# Apple's iPad in all its glory- Would you buy one? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 21, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679 "2010-01-21T18:38:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/221 "2010-01-30T20:14:25Z")
> [@Sapo](#): > > What’s missing from this is a dock where you can set it and it automatically shows a slideshow of your photos to work as a portrait frame while it charges. What you describe is exactly what Jobs said when he introduced the standard dock. There is a button on the home screen that starts a slideshow. Regarding multitasking (without getting into Computer Science too far), there are two kinds. The first is when something needs to keep going while you do something else. In that case, the ‘system decides’ how to parcel out time from the processor. The iPad is (currently) very stingy about that to conserve battery charge. I expect a very clever way of dealing with this in the near future. The second, and often more important, is the ‘user decides’ to do something else and come back - like switching to a different browser tab. This is supported by the iPhone/iPod/iPad browser, but not with tabs, with ‘pages’. A variant on this is to switch to a different ‘app’, which as noted can be done by preserving state and switching. IIRC, this switching technique was common 20 years ago before true multitasking OSes appeared for PCs. It was clunky because of slow memory access, but that no longer applies. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/222 "2010-01-30T22:02:01Z")
> [@nudgenudge](#): > > Thanks for answerng a question I was about to ask. Not being too familiar with iPhones et al, I was concerned that “no mutitasking” might mean that you literally had to somehow shut down apps before launching another one. If it just means that you can switch between loaded apps, but they are suspended while not in the foreground, then I’m not too bothered. Actually, it will only run one app, ever. If you want to run a second app, you’ve got to buy a new iPad. They’re going to make millions on these things! ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/223 "2010-01-30T22:44:13Z")
For those worried about tabbed browsing, there are several browsers available that support tabs, the one I use is called Mercury. Wish Firefox or Opera was available though. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/224 "2010-01-30T23:01:16Z")
Its an ipod touch for older people, it runs the same apps that both the touch and phone do and can add value to some of the current generation apps. This thing pretty much represents those posts on the dope and elseware that bemoan the lack of simple cellphones that dont do anything fancy. Id say go into an apple store if one is near you and simply play with the device, if it appeals to you , then you will find enough justification to buy one or have someone buy one for you. Declan ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/225 "2010-01-30T23:20:38Z")
> [@nudgenudge](#): > > Thanks for answerng a question I was about to ask. Not being too familiar with iPhones et al, I was concerned that “no mutitasking” might mean that you literally had to somehow shut down apps before launching another one. If it just means that you can switch between loaded apps, but they are suspended while not in the foreground, then I’m not too bothered. On the iPhone, you do indeed have to shut one down in order to launch another. A few of the preinstalled apps can run simultaneously (to my knowledge this only covers Mail, Clock and iPod, plus system stuff like wireless network and bluetooth) but for everything else, you have to kill an app completely in order to run another one. I’m getting the impression that this is the case for the iTampon too. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/226 "2010-01-30T23:45:13Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > Its an ipod touch for older people, it runs the same apps that both the touch and phone do and can add value to some of the current generation apps. This thing pretty much represents those posts on the dope and elseware that bemoan the lack of simple cellphones that dont do anything fancy. > > Id say go into an apple store if one is near you and simply play with the device, if it appeals to you , then you will find enough justification to buy one or have someone buy one for you. > > Declan Exactly! It’s like one of those novelty giant TV remotes for old people. It all makes sense now. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/227 "2010-01-30T23:59:02Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > On the iPhone, you do indeed have to shut one down in order to launch another. > > A few of the preinstalled apps can run simultaneously (to my knowledge this only covers Mail, Clock and iPod, plus system stuff like wireless network and bluetooth) but for everything else, you have to kill an app completely in order to run another one. > > I’m getting the impression that this is the case for the iTampon too. I think that a properly programed App will return to the state you left it when you closed it. That’s one of the advantages of flash memory. There is simply no reason not to program this way. You should lose very little time reopening an App, and having whatever you were working on when you quit it. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/228 "2010-01-31T00:13:44Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > I think that a properly programed App will return to the state you left it when you closed it. That’s one of the advantages of flash memory. There is simply no reason not to program this way. You should lose very little time reopening an App, and having whatever you were working on when you quit it. Totally agree. What I was disputing, however, was not ‘return to previous state’, but the notion that apps on the iPhone (and presumably iPad) “are suspended while not in the foreground”. They’re not: they’re shut down. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/229 "2010-01-31T00:18:58Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Are you joking? The word “Apple” is so common that I feel embarassed for the Beatles whenever they get in a tiff with Apple over the use of the name. Especially since Apple Corps was effectively shut down in 1975 and Apple Computer has only grown since then. So now that Apple Computer is just Apple, it makes a lot more sense than to say they stole another company’s name that hasn’t existed in almost 35 years. The original agreement between Apple records owners and Macintosh was that Mac could use the name IF they stayed out of the music business, Itunes is a CLEAR violation of this condition. Theft is theft whether you use a Gun or a Lawyer! Unclviny ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/230 "2010-01-31T00:42:17Z")
> [@unclviny](#): > > The original agreement between Apple records owners and Macintosh was that Mac could use the name IF they stayed out of the music business, Itunes is a CLEAR violation of this condition. Theft is theft whether you use a Gun or a Lawyer! Which would hold more water if Apple Records hadn’t been shut down for 30 years when Apple started iTunes. As it is, it’s a moot point as Apple now owns all rights to the Apple name and has graciously allowed Apple Records to continue using it (for a fee of course). So “theft” isn’t the right word anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/231 "2010-01-31T01:06:17Z")
