
IPad: The Microwave Oven of Computing - maguay
http://techinch.com/2011/03/17/ipad-the-microwave-oven-of-computing/
======
Jun8
People who argue that microwaves has/had no clear use have clearly not
worshiped their microwave for sterilizing baby bottles in no time at 2am with
a screaming baby at hand.

Therein lies the interesting fact: The new, "in the middle" device may trigger
new approaches and ways of life that may indispensable. The baby bottle
sterilizer is an unexpected but vital byproduct of the microwave.

~~~
katovatzschyn
I realize the frustration in receiving any parenting advice at all, but please
bear in mind that being too strict in what germs the baby comes in contact
with early on can have negative long term effects.

I'm sure you know this already, just a thing to keep in mind.

~~~
Vivtek
Feeding the baby yogurt too early is a bad thing, too.

~~~
Ratfish
Product idea?

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yannickmahe
Great article. It really explains to me the success of the iPad, which from my
geeky, feature-centered, cheapskate perspective made little sense. I bought a
netbook one year after the iPad came out, which seemed to correspond more to
my use of a lightweight computer.

Incidentally, I stopped using microwaves a few years ago. I wonder what that
means my future relationship with tablets will be.

~~~
cooldeal
I don't know how far the analogy holds up. After all, microwave is not very
programmable(in the computing sense) nor so restrictive.

Did the microwave only cook food that was specially labeled microwaveable(and
food grocers had to pay 30% of the price of food to the microwave manufacturer
to get that special label) ? Isn't that what happens with the iPad?

Eg. The free Sony e-reader app was rejected, Readability was rejected. Kindle
and Netflix are on the chopping block if they don't pay up by June 30th, same
with any apps for magazine or content subscriptions. Microwaves never had
these restrictions.

~~~
extension
_Did the microwave only cook food that was specially labeled microwaveable_

Yes. It's mostly mediocre at cooking traditional recipes, but great with foods
that are specially designed for it, some of which wouldn't otherwise be
feasible.

 _and food grocers had to pay 30% of the price of food to the microwave
manufacturer to get that special label_

If there were legal and technical means to license microwaveable food, I'm
sure someone would do it.

~~~
bobds
> If there were legal and technical means to license microwaveable food, I'm
> sure someone would do it.

[http://www.google.com/patents?q=microwaveable&btnG=Searc...](http://www.google.com/patents?q=microwaveable&btnG=Search+Patents)

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steverb
Oddly enough, the microwave is the least used appliance in our kitchen. If it
weren't for the fact that they are so cheap now as to be virtually free we
probably wouldn't have one.

When the iPad gets to that same price point we'll probably get one as well.

~~~
lloeki
In yours maybe. In mine there's at microwave/regular oven combo which I use as
an oven only when cooking cakes and pies or the odd dish requiring it.
Electric stove for rumsteaks and pastas. The rest is microwave, microwave,
microwave, cooking all sorts of liquids and vegetables. It is so much more
energy and water efficient.

~~~
recoiledsnake
>It is so much more energy and water efficient.

Is it? Maybe for small meals.
[http://www.terrapass.com/images/blogposts/450-POWER-
GRAPH.ht...](http://www.terrapass.com/images/blogposts/450-POWER-GRAPH.html)

I think a pressure cooker on a stove is much more energy and water efficient.

~~~
lloeki
Which is precisely my use case. Me and my wife often eat small meals,
sometimes even different for each of us. Many a time only one of us is at home
for lunch and sometimes even for dinner.

Even when we cook larger quantities the 'traditional way' we end up heating
them again the next day. Besides it's just outrageous to boil half a teapot
for a singe tea cup when just filling the cup and popping it into the
microwave.

When cooking vegetables with steam in the microwave we use a (provided)
accessory with which you lay vegetables on a grid, fill the bottom with one
glass of water, cover with a metallic lid and throw in a few minutes of power.
A pressure cooker requires more water, a longer heat up time and a longer
cooking time. It is also extremely bulky. We have one but never use it.

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Entlin
Maybe, but the iPad is a microwave that will only heat Apple certified food.

And while Apple said it will only use their certification program to prevent
the heating of cats, it took only a few days until Apple prohibited heating
aluminium foil, then raw eggs, alcohol (bad for you anway!), and finally - any
meat. Tofu and mineral water is fine by Steve, though...

