I think they certainly fall in the same category, but I'm hoping that the iPad Mini will be slightly better in some scenarios where my Nexus 7 fell short.
I sold my Nexus and have preordered an iPad Mini to see if it'll be more usable while still retaining the portability of the Nexus (which I loved - you could actually stick it in your jeans back pocket)
Browsing the web was fundamentally frustrating for me on the Nexus 7 because you'd either be served a mobile site which looked awful because it was meant for a 4 inch screen or you'd be served a desktop site where you had to do a lot of pinching and scrolling to get the text to a readable state which felt like more work than it was worth.
Especially in horizontal mode the Nexus 7 felt like browsing the web through a letterbox because the OS is quite greedy with the screen real estate and the 16:10 doesn't have that many pixels to begin with.
Perhaps I have abnormally large pockets, but the nexus 7 fits easily in my front pocket of my jeans. I don't buy any particular brand (usually whatever is cheap/on sale at Walmart that they have in my size) and this is the case for shorts as well.
I find I use the nexus 7 far more than any other tablet I have (though admittedly, I don't have an iPad, and even the iPad mini is slightly priced out of my "purchase without thinking twice" range. The only time it isn't ideal for me is when I'm trying to read schematics. At that point I tend to grab one of the 10" tablets I have.
I love my nexus 7, But you're right, most websites assume anything less than <768 is a phone and deliver a single column layout. Even though the n7 is 800px wide (portrait), it reports a device-width of 600px. And of course plenty of websites sniff UA and deliver mobile if they even see Android.
It's not that I'm planning on rocking it like this often, but it's really practical for when you're moving between rooms and have a lot of other stuff to carry.
I agree with your idea that the future will be a fragmented one. And obviously there are still a lot of desktops and laptops at offices.
In my work for a digital agency we have a lot of projects going with tablets (well let's be honest it's all iPads) to work as replacement for laptops for certain processes and situations. There are so many real-life processes happening today where toting a laptop around is really not ideal and tablets have some awesome characteristics which make them a great second or third device for some job descriptions, but also a first device for others.
For pump installers for instance a laptop is a pain in the ass. They all have one, but they never bring it out of the car with them because it's heavy, has poor battery life and is really impractical when you're working in a dusty, dark environment. A tablet on the other hand serves them well. They can bring it with them. Hang it on a pipe somewhere and watch that installation video or look up that manual that they are needing. Battery life is so that they don't have to charge it all week. Everybody wins.
Don't mean to get carried away, but the world is really full of people doing "real work" where laptops and desktops are just not the best solution.
> Don't mean to get carried away, but the world is really full of people doing "real work" where laptops and desktops are just not the best solution.
I'm sure there is. But by far, most businesses still need laptops and proper desktops to work. Sometime you need a big screen. Most of the time you want to have a keyboard, a good one, to type fast. You want to have the precision of the mouse of do things on screen. ANd you need power. A portable device, no matter how good it is, is constrained by ventilation, temperature limits, processor speed, space, and so on. For the price of an iPad you get a much more powerful desktop computer.
Tablets have advantages as consumer devices, as presentation devices, as "reader / browsing" devices. They are convenient. I do not deny that. But they simply won't replace everything else.
And the reason why the iPad sells so well is because it's a disposable device at heart. Whenever a new iPad comes out, most of the previous iPad owners drop their older version to get the new one. (same for the iPhone, by the way). Usually computer users keep their PCs active for way longer than that.
I agree with you completely that desktops and laptops aren't going anywhere for the forseeable future.
For a lot of job functions power is just not necessary.
There is a lot happening right now with especially the iPad as a tool for mobile professionals, service sector jobs and for blue-collar work functions where access to data and light data entry is needed but a quad core is total overkill.
An easy to use OS and a decent touchscreen is a great way of streamlining a lot of processes which currently involve filling out forms and carrying around manuals and forms and what not.
Us office types still see it as that third device that does nothing that our laptop or smartphone can't do, but for those who have neither of those provided by the workplace it's a real boon.
"But by far, most businesses still need laptops and proper desktops to work. Sometime you need a big screen. Most of the time you want to have a keyboard, a good one, to type fast. You want to have the precision of the mouse of do things on screen."
Absolutely, I need those things... for about 15% of my working time.
I suspect lot of people in roles where access to information is needed with minimal modification or addition to the data could work with other devices.
I doubt that most (i.e. > 50%) of iPad and iPhone users replace them on an annual basis. Would love to see some solid data on the actual numbers though.
I don't know. I may be suffering from sample bias, but around me, everyone who have iPads and iPhone change models as soon as one comes out. And they feel an URGE to do it. For reasons I cannot understand.
I've also heard the same story from other friends in different places, so I can only assume that a large amount of pre-iPad owners seem to buy a new one systematically. I don't have market research data to prove anything, however.
The URGE to get a new one is irrational. We dont see that on PC when a new graphic card comes out or something. The iPad replacement pace is massive and hysterical.
Why is it hysterical or irrational? The new model provides significant advantages to the consumer.
It costs about as much as a fancy new video card, and is much easier for users to replace than a video card. Plus, they can sell the old one, or hand it down to spous/kids/etc.
Imagine the viral traffic you could get when people have seen "moe clubbed two obnoxious baby seals" in your facebook ticker a few times an hour for a while.
In my experience it's not uncommon for a boss to have people draft up their own recommendations when it comes time to find a new place to work and then just sign them afterwards.
Topolsky did mention in his post that he has a project on the horizon that he will be sharing more about. Ryan Block and Peter Rojas went on to start GDGT so maybe the alienated engadget editors have some new fresh take on tech up their sleeve.
I sold my Nexus and have preordered an iPad Mini to see if it'll be more usable while still retaining the portability of the Nexus (which I loved - you could actually stick it in your jeans back pocket)
Browsing the web was fundamentally frustrating for me on the Nexus 7 because you'd either be served a mobile site which looked awful because it was meant for a 4 inch screen or you'd be served a desktop site where you had to do a lot of pinching and scrolling to get the text to a readable state which felt like more work than it was worth.
Especially in horizontal mode the Nexus 7 felt like browsing the web through a letterbox because the OS is quite greedy with the screen real estate and the 16:10 doesn't have that many pixels to begin with.