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IT

Why PCs Trump iPads For User Innovation 523

snydeq writes "InfoWorld's Bob Lewis argues that while the iPad may be opening IT's eyes to a new way to encourage end-users to innovate new solutions for their organizations, that work will better be undertaken on the PC. 'When the subject is PCs, the answer is to lock 'em down and run everything in the data center. When the subject is iPads, the answer is that there's an app for that,' Lewis writes. 'Before you decide the iPad is your platform, though, consider the factors that favor the PC. First, it's a sunk cost. Second, it's more capable. And third, your end-users are already familiar with it. Which brings us to what's particularly sad about the end-user innovation situation: Until the iPad resurrected the subject, most IT organizations have actively discouraged it. It goes beyond locking down the devices so that end-users can't install software they might find helpful in their day-to-day work or might increase efficiency in their departments.'"
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Why PCs Trump iPads For User Innovation

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  • I read the article but somehow missed the point. Is this some sort of preemptive strike against a supposed iPad takeover of corporate IT?

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      More likely against Android tablets.

      iPads are for content consumers, not creators.

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by macs4all ( 973270 )

        More likely against Android tablets.

        iPads are for content consumers, not creators.

        Really? So who are things like iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Keynote, Sketchbook Pro, Create Apps Without Programming, iCreate, Creative Book Builder, Touch App Creator, Adobe Ideas, Learn To Draw, Video Editor, Auryn Ink, Scratch Card, QR Code Generator, Story Buddy, App Craft HD, DoInk, Caster, Sketchpad Pro HD, Heavy Metal Music Creator, Crayola, Build-a-Story, AutoCAD WS, Dollhouse Creator, RPG Cartographer, PHYZIOS Sculptor Pro, Forms Central, App Designer HD, Christmas Card Maker, Fractal Maker, Robot Ma

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • by catmistake ( 814204 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @11:56PM (#37126246) Journal

        The reason you don't see innovation at corps on the PC is because the IT guys first lock the living shit out of it THEN put some really shitty AV that sucks resources like Norton. What you have is a machine that is painful to use that just screams drudgery.

        Trust me, if you're talking about Windows, even when IT guys DO NOT lock the living shit out of it, you still end up with the same thing... a machine that is painful to use and barely works.

        I have to completely disagree with the premise, that IT locking down the machine is causing the issue. I believe that IT choosing an architecture that is general purpose, and then removing most of its general purpose functionality, is a part of the problem. Has anyone noticed that 90% of corp workers use their computer for only company email and browser-based Corp apps? What is wrong with the idea of ditching the general purpose boat anchor and choosing an extremely limited architecture that does everything those 90% need... making THAT the defacto standard for new employees, and then giving the general purpose machine to the other 10% that need to do heavier (real computer necessary) stuff?

        I think big IT issue in most corporations is not the lowly IT tech guys, but their management, especially the corporate architects, the directors and veeps, that have their head shoved so far up their asses they have no idea that they are allowed to and even required to innovate. Instead, they concentrate on doing the same thing today that they did yesterday, i.e. maintaining status quo, and keeping Microsoft in business. After all, if everything just worked all the time, what would be the point of even having an IT department? No, they must build "broken" into the infrastructure.

    • by Archangel Michael ( 180766 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @11:53PM (#37126218) Journal

      I've read most of this thread (119 post already) and without exception, everyone making the case of PC is better than iPad (or visa versa) case is completely missing the point of either and both. These are TOOLS. Arguing over iPad over PC is like arguing that a phillips screwdriver is better than a boxed end wrench. Both are used to turn something (screw, nut) but other than that, they aren't the same tool.

      There is no need for such a pissing contest.

    • by topham ( 32406 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @11:55PM (#37126236) Homepage

      Pretty much, I've noticed a resurgence of the trend in the last couple of months. But as attempts go this one seemed pretty lame. iPad unstable? really? My mom has one and she doesn't even know how to turn it off or reboot it. She uses it constantly. (Several hours a day on a typical day).

      Now, my iPad is pretty unstable, but it's running beta software all the time. Hardly conclusive. And, even with its instability I don't have to reboot it.

      Most of the statements in the article have some truth to them, but the implications are wildly out of wack. (Implying a stability equivalent to PCs for instance, while PCs have greatly improved in recent years they still often have issues waking from sleep for example.)

