“Lenovo refreshed its tablet-capable business laptop on Tuesday and made a very conscious decision not to bring out a slate device, saying customers don’t want it,” Brooke Crothers reports for CNET.
“Lenovo will stick with the tried-and-true laptop-based convertible tablet designs and not bring out a slate device due to negative feedback from customers, an indication that Apple’s iPad may face resistance at businesses. ‘We of course build plastic mock-ups that we show (to customers)…we had a slate form factor,’ Mika Majapuro, senior worldwide product marketing manager at Lenovo, said. ‘The feedback was that for (our) customers it will not work because of the need to have (a physical) keyboard.'”
MacDailyNews Take: Lenovo will stick their heads in the sand, is more like it. Gee, what a surprise that the customers who are the world’s most resistant-to-change told you they didn’t want your crappy, functionless, unimaginative, software-free, plastic mockup. Sometimes the abject stupidity of these companies and the people “working” within them is appalling.
“It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” – Steve Jobs, May 25, 1998
Crothers continues, “The most prominent example of a pure slate device is the Apple iPad, which has a virtual keyboard. Majapuro said the response from customers to slates was a surprise. ‘It was amazing to me. At first I didn’t want to believe (our customers) but the keyboard was such a big need for them,’ he said. Majapuro said Lenovo even got feedback from high school kids. ‘These were 14-year-old kids, who, I thought, would be most willing to try a virtual keyboard but they said no, we want the physical (built-in) keyboard.'”
MacDailyNews Take: Luddites and the companies that cater to them disgust us. Nobody wants slate devices from Lenovo and the rest of the box assemblers because neither they nor Microsoft can provide the platform that’s necessary for the devices to be useful, much less desired. This fact has been proven again and again over the past decade, as Mika and the rest of his ilk know all too well. In the related articles below, note who believes in the iPad versus those who don’t. We’re going with Steve Jobs and Alan Kay over John Dvorak and Paul Thurrott, thanks.
Full article here.
Here’s to the dull ones. The Luddites. The tedious. The non-achievers. The square pegs in the square holes.
The ones who refuse to see things differently. They’re extremely fond of rules. And they’ll do anything to maintain the status quo. You can demote them, disagree with them, decry or defy them.
About the only thing you can’t help but do is to ignore them. Because they never change things. They don’t invent. They don’t imagine. They don’t heal. They don’t explore. They don’t create. They don’t inspire. They retard the progress of the human race.
Maybe they have to be boring, unimaginative a-holes.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see nothing whatsoever? Or sit in silence and hear nothing at all? Or gaze at a red planet and see only a red planet?
Microsoft makes tools for these kinds of tools.
While some see them as the dull ones, we see criminals. Because the people who are uninspired enough to think they can never change a thing, are the ones who hold us all back.
Related articles:
Legendary designer Alan Kay says Apple iPad will rule the world – February 22, 2010
News Corp.’s Rupert Murdoch waxes enthusiastic about Apple’s iPad – February 19, 2010
How Apple’s iPad fits into IT – February 18, 2010
Inside Apple iPad: Multitasking and multiprocessing – February 18, 2010
PC assemblers attempt to answer Apple’s iPad – February 18, 2010
Wired Magazine coming to Apple iPad; Editor in Chief Anderson: ‘iPad is a game changer’ – February 13, 2010
Ahead of iPad’s arrival, books soon to pass games in Apple’s App Store: 27,301 and counting – February 12, 2010
Apple iPad triggers record 1,600 new iPhone OS app starts in January – February 12, 2010
Oops! iPad naysayers slowly awaken from future shock, realize they want iPads, too – February 12, 2010
Apple’s iPad IPS screen will offer a superior reading experience – February 12, 2010
IBM has serious plans for Apple’s iPad – February 12, 2010
Global CIO: Why Apple’s iPad will be a great business device – February 11, 2010
Thousands of accessory makers and app developers prep for Apple’s iPad launch – February 10, 2010
Don’t underestimate Apple iPad’s business potential – February 10, 2010
Disney CEO Iger: Apple iPad a ‘game changer’ – February 09, 2010
Norwegian resellers forced to halt Apple iPad pre-orders due to ‘crazy interest’ – February 09, 2010
Do not be afraid: Apple’s iPad will soon be with us for good – February 08, 2010
Four reasons why Apple’s iPad is a guaranteed success – February 08, 2010
Apple’s new world order: Pre-release, iPad has already begun to change digital publishing landscape – February 08, 2010
Mossberg discusses Apple’s ‘wicked fast’ iPad on the Charlie Rose Show – February 06, 2010
Sydney Morning Herald’s Barker: ‘Apple again dictates the future with iPad’ – February 04, 2010
