

IPad: an Apple for Mom - The uncomputer for the people - swombat
http://danieltenner.com/posts/0015-ipad-an-apple-for-mom.html

======
ZachPruckowski
In the MMO genre, this divide is called "themepark vs sandbox". A game like
World of Warcraft is a themepark - you're given a lot of direction in terms of
where you're supposed to go and what you're supposed to do. EVE Online is a
sandbox - you do whatever you want and you get fewer roadsigns that say "go
this way" or "beating this means you win".

Current computers are sandboxes - you can do with them whatever you want, run
arbitrary code, create your own workflow, and operate without rules. The iPad
is a themepark - it has specific programs that do specific things, and then
it's got little roped off paths between them. For many users (the proverbial
Mom), a well-developed theme park is more attractive, because all they really
wanted to do anyhow is ride the roller-coaster or the Ferris wheel. People
like the average Hacker News reader (or even the average reddit or digg
reader) can't stand the roped off paths, but for Mom, those laid out sidewalks
are a relief.

~~~
stcredzero
There's no reason why Apple can't sell "sandbox" versions of this kit. The
hardware would be 99% the same. The markup and the resulting margins would be
_very tasty_ to Apple.

EDIT: They'd still be selling the "Theme Park" version to the other 95% of us.

~~~
coliveira
I think the reason is user experience. Future computers will be "theme parks",
because non-geeks don't understand the proper limitations of hardware.

For example, 99% of annoyances of computer users is that they install too much
software for the resources of the machine they have. Then the computer starts
suddenly working slower and slower -- and they don't know why. This happens
with Macs and Windows.

In a machine like the iPad Apple can control what software will run and make
sure that it is adequate to the resources of the machine. Also, from what I
see, they limit the possibility of concurrent running programs to interfere
with the user experience.

~~~
stcredzero
_I think the reason is user experience. Future computers will be "theme
parks", because non-geeks don't understand the proper limitations of
hardware._

Yes, but there is no reason why you couldn't sell the unlocked version of the
same kit. If a non-geek has a bad experience, then let them downgrade the
thing. Heck, a company other than Apple might charge them another fee for
that.

~~~
chaostheory
What's the point of officially supporting a jailbroken product, given all the
new problems it will bring? To me it's like asking Apple to support
Hackintoshes.

Apple has been doing this for decades and it's nothing new. If you want
freedom and flexibility, you should look elsewhere.

~~~
stcredzero
Well, if Apple did it, it wouldn't be "jailbroken," would it? The point would
be the same as Apple selling the Aluminum towers. If you want freedom and
flexibility coupled with world-class design, then you do buy an Apple -- with
top dollar, meaning high margins for them.

Apple's been doing that gig for years.

~~~
chaostheory
"Well, if Apple did it, it wouldn't be "jailbroken," would it?"

It's still a jail, and if Apple officially removed it - you can still say
'jailbroken' but that's a minor point.

"If you want freedom and flexibility coupled with world-class design, then you
do buy an Apple -- with top dollar, meaning high margins for them."

Not true. I can't officially run OS X on non-official Apple hardware with
official Apple suppport. Not to mention if I didn't buy Apple hardware then it
would most likely kill their margins ;) iPad will eventually have the same
'freedom' as OS X and iPhone.

What most of us don't see right away is that there are financial costs for
supporting freedom and flexibility. These costs are in marketing, support
(reliability and usability), and security. Given the right target techie
segment, these costs don't matter for freedom. Unfortunately if you're
targeting the masses of non-techies, that's a completely different story.

(FYI I am an OS X user)

~~~
stcredzero
FYI, I am also an OS X user. (MacBook, iMac, iPhone) The fact that you felt
you had to mention this and a few other things make me think you didn't
completely comprehend my idea.

 _It's still a jail, and if Apple officially removed it - you can still say
'jailbroken' but that's a minor point._

I never said about _removing_ the jail. Just building a cozy luxe visitors
center just outside the wall.

 _Not true. I can't officially run OS X on non-official Apple hardware with
official Apple suppport._

In my idea, people would be running non-official Apple _software_ without
Apple support.

 _iPad will eventually have the same 'freedom' as OS X and iPhone. Nothing
less, and nothing more; and certainly nothing new._

You're dead wrong. If the iPad is to become as pervasive as they would like it
to, Apple is going to have to open it up enough so that it can operate as a
general purpose computer _for the small segment of the populace that wants
it._

The key is in the italics. There is no technical reason why Apple can't have
their "walled garden" and still let a few people do dangerous things if they
want. Will it be what the FSF calls "free?" No way.

Actually, they are already doing some of this. It's called the "iPhone SDK."