      The article is pure FUD in the truest sense. Fear, Uncertainty, Disbelief. While I'd be somewhat hard pressed to accuse the author of directly being in Microsofts pocket, I think it's obvious that Microsoft had a influence in some manner. (Even if it was just a quiet little request made to an editor for a more 'balanced' perspective).

  • Two things (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    1.) iPads are not replacements for PCs.

    2.) If PC operating systems weren't so fragile then IT departments would not have had to lock them down.

    2

    • by Idbar ( 1034346 )
      2) If consumer devices users weren't so trusted and ran anything that crosses their eyes (trojans included), no device would be locked.
    • Re:Two things (Score:5, Insightful)

      by White Flame ( 1074973 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @11:06PM (#37126016)

      To expand on #1, touch tablets are decent for information consumption, but not content creation. And even in information consumption, tablets are only applicable where the information can be consumed on a small, low-resolution display. I don't think, for instance, that day traders with their arrays of cheap monitors will want to limit themselves to an iPad.

      Touch is a reasonably nice interface for many info browsing traversal mechanisms, though.

    • by Divebus ( 860563 )

      I see a lot more iPads on the commuter trains than laptops. A lot more. They're usually people reviewing documents, some are typing on them (obviously creating something), some reading the morning news, more than half are standing up. The odd duck luzer with the laptop isn't getting anything done with his aircraft carrier sized HP concrete slab. He can't even open the screen far enough to see it. The average iPad user is probably thinking "fuck the IT department, this thing rocks". Actually, I've been told

      • by 0123456 ( 636235 )

        I see a lot more iPads on the commuter trains than laptops. A lot more. They're usually people reviewing documents, some are typing on them (obviously creating something), some reading the morning news, more than half are standing up. The odd duck luzer with the laptop isn't getting anything done with his aircraft carrier sized HP concrete slab.

        Personally I don't work outside office time unless I'm being paid for it. I find that much preferable to being given an iPad to work on the train.

        • by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

          Some of us have jobs we actually like, where we're treated like adults. For example, I consider my on-the-bus time part of my work day. Other people could be working on hobbies or reading for enjoyment.

    • by Macgrrl ( 762836 )

      I may be being naive, but sure the killer application for iPads in a corporate envirnonment is where the user needs to be mobile and use a reasonably constrained set of functions - e.g. looking up a patient's records and prescribing a course of treatment on a hopsital ward.

      PCs are for operating in a fixed envirnonment with a highly varied task load?

  • by SilverHatHacker ( 1381259 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @10:03PM (#37125664)
    Like someone else said on here once, let me know when those famous iPhone apps can be developed on the iPhone without bending over backwards. Real work always gets done on a real computer.
    • Real work gets done with a real keyboard. Sure, tablets are "cool", but try typing quickly on one without looking. For 12 hours straight.

      And last I checked, a tablet doesn't have any of the typical vi/compiler/linker/debugger toolset, or even a decent terminal and ssh to connect to a real computer. But then I don't check very often, since the lack of a physical keyboard makes those tools unusable in any case.
      • Real work gets done with a real keyboard

        Depends on the real work. If it's directly computer-related, then sure. On the other hand, a lot of real work gets done by people interacting with things in the real world and using the computer mainly to access relevant information. This kind of use can be easier on something like a tablet than on a real computer. For example, consider a doctor wanting to check a patient's medical history, see their X-rays, and what has been prescribed to them in the past. None of this requires a keyboard, but I'd cla

  • We Already Know (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Kenshin ( 43036 ) <`ac.skrowranul' `ta' `nihsnek'> on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @10:04PM (#37125674) Homepage

    First: The iPad is generally a media consumption machine. I thought we'd already agreed on that.

    Second: You're preaching to the choir. Or is this just an article meant to reassure us about our opinion?

    • First: The iPad is generally a media consumption machine. I thought we'd already agreed on that.

      Only Apple Haters agreed on promoting that talking point.

      In reality it's quite wrong; Even ignoring the obvious creation tools such as Garage Band, a billion drawing programs and things like iMovie, there are so many word processors and note taking apps that people make heavy use of every day... when you can easily work on screen as it is, with a stylus, or with any USB or bluetooth keyboard why would the iPad n

      • by realmolo ( 574068 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @10:37PM (#37125878)

        It doesn't require less IT staff. It requires the same amount, if not more.

