# Why I Won't Buy An iPad (And think you shouldn't, either)



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Why I won't buy an iPad (and think you shouldn't, either)



> Cory Doctorow
> ￼
> I've spent ten years now on Boing Boing, finding cool things that people have done and made and writing about them. Most of the really exciting stuff hasn't come from big corporations with enormous budgets, it's come from experimentalist amateurs. These people were able to make stuff and put it in the public's eye and even sell it without having to submit to the whims of a single company that had declared itself gatekeeper for your phone and other personal technology.
> 
> Danny O'Brien does a very good job of explaining why I'm completely uninterested in buying an iPad -- it really feels like the second coming of the CD-ROM "revolution" in which "content" people proclaimed that they were going to remake media by producing expensive (to make and to buy) products.


Why I won't buy an iPad (and think you shouldn't, either) - Boing Boing


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Cory is right on with that one. It's exactly why the iPad doesn't interest me at all--it's so damned passive! It's the roadmarker showing where Apple left the "Think Different" camp.


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## matthelps (Apr 7, 2010)

Cory Doctorow, You Are a Consumer, Too - Freedom - Gizmodo


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## satchmo (May 26, 2005)

While there are similarities to CD-ROM publishing, the big differentiation is accessibility.

Just as there were CD's before MP3's, the ability to access and carry thousands of songs in one device, was the difference.

Being able to carry hundreds of publications/books, access them at any time and employ a paid subscription model is a huge advantage over the slow-loading CD-ROM.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

satchmo said:


> Being able to carry hundreds of publications/books, access them at any time and employ a paid subscription model is a huge advantage over the slow-loading CD-ROM.


I can already do that--and share my purchases with others.


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## Adrian. (Nov 28, 2007)

Spot on. Nonetheless, if I can fit this









Into this:










And get a whole bunch more stuff for $200 bucks than a Kindle, it is worth it to me.

It is yet unknown, if all of the above will be available electronically.


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## satchmo (May 26, 2005)

Macfury said:


> I can already do that--and share my purchases with others.


Care to elaborate?


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

satchmo said:


> Care to elaborate?


My understanding is that all of the iPad content is heavily protected to prevent it from being shared. I can share an e-book file relatively easily with family members now.

I'm not particularly excited about having 25,000 books in the same device, except in the ability to search them for a phrase or name. I usually read no more than two books at once.


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## Adrian. (Nov 28, 2007)

Macfury said:


> My understanding is that all of the iPad content is heavily protected to prevent it from being shared. I can share an e-book file relatively easily with family members now.
> 
> I'm not particularly excited about having 25,000 books in the same device, except in the ability to search them for a phrase or name. I usually read no more than two books at once.


If you use the DRM stuff I suppose. I read a few thousand pages of journal articles a month, so it is just pdfs for me.

It would be nice if you could share the book with 5 people. I think you can already do that with iTunes songs no? You can download it to 5 different computers? If they are going to sell the books anywhere near full hard copy price, then they should be shareable. If not, then sell them for $5.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

Sure geeks aren't going to be interested in an iPad... I don't think Apple really cares, they are in the minority. Can you crack open your smartphone and mod it? Is it put together with screws?

He speaks of an ageing paradigm of technology, things are changing and they aren't going back. For better or worse it is the way things will be more and more, he better get used to it.


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## (( p g )) (Aug 17, 2002)

Macfury said:


> My understanding is that all of the iPad content is heavily protected to prevent it from being shared. I can share an e-book file relatively easily with family members now.


True, there are definite issues with the iPad/Pod/Phone OS being a closed system in certain respects. However, the point about eBooks has been overstated. I can confirm that you can generate your own eBooks with a Mac application (I use Sigil), drag it to the iTunes library and sync it to the iPad. Just has to be in the ePub format, which is *not* a proprietary format. Same goes for eBooks you currently own. Provided they are in the ePub format, and not previously DRM enabled, they'll sync.