~~~
chaostheory
"I never said about removing the jail. Just building a cozy luxe visitors
center just outside the wall."

It essentially has the same problem as a jailbroken iPad/iPhone/Hackintosh.
There are costs with supporting issues that arise from this if it's official.

"In my idea, people would be running non-official Apple software without Apple
support."

Well then why complain when in all likelihood a 3rd party will give you what
you want for Apple products - ala unsupported jailbreak?

"You're dead wrong. If the iPad is to become as pervasive as they would like
it to, Apple is going to have to open it up enough so that it can operate as a
general purpose computer for the small segment of the populace that wants it."

Given the history with iPod, iTunes, & iPhone I'm going to disagree. All of
them are closed systems with the same critics. Yet all of these products have
been wildly successful despite that. I'm not saying that this would work with
any company, but it works with Apple; it's the part of their company DNA that
has proven time and again to work. As I've said in previous posts, there was a
time when Apple was more 'open'; and it was a total failure that almost took
down the entire company.

"There is no technical reason why Apple can't have their "walled garden" and
still let a few people do dangerous things if they want."

I agree but there are a myriad of other reasons as to why they shouldn't such
as extra costs, making their content partners (movies, music, and books) happy
(I suspect this is a really big reason), and so on. It's not perfect for
everyone; but it's worked for non-techies, Apple stock holders, and Apple's
partners.

"Actually, they are already doing some of this. It's called the "iPhone SDK.""

Then why complain? Just pay the $99 and be happy.

I suggest moving on and helping either the Chrome OS or Linux hardware
movement if you really want officially blessed freedom. You're not going to
get that from a mainstream console maker; we are a niche audience.

------
mcav
Even a technophile like me wants to just sit back and be a "regular person"
once in a while; to sit back with a book, do some reading on the web, or watch
a movie on the couch. The iPad doesn't have to have shell access to be an
incredibly useful device for technophiles either. There are SSH programs for
the iPhone; there will be similarly useful utilities built for the iPad too.

~~~
blhack
>| There are SSH programs for the iPhone; there will be similarly useful
utilities built for the iPad too.

The idea of typing shell commands on a touchpad makes me cringe...do people
really do this?

~~~
stcredzero
It can be a lifesaver in a pinch.

~~~
netcan
example pinch?

~~~
Retric
Remote administration on the train to or from work.

------
stcredzero
_A better comparison is with the Nintendo Wii. While Sony and Microsoft
competed in the cut-throat market of consoles for gamers, the Wii also created
a new product category: consoles for everyone else. It worked pretty well for
them – it turns out that there’s a lot more non-gamers than gamers, and making
a device that appeals to 95% of the population sells better than making one
that appeals to only 5%._

Daniel hit the nail on the head. The industry has been tending towards making
high-spec machines while often neglecting human interface issues. People
complain that all of this email/booting up/installing/URL stuff was too
complicated, and we techies blamed them and told them to RTFM.

In the meantime, others directly address their concerns, and _surprise_ \--
people give them money.

~~~
ZachPruckowski
Yes - the majority of people view computers as appliances. They don't want a
computer, they want an email machine and a word processing machine and a "show
me this website" machine and a music-playing machine. They don't need
2560x1600@120fps, and they don't care about having 16 processors. They want to
sit down, bang out an email, and do something else, or sit down, type their
paper, and be done.

Apple actually had something like this in the mid-90s called "At Ease",
designed as a child-safe file manager. You had programs on one tab and files
on the other. I remember it from elementary school, and always felt that a
more modern version of that would help less computer literate people.

