The New Apple Tablet Thingee - Jon and I Discuss - 2010-01-27 17:51:32
<<< Previous - Bumping into the Lucky Golden Poo, Again | Next - For those wanting more Droid vs Point n Shoot Camera Comparisons >>>But you have to go to Jon's blog where I take over his comments instead of actually writing something up here.
Jon's blog entry: Seriously???
and then day 2,
Yes, Seriously.
Some of the problem is I think how some of the population (the PC folks, sorry) view Apple products. Since my first computer was a Mac SE (bought from the MIT store in Cambridge, Mass., ah, memories of fellow geeks and Mac fans in the 90s) I was always ok with the operating system, and frankly never saw it as anything to be pro or con about - it was the computer friends used and those friends could share programs with me. (And yay for shareware, the poor students/post college student's friend.) So it was a practical decision. If I'd known people who were into PCs and who had a cheap way to get me a setup, I'd have bought that. So I don't play the whole "PC vs Apple" fanboy thing - I use what's available. And I don't really get hung up about it.
Which means that I didn't get an iPhone. When the phone first came out it was sold as a way to have your music and other audio with a phone. And that's something I've never wanted. I don't want to curl up for an attempt at sleep with my iPod (it's great for insomnia) and accidentally roll onto the device and call my mother at 2am. No, I actually don't know if that's possible, but knowing me I could probably do it. I just know that from the beginning I wanted my audio and (now) video on a different device than my phone. Doesn't bother me to carry more than one gadget around. I also don't really need the phone to turn into a swiss army knife of camera, audio/video player, etc. - no matter that it has anyway. But that's why I never got in on the original iPhone thing. And now I'm amused that with the Droid I have all those things anyway. I don't have any audio or video on my droid. Masses of games, yes. But nothing I listen to. And somehow I'm not sure I'd have all that neat stuff if the iPhone hadn't done such a great job of showing the tech industry "check it out, this works!"
So I'm off two minds about the new
iPad. First of all I've only read about the thing, and not seen it in real life. Yes, I like the design - I think that's where Apple really does well, in the design of their tech. (Though I admit I do like their operating system too. Frankly Windows has turned into the same OS as Apple lookswise, PC people just don't realize it.) But more than anything I like what it represents.
CES just had a whole lot of companies showing off their new ebook readers. Now that Apple's in the e-reader game this means that we'll finally see a system that will be good for everyone.
Eventually. That's the trick - the odds are what we see now isn't quite perfect and will need tweaking. I'm specifically thinking of one type of ebook format that will work on any and all readers. Meaning someone could buy, for example, a Sony e-reader and then if that gadget fried itself they'd be able to take their old book files (assuming they them backed up, something not all/many ereaders allow) and then move them to a new gadget - and they wouldn't HAVE to buy a Sony, they'd be able to choose the best ereader for them because all of them would accept any ebook file.
Well, that's my hope for the future anyway. We're not there yet. But getting there.
I did just do a count after taking up so much of Jon's comments to basically write a blog post - and I have 75 ebooks on my computer. Many from 2008, but some I bought in the last few weeks. Not all are purchased - some are free via
Project Gutenberg. There's a least one free book in there that's a novel written by a blogger that I enjoy reading. And as always there are a few I haven't read or finished in there. But those 75 books aren't taking up any more space in our apartment, and since we have limited shelf space, for that I am thankful. I will also admit that as much as I do like to read nonfiction, many of those purchased ebooks are shlocky romances. I'm a fan of the
Regency era. This will now open the field to Jon mocking me soundly, but then I will remind him that I never pester him to read Ovid or Emerson, or threaten to read some Euripides aloud. Yeah, I'm rereading old college texts, you can tell. Part of my "I don't remember finishing this" program - sometimes only part of some books were assigned and it's fun to go back and finish things.
I'm really not a candidate for the Apple iPad at present. I'm not and never have been an
early adopter of tech. Ah, the phrase itself takes me back to my PhD comps exam (and the stress) where I wrote many pages on
Diffusion of Innovation - partly because it wasn't any of the Phd profs giving the exam's pet theory (warning, tread lightly around pet theories) and partly because it was such an easily described comm theory. I still like it, especially because early adopters interest me, and because what they end up buying and supporting/writing about/championing tends to effect the rest of the tech market. So while I can see me wanting an ebook in about a year or so - I don't want one right now. Now's not the time - currently the market needs to decide which system is a good one for book files and which devices will be more practical (better batteries, less bugs, etc.). Now's the time when you sit back and read reviews, wait a few months, and then read reviews again. See what complaints are new, see which ones have remained.
And then when the prices come down, then start to contemplate a purchase.
Yes, it sometimes takes me a year or so to buy a gadget unless my technophile husband gets me one (as I nervously say "Are you sure? I don't reeeeally need it! Wow, it IS cool though..."). But I'm conservative about my gadgets, and then once purchased I love them and really don't want to replace them until I have to. Even after they die I tend to keep them in a drawer - the little ones anyway. (I still mourn my Mac SE, wish I hadn't given it away in a past move.)
So no, I don't need an e-reader, I can use my PC - and I don't really want one, yet. I'm still waiting to see which one will make the cut. Maybe it will be the iPad. Or maybe the competition will get fierce, and something better will come along. After all, I haven't heard whether Google's going to toss its hat into the ring.
But I'm also not going into an Apple store. Those places are really bad for me - it seems once I touch the gadgets on display there I suddenly REALLY want one. I'm thinking it's all the futuristic white walls.
Oh and as others have said iPad is a goofy name. But then they've kinda boxed themselves in with having to stick i in front of everything. Just think - someday Apple will name something and NOT stick the i in front of the name, and the media will go insane.
*eyeroll*
Most of what people who hate the Apple products really hate is all the media hooha and the gushing.
After reading more and watching the
video (you have to watch a commercial but unlike the Apple site you don't have to download Quicktime) - yeah, I can see the whistles and bells selling this. You can use it for many things - put it on an easel and turn on a slide show and you have a way to show off those grandkids or a vacation. Or photos you just took. It could be a whole new platform for games - you can actually SEE stuff on a screen this size compared to the iPhone.
I'll continue keeping an eye on what they do with books.
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