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## i-rui (Sep 13, 2006)

The article makes a couple of good points, but a whole lot more of silly ones (not to mention the author calls the app store the 'istore'... which strikes me as someone who doesn't really have much knowledge about what he's commenting on).

Complaining that he can't take his purchased apps to another device is silly. i can't take my CS4 from my mac and install it on a windows machine. His argument is basically against software and different platforms.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

My understanding of the iBooks app is that books purchased on it can be read on any Apple deviced registered to you, so that means every other computer, iPod/iPad/iPhone (at least as of iPhone 4, anyway) in your house, unless you're hosting a computer museum and have ungodly number of computers I suppose.

Further, only the books purchased from Apples iBookStore have this "restriction." The app can also accept any non-DRM ePub compatible files.

Further still, who says you have to buy the books from Apple? There's Kindle for the iPad, Stanza for the iPad, Classics for the iPhone (which will run on the iPad) and probably a dozen others I'm not even aware of. The Kindle app lets you share your purchased books between the app and your physical Kindle if you have one, and also your computer (if I recall correctly).

In short, this is a total non-issue from the FUDsters.


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## Oakbridge (Mar 8, 2005)

If this was 40 years ago, the author would be complaining about the auto industry making it impossible to allow someone to do their own tune-ups. Guess what? I don't want to do my own tune-ups. Never have, never will. 

Just as I no longer want to look at a DOS prompt on a computer. In both cases I want to use the device I own for the purpose that it was designed for. 

I rarely if ever traded comic books. I read mine. And then maybe a few weeks/months later I'd read them again if they were any good. Just as I re-read favorite books.

I understand the restrictions required to protect copywrites. Sadly we have created a society where people believe that content should be free or should be able to be moved from device to device based on the user's choice and that these terrible new devices are so restrictive. But the 45's and albums of my youth could not be used in the car or on my computer or my phone. Nor could the 78's of my parents youth be played on the devices that I have ever owned.

Just as the material that is on my PVR can't be viewed on my computer. But I do have choice. And in some cases the choice I make is to not add something to my PVR but to purchase the right to view it through my iTunes account which does give me the flexibility to view it on:

- my computer
- 4 other computers in my household including Windows computers
- my phone
- my Apple version of a PVR
- my tablet

Pretty impressive choices if you ask me. Especially for someone who lived through the VHS/Beta years. 

As for 'not owning' something unless you can take it apart. I guess I don't 'own' my HD TV. Or my home theater receiver. Or my golf clubs. Or my digital SLR. 

But I do own them. 

And I enjoy using them. I don't try to take them apart.


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## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

Take a look at the iPad 3D table of the elements if you want a glimpse of the possibilities.

Apple - iPad - Apps for iPad

"Great spirits have always encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds." 
- Albert Einstein


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## whatiwant (Feb 21, 2008)

The Macbook Air is what the iPad should've been. Walled garden is fine for a phone(toy), but for a device of this size, it's ridiculous. (IMHO) 

...and we thought the Macbook Air sucked.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

You guys are hilarious - ****ing luddites....and I'll bet not one nay sayer here has handled one...
*Apple sells 450,000 iPads in 5 days, users download 3.5 million apps *


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## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

What percentage of computer owners fiddle with their machines to improve them or write code from scratch? I am not counting adding a RAM chip or removing viruses or using applications for their designed purpose. Even hard core game enthusiasts basically take pre-fabricated parts and slot them into their machines. Not too many create their own control software. How many people create new software authoring tools? A kid today can use the various X-code and other developer tools to create amazing applications. Picasso didn't build his own paint brush and synthesize his own paints. Scientists and engineers create tools to empower artists who use them to create beauty and stun us all. How the heck does the iPad impede that?


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## whatiwant (Feb 21, 2008)

MacDoc said:


> You guys are hilarious - ****ing luddites....and I'll bet not one nay sayer here has handled one...
> *Apple sells 450,000 iPads in 5 days, users download 3.5 million apps *


more people than that like Justin Bieber....


