today launched buzz.
Check it out on your iPhones people this is gonna be tremendous.
Now while I tend to lean towards mike g's line of thinking on the iPad I'm still very interested in getting a good hands on with it before I decide on buying one.

@msavwah

google is dead to me. they have shown their true colors. I have removed their search bar from my mac's and iphone. their software is beta crap even maps are ancient. they are the new msft, half baked software gathering info on everything you do, throwing ads in your face. I hate ads, even MDN's underlined ads are an annoyance. mikeg's an idiot don't waste your time he'll never get it. Steve Jobs and Apple are the greatest because they are like us, they build products that we would build and see things the way they should be not for monetary needs but to make life better. If your not one of us you are against us, that means you GOOGLE.

Let's reconvene here in two years. I have a hunch that by then, you'll finally understand why Apple did what it is doing with this new device.

Please understand, the iPad is not meant to do what your laptop (if you use Windows) or a MacBook is designed to do. Otherwise, Apple would have simply made a netbook. They didn't. Contrary to what some clueless pundits have said, the iPad is not "just a big iPod touch." Only once you have used it, and see how others are using it, will that light in your head go on.

If two years aren't enough for you, wait a few more. Then, tell your kids or grandkids how you used to lug a heavy armload of textbooks and notes to school each day. I think their strange looks in reaction will surprise you. Or go to your doctor's office. You'll notice that your physician isn't carrying a clippad with them any more, and that your prescription is sent automatically to your pharmacy instead of being handed to you. If you are involved in a car accident, and I hope you won't be, you'll see your adjuster using an iPad or something similar to do the damage estimate on your car. If you are in court, you'll see your lawyers using an iPad to look up case law. And that's just scratching the surface.

I could go on about how your local library will either shrink or disappear, replaced by a library in the Internet cloud. And that newsstand you used to go to? Gone. Along with many newspapers and magazines, at least in their paper form, replaced, along with most printed books, on, you guessed it - your iPad.

Of course, you could wish for things to stay as they are now. You could wish that nothing will ever change. But if your city or state (or country) is like mine, budget cuts are the norm. do you really think governments won't want to take a cheaper and more convenient route?

Perhaps you have heard some talk about "acid rain," "global warming," or "Ph change in the oceans." Did you know that 2/3 of the carbon released into the atmosphere is caused by the clear cutting of equatorial and evergreen forests? And do you know a big reason for this? Paper. For newspapers. Books. Magazines.

Think about it Mike. You might not be able to imagine a reason why anyone would want an iPad. But I could think of millions of people who will. Many of them don't even know it yet. But they will. And so will you.

Please don't worry. There's no need to be defensive. This is one change you will enjoy.

Feb 09, 10 - 10:22 pm Comment from: Sir Gill Bates

A lot of these iPad slammers are going to look really foolish, unimaginative and shortsighted in time.

Feb 09, 10 - 10:24 pm Comment from: Norrin Radd

What?!?!? The iPad isn't really for people who love the innards of OSes and hardware? Say it isn't so?!?!!

Heck - I'd be buying one if for no other reason than the reader and the iBookstore! I'd much rather be reading the latest Dan Brown novel than installing new printer drivers. Just sayin'.

Feb 09, 10 - 10:36 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

@ Chas

Don't bother trying to explain this. You can't get this concept through to some people.

Feb 09, 10 - 10:41 pm Comment from: Predrag

Mike's argument is something else:

..."its a locked down appliance. a step backwards for technology."

So, the point he is trying to make is, he won't be able to dig through, attach independent hardware and install third-party software if it hasn't been blessed by holy Apple.

But using a Mac (or a PC) is in the same way step backwards, compared to the early days of computing, where you were able to write your own OS, modify and play with the OS you bought, and still get support for the hardware. You could easily argue, Mac (or windows) was a step back as it locked people into an OS, without the ability to make changes and expect support for the hardware.

Mike, listen. You may not see this, but this is most definitely step into the future, not back. There is no doubt, a Mac Pro is infinitely more powerful computer than a MacBook Pro, yet nobody is arguing that MacBook Pro has no value, since there's much more powerful machine out there. Just as that MBP will be more powerful than the iPad, you shouldn't try to use the same argument. MBP is heavier, clunkier, more (unnecessarily) complicated than iPad for the thing for which iPad was designed. If nothing, it takes almost 30 seconds to power up! Not to mention that every single application takes at least several seconds to start up. On iPad, you press button, touch screen, things happen instantaneously. That in itself represents significant value for most people.

