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Apple sells 3M iPads after Mini launch

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Wow! 3 Million Mini Ipads??

1 ( +4 / -3 )

3 million is actually less than analysts expected, and even less than the "hated" and "dreaded" Windows 8. The fact they didn't announce how many 4th gen ipads were sold is also concerning, since that can only mean less than spectacular sales.

Looks like apple stock will continue to fall, it's already 20% off from it's peak, well below 600 now. (http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/nothing-lasts-forever-apple-showing-age-160045232.html)

And it's not just customer base and stocks slipping, even judges are starting to side against apple, which could mean they are going to lose a great deal of profit on their products (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/google-says-apple-patent-lawsuit-dismissed-191635519--sector.html)

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

3 million! Wow! Another slam dunk, home run for Apple! The people have spoken and iPads are what they want!

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

zichi, check your social networks.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

3m in only a handful of countries. People still know where quality is.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

The sales figure compares with 1.5 million iPads sold in the first three days after Apple launched the third-generation iPad in March and cut the price of the iPad 2.

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/03/19New-iPad-Tops-Three-Million.html

It looks like Apple was either lying then or they always lie about numbers. How does the 3rd gen ipad get 3 million sales in a weekend then, but magically only half now after a few months of number crunching?

Also note that Apple only says ipads, not ipad mini (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/11/05Apple-Sells-Three-Million-iPads-in-Three-Days.html) or ipad 4th gen. How many of the ipads were ipad 2? My guess would be a significant enough amount that we will soon see apple drop the ipad 2 from it's pages in an effort to force people to get the new products rather than old one.

For a company that prides itself on explosive products, this is starting to look like a wet firecracker rather than C4.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

3 millions in only 7 countries. There are still 100+ countries waiting for it. Here in Brazil people are counting the days for the arrival of iPhone5 and iPad minis.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

LostinNagoyaNov. 06, 2012 - 12:21PM JST

3 millions in only 7 countries. There are still 100+ countries waiting for it. Here in Brazil people are counting the days for the arrival of iPhone5 and iPad minis.

That is completely false according to apple itself:

Both iPad mini and the new fourth generation iPad with Retina display are available in 34 countries including the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and the UK, and will be available in many more countries later this year, including mainland China.

There are almost five times as many countries involved as you state, which equates to less than 100000 per country (distribution average, not meaning all had same amount). More votes were cast for AKB48's "contest", and twice as many tickets were for Michel Jackson's last concert (cancelled when he died) in just two hours (at an average cost of about the same as an ipad mini). When looking at things from afar, it's not really that spectacular considering analysts had been looking for 10 million+ for first batch.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

the article said " 3million iPads of all kinds" not only iPad-mini. There are still many people who buy the cheaper ipad2 now, as they do not see the need for a more expensive retina display.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I already have list of 7 iPhone5 and 8 minis, all from my Brazilian friends. But customs will allow me re-enter Brazil with only one of each device. No wonder black market here is one of the most profitable in the whole world. A i5 may be sold by U$2000 easily.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

3 million iPads of all kinds

apple marketing again, how many mini's did you sell?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Those tremendous numbers prove what we already know. Apple continues to be the most sought after, hip brand there is in the world!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Agreed Horsefella. Here in Brazil iDevices are really hard to get, but you see people doing miracles to get them. They really want to have iPhones and iPads. But you see other brands in home centers, you can pay in up to 24 installments. So those are sold to the ones who can't pay or can't ask iDevices from abroad. Sadly, some OS sell well because they're cheap and people can't afford premium products, like iDevices.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

hoserfellaNov. 06, 2012 - 12:58PM JST

Those tremendous numbers prove what we already know.