~~~
stcredzero
_Yes - the majority of people view computers as appliances. They don't want a
computer, they want an email machine and a word processing machine and a "show
me this website" machine and a music-playing machine._

More precisely, they want a backplane into which they can effortlessly plug in
various appliances. Press Buy, download it, plug it in, it just works.

~~~
ZachPruckowski
Users want to complete tasks. Each of these tasks should be as simple as a
toaster. Push button, insert input, push button, win.

Open Mail, type letter, hit send, hear "sent mail" swoosh.

Open Safari, enter URL or search term, click Go, get webpage.

Push lever, insert bread, wait 30 seconds, eat delicious toast.

Open Word, type stuff, hit save/print/email, get happy boss.

Open Youtube, enter search/URL, push Go, Laugh.

------
grellas
Entrepreneurial genius consists of a knack for acing your competitors out of
key markets through innovative means.

John D. Rockefeller did this by taking a nascent and highly localized oil
industry (originally only in Pennsylvania and then Ohio) dominated by
wildcatters and other independents and transforming it into a highly
integrated and even ruthless competitive machine by which he could always beat
his competitors on price while serving major emerging new markets. This was
_not_ based on any genius he had about the oil products themselves. He was not
technically trained concerning such products. What he understood was business
and innovation in emerging markets for these products. Hire the best talent.
Gain control of the railroads that were vital to ship the products cheaply and
efficiently, first by pressuring them through building a system of pipelines
that threatened to undercut their business and then by entering into deals
with them involving secret rebates so as to incentive them to deal with
Rockefeller either alone or on highly preferential terms. Use legal
innovations to set up trusts and partnerships that allowed a series of
corporations, one in each state, to function as an integrated whole at a time
when it was (people forget this) _illegal_ for a corporation to do business
across state lines, thereby gaining hegemony in the U.S. oil market that no
other competitor could come even close to matching and eventually using this
as a springboard for international dominance as well. The result (setting
aside the illegalities involved): the building of an empire that grew
exponentially in relation to anything else around it owing to its ability to
offer quality and cheap pricing to consumers.

It is not too far-fetched, I think, to say that Steve Jobs is doing something
similar in taking on the wildcatters of today in a quest to win the major
markets of the information age. He has so managed to unite amazing product
development with tightly integrated and company-dominated distribution
channels with ground-breaking arrangements with the telcos (who are the vital
connecting links, or "railroads," of our day) as to build a formidable empire
that threatens to crush any direct competitors in its field. The genius is
undeniable, even down to having set up retail outlets of a type that everyone
would have laughed at just 20 years ago.

Who can tell where this quest for hegemony in today's open-systems world will
go but the implications are both intriguing and frightening at the same time.

------
simonw
I've been thinking much the same thing - I'd love it if the non-technical
people in my life were using an iPad. They'd get in to much less trouble (of
course, the same is true for Chrome OS).

The question posed at the end is an interesting one: at the moment, the iPad
appears to require a regular computer (just like an iPod touch does).
Presumably a future version - or even a software update for the existing model
- will get rid of this dependency.

~~~
icefox
So the question is how would things go if you have an single mac (when you
really need it) and several pad's. What cool things would you do if everyone
had a few lying around. While it might be able to replace a desktop several
years from now I think it can only be thought of as an accessory to a desktop
at this point.

Edit: Also hearing so many people saying: "My mom should get one of these" is
really them saying "I wont buy it, but _someone_ else should". Really makes me
ponder just how successful it really will be.

~~~
nishantmodak
>I wont buy it, but someone else should".

No. Its not about that.

Since most _such_ people already use a laptop throughout the day and have
iPhone. So its something they think might be more used by people who are not
carrying a computing/entertainment device throughout the day.

~~~
kellishaver
I agree. I own a computer repair shop. 90% of our customers, all they want to
do is surf the web, check email, look at pictures, and keep in touch with the
family. The iPad is great for this. If I could give an iPad to every confused
PC user who wanders in looking lost and forlorn, a good majority of them could
walk out 10 minutes later, knowing how to do all of the things they want to be
able to do on the web. Not everyone needs or wants to do all of the things we
HN readers need and want to do on the web, so not everyone needs a device that
will allow them to do more. For a lot of people, the restrictions actually
make it easier.

------
wallflower
Steve Jobs foreshadowed in an October 2008 conference call that they are
creating the $500 iPad and not going after those people who want multi-tasking
(even if its _just_ : "I want IM/irc running in the background, listening to
pandora and browsing at once"). And those who want shell access and total
admin control. All of which probably requires Mac OS X - which the PA Semi A4
chip presumably does not yet support.

"What we want to do is deliver an increasing level of value to these
customers, but there are some customers which we choose not to serve. We don't
know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk; our DNA will not
let us do that. We've seen great success by focusing on certain segments of
the market and not trying to be everything to everybody, and you can expect us
to stick with that winning strategy."

