No argument there. I’m just saying that Apple also gets the blame if the phone won’t run Flash, not Adobe. That same level of expertise is required to know about “32-bit vs. 64-bit,” “source code ownership” and the like.

Right, because the lack of Flash on the iPhone is what prevented it from redefining *that* category. No, wait….

Actually, that was kind of my point. Do you know anyone who uses their iPhone as their only web browser? They’ve dominated the Smart Phone category, but they’ve enabled things like Netbooks to come along as a result. If they want the iPad to be a computer, not an appliance, they need to cure their “Not Invented Here” syndrome.

There are plenty of copies, and many devices with more functionality, but Apple reigns supreme as the pacesetter.

This coming from a Mac guy? How many times have I stipulated that the Mac OS is technically superior to Windows, and yet Windows maintains its 80%+ market share? I haven’t played around with the Droid yet, but the fact that more people use the iPhone doesn’t, in and of itself, mean that the iPhone is the best product. Remember – #1 because of its ubiquity, not because of its quality..

Nah. Check out oscilloscopes from the 1950s; they’re white. Green or amber monitors come from the glass in front of the phosphors, IIRC.

As for easy on the eyes, we can go back before 1970. Gutenberg pretty much established the “black text on a white background” thing, and it’s done pretty well over the years (centuries).

Well, technically, it was randomly dark text on shades of beige, as black ink was more expensive than some alternatives, and truly white paper didn’t come along in printing press quantities until the 19th century.

I think it’s somewhat amusing that we’re enamored of the ergonomics of the printed page, because it’s 20th-century technology that made it so. For most of print history, books became nearly useless at sundown, and blindness among scholars was common because they ruined their eyes reading by candlelight. Ben Franklin had a massive 18th-century advantage in his childhood: candles are freely available when your dad owns the factory. Most of his peers couldn’t read like he did, because their families couldn’t afford it.

The most important two things in the world are a) the device never crashes, and b) Apple doesn’t get blamed for anything that goes wrong with the device.

I guarantee you, the first time you heard someone say, “My phone crashed,” you laughed. Because phones weren’t computers, and didn’t crash. (For all I know, it was me who said it.) I don’t blame Apple for saying, “we’re going to define the floor of this experience such that crappy things people take for granted simply do not happen.” It takes a certain amount of expertise to assign blame to components of a phone; personally, I’ve never sworn out loud, “*Goddamn* this Broadcom Bluetooth stack which is making my phone so flaky!” Most people are the same way about browsers and plugins; Apple gets the blame if the phone goes down.

But there are other software providers out there, and some users (particularly gamers) are OK with an occasional freeze-up or crash if it means they can play their favorite game.

No argument, it sucks if there’s a web app you want to use which isn’t compatible with your device. The iPad would be a nifty Hulu player. Arguably, if enough people use iPads, that’ll happen.

But if they really want to invent the “tablet computing” category, then they’re going to have to get out of that mindset.

Right, because the lack of Flash on the iPhone is what prevented it from redefining *that* category. No, wait….

Re: Phones – 10-inch devices can be phones in much the same way as laptops & desktops can be Skype devices.

Again, no argument. Seems to me there are two obvious reasons why the iPad isn’t equipped for video VOIP: 1) the general lack of VOIP for iPhone OS, whose reasons have always been murky, and appear to be abating, and 2) the need to cut features to hit the $499 price point.

Re: Conclusion – what makes you say that a device more suited to me would “suck rocks?”

Sorry, that implied a cause-and-effect which I didn’t intend. I’m noting that in year 10 of iPod and year 4 of iPhone, no competitor has come up with a device which superseded their design. There are plenty of copies, and many devices with more functionality, but Apple reigns supreme as the pacesetter. I expect the same for the iPad, which is where the “all others will be worse by comparision” conclusion comes from. “Suck rocks” was just a strong way of phrasing this.

And not to be crude, but if your female friend didn’t like the “Probe,” I can only imagine how she felt about the “Hummer.”

[spit-take]

Very nice.

I’m a male-type human being, so perhaps I’m not qualified to comment on this particular bit of sociology, but IMO, within a year, the “iPad” will mean just the Apple gizmo, and other meanings will drop off.

And not to be crude, but if your female friend didn’t like the “Probe,” I can only imagine how she felt about the “Hummer.”

Reminds me of a conversation I had years ago with a female friend who couldn’t believe that Ford would be dumb enough to name its new sports car “Probe.” I asked her what she had against robot spacecraft…

Re: Monitors – I always thought monitors were green on black because that was the color phosphorus turned when you ran an electrical current through it. As for easy on the eyes, we can go back before 1970. Gutenberg pretty much established the “black text on a white background” thing, and it’s done pretty well over the years (centuries).

Re: Flash – thanks for the link (I added some thoughts on Terrence’s blog too), but to summarize: this is just Apple being Apple. The most important two things in the world are a) the device never crashes, and b) Apple doesn’t get blamed for anything that goes wrong with the device. That’s great if you’re OK with depending on Apple & their partners for every thing your device does. But there are other software providers out there, and some users (particularly gamers) are OK with an occasional freeze-up or crash if it means they can play their favorite game. On the iPhone, this wasn’t that big a deal because, as you say, it’s an appliance, not a computer. If iPad is intended the same way, then it’s not a big deal. But if they really want to invent the “tablet computing” category, then they’re going to have to get out of that mindset.

Re: Phones – 10-inch devices can be phones in much the same way as laptops & desktops can be Skype devices. If I’m staring at my 10-inch screen, have earbuds in my ears, and want to talk to you, it seems silly that I’d have to pull out a separate device.

Re: Conclusion – what makes you say that a device more suited to me would “suck rocks?” Again, I remind you, most of the people in the world are like me, not you (speaking purely about technology here. ;-) )

iWork: no question in my mind, these exist to give people an excuse to buy the iPad. It’s possible they’ll actually work, and in very few cases may even be better than the originals. (Particularly Keynote; multitouch does look like a better interface.) But they’re there to transform the “new toy” into the “new work gizmo, which also happens to be a new toy”.

Onscreen keyboard: forget it. Here we know what haptic feedback is good for. Don’t try to tell me how great my Timex Sinclair 1000 was for text input.

Office on the iPad: will never happen. Create your documents in iWork, convert them on a Mac. If you have Windows, you’re not target market — or Apple wants to convert you. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Documents To Go for iPad comes along at some point.

Flash on the iPad: also will never happen. Good technical overview here. My debate about it with a buddy at Adobe here.

iPad as phone: VOIP is coming over 3G; apps just started getting approved this week. I think it’s presumed that a 10-inch device is unlikely to be used for regular phone calls. Will be surprised if a 3rd-party front-facing camera isn’t available in the next 12 months.

Conclusion: Apple just invented a new category. Me-too devices will follow from many competitors. Wouldn’t be surprised if one of them is better suited for you, but will also suck rocks in many ways in comparison.