When you take tremendous to be the meaning "arouse dread... or terror", yes, it will scare the shareholders for how weak the numbers were. Analysts had expected apple to supply and sell 10 million of these pads n the initial run, and got less than a third (far less if we take the fact that apple said all pads, not just mini). It's no wonder stocks shed 50 points since the announcement of the device, and the only thing keeping it from slipping again is the news that apple pays only 2% tax.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Right now everybody is ordering iPhone5/4s because Apple released a manual in Portuguese with instructions on how to use Siri in Brazilian Portuguese - not the European - and this is causing frenzy. Everybody wants to see Siri in action in Portuguese. Must come with iOS 6.1 after holidays

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Basroil: where do you get your numbers from? 10m!!?? Estimates for 1st weekend sales of the mini that I've seen from different sources were between 1.5~3m and out of the released sales figues analysts estimate 2m or more are minis.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I had a headache with Windows this serem that only proves how Apple is better. I lent a USB drive to share a file with a friend and after he downloaded it into his Windows notebook it got infected with an autorun.inf file. I asked him what was that, he told it was a malware file that every pendrive he uses get it or have it. He spent 20 minutes trying to trash it, to no avail because the thing was locked and could not be unlocked. Out of patience because we were working, I just plugged it in my Mac and deleted it with Disk Utility, in 5 seconds. Windows, waste of time.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

the article said " 3million iPads of all kinds" not only iPad-mini.

I would guess around 90%. Let's wait and see. 3 million iPads? That's about half of what Samsung have sold. Ever. Amazing! This is going to be a great quarter for Apple.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

ifd66Nov. 06, 2012 - 01:22PM JST

where do you get your numbers from? 10m!!?? Estimates for 1st weekend sales of the mini that I've seen from different sources were between 1.5~3m and out of the released sales figues analysts estimate 2m or more are minis.

The two statements are not exclusive, the only things different are that I'm referring to apple saying they are "sold out of the initial production" rather than expected weekend sales. According to purchase orders from suppliers, people had estimated up to 10 million units being made in first run (enough to cover up to christmas), but newer estimates put the initial order at less than a million with 10 million by end of 4th quarter.

Considering leaked photos showing samsung sourced display parts but new teardowns showing LG ones as well, possibly apple having decided to drop samsung only after initial production began. They could have very well sold more units had they stuck with samsung in addition to LG, but instead they cut their initial production by a ton and probably never broke the iPad 3rd gen level of sales.

Most of the 1.5-2.5 million figures have come after release, when it was confirmed that their expectations had to be lowered.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

zichi,

What you write is proof of the fact that MS just doesn't get it.

What takes up a large proportion of the 16GB of an MS Surface is Office, apparently. You have the full office suite, with all its fiddly bits and wonderful "ribbon," which is going to be extremely difficult on a touch pad. They have had all this time to develop a miniaturised Office Suite that is "touch friendly" but they failed to do it.

The surface has a keyboard! Great! Except that it isn't a keyboard. Your fingers clack away on painted keys, nothing moves, there is no feedback. And you can't change the position of the keyboard relative to the display.

What I like about the iPad is that I can use even a cheapo Bluetooth keyboard with it and place the keyboard anywhere I like. And I can choose not to use a keyboard at all. There are times when I want to show someone some pictures, kill time with a game or a movie or a book, and don't need the keyboard at all. And if I do need a keyboard, I have two choices, the onscreen keyboard on the iPad which isn't bad or press the mike key and dictate what I want to write.

The big difference, as I see it, is that MS products are designed by a committee and Apple products by individuals.

Individuals create.

Committees don't.

That's why Apple sells.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

BertieWoosterNov. 06, 2012 - 02:09PM JST

What takes up a large proportion of the 16GB of an MS Surface is Office, apparently.

Actually it's 32gb in the Surface, with about 20gb user space. Add a $30 SDXC card and it can be a 96gb (84 user space) tablet on the cheap. ipad does not have office at all, so that's an automatic plus for Surface.

The surface has a keyboard! Great! Except that it isn't a keyboard. Your fingers clack away on painted keys, nothing moves, there is no feedback. And you can't change the position of the keyboard relative to the display.

Wrong on first one there, there are two keyboard covers, one is hard keyboard with actual keys! On both Surface and android, screen keyboard does any direction.

What I like about the iPad is that I can use even a cheapo Bluetooth keyboard with it and place the keyboard anywhere I like.

Guess what, you can do the same with Surface or any android tablet!

And I can choose not to use a keyboard at all.

