# So what's your verdict on the iPad? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2010, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394 "2010-05-05T09:21:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/81 "2010-05-08T18:44:15Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I still don’t get why you guys are talking like it’s a good thing that you were undecided before you saw the stupid, and when you used in person, you “had to have it.” The second you feel a compulsion beyond logic to buy something, you’ve been manipulated into getting that something. Gee, maybe I’m dumb, but I don’t get how using a device in person, enjoying the experience, and deciding that one’s life would be more productive, more fun and more exciting if one owned said product is “beyond logic.” Could you explain that to me? > [@](#): > > Add to the fact that, before you heard about the iPad, did you envision a similar device? If not, that means it’s a manufactured need. And, thus, it is entirely marketing. The fact that you guys don’t get this is again infuriating. I’m not in the least bit threatened by the notion that other people exist in the world who are more prescient and more imaginative than I am. I’m so sorry you have to labor under this heavy load. > [@](#): > > Ultimately, the anger comes from the fact that you are promoting companies to create inferior products, so that those of us who were into this before the iPad existed now have to get a less popular product to get everything we want, and thus likely have to deal with software developers not designing stuff for us. In other words, there is a whole raft of “superior products” out there that can do what the iPad aspires to do much better – they just haven’t been “marketed” properly? Then shame on their manufacturers for dropping the ball by hiding their much brighter lights under a bushel. I have zero sympathy for a company that develops a great product and then lacks the stuff to market it properly. If they don’t grasp that marketing is an essential part of the overall process, then they don’t deserve to succeed. Would you do us the favor of naming said products? And once you have, perhaps you would be willing to take on the same challenge that Knorf so far has resolutely ignored: > [@Knorf](#): > > Any “innovation” created by Apple for this silly product is entirely in marketing design, and not in technology. Apple is the reigning champ for creating shiny little devices (which do nothing more and sometimes a lot less than devices which have been on the market for years) that people think they’ve gotta have. > [@DChord568](#): > > Time to put up or shut up…would you be willing to put one or more of your favored “devices which have been on the market for years” in the hands of some iPad owners for a test drive, and then let them declare which one they like better? > > Which devices would you nominate for this challenge? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/82 "2010-05-08T18:51:11Z")
If I wanted a computer with me all the time a tablet type system would be good. The downside is I can’t put it in my pocket. My phone does fit in my pocket and it gives me email , apps and full web so that’s all I need for a fully portable system. If I need more than that I can use a laptop which is a full PC (and also does not fit in my pocket. ) ---
**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:** [May 8, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/83 "2010-05-08T18:59:26Z")
> [@DChord568](#): > > In other words, there is a whole raft of “superior products” out there that can do what the iPad aspires to do much better – they just haven’t been “marketed” properly? Then shame on their manufacturers for dropping the ball by hiding their much brighter lights under a bushel. I have zero sympathy for a company that develops a great product and then lacks the stuff to market it properly. If they don’t grasp that marketing is an essential part of the overall process, then they don’t deserve to succeed. Funny thing is, computer history is _riddled_ in folks succeeding not because they’re better, but because their competition was amazingly inept. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve looked at a device and wondered if they every actually had someone USE it before it was produced, marketed, and thrown on a shelf. I’ve often described OS X as ‘Linux with QA’. It’s not that Linux is _worse_, it’s that OS X has _polish_. The iPhone was the same way. It was missing several ‘major’ features, but what it did it did SO much better than anyone else. I’ve lost count of the \ killers that were going to unseat #1…touted loudly that they’d be so…upon launch, however, they never seem to stack up. The one competitor of note, Android, will do spectacularly well. I’m sure of it. But that success will be split up across a hundred companies, and it won’t make Apple irrelevant. If they, somehow, became #2…then it’ll be one company selling 40 million units vs 100 companies selling 42 million units. Competition is good for the consumer, bitching that one is uber leet while the other is for sheeple is kinda dumb. Course, I never understood professional sports, either. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/84 "2010-05-08T19:03:45Z")
