[LINK] Great but not as a computer? [was: iPad]

[Richard Chirgwin]

Stilgherrian wrote:
> On 29/01/2010, at 1:26 PM, Marghanita da Cruz wrote:
>   
>> The problem the I-Pad may have is it is too big to fit into a pocket, too small to replace your television and too limited to replace your computer or DVD/CD player and recorders.
>>     
>
> Who needs a DVD/CD player when everything is distributed online?
>   
...ummm, lots of people?

- Those who aren't paying for a huge download allowance yet.
- Those who don't want to set up a media player system because they're 
too damn hard (that includes me!)
- Those who want to go on holidays, taking *just* a handful of DVDs for 
occasional use that don't want to haul all the contingency equipment 
that might be needed if you don't have anything except what's on the 
hard drive.
- Those who don't like having their nuts nailed to someone's DRM system; 
or don't know how to break DRM so their stuff is sufficiently portable.

(On the DRM front, that's my objection to the iPhone-Pod-Pad phenomenon. 
As Stil heard me remark today, there are people who could stand in a 
chook pen eating peppermint and still sniff Microsoft DRM at a thousand 
yards. Wave something from Apple or Amazon under their faces, and the 
stink of DRM morphs into roses. Stunning.)

I noticed CD sales in a long-term declining trend. But the number sold 
is still greater than zero, so there must be people who still "need" 
CDs. Ditto DVDs...

[also shrugs]

RC
> As for "replace TV" or "replace computer", I'm not so sure. There's a lot of people who do not have a computer as a central component of their life. A portable device which is mostly about playing media and some communication, and which is cheaper and simpler than a general-purpose computer, may be exactly what they're looking for.
>
> TV is a group experience with 42" plasmas etc dominating a room. iPad is a personal device. Both niches exist in a family environment.
>
> In a non-typical demographic like Link, "not what I want" can't easily be generalised into "not what people want".
>
> [shrugs]
>
> Stil
>
>
>