Ditto with Surface and Android, especially if you get swype keyboard.

And if I do need a keyboard, I have two choices, the onscreen keyboard on the iPad which isn't bad or press the mike key and dictate what I want to write.

On most android tablets you have no less than two, and you can install any others you want. On Surface, you have three "keyboards", two for touch, one is writing pad.

Basically everything you said proves the only reason the ipad sells at all still is brand loyalty and downright false information. People are starting to catch on though, and if Apple keeps suing their suppliers, they will keep having release issues like this one.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Basroil-san,

Good to see you back on form!

Since you know so much about it, you probably do not need to do so, but, just in case, here are a couple of articles:

http://www.osnews.com/story/26483/Windows_RT_Office_RT_takes_up_12GB_disk_space

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2012/10/19/microsofts-surface-is-apples-ping/#more-4739

I wonder by the way, why you think that Apple has this tremendous brand loyalty.

As for me, I believe that it is due to its well made and well designed hardware and software, but I doubt very much that we see eye to eye on that.

Apple certainly does have tremendous brand loyalty and surveys have proved it, but I find it very hard to believe that all those millions of people around the world ONLY buy iPads because of brand loyalty and downright false information.

I wonder what other readers think about this?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

That is the power of the Apple brand, design and intuitive OS. Overpriced and underwhelming iPad and still sold out - absolutely amazing...

0 ( +2 / -2 )

"underwhelming iPad"

But apparently overwhelming to the millions who buy and use them.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Even when I'm using Windows, I still don't use Office. The Office development team haven't cared about usability for years and it seems unlikely to me that they would fix their game this time around... but if they do, that's great.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

randomenigmaNov. 06, 2012 - 03:07PM JST

Even when I'm using Windows, I still don't use Office.

Good for you. But the rest of the working world needs Office, especially those in corporate settings. And no, you can't VPN into it because icrap doesn't support Remote Desktop. One of the reasons why businesses have been resistant in bothering with icrap and they have been relegated to fruit slashing games in private homes.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

randomenigma-san,

You write:

Even when I'm using Windows, I still don't use Office.

I have Office on my main iMac, but recently have been toying with the idea of erasing it.

I never use it and it takes up an AWFUL lot of space.

I know that if I read the manuals cover to cover, and really applied myself to the task, I could figure out how to make it perform summersaults and make a cafe au lait but I can't be bothered.

Keynote is way better than PowerPoint and Pages and Numbers do everything I need from Word and Excel without the fuss. All these apps have desktop and iPad/iPhone versions and synch perfectly. I can open a Word doc on my iPad, make changes to it and synch it with my iMac or anyone on the internet. Similarly, I can create a document in Pages and save it Word format.

I have Bento, but have hardly ever used it, however, it's there if I need a DataBase.

So there really is no need to have Office at all.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

And the best is yet to come. Because of it's form factor I would bet that more than the regular iPad, the iPad mini will go for the cellular + WiFi option which hasn't gone on sale yet.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I have Office on my main iMac, but recently have been toying with the idea of erasing it.

Office for Mac sucks compared to its Windows cousin. I think it must be a different development team writing it. Maybe Microsoft want people to switch to Windows.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Good for you. But the rest of the working world needs Office, especially those in corporate settings. And no, you can't VPN into it because icrap doesn't support Remote Desktop. One of the reasons why businesses have been resistant in bothering with icrap and they have been relegated to fruit slashing games in private homes.

Not sure where you work, but I can remote into work with an iPad. No problems.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

BertieWoosterNov. 06, 2012 - 04:39PM JST

So there really is no need to have Office at all.

Try using any files made in that with a real office computer. Hell, use it with other office compatible programs. iDONTworks can't create properly render-able files, especially with Japanese fonts. You'll have a bunch of blocks and huge letters that dangle out of your slides.

I never use it and it takes up an AWFUL lot of space.

880mb is not a lot of space. And that's professional plus that includes outlook, access, and infopath that aren't in Student and Home version. Just keynote, numbers, and pages are that size on the ipad3, and it's less than half the programs and no clipart included! (if you don't want clipart and templates, office full install is just 600mb, keynote and pages together are larger!)