Since iPhone was the first big seller among consumer smartphones everything is now compared to it. Every new Android phone is automatically compared to the iPhone. It’s sort of like in boxing where to beat the champ you have to really beat him up. If it’s close the judges stick with the champ. The same exact thing will happen with iPad type PCs from other makers - they will be compared to the iPad. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/85 "2010-05-08T20:52:20Z")
Bzzt, wrong. Research Palm, Nokia, RIM, and a host of others. Smartphones were WELL entrenched before iPhone came along. In fact, Apple was slammed for even THINKING they could break into such a well established market. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/86 "2010-05-08T20:54:51Z")
The iPhone was the first big hit with consumers, not with businesses. Blackberries for the most part are not consumer devices, they are for business. The iPhone blew Palm out of the water. I don’t really count the old Palms as smart phones but I guess that’s a matter of opinion. They were so far below an iPhone or Android phone. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/87 "2010-05-08T22:23:32Z")
Waffle all you like, and read up on the term ‘smartphone’, it’s an artificial designation for ‘thing that does more than take calls’, by some definitions, the iPhone ISN’T a smartphone as it was a designation for Windows Mobile: [Smartphone - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone) The point is this: They’ve been stupendously successful. There’s every indication they will continue to be stupendously successful. There are some people that feel the need to ‘slam the other team’. Professional sports are kinda funny. There’s a LOT of emotion tied up into what is nothing more than a HUGE entertainment industry predicated on establishing that ‘my’ team is better than ‘your’ team. The healthiest perspective is to keep in mind that, as far as computers and computing is concerned, they’re all tools, they’re all stupidly cheap when compared to historical pricing, and they’ve got a vested interest in keeping you buying the next new hotness. What ever tablet you buy, it will most likely NOT be the LAST tablet you buy. And the replacement will blow it out of the water. So what’s the problem? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/88 "2010-05-08T22:57:12Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > But that success will be split up across a hundred companies, and it won’t make Apple irrelevant. If they, somehow, became #2…then it’ll be one company selling 40 million units vs 100 companies selling 42 million units. Until either those 100 companies start eating each other (Mergers and Acquisition) and/or are eaten by other companies (Google, HP, Smith & Wesson 😉 , etc) ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/89 "2010-05-09T01:13:21Z")
> [@kbear](#): > > wow. That’s a blast from the past! > > I’m also interested in everyone’s experience…I’m trying to decide whether to go for a Kindle or an iPad. I’m leaning towards the iPad but hesitate to be an early adopter. I was considering the kindle, when I bought the iPad. I decided to get the iPad because it’s a multifunction device instead of single function. > [@Superhal](#): > > I didn’t get one, but I think apple is going in the wrong direction. It’s all about size, smaller the better. > > They would be far better off adding a full size keyboard and screen to the iTouch/Phone. Yeah. They definitely wouldn’t. The screen size is great, size reeky does matter. > [@minor7flat5](#): > > With an external keyboard, it is really cool. I already have the Apple BT keyboard and it was easy to pair that with the iPad. The only challenge then is to figure out how to prop up the iPad while you type. And no, it doesn’t feel like reinventing the [del]wheel[/del] laptop; it really seems like a useful setup because the iPad is an instant-on computing appliance. I was thinking about getting ab Apple bluetooth keyboard for my iPad, seems like it’d be handy. I can. Use any bluetooth keyboard, is there a reason I should go for apple, or is it worth any investment at all? Also, most iPad cases come with some kind of mount, i have the encase, and really like it. It makes it a bit bulkier, but it also makes it look “professional,” so I can carry it into meetings and whatnot without appearing like a child (which is helpful, because Im young anyway). > [@Polerius](#): > > I have one, and the most surprising thing is that it’s not that clear what the best way to hold it is. It’s surprisingly heavy to simply hold it like a book with one hand. > > I use it mainly on the couch for web browsing and checking email. > > If any of you have found a good/comfortable way to hold it, let me know. Maybe I have freakishly strong forearms, but I usually hold it like a book, or I sit with my right leg up, and the iPad pinned between my left hand and the inside of my right leg. It’s weird and strangely comfortable (I’m using it like that right now). > [@Kinthalis](#): > > I ordered myself one now as well. > > About the only thing I hate about it is the app store and the closed nature of the system. If