Mark Cuban: ‘Apple’s iPad going to be huge hit; Will change how kids grow up’ – February 03, 2010
Apple iPad: A developer’s review – February 03, 2010
Major textbook publishers ink e-textbook deals for Apple iPad, iBookstore – February 03, 2010
What Apple’s iPad means for the future of computing – February 02, 2010
Apple’s iPad, especially iWork for iPad, reveals the future of personal computing – February 02, 2010
FOX News hands-on with Apple iPad: Glorious color screen, priced to move – February 02, 2010
Bajarin: How Apple’s iPad will change mobile computing – February 01, 2010
Apple Mac owns 90% market share for ‘premium’ PCs costing over $1,000 with $499 iPad coming soon – February 01, 2010
Apple iPad: Welcome to the New World of Computing! – February 01, 2010
Gartenberg: Apple’s iPad launch offers four important lessons for the market – February 01, 2010
Forbes hands-on with Apple iPad: ‘It’s like eating Doritos; it’s hard to stop’ – January 29, 2010
Why Apple’s iPad will kill not only the netbook, but also Google’s Chrome OS – January 29, 2010
PC Magazine hands-on with Apple iPad: ‘What this thing can do is mind-boggling’ (with video) – January 29, 2010
Facebook app developer who quit iPhone: Apple’s iPad is an incredible opportunity – January 29, 2010
More to iPad than Steve Jobs has said so far: Apple to target iPad at business with added features – January 29, 2010
Apple Inside: iPad’s Apple A4 system-on-a-chip is a game changer within a game changer – January 29, 2010
Stephen Fry hands-on with Apple iPad: A magical object gives users an extraordinary feeling – January 29, 2010
Top 10 reasons why Apple’s iPad means Kindle is kaput – January 28, 2010
Gartner analyst Baker: Apple’s iPad is a winning product – January 28, 2010
Barclays Capital ups Apple price target to $285, says iPad priced to move – January 28, 2010
BofA/Merrill, Goldman Sachs up Apple estimates, price targets on iPad debut – January 28, 2010
Apple’s new ‘A4’ chip inside iPad offers unmatched speed, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness – January 28, 2010
Analysts: Apple’s iPad threatens PC box assemblers – January 28, 2010
Gizmodo hands-on with Apple iPad: ‘It’s fast! Feels at least a generation faster than iPhone 3GS’ – January 27, 2010
Mossberg: Apple’s iPad is handsome, feels comfortable and solid, offers impressive software – January 27, 2010
Why I’ll be buying an Apple iPad – along with millions of others – January 27, 2010
iWork for iPad: Apple brings Multi-Touch™ to word-processing, spreadsheet, presentation apps – January 27, 2010
Apple’s new iPad powered by custom Apple ‘A4’ microchip – January 27, 2010
Apple launches iPad; revolutionary device starts at $499 – January 27, 2010
Dvorak: iPad is not going to be Apple’s next runaway best seller – February 12, 2010
Bill Gates: ‘There’s nothing on iPad I look at and say, ‘Oh, I wish Microsoft had done it’’ – February 10, 2010
BusinessWeek’s Hesseldahl: What if Apple’s iPad fails? – February 05, 2010
GCN hack: iPad not earth-shattering; will be lucky to get 30% of Jobs’ claimed battery life – February 01, 2010
iPad naysayers are deep in the throes of ‘Future Shock’ – February 01, 2010
Nintendo president unimpressed with Apple’s iPad – January 30, 2010
Dvorak on Apple iPad: ‘First of all there is no stylus’ – January 29, 2010
Microsoft exec: Apple’s iPad is ‘humorous’ – January 29, 2010
E-Ink’s delusional CEO: We’ll outsell Apple’s iPad this year – January 28, 2010
Big surprise: Paul Thurrott doesn’t get Apple’s iPad at all – January 28, 2010
MDN – Great, great take on the Think Different narrative.
Wow… Harsh MDN
There are other things businesses don’t want as well:
“… In addition to bots and other malware, the Chinese have many other ways to expand their Internet spy network. A great deal of the computer chips and other hardware used in manufacturing computers for Western companies and governments are made in China; and these components often come from the factory loaded with malware. It is also common for USB flash drives to come from the factory infected. These components make their way into all manner of computers operating in major Western companies and governments, even the Pentagon (which recently was forced to ban the use of USB thumb drives because of a computer security incident).
Recently, a STRATFOR source who formerly worked in Australia’s government was surprised that the Australian government was considering giving a national broadband contract to the Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei Technologies, which is known to have ties to the Chinese government and military. Huawei was the subject of a U.S. investigation that eventually led it to withdraw a joint $2.2 billion bid to buy a stake in 3Com, a U.S. Internet router and networking company. Other STRATFOR sources are wary of Huawei’s relationship with the U.S. company Symantec, maker of popular anti-virus and anti-spyware programs….”
That’s because their customers will be buying an iPad! Then they will buy a Mac for home…Customers no more.