-Steve Jobs, 2008 October

<http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10072393-37.html>

~~~
cpr
Make no mistake about it--they could run Mac OS X on the iPad a year ago, if
they wanted to.

The iPhone OS (3.2) that supports the iPad is a full-fledged Mach/BSD kernel,
as much as 10.6, and it's just a matter of which kernel extensions and system
and user applications you include in the total build.

~~~
wallflower
As I sit here on my Windows machine, looking at Process Lasso Pro - I'm
fascinated by the background processes eating up my performance. Virus scanner
to Outlook to winlogon.exe. Even if Mac OS X could run on the new A4 chip, I
think Apple is concerned about 3rd party apps that are multi-tasking degrading
the performance/overall experience.

~~~
stcredzero
I predict that Apple will come out with a background-task API that puts hard
realtime constraints on the work a background thread does. Basically, you
register a block of code as a background task, and select an Apple defined
"level of service." If your code block doesn't complete during the time
interval allotted to it, then the dev is SOL.

If they did this, they could have background tasks that would satisfy 80 to
90% of what devs want to do, but preserve battery life.

~~~
glhaynes
I think this is exactly right. I also think there'll be some persistent
indicator (I'm thinking a little icon in the bar at the top that contains the
clock) for each ongoing background task. So people won't have background tasks
eating up their battery/RAM without knowing they're still running.

~~~
DougBTX
They could follow the pattern used for the iPhone, where background tasks
which the user should car to know about (Voice Recorder, Phone.app) takes up a
double height status bar at the top.

~~~
glhaynes
Good point. I could maybe see room for both models -- something that's going
on RIGHT NOW and you need to continue to be aware of gets the big status bar
while just little ongoing "wake up every 20 seconds and check for new
messages" tasks wouldn't necessarily need that.

------
jasonlbaptiste
This is probably the best post someone has put together on everything so far.
My mom already wants this device. My roommate who had a macbook then decided
to drop having a computer all together for 6 months is going to get this. It's
kind of what Litl was trying to do with the web-book. It's about making
computers simple and easy to use again. Less headaches, less complexity, and
robust functionality.

I think the iPad is something special, because it's going to open the door for
us to rethink what a computer should be. Maybe this is the chance we have to
rewrite everything.

------
gamble
It's not a good sign that the best people can say about the iPad is that their
mom could probably get by with one, even though they would never use it.

We've been hearing that refrain for decades, and it's never worked out in the
marketplace. People who don't care about technology want to spend the least
possible to get a fully-capable product. They want _one_ computer that does
everything and lasts forever - not a niche device that has to be tethered to a
real PC anyway.

The Wii is a poor example because it didn't succeed by being simpler - it sold
by offering a compelling gimmick and content that was not available on other
platforms, for an underserved market of children and baby-boomers. The iPad
doesn't offer any content you can't find elsewhere, and the 'touch' interface
is one that's failed to find a significant market in full-sized computers for
over twenty years.

~~~
frossie
_They want one computer that does everything and lasts forever - not a niche
device that has to be tethered to a real PC anyway._

Yeah, that's a lot closer to describing my mom - housewive all her life,
approaching 70 - but since the kids left home she has gotten one laptop after
another, and her use is actually quite sophisticated by now - certainly beyond
"browser only". I did give her an iPod touch but her only interest in it is
inflicting pictures of her grandchildren on innocent civilians while she's out
on the town - she uses her laptop for everything else. She has no particular
interest in spending money on something like a tablet.

And don't forget the generational thing too - _I'm_ going to be the mythical
"grandma" one day, and when I retire and have an empty nest I am going to
_tweak my gentoo box all day long_ :-)

------
oozcitak
That was the best iPad review I read since the launch. What makes us say "meh"
is exactly what mom needed since she first laid her hands on a computer. I
could remove all functionality from her computer, leaving just the browser and
she would be perfectly happy with it.

In that sense one could argue that Chrome OS' hardest competitor will be the
iPad. I wonder if they saw that coming.

------
Tichy
While I agree, what bothers me a little is that all this time Apple had
already claimed that Macs are so easy to use etc. So I guess they finally
admit that it's not really true. At the same time I hope it will be at least
more true for the iPad. Until mom asks why her favorite flash game doesn't
work.

Things I have recently helped relatives with:

installing software for their navigation system, so that they could update the
maps

Getting their internet radio connected

scanning, printing

installing a webcam and skype

In fact my impression is that "non-power" users often try to do even more
hardcore stuff with their computers than I do, simply because they don't know
which technologies are just hype and which ones are ready for prime time. For
example my father tried speech recognition and used on of those horrible
fax/scanner/printer units that hijacks your computer.

------
rriepe
Another similarity between iPad and Wii: People ruthlessly made fun of the
name when it was first announced.

