[geeks] iPad - NOT a 'Miss' for me I'm afraid

[Lionel Peterson]

On Feb 3, 2010, at 2:39 PM, nate at portents.com wrote:

>> You are approaching 7 pounds of electronics on your person (although
>> with the proper dongles you could recharge all three from the laptop
>> power adapter at what, another pound pound and a half?) - that is a
>> bit much to carry from class to class PLUS books...
>
> I think you're conflating my comment about multi-device ownership  
> with my
> comments about the type of bag people will be carrying...  Let me  
> clear.
>
> Scenario A: Future campus where most books are electronic.  Student
> carries iPad and a few other things in a backpack or other  
> traditional bag
> (bag doesn't really change, just gets a bit lighter).  Notebook or  
> desktop
> computer resides most of the time in the student's dorm room.

Sounds like the issue between you and I has to do with the event  
horizon we are talking about -  I'm only considering the next 12-18  
months, you are talking about "book-less" future that is  
(conservatively) 5-7 years away.

> Scenario B: Professional such as myself in the near future.  Adds an  
> iPad
> to existing carry bag (messenger bag for instance), which doesn't add
> significant weight or bulk.  In some instances, the professional  
> decides
> he/she can get by with just the iPad and doesn't bring a notebook  
> computer
> with them, lightening their load, but they still use the notebook  
> computer
> for things it's good at.
>
> In neither scenario, is the iPad totally displacing existing  
> devices, or
> introducing new carry bags.

I admit I was stuck on the iPad replacing atleast one device, not  
adding to your existing suite of tools.

>> My point was that VHS technology is still in use by many folks - you
>> dismissed them as "luddites" (my word) who shouldn't be considered
>> when designing for "the future of technology."
>
> There's a rather large disconnect between the historical meaning of
> luddite and the (mistaken, in my opinion) current usage:
>
> http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/10/if-you-are-reading-this-post-you-are-not-a-luddite.ars
>
> My point was that anyone building a handheld device of the iPod/iPad  
> class
> doesn't really need to concern themselves with VHS-type technologies  
> or
> their (past/current) customers, because they've already been  
> considered by
> the desktop systems you sync these devices to.

They didn't sell millions upon millions of iPods by ignoring folks  
that already owned music on CDs, they made ripping CDs trivial... I  
expect the same facility for DVDs (if not VHS tapes) in any movie  
player without an optical strive.

Lionel