~~~
azernik
I think the argument of the article applies not just to the iPad, but also to
similar devices (I'm thinking the coming Android tablets), which provide the
same combination of instant-on and touchscreen.

~~~
Entlin
I agree that "similar devices" might live up to become as commonplace as
microwaves.

But if the iPad with its control freak attitude stays at its 90% penetration
in this market, I've got no trust in humanity anymore.

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akashs
Poptarts instructions: "Microwave on high for 3 seconds". Probably my favorite
use...what else can you make in 3 seconds?

<http://www2.kelloggs.com/ProductDetail.aspx?id=439>

~~~
Groxx
My favorite: sparks with grapes / CDs (though those smell), or making plasma:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7RFyh5ABcQ>

~~~
metageek
My vote: microwave metallurgy.

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natmaster
Waiting ages for your computer to boot? What are you - living in the 90s?
There's this thing called sleep mode, and that's how the iPad works as well.
Upgrade to a real OS, and then maybe your article won't sound like retarded
drivel.

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maguay
In my opinion, anything more than instant now feels like waiting for ages.
Sure, my netbook comes out of sleep mode within 2 seconds, but it's sure more
sluggish for the first several seconds after that. Even Macs aren't fully
instant on, unless you perhaps have an SSD. Sorry, I'm running fairly modern
PC hardware with Windows 7 and Ubuntu, but there's just no way it's going to
feel as fast to grab and check email as my iPad.

~~~
usaar333
But the computer wins when you factoring in the far faster webpage loading it
offers.

~~~
maguay
Sure. So perhaps it's not a net win or lose either way. The iPad is quicker to
get up and going with, perhaps like a car with higher octane fuel. Long haul,
the computer's going to win out for sure. But that initial feel of faster, and
the way you can just grab it and go instead of sitting down at a desk to check
email or get online, will make most consumers prefer tablet computers to full
comptuers. Same as oven vs. microwave. It's much faster to bring 10 gallons of
water to boil on a stove, but your cold cup of coffee would be reheated much
easier in the microwave. Complementary devices, some similar use cases, but
for the most part the microwave let us warm food we otherwise would have just
eaten cold. The iPad brings computing in an non-intrusive manner to areas we
otherwise would have not used computers.

And it's not just the iPad; Android Tablets will play a big part, and
HP/Microsoft/RIM/others will as well. But for now, the iPad is the 900 lb.
gorilla in the room, pushing tablet computing forward.

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th0ma5
I don't care for microwaves, except for heating up water for tea, which it is
great for, but I like breads, and microwaves cook away the water inside the
gluten making bread rather rubbery. I do like my Dell Mini 9 netbook, and my
XDA-found custom ROM for my Nook Color! :D

~~~
heyitsnick
Heating up water for tea?!

I recommend never suggesting this if you ever visit England.

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th0ma5
I have a kettle, and it is just as quick, but is there a fundamental
difference? Does the microwave "scorch" the water? Whatever that might be (ie,
make it hotter than it needs to be, manipulate the minerals in the water in a
way that affects taste?)

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heyitsnick
Water should be boiling, not just hot. When you say 'heat up water', it
suggests it's not at the point of vigorous boil to really extract the flavour.
Allow me to quote Douglas Adams:

"One or two Americans have asked me why it is that the English like tea so
much, which never seems to them to be a very good drink. To understand, you
have to know how to make it properly.