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

@zichi

Windows 8 tablets have microSD slots and USB ports. Simply add more storage. Good luck doing that with iPad.

Any app on iPad will also change the interface, no different than other tablets. Unless every app you happen to open, display just like the icon selection screen on iPad. If it doesn't display like that, then you just changed your interface.

Wow, 3 iPad apps to have the functionality of Office. Does that mean, the apps suck so bad that you need to have 3 different versions just to get the same functionality as Office 2k13?

MS's cover keyboard. Guess what? You don't have to buy it. You could also simply buy different keyboards. There is no limit. It's called options and MS is simply giving you 3 options.

You do know that Office 2k13 is free for Windows RT right? Why go with ghetto fake versions of Office, when you get Office for free. For Win 8 Pro, you can buy Office 2k13 or simply use your older versions of Office.

You have to pay for a virtual version of Windows 7 with IE. Awesome. Windows 8 users will just get to use IE10 natively. IE10 unsupported on Windows 7 currently. I also highly doubt it's a "full" virtual version, unless all you're doing is remoting to OnLive servers to access a virtual machine there. It also goes to show that iPad is so limited, you still need to have access to Windows. Pretty much the same thing as OSX, that's why there's VirtualPC and bootcamp.

If you think iPad apps are better than a full blown Office install, you obviously barely use Office. I'd never get by on some Android/iOS Office app when writing my system administration manuals or migration guides. I'm even wary of Office 2k13 on Windows RT. I know Office 2k13 on Windows 8 Pro works great, since that's what I have running on my Windows 8 Pro convertible tablet. Not sure if there's a difference between the two.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

@zichi

As I said, if you can't tell the difference between a slimmed down mobile OS version of Office, you don't use the advanced portions of Office. I can't make do with them for work at all. They're only good enough to view some of my docs, definitely not work on them.

You also listed things you can do on an iPad, that you can do on any mobile device. It's hardly limited to iPad. Take for example, Verizon's home monitoring service. From your iOS, Android, Windows, or FIOS TV, you can monitor your cameras, turn on/off lights, unlock/lock doors, change your heating/cooling temps, monitor energy usage, etc.

Everything the iPad is capable of, is capable on Android or Windows. Aside from anyone bothering with running iOS. Not that there aren't emulators for iOS or OSX on Android or Windows anyways.

Here, try doing this. Run Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 2k8, on virtual machines on your iPad without using any of the iPad's networking (wifi, 3g/4g/etc). Tell me how that works out. Then when I get my Win8Pro tablet, I'll do just that.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Korlacan KhanthavilayNov. 06, 2012 - 05:03PM JST

Any app on iPad will also change the interface, no different than other tablets. Unless every app you happen to open, display just like the icon selection screen on iPad. If it doesn't display like that, then you just changed your interface.

WIndows 8 tablets will certainly make the mini obsolete, the display settings take three presses to change, and all apps change (assuming they have support for that language, all 100 or so of them)

Wow, 3 iPad apps to have the functionality of Office. Does that mean, the apps suck so bad that you need to have 3 different versions just to get the same functionality as Office 2k13?

You do know that Office 2k13 is free for Windows RT right? Why go with ghetto fake versions of Office, when you get Office for free. For Win 8 Pro, you can buy Office 2k13 or simply use your older versions of Office.

Some people do stupid things, usually out of ignorance or arrogance.

I also highly doubt it's a "full" virtual version, unless all you're doing is remoting to OnLive servers to access a virtual machine there. It also goes to show that iPad is so limited, you still need to have access to Windows.

Nope, in fact, it's less than even remote desktop. It's basically web browsing a computer "site", you can't even access local folders like in Remote Desktop! Not to mention that you'll burn through about a gb of bandwidth each day if you use it for about 3 hours a day. In a week you've already crossed over many companies flagging limits.

You also can't install your own programs unless they are on a whitelist, and they reserve the right to remove everything. Not to mention that microsoft has been keeping a close eye on them for violating license agreements, and they are sure as hell liable for massive damages if they break the agreements.