        The iPad doesn't exist in a vacuum. It still has to be managed, which isn't particularly simple since it's so locked down. And since basically NO custom business apps run on it, that means that most iPad users are going to be using Terminal Services (or similar) to get anything done. Unless apps are written to run on the iPad, or run via a web page. But that's unlikely in most businesses.

        So..considering all that, what's the real advantage of an iPad for business? Well, it's light and the battery lasts forever, and it's easier to carry than a laptop. That's ALL. In every other way, it's inferior.

        That's why IT departments hate it. It's basically a big iPhone, but people want to use it to replace their notebook. Ugh.

        • by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @10:50PM (#37125950)

          It still has to be managed, which isn't particularly simple since it's so locked down.

          I can tell you are in IT because only an IT person would insist locking down only counts if THEY locked it down.

          In reality the iPad is made for people who have to get by with NO IT DEPARTMENT, Which means it has to be as secure as IT would make it with no user intervention.

          Well, it's light and the battery lasts forever, and it's easier to carry than a laptop. That's ALL.

          That's All?

          That's EVERYTHING.

          But you also left out far greater degree of security than any laptop, with far more secure internal storage than most laptops.

          That's why IT departments hate it. It's basically a big iPhone, but people want to use it to replace their notebook. Ugh.

          IT: Screwing over the needs of the business since the dawn of time for sometimes marginal and often negative gain.

          When IT gains power, get ready for the company to ossify rapidly and proceed to get nothing done.

      • by rtb61 ( 674572 )

        Not only is the iPad and content machine (licence fee based) it is only a 2nd rate content machine.

        Screen real estate limits it severely as does processing power. The more screen real estate you have go to work with, the easier creativity is. Working within fifteen inches is tight, 17 is easier and guess what keeps the desktop going 24 inches and up.

        Only real fanbois think you work on spreadsheets, documents and drawings, on an iPad, compared to the ease of a full keyboard, mouse, generally 50% bigger

      • by Missing.Matter ( 1845576 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @11:32PM (#37126138)

        when you can easily work on screen as it is, with a stylus, or with any USB or bluetooth keyboard why would the iPad not be a good solution for day to day note taking?

        As a heavy Tablet PC user (you know, the tablets we had before tablets were cool) I thoroughly disagree with this, at least for an academic scenario. I take all my notes on my Latitude XT. Now THAT is a great note taking computer. Write with the stylus in one note, flip the screen around and type just as easily. It has robust and full featured note taking applications like OneNote, which is pretty much the killer app for tablets.

        I tried to use my iPad to do the same, but it's really just awful. Without an active digitizer, any stylus you buy is as accurate as writing with your thumb. So you end up writing super large, which isn't really isn't great for the intricate diagrams I like to draw. The apps are pretty anemic as well. Apps like UPAD are nice, but they don't have all the features of something like OneNote. Then there's the issue of multitasking, which is something the iPad really doesn't do even with the iOS4. I'm talking voice recording, cutting images from textbooks, pasting in notes, browsing the internet. It can do these things... but it's just way too slow compared to how I work on my tablet PC. And trying to do these things on the iPad 1 is just painfully slow and unstable sometimes.

        In all it's an okay device, but I can't use it for what I wanted to. I usually just end up reading books and browsing web pages with it. Content consumption

      • My guy used this software called Beatmaker 2 to produce midi files. Apparently, a recent upgrade made it compatible with his Roland keyboard. He says he's actually having an easier time with the iPad than the PC, as the iPad has no latency problem and he's always had latency with Reason on the PC. That, and the iPad doesn't have a failing AMD graphics driver that's been plaguing him lately.
      • In reality it's quite wrong; Even ignoring the obvious creation tools such as Garage Band, a billion drawing programs and things like iMovie, there are so many word processors and note taking apps that people make heavy use of every day... when you can easily work on screen as it is, with a stylus, or with any USB or bluetooth keyboard why would the iPad not be a good solution for day to day note taking?

        Speaking as an iPad owner and a content creator I really cannot say I agree. While true I have seen people create drawings and do some writing with iPads, I've yet to run across anybody who has really elevated that to a level of productivity.

        I am happy with my iPad, it's useful to me (i.e. I'm more productive with it at work), but it is primarily a content consumption device.

    • by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

      Hey, it isn't easy to make "media" on an iPad!

      There are a lot of other useful things that can be done other than writing a blog nobody reads.