~~~
icefox
People only stopped making fun of the Wii name when it was successful. If the
iPad isn't a success then it will be laughed at forever.

~~~
swombat
Nowhere near as much as if it had ended up being called iSlate, though!

~~~
nishantmodak
iSlate = is Late!

------
cpr
The one fly in the ointment is that the iPad does require an external computer
somewhere to keep its system software updated, backed up, etc.

Perhaps we family-support geeks will now have to have a Mac dedicated to
keeping all the iPads in our extended families up to date. ;-)

~~~
stevejohnson
Unfortunately, your media libraries will all be identical as well. I really
don't want that much Billy Joel sitting on my local hard drive all the time.

~~~
elai
Not necessarily, it would just be the union of all of your media libraries on
your computer, and a subset (sync play lists [Billy's iPad, Martha's iPad] )
for each iPad. With todays 1TB $100 hard drives, how much will it matter to
have everyone's iPad library on your computer?

------
djcjr
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
(Clarke's Third Law)

In my opinion, Apple is one of few companies that works on their product
design until it appears magical, and their meteoric rise is the result. The
standards for "Mom" are Star-Trek-high.

------
snewe
Why must a lack of a camera be in every article on the iPad? Am I the only
longtime MacBook owner that never uses that little camera above my screen?

~~~
swombat
Probably, yes.

Many people use their computer for Skype calls with family. Having video is a
really nice bonus there.

~~~
stcredzero
This sort of device has the potential to really disrupt the telecoms industry.

I think huge swathes of the populace would be just fine with spending $15 a
month, and having their friends and family IM them as a form of paging and
calling back with Skype.

~~~
sukuriant
If it's through ATT, if it's anything like the iPhone, that's $30 a month, and
there's a restriction of < 10MB downloads. It won't be $15 a month.

I do feel sorry for ATT's network, though. Think of the strain that the iPhone
put on their network, and now they're accepting a computer!? makes me happy I
switched to Verizon.

~~~
stcredzero
_If it's through ATT, if it's anything like the iPhone, that's $30 a month,
and there's a restriction of < 10MB downloads. It won't be $15 a month._

You didn't watch the presentation, did you? It's indeed under $15 a month for
250 MB a month. Plenty for IMs, emails, and the occasional Skype call.

------
doronba
I am not sure. Many of my technophobe relations are Multitaskers (messy ones
to be sure but multitasking nonetheless) and have a problem abandoning the
nested folder system they hold so dear (and Itunes will not help there) They
are familiar with office applications (by which they send jokes etc) and will
resist unfamiliar tools)

many older people rely on their computer to keep contact with their relations
through skype etc.., and it does not offer it.

If it was a little more robust, did not require a persistent connection to a
desktop (to manage files) and had Flash then maybe so, as it stands i just
don't know, im fairly confident my mom wouldn't like it.

------
mattjung
I totally agree that this device could replace the PC for many many people. I
see the iPad as the universal remote-commander for all kind of media and
entertainment. Imagine you could buy a film on iTunes and beam it into your
television screen...

~~~
stcredzero
Apple should sell such kits with an Apple TV bundled with an iPad. (Flatscreen
and sound system optional.)

------
jkincaid
Totally agreed. However, I think the iPad should come with a more robust photo
app — something that lets you import and manage photos (all through fun drag
and drop, of course). In my experience, many light computer users still take
digital photos. It would also be nice if this thing could manage video
importing, with maybe some very basic editing functionality similar to what's
on the iPhone.

~~~
MartinCron
I would be shocked if there isn't. You can import pictures from memory cards
or digital cameras (with an attachment).