Another interesting note is that you can't use consumer OnLive connections for business, so that automatically rules out the service. And also promoting any products or services other than your own is against onlive user agreement, so Korlacan Khanthavilay, don't try to advocate anything if you use it!

I'm even wary of Office 2k13 on Windows RT. I know Office 2k13 on Windows 8 Pro works great, since that's what I have running on my Windows 8 Pro convertible tablet. Not sure if there's a difference between the two.

No macros, vb, or remote settings controls, but those things have been disabled by default on office products since the OSX office epidemic (where OSX machines with office would be carriers of macro viruses but incapable of cleaning the files). Also no outlook, but most of the functionality should still remain in word for mass email related issues, and no access, but who the hell wants to organize databases on a tablet anyway? Far too slow for your average 200mb small database.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

I didn't use any Apple computer when I first came to Japan because they were not available. I used Gateway then but they packed up and left. I changed to Apple because of the ease of typing in English and Japanese on an what could be called an "English computer" but in fact its just a simple matter to turn it into a "Any other language computer". I find typing Japanese on a Windows computer much more slow.

Exactly. Me too. Dos V was close, but Mac owned multilingual until Windows XP.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

http://www.geekwire.com/2012/video-people-give-windows-8-tablet-chance/

Looks like 3 million ipads is the most apple will ever get again in one weekend, they have some good competition.

Considering their other release also had 3 million (and then languished at about 6 for the quarter) but was cannabilized by the cheaper ipad 2 (they sold only 200 thousand units less than christmas before ipad 3, but made 400 less in revenue, a loss of 9% on top of lower unit count), the same thing will happen again. They will sell a few units more, but overall income will fall greatly, since the profit margins are much smaller. In fact, the best case scenario is that ipad 2 cannabilizes ipad mini sales, as it probably has. Much higher profit margin there.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

So the virtual Windows 7 machine which is stored on someone else's server, accessed via webpage, is crippled. Ya, not really surprising there.

I'd rather have my Win 8 Pro tablet. Why should I need to remote to my own desktop or access some webpage version of a crippled virtual machine, when I can just run it all natively.

Also, yes. Verizon's home monitoring service does require you to pay a monthly fee. That or you can just setup your own home monitoring system and run it through your own home computer. Then access it all remotely.

I never said I dislike iPad. I sure don't love it and think it can do everything under the sun, as it simply can't. Imagine your iPad has no wifi and no 3G/4G. What can you do with it? Can you run a virtual Windows machine on it? Can you run a full version of Office on it? Can you run Windows software on it? No, you can't. That's the way any Arm based tablet is going to be. Very limited. Be it iPad, Android, or Windows 8 RT.

Windows 8 has a steep learning curve? Huh? Have you even used it? The only real difference between Windows 8 and Windows 7, is that Windows 8 now has a fullscreen start menu. This start menu also doesn't show every single application available, so you have to use the search function. If that is what you consider a steep learning curve, then your so called "experienced computer users" are idiots.

It took me minutes to figure out Windows 8. Now figuring out how to use it and liking that fullscreen start menu are two different things. I don't like it, but I'm not in it all that often. Everything I use either automatically opens when I open a file or common used programs are pinned to my taskbar, which I do on Windows 7.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Have any of you actually used Microsoft Surface, I can tell you know (as I am writing on one) that it is a really impressive device!

I am doing a case study on it for my company and can say this, it is fast! Office apps such as Word load in about 2 seconds on average so I don't know where this "bloat ware office" comes from. Hello people 90%+ of documents on this planet will most likely have been written in Microsoft Office and us in the real world rely on it, touch works well on it as well but I find I use my fingers for gestures such as scrolling and my surface touchpad when it comes to fiddly document related tasks as it just feels natural along with keyboard shortcuts.

With regards to the Micro SD card, well why not include it I had a spare 64Gb SD card hanging and slammed it in, plus SD cards are dirt cheap you could keep several if you really needed. And USB 2, fantastic I was working with somebody the other day and they just handed me a USB stick with a document on, no problem plug it in and away you go. Simplicity at its best I only see the iSheep mocking the fact it has them, are you jealous because it is great having standard ports the rest of the planet use?

