Report from Annual Meeting Apple planning to open 25 stores in China in next year.

http://theappleblog.com/2010/02/26/apple-shareholders-meeting-roundup/#more-41561
1 Massive population. Even with our current financial woes they still do not have our purchasing power.

2 Timing suggests plans to flood market with I Pads. If so…

We have discussed in how many ways the I Pad is not a full function computer. But can it function as a stand alone computer for a family with very marginal finance that can barely afford one device one device for their computing needs?

Is this Apple’s response to the opportunity of the economic downturn in offering the best in class cheap computer?

calebcar - 28 February 2010 11:39 PM

Report from Annual Meeting Apple planning to open 25 stores in China in next year.

http://theappleblog.com/2010/02/26/apple-shareholders-meeting-roundup/#more-41561
1 Massive population. Even with our current financial woes they still do not have our purchasing power.

2 Timing suggests plans to flood market with I Pads. If so…

We have discussed in how many ways the I Pad is not a full function computer. But can it function as a stand alone computer for a family with very marginal finance that can barely afford one device one device for their computing needs?

Is this Apple’s response to the opportunity of the economic downturn in offering the best in class cheap computer?

The ipad is going to appeal to gamers, students and people who want to sit at Starbucks and show they have the latest innovation. People with minimal finances are not going to even consider the ipad. I would guess there are 2 million Apple crazies that will buy one just to have it. I don’t consider myself an Apple crazy, but dang if I don’t want one. lol

I’d prefer the title “Is the iPad an inexpensive computing device?”

Hands down it’s more versatile than a netbook, has access to 150,000 no-cost/low-cost apps and will be the best e-book reader on the market. Not bad for a device starting at $499.

btw, the 3G monthly rate for unlimited data is much better than what people pay for 3G on a post-paid contract for laptop.  All things considered, it’s an amazing device at an attractive price.

95% of the population are not content creators. an iPad will be all you need. the consumer will quickly realise this. devices like this will fundamentally change the landscape. and this ‘cheap’ device will generate billions for aapl revenue in the first year.

benoir - 01 March 2010 07:26 AM

95% of the population are not content creators. an iPad will be all you need. the consumer will quickly realise this. devices like this will fundamentally change the landscape. and this ‘cheap’ device will generate billions for aapl revenue in the first year.

I agree.  A small, intuitive computer that does everything that most people need at home will change the way people interact with computers.  My 86 year-old mother has now used a computer for ten years, and this would be a perfect style of computer for her to use every day.  If I didn’t use a computer for heavy-duty work on image and graphic files, it would replace the computers currently in my life.  For most people, it will be all they need, and is SO much more elegant than the $299 Asus netbook I recently played with at Costco (which looks like it might fall apart after a year).

I predict that the iPad changes the game in ways we have just begun to predict.

A couple of weeks ago, I talked with an Apple Genius about the iPad.  I asked if he thought it would sell well.  He said the one thing he has been telling everyone is that it is NOT a stand alone computer.  You have to sync it with a Mac to use it properly.  From a support perspective he dreads dealing with masses of people trying to use an iPad stand alone.  So, that’s one perspective, anyway.

alcatholic - 01 March 2010 02:17 PM

A couple of weeks ago, I talked with an Apple Genius about the iPad.  I asked if he thought it would sell well.  He said the one thing he has been telling everyone is that it is NOT a stand alone computer.  You have to sync it with a Mac to use it properly.

I’m at a loss to understand why that would be so. Other than system software updates (which could be done for the customer at an Apple Store), I don’t understand why the iPad would need a host computer.

Can anyone elaborate?

deasys - 01 March 2010 03:25 PM

alcatholic - 01 March 2010 02:17 PM

A couple of weeks ago, I talked with an Apple Genius about the iPad.  I asked if he thought it would sell well.  He said the one thing he has been telling everyone is that it is NOT a stand alone computer.  You have to sync it with a Mac to use it properly.

I’m at a loss to understand why that would be so. Other than system software updates (which could be done for the customer at an Apple Store), I don’t understand why the iPad would need a host computer.

Can anyone elaborate?

I would wait and see on that.  I would hope that MobileMe could replace the need for a Master computer for the iPad.  The current issue with the iPhone is backup, software updates, and media synch, but Apple could easily provide these services via their servers.  IMO it is logical to move these required services to the cloud and this may be part of the build out of the new datacenter and movement of other parts of Itunes to the cloud.

alcatholic - 01 March 2010 02:17 PM

A couple of weeks ago, I talked with an Apple Genius about the iPad.  I asked if he thought it would sell well.  He said the one thing he has been telling everyone is that it is NOT a stand alone computer.  You have to sync it with a Mac to use it properly.  From a support perspective he dreads dealing with masses of people trying to use an iPad stand alone.  So, that’s one perspective, anyway.

Hmmmm. If he was a Mac genius then he would at worst have said “You have to sync it to iTunes to use it properly.” I think people will use the iPad as a simple, stand alone computer. The itunes stuff to sync when needed maybe but I think it will work pretty well as a stand alone device.

My close friend Tony writes a blog on using the iPad without a host computer.

Because in many ways, it’s still a “Big iPhone/iPod touch.”

Syncing with a Mac or PC means there’s always at least one backup set of data, which I’d consider a necessity.  Everything stays in sync whether you get apps from your computer or create/download a bunch of stuff on your iPad.

