Apple + $$$ = IPS

[pianowizard]

I beg to differ, and that is the reason why I never have and never will buy a laptop that weighs more than 6 lbs. Being "weightless" would be fine if the laptop stayed on the desk, but if that was the case why not buy a cheaper, more powerful and more expandable desktop?

Hey, that's why I said "weight matters only when you are transporting it". I realized that laptops need to be moved around. My point was, as soon as you stop transporting the device and start using it, a laptop's weight no longer matters whereas the iPad's weight continues to matter. In fact, the iPad's weight now matters even more than when it was being transported, because most people are going to hold it in their hands while using it, whereas to transport it they would tend to use a shoulder bag or a backpack, and people's shoulders tend to be stronger than their hands. In other words, I was trying say that for most people (who would spend a lot more time everyday using a laptop than carrying it -- let's say 1 hour of transporting it versus 8 hours of using it on a desk), a 3-lb laptop might be light enough, but the iPad, even at 1.5 lb, is still not light enough. To make myself perfectly clear: holding the 1.5-lb iPad by hand for 8 hours a day is worse than carrying a 3-lb laptop in a backpack for 1 hour a day.

There are solutions to the "iPad being too heavy" problem, of course. The first one is to just lay it flat on a table while using it, but you would have to bend over your neck the whole time and might develop serious neck and back pain! Another solution would be to put it on a tilted stand so you can view the screen at a comfortable angle, but typing on the virtual keyboard at this angle would be extremely awkward.

[sparta.rising]

There are solutions to the "iPad being too heavy" problem, of course. The first one is to just lay it flat on a table while using it, but you would have to bend over your neck the whole time and might develop serious neck and back pain! Another solution would be to put it on a tilted stand so you can view the screen at a comfortable angle, but typing on the virtual keyboard at this angle would be extremely awkward.

You won't be able to use the keyboard when holding it in both hands as it is, you will have to lay it flat on the tablet or lap, unless you are a fan of one-handed hunting and pecking. But I think in normal use the bottom edge will be resting on a table or leg, taking off a portion of the weight and the hands will be only supporting a faction of the weight.

[pianowizard]

You won't be able to use the keyboard when holding it in both hands as it is, you will have to lay it flat on the tablet or lap

This is a virtual keyboard very similar to the iPhone's, except it's much bigger. For a mechanical keyboard, touch typing with both hands would obviously be the best way to go. But for a virtual keyboard, which gives no tactile feedback, typing with both hands won't give much advantage over using just one hand. In fact, I suspect it would be easier to hit wrong keys if I use both hands, because I would be so busy looking at so many fingers. If I just use one finger on one hand (like how I would use an iPhone's virtual keyboard), I can be more focused and thus more accurate.

I think in normal use the bottom edge will be resting on a table or leg

That sounds a bit risky because the device might slip and fall. Considering how expensive it is, many if not most people will be hold the whole thing by hand to make sure it won't fall, just like how one would hold a cell phone or PDA.

[asiafish]

Hey, that's why I said "weight matters only when you are transporting it". I realized that laptops need to be moved around. My point was, as soon as you stop transporting the device and start using it, a laptop's weight no longer matters whereas the iPad's weight continues to matter. In fact, the iPad's weight now matters even more than when it was being transported, because most people are going to hold it in their hands while using it, whereas to transport it they would tend to use a shoulder bag or a backpack, and people's shoulders tend to be stronger than their hands. In other words, I was trying say that for most people (who would spend a lot more time everyday using a laptop than carrying it -- let's say 1 hour of transporting it versus 8 hours of using it on a desk), a 3-lb laptop might be light enough, but the iPad, even at 1.5 lb, is still not light enough. To make myself perfectly clear: holding the 1.5-lb iPad by hand for 8 hours a day is worse than carrying a 3-lb laptop in a backpack for 1 hour a day.

There are solutions to the "iPad being too heavy" problem, of course. The first one is to just lay it flat on a table while using it, but you would have to bend over your neck the whole time and might develop serious neck and back pain! Another solution would be to put it on a tilted stand so you can view the screen at a comfortable angle, but typing on the virtual keyboard at this angle would be extremely awkward.

The fact that it isn't put down is the point though, it is a different paridigm than the laptop. In court, I have to place my ultraportable on a table or podium to use it, as to balance it in one hand is just not the way these things were designed to be used. A tablet, on the other hand, is perfectly suited to such use. Waiting in line, sitting in a cramped airplane seat, using in a car, bus or train. These are all situations where the tablet form-factor is a major breakthrough (and has been for years) over the regular clamshell laptop.

I tried a tablet PC back in 2003, a Toshiba Portege 3505. It was reasonably light at about 4 lbs and had a nice 12" display, but Windows (or OS X for that matter) is a desktop operating system designed to be used with a keyboard and mouse. Yes, it can be adapted and worked okay with a stylus, but the iPhone OS adapted the iPad was designed from the start to be used one-handed with just your finger.

[archer6]

BMW doesn't run ads bashing the Cobalt -- or any other car, for that matter. If you're going to dish out unfair comparisons and criticism, you better be ready to take some back.

I agree.

I also think that the key issue is the way that many (not all) Apple users conduct themselves. On forums, in public when talking computers, overall they seem to come across as so narrow minded and Pro-Apple at all costs. It's truly as though there are two types of Apple users, to use the street vernacular "fanboys" and the "regular users" that are not so unreasonable. Usually they are users of both PC and Mac computers, and can appreciate the differences without declaring only one as "the best".

[sparta.rising]

Well lets see how Apple advertises its use:

Steve uses two hands, but rests his hands on his lap:
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com ... rm-eng.jpg

Typing with two hands:
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com ... rm-eng.jpg

Resting on lap:
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com ... rm-eng.jpg

Holding with one hand, browsing with the other, bottom edge on lap:
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com ... rm-eng.jpg

All images from Engadget's coverage of the press event.

[pianowizard]

Well lets see how Apple advertises its use:

I see. I was envisioning resting the iPad on one's lap in a different posture. The way Apple is doing it does make it look more secure, i.e. less likely for the device to fall. However, the distance from the lap to one's eye is quite far for a screen with a pixel density of 132 DPI. That's okay for viewing photos but lots of people are going to want to hold it closer for viewing text, like this guy on that same site:

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com ... rm-eng.jpg

And bending over to see the iPad on one's lap is not so comfortable either. I would say that when one is seated at a desk, a laptop would be far easier to use, unless you use this external keyboard for the iPad:

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com ... rm-eng.jpg

On the other hand, when one is standing up, the iPad would be much easier than a laptop because it would be very difficult to use a laptop's keyboard or mouse pointer while standing up. The iPad would also be better than conventional tablets, which typically weigh around 4 lb.

Here's my conclusion: The iPad is excellent for people who use it while standing up or walking around. But if you use it while seated in front of a desk, a laptop would be much more convenient.

As far as typing with both hands, I am still convinced that it's actually faster and more accurate if one uses just one hand and one finger. We can't type by touch here, but must see the keys while typing, and so we don't want to be obstructing those keys with so many hands and fingers. Of course Apple had to show that one could use both hands to pretend that this virtual keyboard works just as well as a real keyboard. After all, that whole presentation was an advertisement.