Apple iPad announced – will we ever see an Apple netbook?

[Chris]

I'm sure you've already read all about the new Apple iPad, but I wanted to take a few moments to comment on the new product and how the iPad's existence all but crushes the (already very small) chances of an Apple netbook ever coming out. I've written about the possibility of an Apple netbook multiple [...]

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Define netbook.

[ThisIsNot]

Given the choice words that Steve Jobs used to describe netbooks, I doubt we would ever see an Apple one. This looks like it is going to be Apple's netbook. Something that doesn't carry a $999+ price tag (unless you want 3G data) while offering the basics of computing. The iPad can open and edit documents, presentations, spreadsheets, browse the internet (though the lack of Flash seems troublesome, hopefully Adobe works on getting it out for the iPhone OS platform soon), watch HD videos, listen to music, and it does that in a small package.

Not necessarily revolutionary given the circumstances of current netbooks that cost a lot less while running more powerful hardware (specifically the Nvidia ION and Broadcom chips as they can handle full 1080p playback, they aren't limited to 720p).

In my opinion, the MacBook (not the MacBook Pro line) is about as close to a netbook as Apple is going to get. The iPad represents a companion device that can perform most (if not all) tasks that a netbook can (other than running a full blown OS).

Revolutionary? Not in the very least. It comes off as being a glorified iPod touch. At least the battery life is great. 10 hours of surfing the internet through wi-fi and/or watching movies is pretty impressive. Even the 10+ hour Asus netbooks can't do that.

So yeah, the idea of an Apple netbook is pretty much dead now. They might come out with a surprise product next year but it looks like the iPad will be their middle ground device occupying the same space as netbooks. Only time will tell if it is a successful device or a failure. Apple hasn't released that many failures over the past 9 years. The only one that comes to mind is the AppleTV. It isn't necessarily a failure but it isn't nearly as popular as other Apple devices.

Good job on this post TIN man.

[ericinboston]

Originally Posted by ThisIsNot

Apple hasn't released that many failures over the past 9 years. The only one that comes to mind is the AppleTV. It isn't necessarily a failure but it isn't nearly as popular as other Apple devices.

True...and I might add some comments about the "revolutionary" and "magical" terms used by Apple in this product launch:

1)Apple revolutionized the MP3/music player industry in 2000 because nothing really existed that was as easy to use as the iPod. The iPod was an overnight success but I feel the generations after 1.0 just kept killing the other mp3 players in the market.

2)Apple revolutionized the smartphone (and some might even say cell phone) market a few years ago...again, huge success and I never thought I would buy one...I could never go back to any other cell phone/smartphone.

Now here comes this iPad thingy...what is it revolutionizing? Nothing. It's too many things in 1 box. Everyone and their mother owns an iPod...and also owns a cell phone (and likely iPhone since Apple just stated they sold 3.4 million in Q4 alone!)...tons and tons of people own laptops (notebooks or laptops)...so what's the value with the iPad (especially at its price)? I think Apple really missed the boat on this release. It may not be a flop, but it will be as bad as the AppleTV. If Apple releases a 2nd or 3rd version which is drastically more focused (say, aim directly at an e-book reader and web surfing machine and dump the rest of the stuff...or...aim it as a netbook computer and include a darn USB port and a "case" to cover the screen) then that new lineup will likely sell better...but risk killing the image of the iPad because of it's new, more sharply aimed focus.


So again, overall without writing a book and hitting every point, I tend to believe this is an oversized iPod Touch/iPhone for $499+ that now offers e-book support and a drawing program. For me, an owner of an iPod, iPhone, and netbook...there is absolutely NO REASON for me to buy this...there is no value for me. To me (and what I already own for devices) it's just a toy that merges a few of my existing devices' capabilities together for $499+.

No thanks.

[ThisIsNot]

Well, there is one way to look at early iPods. The first through fourth generation iPods did not do anything revolutionary. The hardware was more expensive than what other companies were releasing and it has less features. For example, the 20GB Rio Karma was the same price as the 10GB 2G iPod (and it was a little less than the 10GB 3G iPod) yet it came with a dock that had stereo RCA output, was compatible with more file formats (including OGG vorbis and FLAC), could last about 15 hours on a single charge, etc.

Apple would push iTunes with all of their iPods starting with the 3G model. That is what made the whole thing revolutionary. The pairing of an iPod with iTunes software. You easily manage your music while syncing content to the iPod. Most other players would rely on clunky low budget first party software that would take forever to sync 256MB to the player or they relied on the craptacular MusicMatch or Windows Media Player (which wasn't all that great back then, I still don't like it today).

So it was the combination of hardware and software that made the iPod line so successful. Apple made a new universe that almost anyone could operate while offering stylish (but not feature packed) hardware. I am not sure if Apple has done the same thing here. The AppleTV was supposed to revolutionize the way people experience their iTunes content with their HDTVs and home theater systems. It has so far been a fairly ho-hum device mainly because of the introductory price (it wasn't all that much less than a budget desktop that could outperform the AppleTV and now these net-top devices are in the $199-$299 range).