Feb 09, 10 - 10:52 pm Comment from: silverhawk

@Mike G
Those millions of people you are putting out of a job will not be able to buy a iPad.

I think the MLB.com presentation at the iPad rollout was flawed. It seems nobody here understands what the iPad is (this has been said several times in this talkback and though I've gone through twice I've not nor have I ever seen this mentioned. If it has, mea culpa).

The iPad is not meant to watch TV, movies or sports on. It is meant to be used with a TV or movie or sports. I'm sitting at this moment watching Lost, typing on my laptop. What if instead I had an iPod with an interactive desktop synched to the episode I was watching. Or, while watching a ball game, my iPad would give me alternate angles, updates, stats and all synched to the game.

Iger is right. This is a game changer. Forget 3-D. This is an interactivity that will change the way we interface not only with computers, but with our televisions.

Feb 09, 10 - 10:55 pm Comment from: disposableidentity

How can someone ask for Flash, and in the same breath critisize technology that locks out competition. That was exactly Flash's business model.

Feb 09, 10 - 10:57 pm Comment from: justme2

Here's another group to consider; folks like my MIL, who wants to be able to check email, look things up on the Web, maybe play a few casual games without having to kick my FIL off the desktop...but standard laptops are too heavy and bulky for her (she's quite petite, plus has been disabled in a wheelchair for some time). An iPad is just what she could use, with the addition of the keyboard dock for when she's responding to email. Not everyone needs the full power supplied by a desktop or laptop machine.

Plus, I'm a writer and poet by avocation...but dragging my laptop everywhere is a PITA. An iPad will be great when I have a sudden inspiration.

Feb 09, 10 - 11:03 pm Comment from: justme2

NASAMan: But if you're not at home (stuck in an airport for example), you'll still be able to catch your show in a "normal" way if you so choose.

Feb 09, 10 - 11:25 pm Comment from: Msavwah

@spatlantean
I don't deny that google is evil or apple and the iPad are great or that buzz is simply dangerous but it opened up a whole new world today.

When I first saw the Apple iPad Event, the first thing that crossed my mind was - I WANT ONE! I thought to myself, it will be a nice toy to have around the house. When I want to check email, I won't have to run up to the Office to check it on the Mac. I'll use a bunch of iPhone APPs (hopefully upgraded to iPad APPs), and of course I'll download my iBooks and enjoy them from the iPad. But my initial thought was that an iPad would probably not replace my Mac. That my Mac would remain the workhorse, and the iPad would be a toy to play with.

Since then, every day, I think of different ways I'll use an iPad, and it's becoming clear to me that nearly everything I do on my Mac will be able to be accomplished on an iPad. For instance - I'll be able to do my online banking from my iPad via Safari - that's something I hadn't initially thought I would do with it (I use a small local Bank & Trust that does not have an iPhone APP). Obviously I'll be able to use Mail, iCal, Address Book, iTunes, Pages, and Numbers as well. I know there are iPhone APPs for my Financial software (iBank), as well as my Password Database (SplashID), and for my SlingBox too.

So I've been thinking the past couple of days, what do I do on my Mac, that I won't be able to do on an iPad. As of right now, I can think of only one thing -

1) I can't listen to Howard Stern on an iPad. I know the Sirius-XM APP doesn't have Howard 100 on it. And the Sirius Internet Radio site requires FLASH. If Pulsar ever makes an iPad APP - I'd buy it instantly. I love Pulsar on my Mac, and use it everyday to listen to Howard.

I also thought of two other things, but quickly realized that they too could be accomplished on an iPad -

1) Import music directly from a CD. Then I thought to myself - I could buy them from iTunes via the iPad instead. There's no need for my Mac to accomplish the same result.

2) I can't do my Taxes on an iPad. But I think I could, if I wanted to go through one of the online tax services.