I’m sure my opinions will be dismissed as an apologetic fanboi, but using an iPhone over the last 3 years, I haven’t really missed background tasks, nor have I missed flash. The detractors are going on (and on, and on) about things that can be changed, or are largely unimportant. (yeah, I know, multitasking is huge, whatever) 10 hours of battery life doesn’t come out of nowhere. The iPhone OS listens to all tasks and kills the ones that don’t respond in 5 seconds or less. (most of the time) And with specific exceptions, you can’t really tell if a properly written app is closed or not. And if a poorly written app isn’t _running_, it can’t tank your battery life. Is it lame I can’t run Pandora in the background? Frankly, yeah. But on an annoyance scale from 1 to 10, it’s a 2. The biggest number of bitches are _software_. If there’s one thing unique about Apple, it’s that they continue to make BIG functionality changes to their hardware, after the sale. Android does it now…Apple’s ALWAYS done it. My first gen iPhone does a heck of a lot more now than it did new. The iPad will be the same. And in these forums, people can bitch all they want, but numbers speak louder than words, and [Apple’s](http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/10/19/apple-earnings-buck-recession-trends-46-percent-rise/) [speak](http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/01/25results.html) [loudly](http://www.theiphoneblog.com/2010/01/27/apple-1-mobile-devices-company-world-bigger-sony-samsung-nokia/) Name anyone else that’s sold 250,000,000 of _anything_. (Yeah, burgers, whatever.) The point is: We can wheedle and whine that it won’t do something _at launch_ and miss what it DOES do now, and what it will do eventually. And we can Wheedle and whine about how stupid ‘X’ is, but it won’t stop them from selling a metric buttload of 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/232 "2010-01-31T01:11:55Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > Name anyone else that’s sold 250,000,000 of _anything_. (Yeah, burgers, whatever.) James Cameron, George Lucas, JK Rowling, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Ford, The Beatles, The Simpsons, McDonalds, Tim Horton’s… I can go on. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/233 "2010-01-31T01:14:48Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > James Cameron, George Lucas, JK Rowling, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Ford, The Beatles, The Simpsons, McDonalds, Tim Horton’s… I can go on. Yup and all their stuff sucks, right? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/234 "2010-01-31T01:20:05Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > Yup and all their stuff sucks, right? 😉 Actually, my point was that all of those companies/individuals are hugely successful, but they all have laid multiple eggs in their pasts. Just like Apple has done before and Apple will do again. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/235 "2010-01-31T01:20:06Z")
No. Too little ROI. It has many limitations for the cost. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/236 "2010-01-31T01:35:03Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > I’m sure my opinions will be dismissed as an apologetic fanboi. Maybe. It probably doesn’t help that you used emotive terms ‘bitch’, ‘wheedle’, ‘whine’ to discuss the views of those you disagree with. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/237 "2010-01-31T01:52:56Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Maybe. It probably doesn’t help that you used emotive terms ‘bitch’, ‘wheedle’, ‘whine’ to discuss the views of those you disagree with. I don’t disagree with them. I believe _they’re less important_ than you’d think. Lets enumerate the issues: [ul] [li]no multitasking[/li][li]no camera[/li][li]no flash[/li][li]funny name[/li][/ul] I may be missing one or two…but that’s the lion’s share. The problem with these debates is that it doesn’t change anything. If it _had_ flash…well then, it still wouldn’t do the other things, and therefore it suxx0rs. These statements frequently come from folks that _wouldn’t buy one anyway_. By way of example: I attended the forming of a union. One of the most heated topics was the cost. At every chance that someone had the floor, it was debated. Over three days, and at five separate times, the full open debate floor was consumed by the topic. At the last moment, when it could be debated no more, a vote was held. Prior to the vote, I would have pegged the topic at 50% for and 50% against. The vote, on the other hand, showed that 98% of the population was okay with the cost. It’s the same here. There’s a TON of vociferous debate, as there has been in the past. But after that, the vast majority seems to vote positively with it’s wallet. There is currently no place in my life for one, but it’s because I have plenty of other computational devices, it wouldn’t fill a need for me. But golly listening to the same four bulletpoints. over and over. I am merely stating that they’re not the unassailable missing features that some think. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/238 "2010-01-31T02:13:24Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > I am merely stating that they’re not the unassailable missing features that some think. I don’t disagree with any of your points about the device, but my point (and it’s not a very important one) is that you were not _merely stating_ anything, because of the tone in which you dress the statements. That’s the thing most likely to make you seem like a fanboy - not the facts - the presentation. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/239 "2010-01-31T02:16:00Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Which would hold more water if Apple Records hadn’t been shut down for 30 years when Apple started iTunes. As it is, it’s a moot point as Apple now owns all rights to the Apple name and has graciously allowed Apple Records to continue using it (for a fee of course). So “theft” isn’t the right word anyway. If Apple records “hadn’t been shut down for 30 years when Apple started iTunes.” Then WHY has Macintosh “graciously allowed Apple Records to continue using it (for a fee of course).” I thought Apple records was out of business (I heard that somewhere). And renting something to the folks you STOLE IT FROM is an oddly brilliant business model. You obviously will defend Macintosh no matter the ACTUAL facts and this is one of the truly aggravating things about “Macintosh fanboys”, when Windows does something it’s because Bill Gates is the Devil but when Macintosh does the same thing it’s because Steve Jobs is a wise business-man. I wish you good luck with your: Itampon, Ichair, Iwater, Isimple lever and anything else that Macintosh “invents”. Unclviny ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679/240 "2010-01-31T02:17:37Z")
Sorry, read it as exasperation at not hearing anything new since it was announced. it’s also frustration because I know how these ‘debates’ go. Pile on and say something sucks and the world says it sucks with you. State you don’t think that’s necessarily the case (doubly so with Apple or Video Game Consoles) and you’re obviously an apologist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-ipad-in-all-its-glory-would-you-buy-one/526679.md?page=13)