Many of the complaints I have been hearing about the iPad were made back when the iPhone was released and when the first generation iPod touch came out. Look how those devices turned out. The iPod touch is now the flagship iPod with the shuffle and classic lines bringing up the rear and the iPhone is the most coveted phone.

I think we would all be singing a different tune if Apple had done a better job marketing the device. They should have marketed it as a more advanced e-reader. Just look at the Amazon Kindle with a 9.7" screen. That thing is $489. Sure, it has global wireless but just how many people are going to use that? Not many, they represent a niche group when compared to the average Kindle user. A 16GB iPad at $499 now becomes something that people would have looked at had Apple stayed away from calling the iPad a revolutionary and magical device (while offering free 3G wireless for downloading e-books). So they had a chance to get things right for people. A 32GB iPad with free 3G access to download e-books at $499 would have been great. Apple could of had a nook and Kindle killer. Instead, they bashed netbooks and are trying to tackle that market as well. They could have kept everything about the iPad the same but change their jargon so that it attracted e-book consumers more so.

[ericinboston]

Originally Posted by ThisIsNot

Many of the complaints I have been hearing about the iPad were made back when the iPhone was released and when the first generation iPod touch came out. Look how those devices turned out. The iPod touch is now the flagship iPod with the shuffle and classic lines bringing up the rear and the iPhone is the most coveted phone.

Right...remember that the iPod was only available to Mac owners for the first 12 months...smart move Apple...sell the product that only works for 25,000 computer owners in America. I bought the 3rd gen iPod and hated it...I then got the 160GB (4th ed. I think) and it rocks...still have it. I have a feeling version 1.0 of the iPad will be the same...will sell fairly ok until version 2.0 comes out.

Originally Posted by ThisIsNot

I think we would all be singing a different tune if Apple had done a better job marketing the device. They should have marketed it as a more advanced e-reader. Just look at the Amazon Kindle with a 9.7" screen. That thing is $489. Sure, it has global wireless but just how many people are going to use that? Not many, they represent a niche group when compared to the average Kindle user. A 16GB iPad at $499 now becomes something that people would have looked at had Apple stayed away from calling the iPad a revolutionary and magical device (while offering free 3G wireless for downloading e-books). So they had a chance to get things right for people. A 32GB iPad with free 3G access to download e-books at $499 would have been great. Apple could of had a nook and Kindle killer. Instead, they bashed netbooks and are trying to tackle that market as well. They could have kept everything about the iPad the same but change their jargon so that it attracted e-book consumers more so.

Overall, I just think Apple stuck too much crap in this thing while also leaving out the basics of all that crap. Some examples (I'm gonna list the cons of the iPad...we all know what the pros are so I will save us space):

1)They wanted to make this their answer to the netbook market (which is really about surfing the web, doing light work on a computer, using it for 1-2 hours, playing some tunes, saving/reading some documents)....yet the iPad has no imaginable method of me TYPING on it for more than about 15 mins...how am I supposed to hold this thing and type at the same time? We don't all have cushy couches at the airport to prop it up against my legs/knees. And no USB ports? No ability to print?! No ability to attach a USB hard drive/flash drive to at least swap files back and forth?! No protective "lid" to protect my shiny glass touchscreen? No memory chip card reader to either swap files or expand my measly 16GB internal drive?! No video camera? So as a netbook offering, this thing stinks.

2)Apple wanted to make this a book reader...ok, $499? Quite pricey...albeit Amazon is a little cheaper we all at least know that Amazon is years ahead of Apple for working out bugs, negotiating contracts, etc. And really not much info on the whole "what can I do legally with my book" topic.

3)Apple wanted to make this a movie player...yet for something that is LAUNCHING 3/27/2010, it is nowhere near HD?! Come on! Granted $499 netbooks may not be true HD but they are certainly a better screen resolution than iPad's 1280x1024.

4)Apple wanted to make this a gaming device...why? This is just the iPod Touch but larger. People who dig true portable gaming devices are not going to buy a "computer" from Apple or the PC world...they will buy DEDICATED devices like Sony's PlayStation stuff or those other offerings that 17 year old kids love (I always forget the names) that sell for $169...sure, they may not have the screensize or possibly the graphics resolution, but they are a dedicated gaming device and I'm sure there will always be newer "versions" of the devices. Heck, they may even buy a plain old 32GB iPod Touch for $299...and you did know there is a BIG difference between the 16GB and 32GB Touches...right? The processors are different and some other "features" are missing on the 16GB. The iPod sits in a gamer's hand just like the Sony PSP.

Apple should have toned it down from 4 major categories to 1 or 2. Make it clear exactly what it is for. While it's nice to have a "thing" with all sorts of different technologies, when it fails to focus on 1 particular category while costing a small fortune, most folks see it as a fad or truly a "gadget". I own a Swiss Army Knife (and several knockoffs)...you wanna guess how many times I use it/them instead of a regular screwdriver, bottle opener, file, etc? Yeah...like once every 10 years. Nice to own...I won't go as far as comparing the iPad to the SWK but it's a fair analogy...especially for people who already own a netbook/laptop and/or iPhone and/or iPod Touch.