Probably the biggest reason, if I had to guess, is the OS update mechanism.  I think Apple will keep iPhone/iPad OS updates on the “download whole thing, install via iTunes” path for now.  It’s a pain, but I agree with Apple’s decision to just reinstall the entire OS every time there’s an update, rather than go with the patch or “over the air” approach.  IMHO, starting fresh with each OS version is “best practices” for security/minimizing update problems, although you do sacrifice a lot in convenience.

rattyuk - 01 March 2010 03:43 PM

alcatholic - 01 March 2010 02:17 PM

A couple of weeks ago, I talked with an Apple Genius about the iPad.  I asked if he thought it would sell well.  He said the one thing he has been telling everyone is that it is NOT a stand alone computer.  You have to sync it with a Mac to use it properly.  From a support perspective he dreads dealing with masses of people trying to use an iPad stand alone.  So, that’s one perspective, anyway.

Hmmmm. If he was a Mac genius then he would at worst have said “You have to sync it to iTunes to use it properly.” I think people will use the iPad as a simple, stand alone computer. The itunes stuff to sync when needed maybe but I think it will work pretty well as a stand alone device.

I was paraphrasing.

So, let me paraphrase a bit more of what he said.

Let’s face it the iPad is a big iPhone.  From a support perspective, does a stand alone iPhone cause problems?  That was his point.  He deals with people who never sync their iPhone’s to iTunes and it complicates things. 

The biggest issue is data recovery.  Compared to a desktop/laptop there is no hard drive to pull out, there is no uniform interface to read the data of whatever drive even if you could access it, there is no part replacement option for limited damage.  Your iPad breaks, you get a new iPad.  Period.  What do you do if that is your stand alone computer? 

/paraphrase

You could certainly argue MobileMe is a solution, but I don’t think Apple will market an iPad as anything other than an iTunes syncying device.  I believe the Apple strategy is STILL that the Mac/PC is the hub of our digital lives.  When that changes, we’ll know it.  A stand alone iPad will make all the sense in the world at that point.

2 cents

alcatholic - 01 March 2010 04:01 PM

Let’s face it the iPad is a big iPhone.

I think that the jury is still out on this one.

From a support perspective, does a stand alone iPhone cause problems?  That was his point.  He deals with people who never sync their iPhone’s to iTunes and it complicates things.

Doesn’t seem to have stopped people buying them.

The biggest issue is data recovery.  Compared to a desktop/laptop there is no hard drive to pull out, there is no uniform interface to read the data of whatever drive even if you could access it, there is no part replacement option for limited damage.  Your iPad breaks, you get a new iPad.  Period.  What do you do if that is your stand alone computer?

There are a lot of people who use standalone computers exactly like that. I think you may be missing the actual point Al and clouding the issue with previously held paradigms. This sounds like the people at the time of the original iMac saying “It’s not a real computer it doesn’t have a floppy drive - that’ll never work.”

You could certainly argue MobileMe is a solution, but I don’t think Apple will market an iPad as anything other than an iTunes syncying device.  I believe the Apple strategy is STILL that the Mac/PC is the hub of our digital lives.  When that changes, we’ll know it.  A stand alone iPad will make all the sense in the world at that point.

I wonder what they are going to do with that soon-to-be-completed data center I wonder?

2 cents

I understand just a little weary of people who claim to have “inside knowledge” when it all sounds a little tenuous really. I understand that is how you see it I just think there are other ways of looking at it - Just my $0.02.

“The cloud” is gonna need to become a lot more bulletproof for Apple to even consider making non-Mac devices into “standalone” products.  Just look at the problems Apple had with MobileMe out of the starting gate.

Really, I see nothing wrong with Apple’s “digital hub” strategy, beyond me wishing that iPhone backups were quicker than they are (optimizations and/or USB 3.0 would help).  Everyone has a PC of some kind and that won’t change anytime in the near future.  And just forget about trying to fix something like a bad iPad CPU or mobo on your own.  All that soldering and precision fitting is part of the reason why Apple can bring it to market with the volumes and prices it does.  And I have to believe that’s the trend going forward for all (increasingly intricate) mobile devices.  The PC was kind of the last stop in user serviceability, and even that could go out the window in the future.

I imagine it wouldn’t be difficult for Apple to release Time Machine for iPhone OS.  Back-up to MobileMe or TimeCapsule.

rattyuk - 01 March 2010 04:11 PM

The biggest issue is data recovery.  Compared to a desktop/laptop there is no hard drive to pull out, there is no uniform interface to read the data of whatever drive even if you could access it, there is no part replacement option for limited damage.  Your iPad breaks, you get a new iPad.  Period.  What do you do if that is your stand alone computer?

There are a lot of people who use standalone computers exactly like that. I think you may be missing the actual point Al and clouding the issue with previously held paradigms. This sounds like the people at the time of the original iMac saying “It’s not a real computer it doesn’t have a floppy drive - that’ll never work.”

You could certainly argue MobileMe is a solution, but I don’t think Apple will market an iPad as anything other than an iTunes syncying device.  I believe the Apple strategy is STILL that the Mac/PC is the hub of our digital lives.  When that changes, we’ll know it.  A stand alone iPad will make all the sense in the world at that point.

I wonder what they are going to do with that soon-to-be-completed data center I wonder?

2 cents

I understand just a little weary of people who claim to have “inside knowledge” when it all sounds a little tenuous really. I understand that is how you see it I just think there are other ways of looking at it - Just my $0.02.

He didn’t claim inside knowledge.  He warns people not to consider iPads as standalone devices in order to save them heartache later.  He assumes iPads will require iTunes syncing for updates.  He suggests that relying upon iTunes syncing for data backup is the better solution, given his experience with iPhones.  That’s all.

Anyway, it all depends upon what “standalone” means.  From his perspective he’s talking about support issues, and disappointment about losing data.  That could be fixed by MobileMe.  I don’t expect software updates will be OTA.

But I will say, if Apple does market the iPad as “standalone” (for the sake of argument, let’s say no iTunes needed other than for iPod stuff), that will be a huge deal.  So, I’ll look for that.