this thing run an open OS like windows or droid it would be awesome. Windows does not work well on tablets. I have experience. > [@Munch](#): > > I have to yet to hear anyone - ANYONE - claim it’s indispensable. Not Apple, not iPad owners - no one. I’ve heard claims that people love it, that it’s a magical little device, that it does things easier than they’d imagined, that it’s a fantastic casual device. But no one has ever claimed that it’s indispensable. Its not indespensible, but it’s become as important as any other device I use. > [@Mosier](#): > > Knorf, if you can point out which tablet PC is worthy of competing with the ipad, I’d love to take a look. I’m not snarking here, I just want to see what the competition is, and I’m pretty ignorant about it. I can’t find anything in the tablet-PC market within twice the cost of the ipad. Its considerably more expensive, and bulkier, and has more features, but I also own an HP Touchsmart laptop. The iPad is considerably better, as a tablet, thathe touch smart. And not just because the touch smart has a leaf blower in it, but the screen itself and the interface is MUCH more fluid on the iPad. Even the touch smarts “tablet” program is way less user friendly than the poorest designed iPad app. > [@scr4](#): > > It’s not a very meaningful comparison. The iPad is not a tablet computer; it’s more of a MID (mobile internet device). It should really be compared to MIDs like the Archos-5, Nokia N810, and all the Android tablets coming out soon (such as the [Dell Streak series](http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/16/dells-7-inch-and-10-inch-streak-tablets-leaked/)). > > If you want a true tablet PC (i.e. a tablet form factor device that runs Windows), I think the [viliv X70](http://www.dynamism.com/notebooks/viliv-x70.shtml) and [S10 Blade](http://www.dynamism.com/notebooks/viliv-s10-blade.shtml) are pretty decent, and not much more expensive than the iPad. Windows doesn’t really work well as a tablet. It’s a point-and-click interface, not a touch. > [@Knorf](#): > > Do a search for netbooks or tablet pcs, there are tons out there. Many are in the price range of the iPad or less; some are more, sometimes a lot more, but typically for devices that are larger and in any case have far more functionality than the embarrassingly limited iPad. > > One example: the [Asus Eee PC T91](http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/asus-eee-pc-t91/4505-3121_7-33721154.html?tag=txt;page) is about the same cost as an the leading device from Apple with considerably more functionality. > > Any “innovation” created by Apple for this silly product is entirely in marketing design, and not in technology. Apple is the reigning champ for creating shiny little devices (which do nothing more and sometimes a lot less than devices which have been on the market for years) that people think they’ve gotta have. I bought my dad a net book. This (iPad) and net books are not the same. They do not fulfill the same niche. > [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I really wonder how many people who buy iPhones even bother to see what other phones are out there now. My opinion is that many don’t even bother to look around, they just want to hop on the bandwagon. > > My guess is the same will be true when other pad devices hit the market - people will just want to “keep up with the Jones” and not bother to shop around. I checked around quite a bit before I bought the iPhone. No other devices did the same set of functions. A big factor was touch screen, I dont need a keyboard, and it’s one more thing to get gunk in it, and my fingers always manage to hit multiple keys at once. > [@BigT](#): > > I still don’t get why you guys are talking like it’s a good thing that you were undecided before you saw the stupid, and when you used in person, you “had to have it.” The second you feel a compulsion beyond logic to buy something, you’ve been manipulated into getting that something. I had decided I didn’t want to adopt the first gen, but after using it I realized that it’s really not a first gen product. They’ve capitalized on their experience with the iPhone and iTouch to polish it. After using it, I gave strong consideration to it, and bought it the next day (a week after it came out). > [@BigT](#): > > Add to the fact that, before you heard about the iPad, did you envision a similar device? If not, that means it’s a manufactured need. And, thus, it is entirely marketing. The fact that you guys don’t get this is again infuriating. Yeah, actually, I did. Most of my friends did. We’ve wanted something like this for years. I bought an HP Touchsmart hoping it would fulfill this role… It didn’t. > [@BigT](#): > > Ultimately, the anger comes from the fact that you are promoting companies to create inferior products, so that those of us who were into this before the iPad existed now have to get a less popular product to get everything we want, and thus likely have to deal with software developers not designing stuff for us. > > I wouldn’t give a shit if it didn’t affect me. But it does. Except you have yet to show one way that the product is inferior. And don’t worry, you won’t have to worry about software designers not designing stuff for you – they weren’t designing stuff for you before anyway. The iPad is going to bring more popularity to tablets in general, the same way the ipod brought more popularity to mp3 players. > [@Magiver](#): > > I expect it to be a huge hit with pilots. It can display charts, approach plates, and download weather. It would make a wonderful emergency backup for the instrument stack even if it’s not certified. No 3G in the air, remember? 