So I am convinced, that after I get my iPad, that except for listening to Howard via Pulsar (and probably pushing it to the iPad via Airfoil) 4 days per week, my Mac will quickly start to gather dust. And that in my mind is definitely a "game changer".

He is terrified, and he’ll pretend he doesn’t get it. But his very fear points to what a game-changer this is.

Feb 10, 10 - 01:56 am Comment from: Jubei

R2 will never agree that its a game changer. When the iPad can stream Pandora while watching LOST, then its a game changer.

Apple is throwing a big iPad party this year and mike g isn't invited!

Feb 10, 10 - 02:58 am Comment from: Wintermute

Like many others I felt a little let down at first by the iPad vs my expectations of what Apple might unveil. I think I was particularly intrigued by some revolutionary 3D UI.... I didn't want it yet.... I just knew if Apple did something revolutionary then it would almost certainly be something I would want.

I too said it's just a big iPod Touch.... and STILL believe that, but that is no small thing (literally). Since when is an iPod Touch a bad thing. I LOVED it until my company got me an iPhone. Once that took it's place in my pocket, I just couldn't justify keeping it.

Subtract the hype and things look differently. If there was NO hype, and Apple suddenly came out and said they've made a new version of the iPod Touch much bigger, have faster Wi-Fi, a much faster processor, have the option of 3G in it without contracts, and of course new types of Apps (even versions of iWork) to take advantage of all of the above all priced not too differently then a large iPod Touch would be and I think people would go nuts.

I do agree though, that this is evolutionary not revolutionary. An evolutionary leap from something head and shoulders ahead of anything else.

All the tower loving, file sharing, geeky troubleshooting, everything should be free pc'ers are gonna hate the ipad ... of course. I love it .... the idea that intellectual content should somehow be free is an adolescent fantasy that has destroyed thousands if not millions of peoples jobs and their future. Yes ... the device should be closed for protection to the user from crappy apps and viruses and drm is protection for the artists. It's perfect! ..... If you want free watch your job disappear to China like everything else ...

And another thing .. if it was just a laptop with an OS ...how many pc'ers would buy it? ... but the ipad does not require you to make a wholesale change over to another operating system or computer .. all you need is itunes ... which millions of pc'ers already are familiar with. It's a brilliant trojan horse into the pc market with everything going thru itunes ..

@mike g
It's all about usability, not just the hardware feature, <a ref="http://www.andrejkoelewijn.com/wp/2010/01/30/so-you-think-its-the-ipad-thats-missing-features/"> as has been demonstrated before by the iPhone.</a>

Feb 10, 10 - 07:45 am Comment from: onionhead

2 words: paradigm shift. this pretty much sums up the people that get it already, and those who are yet to.

All the naysayers comparing an iPad to a laptop are like all the chuckleheads comparing a bargain-basement $399 POS Windows machine to a Mac. Apples and oranges.

Feb 10, 10 - 09:48 am Comment from: Demon

The iPad is already changing the game in Technology as well as media. I first production units haven't even hit the streets yet and media companies are all quietly (well some less so then others) clamoring over how they can leverage it to make money from their content. From small indie Music labels to the mega national media giants with their fingers in all forms of media like Disney. The Tech punters are stamping their feet and offering negative feed back already because they now see that Apple is striping the curtains off of their religion that technology devices need to be cloaked in a layer of obscurity that keeps out normal people. They raised and still raise the same flags and protest about the iPhone. Technology punters have all been touting the Google Nexus One Phone because Android has an OS is not ready for prime time and Google also believes that Technology is for the few Tech. Savvy users. This same vision of you must be a hard core nerd to fully use a high technology device is of course what keeps Windows embedded in offices by IT managers. They need to preserver their turf and keep their jobs relevant. Switching to the Mac OS X would render their turf an open question, it would also strip their budgets over time as few IT staff and support staff would be needed.

The Tech Punters are living in fear of Apple rendering their jobs and them obsolete. Why have the over paid Geek Tech Punters reviewing technology that anyone can understand and use. If Media outlets want honest reports and reviews of Apple Products they should start by giving the assignment to someone that is not a tech reviewer or tech reporter in any way. That will give you the most honest review and report of an Apple Related Product announcement.