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## (( p g )) (Aug 17, 2002)

The complaints that I've read from Doctorow and others can be summed up as "the iPad fails because it is not a computer." They're half right. Fact is that most people don't want to buy computers. They want things to help them do stuff. It's no different than what we see with cars. Sure there are some who love to tinker and pull things apart and revel in the technical details of how the car operates. Then there's the other 95 percent who just want something that runs well looks good and gets them where they want to go and are entirely uninterested in the technology making that happen behind the scenes. Realizing this is what fueled a lot of the deep thinking that went into designing the iPad. Really...what would be the point of a MacBook Air minus a keyboard other than just being a MacBook Air minus a keyboard? 

As I have pointed out before, Apple has gone to great pains to not call the iPad a computer. They've even pulled that term from their corporate name. It's not just because their product line has outgrown the word...its because the meaning behind the word is not all that relevant to a large segment of the population.


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## whatiwant (Feb 21, 2008)

(( p g )) said:


> The complaints that I've read from Doctorow and others can be summed up as "the iPad fails because it is not a computer." They're half right. Fact is that most people don't want to buy computers. They want things to help them do stuff. It's no different than what we see with cars. Sure there are some who love to tinker and pull things apart and revel in the technical details of how the car operates. Then there's the other 95 percent who just want something that runs well looks good and gets them where they want to go and are entirely uninterested in the technology making that happen behind the scenes. Realizing this is what fueled a lot of the deep thinking that went into designing the iPad. Really...what would be the point of a MacBook Air minus a keyboard other than just being a MacBook Air minus a keyboard?
> 
> As I have pointed out before, Apple has gone to great pains to not call the iPad a computer. They've even pulled that term from their corporate name. It's not just because their product line has outgrown the word...its because the meaning behind the word is not all that relevant to a large segment of the population.


Right. So they made a giant iPod Touch, to consume content. And you cannot take photos with it, or make phone calls with it, and you need to carry it in a bag. I'm really hoping that making this device didn't setback a release date for something worthwhile buying... like the upcoming iPhone!


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

jawknee said:


> more people than that like Justin Bieber....


ha ha ha ha.

Even more sport his hairdo....


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## whatiwant (Feb 21, 2008)

groovetube said:


> ha ha ha ha.
> 
> Even more sport his hairdo....


What we need is an iBieber with Bluetooth hairdo then. 

All in agreeance?


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## tilt (Mar 3, 2005)

I shall not be buying an iPad anytime soon. However that's not because I think it's a bad machine. Quite to the contrary, it does everything today that I would ever need my computer to do.

There are only two reasons stopping me from buying an iPad today. One - I need at least 1 terabyte of storage; and two, I need at least a full HD resolution (not because I watch video, but purely because I hate having to scroll). Physical screen size matters naught to me, but resolution does.

Cheers


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## daniels (Jul 27, 2009)

to me the ipad is a giant ipod touch which loves to eat your money by buying apps that start from $9.99 now seeing the iphone and ipod touch os 4.0 will also support the ibook store theres no point of an ipad unless you like carrying around 9 inches of aluminum.


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## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

(( p g )) said:


> The complaints that I've read from Doctorow and others can be summed up as "the iPad fails because it is not a computer." They're half right. Fact is that most people don't want to buy computers. They want things to help them do stuff. It's no different than what we see with cars. Sure there are some who love to tinker and pull things apart and revel in the technical details of how the car operates. Then there's the other 95 percent who just want something that runs well looks good and gets them where they want to go and are entirely uninterested in the technology making that happen behind the scenes. Realizing this is what fueled a lot of the deep thinking that went into designing the iPad. Really...what would be the point of a MacBook Air minus a keyboard other than just being a MacBook Air minus a keyboard?
> 
> As I have pointed out before, Apple has gone to great pains to not call the iPad a computer. They've even pulled that term from their corporate name. It's not just because their product line has outgrown the word...its because the meaning behind the word is not all that relevant to a large segment of the population.