😉 > [@GuanoLad](#): > > Hello. I am the OP. Here is why I posted this thread. > > I can see why the iPhone is popular, as it took what was out there already, and improved it beyond measure into something practical and feature-rich. If I could afford to, and if I had any interest in having a mobile phone at all (I don’t currently have any brand of cellphone) I would get an iPhone. > > The iPad, on the other hand, seems to me to have filled a niche nobody knew was even missing. The early adopters appeared to fall for its shiny interface and applications rather than see any usefulness as a tool. > > Apparently this is because it’s not a tool, it’s something new and hard to define. Okay. Not much help clarifying things, but whatever. > > I wanted to know if I was missing something fundamental, and there truly is a practical use for them that other current tech does not provide, that sometime in my future I may see the need for. > > So far it seems like that, though nobody’s gotten bored with it or regretted its purchase, it’s not really aimed at me; There’s a subsection of computer users that it suits really well, I don’t fit into that group, so some development time has to pass, and new apps to emerge, before it will be suitable for the way I generally use computers. > > As an example of my usage, I do not have a laptop, a mobile phone, or any other portable computing device. I therefore don’t use WiFi, or do anything computery away from my desktop. I am willing to change that practice, but haven’t been compelled into doing so by any impetus that’s passed my way thus far. > > I’m not going to dismiss the iPad out of hand, just because it’s Apple with their increasingly frightening control and expansion. Though I hesitate, I am willing to have my doubts dispelled. > > I’ve just read that the iPad will be available for sale here in Australia in late May, so soon after that I will probably get a chance to play. If you start wanting to browse SDMB from your couch, or play games on your subway ride, that’s when you’ll want something like this. > [@Knorf](#): > > You’re wrong. I stand by my statement. Apple’s innovation is not primarily in technology development these days (maybe I’m naive in thinking it ever was); it’s in product design and marketing. Its hardware and software integration. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/90 "2010-05-09T01:28:40Z")
I can surf any website from my couch and play games with my smartphone. Don’t need a tablet for that. Screen is small ,but it has the advantage of fitting in my pocket. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/91 "2010-05-09T01:29:38Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > If you start wanting to browse SDMB from your couch, or play games on your subway ride, that’s when you’ll want something like this. I read that the makers of Farmville are working on an iPad version. Non-Flash I suppose. Scoff at Facebook flash games if you want, but Flash capability would rock for a lot of people. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/92 "2010-05-09T02:34:44Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I read that the makers of Farmville are working on an iPad version. Non-Flash I suppose. Scoff at Facebook flash games if you want, but Flash capability would rock for a lot of people. You couldn’t use Farmville on an iPad even if it had flash. People tend not to consider just how mouse dependent Flash applications are. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2010, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/93 "2010-05-09T03:01:10Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I can surf any website from my couch and play games with my smartphone. Don’t need a tablet for that. Screen is small ,but it has the advantage of fitting in my pocket. Reinforcing the fact (and the between-the-lines obervation) that the iPad may not be for you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/94 "2010-05-09T03:10:44Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I can surf any website from my couch and play games with my smartphone. Don’t need a tablet for that. Screen is small ,but it has the advantage of fitting in my pocket. Unfortunately, I am getting to the age where size does matter. While I like my Blackberry, the small screen that fits in my pocket is becoming less desireable. Another reason I probably will end up going the iPad route. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/95 "2010-05-09T03:17:59Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I read that the makers of Farmville are working on an iPad version. Non-Flash I suppose. Scoff at Facebook flash games if you want, but Flash capability would rock for a lot of people. > [@Todderbob](#): > > You couldn’t use Farmville on an iPad even if it had flash. People tend not to consider just how mouse dependent Flash applications are. True. Just for one, how would a Flash ‘Hover Effect’ work on a touch device? I’ve read that most Flash games etc. will have to be reworked for touch devices. We’ll see when it finally gets released on Android. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/96 "2010-05-09T03:41:04Z")
