
The iPad is not a car - blasdel
http://blog.benward.me/post/497645689
======
ubernostrum
Why does his discussion of automatic transmissions sound like he hasn't
actually driven a car with an automatic in twenty years or so? His comments,
compared to my actual experience of driving various automatics over the past
decade, feel like someone who says cars must not be so great because of how
you have to turn the hand crank on the front to start the engine, not
realizing that this is a solved problem now.

~~~
amock
I think the comparison between automatic transmissions from 20 years ago and
modern ones is a good way to see why the iPad will work well for most people.
Old automatic transmissions did have problems when you wanted to accelerate
quickly and at certain speeds they couldn't decide what gear to be in so
they'd keep shifting. Modern transmissions are so good that only a few people
notice that things aren't quite how they would like them to be and there are a
lot of people who can't drive a car with a manual transmission. The iPad takes
away a lot of control, but it makes choices that most people will like. Not
everyone wants or needs to have more control.

~~~
ubernostrum
_did have problems when you wanted to accelerate quickly and at certain speeds
they couldn't decide what gear to be in_

I've noticed the first one on pretty much every automatic I've ever driven,
but mostly that's a "doctor, it hurts when I do this" sort of thing. If I turn
from a residential side street (20mph) onto a larger four-lane road (45-50mph)
and pound the gas pedal into the floor to speed up, then yeah, it's going to
be jerky. If instead I just gently give it more gas and let it speed up a bit
more gradually, it's nice and smooth. So the solution to that appears to be
simply "don't drive like you're on a racetrack".

Indecisive gears are a problem I haven't seen on at least the last couple cars
I've owned (both Ford); they've been just fine at picking a good gear for the
speed and sticking with it.

------
daniel02216
This is a good article, but clearly written by someone who is a manual
transmission fanboy. I drive a manual, too, but I recently switched from an
automatic and I know why automatics are more popular - they're easier to use,
and you don't have to learn or think as much as with a manual, to get where
you're going. I would say his conclusion is wrong - that the iPad/PC
distinction is actually very similar to the automatic/manual distinction.

~~~
iamdave
What in the world is a manual transmission fanboy? Are you just trying to
rattle the cage, here?

~~~
stcredzero
It made more sense when the furor over automatics was new. Now no one cares,
which is kinda the point.

------
blasdel
Disappointing but unsurprising that people are focusing on the car details in
an article about the irrelevancy of car analogies.

The meat is at the end:

 _I’m not going to say that Apple are right to lock others out of defining how
touch computing is going to work, but they can, and I think their belief is
that they can do it better if they don’t have fight off contradictory ideas in
the meantime._

~~~
jasonlotito
"The meat is at the end."

Preceded by a lot of car talk, which you focus on. Put the meat up front.
Besides, the meat of the article is about the irrelevancy of car analogies,
but if people don't agree, they will discuss that portion. You can't discuss
it and not expect people to respond.

------
vital101
You drive cars with a manual transmission. You AIM cars with an automatic
transmission.

Think about it this way, there are some people out there who have no good
reason to really drive a car. They'd rather just aim. Perhaps it's the same
with the IPad. Some people don't want to know how everything works, or how
it's done. So long as it works and they can accomplish their goals, they'll be
happy.

------
sfennell
Computers and cars have different usages in different situations. The iPad is
clearly not developed for development work or tinkering, it is a step above a
smart phone and intended to be used in a similar way. Just like the Toyota
Camry is clearly not built for racing, it is made for transportation and
intended to be used for people that will never open the hood.

Both have a target audience that really doesn't need to be confused with extra
bells and whistles that are going to add complexity for the average person
that does not want to use the device for more than the intended purpose.

I really don't understand why everyone is angry that the iPad takes another
step away from tradition of computing to help make computers more accessible
to a broader audience, and requires less knowledge of how the computer works
(which many people would be happy about, maybe not you or I, but people that
do not have careers or hobbies tinkering with computers)

~~~
JBiserkov
>I really don't understand why everyone is angry that the iPad takes another
step away from tradition of computing to help make computers more accessible
to a broader audience,...

Because we think it means that an even _larger_ _%_ of users of our software
will understand even _less_ about "how computers work"™ and their expectations
will be based on even _shittier_ "apps" => will be even more unrealistic &
difficult to "work around".

------
davnola
Sure the iPad is a car.

But it only travels to Apple-approved destinations.

~~~
FraaJad
Wrong!

No, only Apple approved OEMs are allowed to make spare parts and provider
service.

You can make your parts or use "unapproved" parts by jail breaking, doing
which you break your warranty.

------
Qz
The car analogy is cute, but the "afterward" at the end of the article is the
most relevant part. I think he's dead on with his analysis of what Apple is
doing in that regard. I give Apple points for taking a bold step, although in
my opinion it's in the wrong direction. But we do need more boldness in the
realm of computer user interfaces, the standard mac/win/*nix interface (and
let's face it they're really all the same), is a relic of the last millennium
and needs a reboot.

------
pavel_lishin
That was a fun rant about cars, but did the author have anything to say about
the iPad?

------
ellyagg
I knew the car analogy would make some folks defensive because it's so apt.