No doubt. Who needs to compute things most of the time anyway? Also I think it's more like 98 or 99% that don't feel the need to tinker with what's under the hood.
Brushes on the iPad is going to _rock_.


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## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

daniels said:


> to me the ipad is a giant ipod touch which loves to eat your money by buying apps that start from $9.99 now seeing the iphone and ipod touch os 4.0 will also support the ibook store theres no point of an ipad unless you like carrying around 9 inches of aluminum.


Of course you are free to _not_ buy one. just like everyone else. But why whine about it? If other people want to fork out money for an iPad, what's the point of complaining?


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

doesn't sound like he's complaining, he's just voicing his opinion. But I guess to the gestapo that's tantamount to treason.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

groovetube said:


> doesn't sound like he's complaining, he's just voicing his opinion. But I guess to the *gestapo* that's tantamount to treason.


Gestapo???  Really?


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

when I see someone reduce someone's opinion to that of complaining with the insinuation to just shut up, I'll use the gestapo reference gladly.


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## whatiwant (Feb 21, 2008)

groovetube said:


> when I see someone reduce someone's opinion to that of complaining with the insinuation to just shut up, I'll use the gestapo reference gladly.


Gestapple.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

good one


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## Adrian. (Nov 28, 2007)

groovetube said:


> when I see someone reduce someone's opinion to that of complaining with the insinuation to just shut up, I'll use the gestapo reference gladly.


Erich Honecker and the GDR Politburo are in full support of Gestapo's nutterance!


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

groovetube said:


> when I see someone reduce someone's opinion to that of complaining with the insinuation to just shut up, I'll use the gestapo reference gladly.


Again... Really??? 



> ...The Gestapo had the authority to investigate cases of treason, espionage, sabotage and criminal attacks on the Nazi Party and Germany. The basic Gestapo law passed by the government in 1936 gave the Gestapo carte blanche to operate without judicial oversight. The Gestapo was specifically exempted from responsibility to administrative courts, where citizens normally could sue the state to conform to laws. As early as 1935, however, a Prussian administrative court had ruled that the Gestapo's actions were not subject to judicial review. The SS officer Werner Best, onetime head of legal affairs in the Gestapo[8], summed up this policy by saying, "As long as the police carries out the will of the leadership, it is acting legally."[4] A further law passed later in the year gave the Gestapo responsibility for setting up and administering concentration camps.
> 
> In September 1939 the security and police agencies of Nazi Germany (with the exception of the Orpo) were consolidated into the Reich Main Security Office (RSHA), headed by Heydrich.[9] The Gestapo became Amt IV (Department IV) of RSHA and Müller became the Gestapo Chief, with Heydrich as his immediate superior. After Heydrich's assassination in 1942, Ernst Kaltenbrunner became head of RSHA, and Müller remained the Gestapo Chief, a position he occupied until the end of the war.[10] Adolf Eichmann was Müller's direct subordinate and head of Department IV, Section B4, which dealt with Jews.
> 
> The power of the Gestapo most open to misuse was called Schutzhaft – "protective custody", a euphemism for the power to imprison people without judicial proceedings. An oddity of the system was that the prisoner had to sign his own Schutzhaftbefehl, an order declaring that the person had requested imprisonment – presumably out of fear of personal harm (which, in a way, was true). In addition, thousands of political prisoners throughout Germany – and from 1941, throughout the occupied territories under the Night and Fog Decree – simply disappeared while in Gestapo custody...


Gestapo


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

oh gee! So that's what the gestapo is.
:baby:


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

groovetube said:


> oh gee! So that's what the gestapo is.
> :baby:


It seemed necessary to remind you as your appellation of the term was... well shall we say a little bit over the top to say the least, if you really knew about the Gestapo.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

well fire up your printer, and print yourself off a snazzy "I'm GREAT" certificate for a job well done!


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

Nah, I don't need another one, I have no room left on my office walls.