Slight hijack, but I wanted to read up on the Adobe Flash issue and ran across Steve Jobs’ [thoughts on Flash](http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/) if anyone’s interested. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/97 "2010-05-09T04:14:22Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I can surf any website from my couch and play games with my smartphone. Don’t need a tablet for that. Screen is small ,but it has the advantage of fitting in my pocket. Honestly, I thought the same thing. I still broke out my laptop from time to time, though (like when responding to a post that’s more than 2 or 3 sentences). Now, I don’t break out the laptop unless I’m making a post that requires cites. No, I didn’t **need** a tablet for that, but that, and the ereader, and the games, and the general web browsy-ness make it something that I wanted enough to justify the cost. The equation may not be the same for you. > [@Cumberdale](#): > > Unfortunately, I am getting to the age where size does matter. While I like my Blackberry, the small screen that fits in my pocket is becoming less desireable. Another reason I probably will end up going the iPad route. Age, whaddya mean? Size is a big deal for us younguns too. > [@jasg](#): > > True. Just for one, how would a Flash ‘Hover Effect’ work on a touch device? > > I’ve read that most Flash games etc. will have to be reworked for touch devices. We’ll see when it finally gets released on Android. Yeah, it’d be a royal pain, but that’s not the start of it. What’s a relatively easy task, repeatedly clicking in precise locations, is easy with a mouse, annoying with a trackpad, and downright obnoxious on a touchscreen. One game that ported over very well, although not a direct port, was “Space Station” (for the iPad) based or inspired by a game released on Casual Collective called “mining defense” (or something to that effect, I seem to remember the acronym TSG?). Googling Causal Collective will find you the game (highly recommended, very fun and addictive). Farmville would not work nearly as well. > [@levdrakon](#): > > Slight hijack, but I wanted to read up on the Adobe Flash issue and ran across Steve Jobs’ [thoughts on Flash](http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/) if anyone’s interested. I could swear that was posted om SDMB somehwhere before. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/98 "2010-05-09T04:25:20Z")
Plants vs Zombies was very good on the iPad, but overall I came away still not understanding why I would want an iPad. Internet browsing was a disappointment. Typing was a disappointment. The only reason I can see for choosing an iPad over a laptop is the way people react to each. In many situations people would look at you funny for having a laptop, but might not if you had an iPad. That is a legitimate reason for getting the iPad, but it does make me wonder… once the novelty wears off, isn’t it likely that people will start looking at you funny for having an iPad in roughly the same situations they would look at you funny for having a laptop? ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/99 "2010-05-09T04:31:36Z")
> [@Carmady](#): > > Plants vs Zombies was very good on the iPad, but overall I came away still not understanding why I would want an iPad. Internet browsing was a disappointment. Typing was a disappointment? Jobs might have been exaggerating when he said it was the best browsing experience ever but I have no complaints and it’s definitely a very pleasurable way to browse, for me. As for the typing, it takes some getting used to. I use a hunt and peck type of typing on it, unlike a real keyboard where I type properly, and I do alright. But it’s not as pleasant, and by that I mean fast, as a real keyboard. > [@Carmady](#): > > The only reason I can see for choosing an iPad over a laptop is the way people react to each. In many situations people would look at you funny for having a laptop, but might not if you had an iPad. What kind of situations? > [@Carmady](#): > > That is a legitimate reason for getting the iPad, but it does make me wonder… once the novelty wears off, isn’t it likely that people will start looking at you funny for having an iPad in roughly the same situations they would look at you funny for having a laptop? I have no idea, I hadn’t even considered that as a reason to buy an iPad. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394/100 "2010-05-09T07:46:28Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I can surf any website from my couch and play games with my smartphone. Don’t need a tablet for that. Screen is small ,but it has the advantage of fitting in my pocket. If you’re on your couch, who cares if it fits in your pocket? 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-your-verdict-on-the-ipad/538394.md?page=6)