Tech Punters and IT Nerds a word of warning, Apple is going to strip the obfuscation from your treasured technology god and open it up to the people. Like your grand parents, great grand parents and the learning challenged children around the world. Let's face it Apple is going to kill the elite technology god no matter how much the tech nerds bitch and moan.

The iPad will move consumers to Apple that would in many cases have chosen cheap laptop based on price, and some who want a light weight netbook, others who might not have an iPhone but would like a netbook that does telephone, and all these markets are huge. Apart from the gaming potential which is huge. Unfortunately, people are going to be killed and mugged for their iPads, which is why they will represent a personal security risk.

*Those millions of people you are putting out of a job will not be able to buy a iPad.*

This is the very definition of Luddite.

Feb 10, 10 - 01:25 pm Comment from: Fretboard

It's a smart move for Disney to embrace the iPad now. Apple will be a leader in the tablet market very soon, and for the forseeable future. The potential for the iPad to be applicable in personal and business use, more than previous products, is huge. After some issues are fixed, the iPad will be a homerun.

Check out ipad news and updates:

iPadLot.com

Feb 10, 10 - 02:03 pm Comment from: Finn

Sorry PC (and Nokia Symbian) users, here´s the thing you are not getting: The iPad is a game changer as it is the first device to change what has been status quo since the Mac Plus - the time it takes to get to where you want - your e-mail account, browser, video or document. Throughout the decades this user experience hasn´t changed at all - or actually got worse. Even though this article is a couple of years old, not much has changed.

http://hubpages.com/hub/_86_Mac_Plus_Vs_07_AMD_DualCore_You_Wont_Believe_Who_Wins

Gotta agree for the most part with mike g. Any family/child who can afford such a device is going to be growing up (either now or in the future) with knowledge about how to use computers. It does not need to be stupid simple - how hard is it to operate a Mac? Every kid/young adult I know can use a computer with a basic degree of competence, and as they grow up and have their own children, you can bet that technology will advance, not become stupidly simple. I understand ease of use is important and that's why I use a MBP, but it becomes a problem when it strips away functionality. And while the virtual keyboard works great on an iPhone, I have my reservations about typing horizontally on a virtual keyboard with no feedback. I am almost certain I will lose a lot of speed.

Laptops are getting lighter all the time. I would much rather have a MBA than an iPad, if not for the price difference. The difference in weight and portability is negligible, and the MBA can do so much more, because it is a real laptop running a full-featured OSX.

iPads will sell, but not because of their usefulness. It will sell to people who love Apple and have to have any new product they release, regardless of functionality.

Feb 10, 10 - 02:45 pm Comment from: bond co. stooge

@Demon

Yep.

Feb 10, 10 - 04:27 pm Comment from: Norrin Radd

It amazes me how I keep reading through so many threads on this site where people just don't get what this device is. Last I checked, Apple was still making computers with a full OS and keyboard for anyone who needs them. Who does? Me. Who doesn't? My mom, dad, kids, aunts, uncles & a whole sh!tload of my friends. Truth is - I don't need one - BUT, I will want one!

I also think it's amazing how the reader portion of this device is generally ignored by the nay-sayers. There are likely many more people like me, who even though they don't need this device, will get it anyways because of the reader and the iBookstore. AND - if I were still a student - it would be a no brainer. As much as others want to talk about e-ink and special screens - well, like a lot of you I'm already staring at a laptop screen most of the day - the IPS screen should be even easier on the eyes.

romantic gifts for him
it would be a no brainer. As much as others want to talk about e-ink and special screens - well, like a lot of you I'm already staring at a laptop screen most of the day - the IPS screen should be even easier on the eyes.

forex trading software
I understand ease of use is important and that's why I use a MBP, but it becomes a problem when it strips away functionality. And while the virtual keyboard works great on an iPhone, I have my reservations about typing horizontally on a virtual keyboard with no feedback.

stock market-software
it would be a no brainer. As much as others want to talk about e-ink and special screens - well, like a lot of you I'm already staring at a laptop screen most of the day - the IPS screen should be even easier on the eyes.

Victoria Real Estate
it would be a no brainer. As much as others want to talk about e-ink and special screens - well, like a lot of you I'm already staring at a laptop screen most of the day - the IPS screen should be even easier on the eyes.