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## whatiwant (Feb 21, 2008)

groovetube said:


> good one


Hehe. Thanks buddeh, I try.


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## Adrian. (Nov 28, 2007)

screature said:


> Nah, I don't need another one, I have no room left on my office walls.


Ziiing!


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## whatiwant (Feb 21, 2008)

Adrian. said:


> Ziiing!


No-Zing to see here. Just someone with an axe to grind and little to no sense of humour.


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## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

So what was the topics again? "Why I Won't Buy An iPad (And think you shouldn't, either)"
I believe it was. I'm fine with someone else not getting one but am not in agreement with the second half of the statement. Seems to me a lot of the complaints I've read about the iPad are from people who haven't actually even tried it yet. Lots of doubts about the iPhone when it first came out too, as I recall.


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## whatiwant (Feb 21, 2008)

fjnmusic said:


> So what was the topics again? "Why I Won't Buy An iPad (And think you shouldn't, either)"
> I believe it was. I'm fine with someone else not getting one but am not in agreement with the second half of the statement. Seems to me a lot of the complaints I've read about the iPad are from people who haven't actually even tried it yet. Lots of doubts about the iPhone when it first came out too, as I recall.


But that's the thing. We *have* tried it. And it fits in our pocket and it's an iPhone, and it can do more than this new, heavy, clunky,expensive, piece of awesomeness that aapl wants us to buy.


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## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

jawknee said:


> But that's the thing. We *have* tried it. And it fits in our pocket and it's an iPhone, and it can do more than this new, heavy, clunky,expensive, piece of awesomeness that aapl wants us to buy.


Perhaps, but it might be nice not to have to double-tap all the time just to render a font size that's on the edge of readable. I'd like to see what the new gizmo can do before I decide. Double-tap. Hey, that's a cool word from Zombieland.


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## imnothng (Sep 12, 2009)

fjnmusic said:


> Perhaps, but it might be nice not to have to double-tap all the time just to render a font size that's on the edge of readable. I'd like to see what the new gizmo can do before I decide. Double-tap. Hey, that's a cool word from Zombieland.


+1 Couldn't agree more.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

jawknee said:


> But that's the thing. We *have* tried it. And it fits in our pocket and it's an iPhone, and it can do more than this new, heavy, clunky,expensive, piece of awesomeness that aapl wants us to buy.


I don't own an iPhone and have no interest in one. I have an iPod Touch though and love it and am planning on getting an iPad down the road. 

I would never want to watch a movie on the iPhone/iPod Touch. Browsing the internet and typing is also a pain. Some games are OK to play on the form factor but will be much better on the lager screen and the full potential of the iPad has yet to be realized. The iPad has it's place, in the back of the car with kids on a road trip, in a plane for watching a movie you actually want to see, in the living room, by the pool, in the back yard, etc., etc.

I find it amusing that those who haven't even tried this new form factor are poo pooing it without even actually having used it and no the iPhone and iPod Touch don't count. Sure they are similar devices, in as much as an iMac is similar to a MacBook (they do the same things and run the same OS), but does that make them the same thing? Hardly.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

jawknee said:


> No-Zing to see here. Just someone with an axe to grind and little to no sense of humour.


Really... I thought it was a pretty good comeback, but then again what do I know I have no sense humour cause I don't find calling someone a Nazi willy nilly funny. Now excuse me, I have a shed full of axes that need sharpening... Hi Ho, Hi Ho it's off to grind I go...


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## whatiwant (Feb 21, 2008)

screature said:


> Now excuse me, I have a shed full of axes that need sharpening... Hi Ho, Hi Ho it's off to grind I go...


hahah. You dooooooooo have a wee one. 

Enjoy watching movies on your iPad buddeh!


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

jawknee said:


> hahah. *You dooooooooo have a wee one*.
> 
> Enjoy watching movies on your iPad buddeh!



That isn't what the ladies tell me...