  • by Nutria ( 679911 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @10:07PM (#37125700)

    (No, I didn't RTFA.)

    Being a "mainframe guy", I can't help but laugh at how PCs were brought in to break the IT stranglehold, and now after uncountabillions have been spent on virus protection and remediation (with companies still not blocking most web sites), the pendulum is now swinging back in the direction of centralized control.

    • by c0lo ( 1497653 )

      (No, I didn't RTFA.)

      Being a "mainframe guy", I can't help but laugh at how PCs were brought in to break the IT stranglehold, and now after uncountabillions have been spent on virus protection and remediation (with companies still not blocking most web sites), the pendulum is now swinging back in the direction of centralized control.

      I can't help but smile at how the iPads (or any mobile devices offered on "a data plan" by telecoms) are considered as "not locked down"; also smile in the anticipation of the moment in which the only choice will be "there is a cloud supported App for that". (what is the WebOS for? why wouldn't the corporations attempt to feed you strictly via a controlled channel?).

    • (No, I didn't RTFA.)

      with companies still not blocking most web sites

      Umm. Right. Do you know why most companies don't block most websites? It's because: a) it's a form of centralized control and stifles employee creativity, research and, as the article states it, employee innovation; b) IT people don't know what websites need to be blocked vs those that don't. If you block every website and have a whitelist then the IT people are deciding what the employees doing unrelated need to research and look at. I don't think the IT people have any idea what the employees using their

      • by Nutria ( 679911 )

        don't block most websites? It's because: a) it's a form of centralized control and stifles employee creativity, research and, as the article states it, employee innovation

        What innovation is there in watching /Desperate Housewives/ at abc.go.com, playing flash games at one of the jillion on-line game sites out there or catching up on baseball scores at espn.go.com?

      • by Archangel Michael ( 180766 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @11:09PM (#37126036) Journal

        I don't think the IT people have any idea what the employees using their network have to do in their day-to-day work

        You're not hanging around the same kind of IT people I do then. Most of the IT people I know, have to know at least something about the job someone is doing, in order to recommend, support, show and otherwise train people how IT can enhance their job performance and productivity with technology. We may not be intimate with the details of their job, but we know way more about what they do, than they know about we do.

        What we IT people do is pure magic* to these people. They have NO clue what it takes to keep 4500 computers, across 19 sites, running everyday with a staff of only 11. All they know is that it has something to do with boxes sitting under desks and flashing lights in a rack.

        *Any sufficient level of technology is indistinguishable from magic. We type magical incantations into computers, and the ghosts in the machine obey us. Magic.

        • by dave562 ( 969951 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @11:50PM (#37126210) Journal

          Most of the IT people I know, have to know at least something about the job someone is doing, in order to recommend, support, show and otherwise train people how IT can enhance their job performance and productivity with technology. We may not be intimate with the details of their job, but we know way more about what they do, than they know about we do.

          Beyond the good points you have already made, IT knows how the entire organization works. We work with everyone in the organization, from the C level executives down to the personal assistants and everyone in between. We know what systems people use and we know why people use those systems. When people need new functionality, we understand the business needs that drive the requirements. In most organizations, the head of IT is probably one of the most clued in people in the organization by the simple virtue of needing to be in order to do their job. (Jokes about IT being the last to know aside)

  • by Locutus ( 9039 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @10:17PM (#37125748)
    and come on, why was it that businesses _had_ to lock down Windows PCs in the first place? Hint, it had to do with reliability and a frail OS. And don't even get me started on how new employees were "trained" to use the computer. If you only knew how the people I've heard called guru's learned to use a spreadsheet or other app you'd ask 'and why were they called guru's?'.

    Sounds like someone likes his PC just a little too much and doesn't want to get left behind or have to learn a new trick.

    LoB
  • by multimediavt ( 965608 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @10:25PM (#37125792)

    [...] end-users can't install software they might find helpful in their day-to-day work or might increase efficiency in their departments.

    I, personally, don't know a single IT professional that would not allow someone to install a piece of software like that. It would have to be vetted first, of course, but that would mostly be to ensure it gets installed properly and doesn't expose any backdoors. The problem is that most end-users want to install games or silly system doodads that will compromise a machine, bog it down or otherwise be inappropriate for the work place.