Thats because Business users are forced to use IE, since their companies run by IT/CIO Microsoft drones, can’t think beyond Windows, IE, Active-x and Sharepoint. It’s only recently that the Outlook Exchange Server lock in has relaxed. But until these other POS IE locking in technologies are removed, MS will continue to enjoy its 90% market share.
No one want a device that hasn’t been released.
Epic. Fail.
I’m sure they polled every business type and model out there, right? Or was it just the tie-wearing crowd they jabbered with in the “business” world?
I had my order taken in the McDonald’s drive thru the other day by a guy with a tablet computer. Does a one-of-the-top-ten-most-recognizable-logos-in-the-world establishment not qualify as a “business” these days?
Nice one MDN. I’ll probably steal that.
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It’s entertaining to see reps from companies who have skin in the game pretending to yawning and downplaying when an Apple product enters their current or future product’s space.
You just know they can actually hear a toilet flushing the instant an Apple product is unveiled.
Keep feigning indifference, a-holes. We know you’re secretly crapping yourselves.
They will all be queuing up once the apps start arriving. Inventory control, floor sales, building security, medical teams, you name it. The sky is the limit.
Shouldn’t it be “round pegs in round holes”?
Trying to judge the utility or value of a computing platform from a non-functional plastic mockup. Hmm. I guess if you just make the hardware, that’s all you’re really selling.
In the early days of the personal computer, IBM’s ads showed product photos with a blank screen. On the other hand Mac ads (from what I remember) always showed the software/interface.
And people wonder why Apple’s not all hot and bothered to get into the enterprise market in a big way.
Connor MacBook,
No, see, ’cause they’re “squares,” man. Look it up.
It seems to me that MacDailyNews went that way for a reason.
MDN, Best.Take.Ever.
Pretty damn funny MDN.
Somebody mentioned IE above, so …
Anybody who works in web design should get a kick out of this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atzu/4365152223/sizes/l/
The iPad photos featured by MDN make it look like the iPad is trying real hard to be a laptop computer. Here some news: the thing isn’t a computer and that’s why I’m not interested in it. My iPhone is better and does the same things only I don’t have to try and balance it on my knees or my lap to use it.
Me want iPad now.
Lets not insult the Luddites, they were only trying to save their foot sweater business’.
Cheers!
@Silk Purse … that’s why I’m not interested in it …
That’s your choice, obviously, but please don’t repeatedly post over and over and over that you’re NOT going to buy an iPad. News Flash: Nobody cares.
I swear – the Apple Forums seemed to be packed with people who love to tell everybody else …
“I’M NOT GOING TO BUY AN IPAD AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW IT!”
I like how he said they heard from 14 year olds after he tells us that business customers don’t want a slate device. Which is it? Business customers or 14 year olds?
Silk Purse:
It’s a computer. Repeat after me: iPad is a computer. Look at its specs; it has a faster processor, more RAM, faster graphic card, more storage and better display than the first G4 PowerBook (TiBook). It runs a web browser, an e-mail client, address book, photo management software, in addition to over 150,000 other applications (which is more than there are applications for Macintosh OS X). So, yes, it is a computer. A very small one, and a very fast one.
In addition to your iPhone, there is iPod, iPad, MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, iMac and Mac Pro. All these devices can surf web, access e-mail, music, pictures, maps, contacts, as well as run tens of thousands of other applications. Which one is better than the other? How would you rank them?
Lenovo, said. ‘The feedback was that for (our) customers it will not work because of the need to have (a physical) keyboard.'”
Why is this so familiar?
OH! that’s right the iPhone will not work because customer must have a physical keyboard on their phone to write text messages so the iPhone will never work in business.
After that bit of insight from Lenovo, I’m convinced the iPad is going to be bigger then sliced bread and butter on toast combined.
Well said MDN
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW, Maxims for Revolutionists
I always call BS on these supposed surveys.
Where’s the statistics? Give me a link, Lenovo.
How many did you ask? 10 people? 20? Were they your associates?
How about the high school kids? I can see it now… “Son, would you prefer a Lenevo computer and raise in your allowance? Or an iPad and no allowance for a year?”
I’ll bet that plastic iPad you claim to have made and shown to your consumers was a beautiful piece of work, right? And how can you possibly decide you need a physical keyboard based on pretending to poke at fake little pictures of a keyboard on a piece of plastic? What could that possibly tell anyone about the responsiveness?
I am a grad student and if I made wild claims without proof I’d be laughed off campus. This can’t even go down as a bad survey it’s so riddled with holes – the methods and claims are inane at every level.
Self-fulfilling prophecy never leads to innovation, Lenovo. What a complete load.
Business customers don’t want slate devices like Apple’s iPad – Lenovo 2010
Guitar groups are on the way out – Decca Records 1962
Discuss.