I see myself using the iPad for this sort of quick-and-dirty post-shoot
curation and showing off. Especially if I'm traveling and don't want to lug my
full-on laptop with me.

~~~
stcredzero
I thought my HP slate would be the cat's meow for photo touchups in the field.
Come up with a well designed way to connect cameras, Port Aperture to the
iPad, and you'd have one kickass piece of kit for photo work.

I wonder if someone could come up with a Bluetooth or WiFi enabled mini-USB
micro-dongle you could just leave plugged into the camera behind its media-
port panel?

------
hrabago
Before the iPhone came out, I was itching for a powerful phone that came close
to being a browser-enabled computer in my pocket. The only devices I could get
at the time was WEP browsers with very high data fees. The iPhone brought us a
full browser with a $20 unlimited data plan. I bought it the first day it
became available. It was a big leap forward compared with its peers. It
allowed me to do things I wanted to do, and not just the things my telco
allowed.

The iPad has a different set of peers. We're not living in a world where the
only tablet devices are the Kindle and Nook. There are actual fully
functioning tablet PCs that can run the things normal PCs can. Apple is trying
to move us from open devices to a closed one.

------
cubix
I thought it was meant to be a netbook replacement? I would be surprised to
see it attract that segment of users. I'm wandering around a university campus
now, where netbooks are quite popular. When I look at people's screens, the
most common activities seem to be IM, facebook and email. Would these users
rather be thumb typing their messages? I doubt it. I love my iPhone, and I can
type reasonably fast on it, but I don't think I've used it to send an email
longer than 3 sentences in the 18 months I've had it. I do agree it has a
place in living rooms, though.

------
chrischen
Most people _do_ need computers. I'd say the majority of computer users are
younger people and there's not one young person I know that uses their
computer only to read new York times. Most computer users use it for _work_ ,
and that's something the iPad is not optimized for. It's an entertainment
casual device, but it's not mobile. I think there's a nice use for it because
it let's you walk around your house with some of the information you used to
have to sit down for. But to think it's really for the people who use 10 year
old computers is naive.

------
enduser
The iPhone has been successful as a platform because programmers want to use
it. Programmers carry phones and take pleasure in improving their gadget-
environment. Good software is written by people who use it.

The iPad is not for developers, so applications developed for the iPad are
going to be applications written to make money. The developers will test the
applications, but they will not write applications for their own use unless
they really need the hardware UI provided by the iPad.

This is a console with a web browser, not a computer.

~~~
stcredzero
I can immediately think of a multitouch stats application. And yes, I am a
programmer.

------
poutine
I'm a hardcore geek and I want to add an iPad to my toolchest. It'd join an
array of devices and be used for web browsing on the couch and in bed. Touch
based web browsing is superior to a mouse IMO. Seems like an amazing device
for that.

------
moron4hire
If the iPad is the "apple for mom", then what was the iMac all this time?
Whatever happened to OS X and "it just works"?

~~~
roc
OS X _is_ easy to use ... compared to other PCs. But this thing is easy to use
the way your car is easy to use.

~~~
moron4hire
My mother and grandmother would be insulted to be told that they need a
"simpler" computer. This idea that regular computers are "too difficult" for
"normal users" is nothing but pure condescension. Why should we believe that
now, after all of the other "simplified computer for 'normal users'/internet
appliance" devices to ever hit the market (including Apple's own AppleTV) that
_this_ one is going to make it?

~~~
roc
It's not about _needing_ a simpler computer. It's about _wanting_ one. Not all
people; not even all mothers or grandmothers. And not all the time.

The iPad has, in a sense, already made it. It, despite some people's
protestations, _is_ just a big iPod touch. Whether this form factor works or
not, people have responded extremely well to its abstractions and
simplifications, despite the limitations.

------
lurkinggrue
Probably iPad 3.0 will be widescreen and they will call it an inovation.

------
cookiecaper
My grandma uses her printer all the time, to print photos and greeting cards.
She has a program that makes greeting cards for her, not web-based. She does
family history research with a separate program. She uses video chat.

She doesn't really like computers, but she's determined so she knows how to
use them. I think that the group that just wants Facebook will start to want
something else once they're used to Facebook.

------
mooted
Except nothing moms consider cool work on this thing..

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david927
No. The iPad is something new and products like this have to go through the
diffusion of innovation from early adopters to get to the early majority --
and I personally know of no early adopter who is happy with it (all of whom
had an iPhone when it launched, etc). The word among early adopters is
"bullshit". I don't care who Apple is, or who they think they are, they can't
beat the diffusion curve.

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stcredzero
I'm an early adopter, and I like it a lot.

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david927
Yes, you're an early adopter, but you're one who drinks kool-aide. There are
about 5% of you.