    I do take issue with the capability argument. Sure, the current generation of tablets (I am gonna lump Androids and others in with the iPad as the hardware is almost all the same) aren't as capable as a modern, mature desktop or laptop platform. But, the rate at which these devices are evolving is significant, and I do see a very near future where a tablet is to a laptop what a laptop was to a desktop as far as a step in capability goes. I may dare say the laptop days may be numbered. It might take 10 years, but it might happen. Depends on what hardware advances come to market between then and now.

    • It's a matter of input devices. A keyboard probably averages triple the input speed of a touchscreen for most users, and you can't very well do anything with finger that requires nearly pixel precision, so a whole lot of image editing is right now. Sure, you can add a mouse and keyboard as peripherals to a tablet, but at that point are you really seeing us move to tablets or just to laptops with detachable input devices?

      The only way I can see tablets closer to the current format taking over for anybody
  • PC have bigger screens and multi screen

    Now try to take a work flow that is good on a big / more then 1 screen and try to take it to the ipad.

  • Pc's have better multi tasking then Ipad.

    Like for 1 thing BEING ABLE HAVE MORE THEN 1 APP on screen at the same Time.

  • by Joe_Dragon ( 2206452 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @10:36PM (#37125870)

    the Ipad does not have Ethernet and PC have bigger HDD's as well.

    and in some places Wifi does not work that well or is a security issue. 3g is high cost and slow speed at times.

    Also for big work loads with big files you want to do work locally or have a good fast link to the sever.

    For laptop uses having a big HDD makes it easy to keep big files with out having to be tied to the cloud over the world of WIFI on the go / 3g / 4g data cards with cost at $50+ for 5GB + $10 per GB after that.

    • Way to miss the point of an iPad or a tablet. It isn't a laptop and more about form factor and portability. A person writing a thesis or crunching numbers is not going to use an iPad. It's meant for content consumption more than creation. To use a car analogy, that's like complaining a SMART car can't haul 500kg worth of lumber around or seat 8 people.
  • ... and several other vendors deliver desktops and apps to end-user devices remotely and increasingly efficiently. TFA is on the wrong side of history - IT will own and control the apps "locked down" and delivered remotely, device-independently. Administration of the endpoint device is a nightmare, and through VDI and app delivery endpoint management is becoming nearly irrelevant as these technologies improve. In fact, the end point becomes irrelevant - the always-on, use anywhere application service is

  • It will include IE so the CIOs can work with their intranet activeX sites and can be locked down by I.T. It will fill the disadvantages of the IPAD.

    I have a feeling it will take a large hit out of the IPAD market and hard Android. It wont kill it but it will make it very popular for business executives

  • If by innovation, you mean playing Angry Birds, then I'm with you.

    Where I come from, innovation means coming up with something new. Which, by definition, means that there isn't something available at the App Store to do what you want.

    When I can install gcc (or Eclipse) on an iPad and build a native custom app to do exactly what I need, call me.

    • by mini me ( 132455 )

      I've used Textastic to do some development on the iPad, sending the source up to a server for compilation. I wouldn't want to use it as a daily machine, but given the constraints (working while travelling in a car), I actually found the iPad to be more comfortable than my laptop in this case. Development on the iPad certainly isn't out of the question.

      I know that's not exactly what you want, but assuming you are a developer in the eyes of Apple, there is technically nothing stopping you from installing gcc

  • This is weak. (Score:2, Interesting)

    by seifried ( 12921 )

    First, it's a sunk cost.

    Just because you've dumped money into it doesn't mean you should continue. Bad money after good and all that.

    Second, it's more capable.

    Define capable. Can it run more programs, and is generally better for content creation type activities as opposed to simply consuming (reading email, reading web pages, etc.), well sort of. On the other hand my iPad is so small and light, has instant on, has WiFi and 3G connectivity and the battery life is such that it lives in my bag and I just pull it out to use it quickly more than I ever did when

  • by Whuffo ( 1043790 ) on Wednesday August 17, 2011 @11:15PM (#37126066) Homepage Journal

    Once again the "apples and oranges" comparison of PCs and Ipads rears it's head. True wisdom comes from understanding that they're tools that serve different needs; any comparison of a tablet (of any stripe) to a PC (of any kind) is nothing more than some idiot making noises to drive up clicks to the website.

    I own one of each - and a laptop, too. Which one am I using right now? You can't tell. For short posts to a website or making notes, any one of them will serve the need. Each offers advantages and drawbacks and it's always best to choose what works for you and your tasks, not what some random commenter on this site insists is the "one true way.

