“Some quick background: I bought an iPad on April 17th; earlier, I gave 12 reasons why I wouldn’t. One reason for buying outweighed the 12 for not: The need to test the tablet so I could write more authoritatively about it. Apple most assuredly wouldn’t send me a review unit; I don’t pucker up and kiss PR butt with loving soliloquies about how great are Apple products — although this post is about as close as there may be for a long time,” Wilcox reports. “On May 24th, I sold the 64GB iPad to a friend for a little less than what I paid for it. He since bought two more iPads (one 3G). But I missed the iPad and couldn’t quite say why at first. I didn’t need the device. Functionally, iPad overlapped with smartphone and laptop”
“I was wrong,” Wilcox admits. “On further reflection, I realized that iPad offers fresh functionality: Immersion. I find there are fewer reading distractions, and content is better presented than on a laptop and browser. I’m more focused and retain more of what I read. For reasons not easily explained, I find myself more thoroughly reading iBooks than defaulting to the skimming I sometimes do with physical books. Part of this immersive experience is the technology, but also how iPad is used. Apple’s tablet is a sit down and focus device, as much because of size and shape as screen and user interface. The totality — physical design and software benefits — is immersion.”
Wilcox reports, “On June 10, I bought another 64GB iPad.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Enjoy your iPad, Joe!
Well at least you got the balls to fess up Joe.
“Yes, I was wrong. I admit it. Flail me in Betanews comments or other blogs. Surely Macheads will peck away even my bones. Go ahead. I won’t often give you such opportunity.”
Gee Joe Your taken all the fun out of it!
OK, all you who iCal’d him … reset your clocks. …your Calendars. Something. Not only was he proven wrong to OUR satisfaction, he even admitted it to himself.
I still have not bought mine. Not because I don’t recognize the value – even my WIFE recognizes the value – but because I anticipate a significantly greater value with v2! There’s a 3rd-party app out there that kinda-sorta does the GarageBand thing, and iMovie is, or will be, available. It isn’t a question of “if” for me, but “when”.
I admire him for admitting when that he was wrong.
This immersion he is talking about may be for a large part the quest for a full screen experience, which windows users are practically forced into by the user interface, and which they try to recreate.
Mac users like to have windows that keep other windows partly uncovered. It is felt as being in more control and keeping an overview of what’s happening. On the iPhone I can understand that screen real estate is important but I am not so sure whether the same holds for the iPad.
Nice to see someone actually own up and admit he was wrong. I’m sure there are many, many, many other reviewers out there who need to do the same, but lack the fortitude to do so.
This is actually VERY interesting…especially with regard to how people consume content. Specifically news content.
Newspapers and magazines (please don’t make this political) have a culture of design and depth. The layout of a page, the size of photos, the flow of text are all essentially removed by the browser experience which while leveling the ‘playing field’ also tends to make the act more of a task…hence the rise of blogs and other media that make you CHANGE the page or view on average 37 times an hour (a real …and recent stat). If you LIKE what you are looking at or are immersed in the content you stay engaged with it.
The ipad has powerful implications for print media..and a low subscription price (under $15) and BETTER advertising could easily improve the fortunes of many ‘old media’ brands.
It’s too easy to look at the current landscape (before the ipad) and extrapolate the future of media consumption as all just easily digestible bits of news…Clearly design matters, quality content matters, what MATTERS…matters…it’s not all just news as pure entertainment.
We tried to tell you, Joe. Welcome back.
It’s refreshing to see him own up to it!
Impressed with this guy. Wish everyone else had the balls he does.
Last week I bought a 3G 64GB iPad for no other reason than being an Apple fan. When I first started using it I found it duplicative with the 4 Macs and 3 iPhones in my house.
Now, I can’t imagine life without it. And that’s only after a week. It is truely a magical device.
Oh, he’s got it figured out, all right. Bash it to get hits, then praise it to get even more.
Nice strategy, for a hit-whore.
OTOH, interesting observation (immersion)…
I think this is the reason why he missed it:
http://www.macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/ipad_do_they_really_get_it/
or
http://futurevision.blog.com/2010/04/06/ipad-do-they-really-get-it/
RC
Do me a favor – register on BetaNews and post a nice reply so folks can see we’re not all idiots, OK?
I did. I think it’s time to stop acting like juvenile tools defending Apple.
My 2¢
Joe has an inflated sense of self importance. Who cares if Joe was wrong? The man is just another pompous ass.
Wilcox reports, “On June 10, I bought another 64GB iPad.”
Good man! Unlike a paid shill like Thurrotted or Enderlenutjob , he can admit wrongdoing and fess up.
Congrats Joe for coming to the light and leaving
the Dark Side. We have cookies !
It’s take a big man to admit he was wrong.
It takes a bigger man to laugh at him.
I give him credit for coming out and admitting his mistakes!! I love my iPad!
This is Joe Wilcox.
He bought the second iPad just to trash iOS 4.0 for iPad when it is released in late fall, (Dec 21st).
Respect for honesty
I will get one as soon as it has:
– 3D version
– SD slot
– Quadband
– Camera with GPS function
– 320 GB
– Solar charger on back included
– Pico projector App and function
But that will be lining up in july 2014 for Amsterdam?
Even if you are tempted, please don’t trash the dude, folks. He openly admitted his mistake without any weaseling or excuses. I only wish that more people, particularly those in the public eye, would do the same, when appropriate. In my book, that means he deserves the benefit of the doubt (unless he royally screws up again down the road).
We need to encourage people to admit fault, even though there may be some consequences. We need to thrash the people who refuse to admit fault and attempt to deflect attention from their errors using excuses and FUD.
I agree that immersion is a part of it, . . . but Steve mentioned the part I see whenever I use mine. “It’s like having the Internet in your hand.”
I purchased mine with the primary vision of being able to carry my pictures in my hand. I gave up printing them a few months after going digital. My initial iPad syncing was over 5,100 images. . . . But soon I got a Flip HD, and then I was able to carry my video in a beautiful format, as well.
Of course it became handy for checking email, . . . and now, sometimes when I’m too lazy to go to my desktop office, I enjoy surfing in the living room. . . . I know functionality will grow for this version of the iPad, and newer models will dramatically build upon this firm foundation. As a senior, I have found Apple to be my main inspiration for an exciting future.
A dignified retraction from him, and a dignified response from MDN. Possibly the first time I’ve ever agreed with Joe Wilcox!
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Posted from my iPad
Damn, that leaves no fun or bones to rattle, thanks Joe!