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## whatiwant (Feb 21, 2008)

screature said:


> That isn't what the lady's tell me...


*drumfill*

oh and I think you meant ladies?


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

jawknee said:


> *drumfill*
> 
> oh and I think you meant ladies?


Yep, that's right, my bad.


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## Adrian. (Nov 28, 2007)

screature said:


> Really... I thought it was a pretty good comeback, but then again what do I know I have no sense humour cause I don't find calling someone a Nazi willy nilly funny. Now excuse me, I have a shed full of axes that need sharpening... Hi Ho, Hi Ho it's off to grind I go...


Should have come by the Tea Idiots thread, I was calling anyone who wasn't a red-blooded socialist a Nazi!


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

Adrian. said:


> Should have come by the Tea Idiots thread, I was calling anyone who wasn't a red-blooded socialist a Nazi!


:lmao: Yeah, I noticed that... I didn't really have anything to say so I stayed out of it (for the most part)... although it did make an "entertaining" read.


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## An Old Soul (Apr 24, 2006)

I have content creation devices, and they've doubled as consumption devices. Now I can comfortably watch a show, check up on my rss feeds, etc., without having to haul the 15" mbp around. It's a great device, writing this comment on one. Try it out first before you pass judgment.


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## whatiwant (Feb 21, 2008)

screature said:


> ...but then again what do I know I have no sense humour cause I don't find calling someone a Nazi willy nilly funny.


No soup for you?


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## fyrefly (Apr 16, 2005)

I also feel like people panning the iPad without trying it is akin to panning a 17" MB 'cause they already have a 13" version that's a LOT cheaper and can do all the same stuff.

Different form factors leads to different innovation, and seriously, all of the iPad optimized apps, even Mail, Calendar, and such are such different beasts to the desktop and iPhone versions that people who say they're the same, can't possibly have played with them.

That being said, I think the iPad is a want device right now, not a need one. There's no (at least IMHO) specific software or usage that I can think of that wouldn't work w/ a laptop or a netbook. But the weight, size, ease of use factors will quickly grow, IMHO, and the iPad will quickly gain more and more killer apps that will make it useful in people's lives.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

jawknee said:


> No soup for you?


How did I know that was going to come up? 

Different context between a TV show making fun of a fictional character and someone referring to a fellow real live forum member as a Nazi. But that is just my take on it, I think I am entitled to it.


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## Guest (Apr 12, 2010)

fyrefly said:


> That being said, I think the iPad is a want device right now, not a need one. There's no (at least IMHO) specific software or usage that I can think of that wouldn't work w/ a laptop or a netbook.


iBooks? AFAIK Apple hasn't said anything about releasing a desktop version of it (at least yet). iPhone version coming in 4.0 but no desktop version announcement as of yet that I know of.

Of course we have to get iBooks in Canada first, grrrrrr.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

jawknee said:


> No soup for you?


ha ha ha. Brilliant.


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## fyrefly (Apr 16, 2005)

mguertin said:


> iBooks? AFAIK Apple hasn't said anything about releasing a desktop version of it (at least yet). iPhone version coming in 4.0 but no desktop version announcement as of yet that I know of.
> 
> Of course we have to get iBooks in Canada first, grrrrrr.


iBooks is great (I'm reading "The Importance of Being Ernest" on my iPad via iBooks right now), but there is Kindle for the iPhone, Classics for the iPhone, Kindle for the Mac, Zinio for the iPhone... lots of options w/o iPad/iBooks combo.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

I think (and this just came to me so don't blame if I haven't completely thought it through) but the iPad is just like the iPhone to the degree that Apple adopted the policy of "build it and they will come" and by "they" I mean developers. 

How many iPhone apps are there? How many before the release of the iPhone? 0. I think it reasonable to assume that with the simultaneous release of the SDK for the iPad as the product's official announcement it is safe to assume that software development for the iPad will follow a similar curve. If the software doesn't exist yet... just wait, it will... or better yet, invent it and make some cash.


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