    Would I try to write Klines of code on the Ipad? No. Can I go mobile with the PC? No. Am I going to be away for a whole day with no chance to recharge? Notebook won't do, but an Ipad would.

    What's right for you might not be right for someone else; no matter what PC you're talking about or what tablet you're talking about - they're not intended for or capable of the same tasks.

  • Stop allowing Apple to cloud up the argument by making you think that the form factor and interface is bound by definition to the UI design and feature list of the OS it runs.

    Argument 1: What if the iPad could run, say, Win7 or Linux or some other OS? It adds wide-open capability, and gives way to content creation. But the form factor and UI frustrate.
    Argument 2: What if there were a PC out there with a huge 32" touchscreen display and gesture UI, and it ran iOS. Could a stockbroker be happy with it?
    Argu

    • by dave562 ( 969951 )

      Argument 4: What would be gained by mouse-enabling an iPad? Who uses an iPad with mouse to access a PC via Remote Desktop? How is that working out for you?

      I know people who do and it works just fine. Linux admins get SSH. Windows admins get RDP or Powershell. RDP works fine on an iPad / iPhone. Obviously it is not a full blown interface but for quick tasks where you don't want to fire up a full blown VPN connection on a laptop / netbook, it works fine.

  • Bob Lewis has obviously not heard of Citrix, or if he has he conveniently ignores it. I am by no means an Apple fanboy and I do not own an iPad, but a few people in my organization do. I can present all of their apps to them via Citrix, from RDP to our Line of Business applications. Now obviously anything that is input intensive would be better done with a keyboard. Having said that, a Citrix session is just a Terminal Services session so for all intents and purposes, their applications is running on Wi

  • by thatskinnyguy ( 1129515 ) on Thursday August 18, 2011 @12:33AM (#37126410)
    How is it a sunk cost when they are considering $600 per unit investment in changing the way they do business that could cost considerably more? Please.
  • by exomondo ( 1725132 ) on Thursday August 18, 2011 @12:47AM (#37126460)
    How is an ipad actually better for general business tasks? I'd say it's quite the opposite. I much prefer a macbook air to an ipad, i can't think of a way the ipad is better, it's only slightly more portable.
    Being able to draw on an ipad is pretty sucky compared to a pen and paper or a whiteboard and in either of those cases if it's worth keeping i'll just take a photo on my phone and i can email it.
  • by Flipao ( 903929 ) on Thursday August 18, 2011 @01:27AM (#37126606)
    If an user just needs to read e-mail, do some word processing, set up the odd slide and browse the web they're a far better choice than a PC in that they require less effort to maintain, have better battery life and a tighter UI.

    If you need to do heavy duty or highly specialised stuff then a PC would make more sense. I think having alternatives is better for innovation than mindlessly sticking with the one choice you're given, look at Windows 8 and Windows Phone 7, that's a direct reaction to the emergence of iOS.
  • by cbope ( 130292 ) on Thursday August 18, 2011 @02:18AM (#37126806)

    I didn't read TFA, that would be blasphemy, but as a long-time PC advocate and a more recent iPad user, I do agree with a lot of the comments here. The iPad is a relatively good tool for consumption and as an organizing aid. It's great to take to meetings and have access to my calendar and contacts and it's reasonably ok to take notes on. For light email use it's ok, but the mail client is missing a LOT of features compared to a full-featured mail client like Outlook, Thunderbird or Evolution.

    For any real creation work it becomes tedious very quickly. Also, if text entry requires anything more than the normal A-Z, it is EXTREMELY tedious, especially if you need to enter special characters. Just entering the paragraph end tag requires an ungodly number of taps and finger dancing (it's 10, I just checked). The available special characters are also quite limited, for example there is no degree symbol.

    Given a choice between a normal laptop and the iPad, if I was forced to take one over the other, it would be a laptop. But used in combination with a laptop the iPad is a useful tool for some tasks.

  • by FudRucker ( 866063 ) on Thursday August 18, 2011 @06:09AM (#37127716)
    you cant install any hardware, no DVD burners, no TV Tuner card, no extra harddrive (no raid) nothing, the best you can do to an ipad or any other brand of tablet thingy is write a little software for it, and with Apple's iron fist grip on distribution of software for their products even writing software for it will be limited in authorship, type and distribution

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