“When I first got an iPad a little over a year ago, I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Technologically, it was neat, but as a new type of device, it didn’t really fit in my everyday work or personal routines,” Galen Gruman reports for InfoWorld.
” A year later, it’s something I keep near me at almost all times and use routinely,” Gruman reports. “It’s also dramatically changed some of my information-oriented behaviors. And I’m convinced its effects on me and the world at large are still in its early phases.”
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Gruman reports, “It turns out that the iPad is both a laptop replacement and a ‘third device’ that has its own role. It just depends on what you’re doing.”
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: “Make the screen five inches by eight inches, and you’ll rule the world.” – Alan Kay to Steve Jobs, after seeing the iPhone, January 2007.
Of course, Steve Jobs knew that, as the iPad was conceived before the iPhone.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Arline M.” for the heads up.]
Big iPad fan here too, but iPad os needs some improvements badly. Managing files I still retarded. I could do a lot more if I could move files between apps and my desktop. I mean not in a retarded way.
As much a I am a fan, I understand why some savvy people are driven to Android, after feeling insulted by being treated like children on iOS.
If you feel insulted or “treated like a child” by a device or a company that makes said device – a scenario into which you as a consumer have the choice to be in – then you need to either rethink your relationship to said device or company, or grow a thicker skin. Seriously.
It is a legitimate expectation from a very small segment (ultra-power users) of the market. Those who are patient enough will see iOS mature into a more robust OS, with file manipulation becoming more flexible, without resorting to the old, arcane, abstract directory structure with folders, etc.
For those who don’t have enough patience to wait for this to happen, Android offers full file system access. The OS is nowhere near as polished, intuitive, consistent and robust as iOS, but it does give file system access. Once iOS gets the necessary functionality for manipulating files, it is always easy to migrate back from Android to iOS; hardly anyone actually spends money on Android apps, so most of them are free anyway, and there are practically no Android apps that don’t also exist on iOS (and usually in better, more feature-complete and less buggy form).
“expectation from a very small segment”
It works for the larger 96% group.
Just wondering, what Apps are you wanting to move files between?
iCloud should make “moving” files to your desktop computer a non issue.
It makes me think of having a Task Manager. Why does my Mom need a Task Manager? It’s a failure somewhere else — that the OS is not handling correctly.
You should be able to say “I want to do This with That report” and the system will do it for you. Who cares where the file is at.
Exactly. this is what separates iOS from all the pretenders.
Fandroids say that Apple is playing catchup with Android, but what they fail to realize is no one except Apple has figured out how to abstract away the file system.
Interface trumps all else. Simplicity, elegance and ease of use are far more important than features. A feature that’s difficult to use or hard to find and therefore goes unused is no feature at all.
In the theme of KISS (keep it simple stupid), I refer to this as IT IS (it’s the interface stupid).
Apple is the interface master.
It’s “differently-tarded,” not “retarded.” show some sensitivity to the differently-tarded folks out there (you know, Microsoft, sanding, RIM, HP, Google, etc…).
The ones who hurt the most when it comes to managing files on an iPad are Windows users.
Mac users have spotlight, who cares where files are stored?
I’d like to see some of those recently patented touch gestures implemented (like flicking a file toward your Mac to transfer it).
Maybe the iPad wasn’t meant for someone like you. It’s for everyone which tends to exclude the wants of a few of us. If it was a tablet Mac, it would not have achieved the runaway success that it is enjoying.
With luck, perhaps there might be an iPad Pro rsn or, more likely, some software workarounds.
I agree completely saving a file from an email is a basic function which the iOS can’t do !
Jailbreaking is perfectly legal, so the idea of moving to Android because of supposed “freedom” is nonsensical. Lately, jailbroken iOS device is actually more “free” in any sense that Android devices, which grow with all kinds of limitations recently.
It has been a game changing device indeed. I agree with everything except the idea of it begin a laptop replacement. Then again, it all depends on what you do with a laptop.
For me, each iOS/Mac OS X device on the continuum serves a specific purpose. I use the iPhone, iPad 2, MacBook Air 13″ (just added this one about one week ago for travel), MacBook Pro 17″ (high end machine for photo/video editing), and iMac (desktop home and office). I can certainly choose to travel with either the Air or the Pro ALONG with the iPad. But for my purposes, I couldn’t leave a laptop home and accomplish everything needed with the iPad 2. Notwithstanding, there is nothing like it.
Who needs an iPhone when you have an iPad? There are great feature phones out there. My ‘smart phone’ is not limited to a small screen. And I save money.
David F. writes: ” I agree with everything except the idea of it begin a laptop replacement. Then again, it all depends on what you do with a laptop.”
Exactly. The tablet will not replace a laptop for many users, but I think it can and probably will for most. “Most” users don’t write code, manipulate large spreadsheets or need Photoshop capabilities. They surf, read rss feeds, email, play games, do ebay and Facebook.
“I’ve covered major events from cramped theater seats on the iPad, with the audience none the wiser.”
Except the people behind you, which is what you’d expect from a former IDG hack that used to troll Apple relentlessly. I love the “haxodus” of shitty writers that used to bash Apple now writing stuff like this now that the devices they blindly derided achieve unquestionable success. Some of us remember your stupidity, Galen. Your click-to-maximize-pageviews 3 page article of praise represents nothing.
Touché