There is a very simple principle to the making of tea and it's this - to get
the proper flavour of tea, the water has to be boiling (not boiled) when it
hits the tea leaves. If it's merely hot then the tea will be insipid. That's
why we English have these odd rituals, such as warming the teapot first (so as
not to cause the boiling water to cool down too fast as it hits the pot). And
that's why the American habit of bringing a teacup, a tea bag and a pot of hot
water to the table is merely the perfect way of making a thin, pale, watery
cup of tea that nobody in their right mind would want to drink. The Americans
are all mystified about why the English make such a big thing out of tea
because most Americans have never had a good cup of tea. That's why they don't
understand. In fact the truth of the matter is that most English people don't
know how to make tea any more either, and most people drink cheap instant
coffee instead, which is a pity, and gives Americans the impression that the
English are just generally clueless about hot stimulants. "

<http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A61345>

~~~
th0ma5
Thank you! I like Orwell's take on tea also :D

<http://www.booksatoz.com/witsend/tea/orwell.htm>

Thanks again!

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RedDeckWins
Did microwaves become mainstream when they were 600+ dollars?

Also, a microwave helps you with the basic necessities of life (making/eating
food) if you lack cooking skills. The IPad is an entertainment device.

IMO this analogy is very weak.

~~~
bodyfour
Accounting for inflation, I'm sure they were more than $600 2011USD when they
became popular.

My family was a relatively late adopter of the microwave.. I think we got one
around 1984. It was a _used_ model that (IIRC) cost $300 which would be about
$611 now. If you bought a new one in the 70s it would have been quite a bit
more than that.

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JonoW
I enjoyed the article, but I just can't completely agree. The microwave is
seen as essential because it gives us humans such a valuable asset - time. Our
time is hugely valuable. I don't see tablets, iPad or other, having that same
impact. Sure they have some great qualities and they can make some tasks
easier and more convinient, but not significiantly quicker. That doesn't mean
they're not going to successful of course, I just don't seem them becoming
ubiquitous.

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grishick
Good analogy. To add to the analogy - I don't have an iPad and I very rarely
use a microwave, because freshly prepared food tastes better then microwaved
food, movies look better on the HD projector, and it is much more convenient
to read and type on a macbook pro then on an iPad (with or without a wireless
keyboard). And yet, at some point everyone will have an iPad, when it is cheap
enough to replace the magazine basket.

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swampplanet
I still can't understand how to use the iPad. It doesn't do what my Mac Book
can and I can do what it does on my iPhone. For eBooks I have my Kindle which
is much better to read on. The only use I've seen so far that it excels in is
in use in debates. The speaker can have more than one document up at a time.
Other than that?????

~~~
bliss
I'm the opposite, I have an iPad, but no iPhone - am actually considering an
iPhone now (might as well wait for the next tech refresh). But to quote my
mate Dave, since I got my iPad, I just use my iPhone as a phone!

Everyone should have a mate called Dave, think I'll just stick to my nokia
classic for telecoms.

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JakeSteele
i m not a apple fan, but this analogy really do justice with the iPad. though
there is one major flaw with it - last time i checked, the iPad cant be
activated without other computer. you need to connect it to some computer and
activate it via itunes. so not really microwave. microwave with DRM maybe?

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bliss
I've read all the arguments against the iTunes activation step, not many for
to be fair, but I believe I represent the silent majority that just doesn't
mind that imposition. The iPad is book matched with it's sync software, ipad
owner will then continue to use their sync software because it provides all
the access to the music, movies, photos, apps, ... As I remember, my US
Robotics palm pilot did work without the initial sync, but I wouldn't have
like to have trusted my data without sync and backup.

What's your particular problem with the initial sync stage?

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roadnottaken
Plus you can just have them activate your iPad at the Apple store and then
never go near a computer again.

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brianobush
If i can get an ipad w/o a having a mac, then I will agree it is akin to a
microwave. I can't buy one for my parents, since they have no mac. how would
they update it? activate it, etc?

~~~
metageek
It doesn't update over the air?

I know I've read you can activate it in the store before taking it home.

(Edit: I know my mom has an iPad and no Mac.)