My impression so far is that the Surface is a fantastic device, I can't praise it enough, it is fast and improves my efficiency and works with me (not against me like I felt on an iPad). Integration with all of Microsoft's online services such as Sky Drive for example means that saving to the cloud is now just there as if it is part of my device and not a bolt on. Music and Video are great and the Xbox integration for the bit I use it was good to.

My impressions on Windows 8, well I have used it since the developer preview and I can't understand this learning curve, it works the same as 7 even the start menu does in reality it just goes full screen. I actually find the tiles a brilliant concept, the amount of times I have glimpsed an interesting news item whilst clicking the start menu is great. Also this move the mouse to the bottom left corner business, it actually is easier than clicking a button it just feels natural once you realize where it is (the first start tutorial does tell you as well), my desktop apps all work as they did on 7 only now I have a whole new app experience if I want to use it.

Most of the negative press seems to be because news agencies are obsessed with the Apple cult, it is becoming quite sad and annoying. All I can say (and this is from somebody who has used all of these devices) is ignore the press, play with the device and make your own decision as at the end of the day it is you who has to use it and not somebody from a magazine.

Awaiting the mass Apple fanboy lash back any second now!!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I don't even bother scrolling to the bottom left to open the start menu. I just touch the right-side of the screen and swipe a little to the left. From there, you have options for search, start, settings, and something else. Can't remember. You can still just go to the lower left and click the start menu.

I did remove a lot of the excess crap off the start menu. I don't need to have the MS store, weather, etc on there. I only have the few programs I use and the normal desktop icons on there.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Korlacan KhanthavilayNov. 06, 2012 - 11:14PM JST

I don't need to have the MS store, weather, etc on there. I only have the few programs I use and the normal desktop icons on there.

I find their weather app to be the best one in any of the three systems, it actually gets it right pretty damn often, better than local news even!

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Why are you guys talking about MS Office in Macs, if there's a better and free alternative which is OpenOffice?

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

ipads do not have Office products. They don't have Word. They don't have excel. They don't have powerpoint. They don't have access. If you take your ipad into an elevator you have nothing. People have seen that they can't work on an ipad, and so has apple. Even apple has suggested the ipad is simply a consumption device, you aren't expected to make things on it. That is why it's stagnating

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2012/10/10/microsoft-dont-expect-office-for-ipad-in-the-near-term/

Office does not exist on ipads, and businesses can't rely on horribly useless amateur copies. ipads have lost the new customer game already, and almost all devices purchased are "upgrades"

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Nobody uses ipad for word processing, it's not a personal computer. You use one to surf the web, buy software which mostly costs $0 to $1, and do simple crap a full Windows PC struggles to do. I've always had both PC and Mac and both have their uses, but I always point out I only have to reboot my mac about once a year and I have 100+ apps on my ipad that in total cost lest than one of the more expensive apps on my PC.

There's free soft on both PC and Mac that works on all word docs and runs faster to boot. Why in the world anybody uses Office is probably explained by ignorance and inability to change software habits.

It's funny, because every iteration of Windows has been a "horribly useless amateur copy" of old Mac OS versions. The name "Windows" itself is a parody of Mac windowing.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Office does not exist on ipads, and businesses can't rely on horribly useless amateur copies.

No. In fact better to use tools designed to be used on tablets like Pages and Numbers.

ipads have lost the new customer game already, and almost all devices purchased are "upgrades"

Any evidence on this? Seems unlike in an expanding market...

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I don't believe that the iPad can do everything, at least not yet. Same is true of all tablets. I use the iPad for 80% of the computer work but I still need my desktop for the other 20%. Maybe in a couple of years I can do all my work on a tablet.

Windows 8 Pro tablets are essentially Ultrabooks. They can do everything without the need of Wifi/Internet. Once I get my Win 8 Pro tablet, I plan to wipe it and load Windows 7.

A prefect combination for someone like a travelling journalist, reporter, writer, salesperson would be an iPad wifi+cellular and a MacBook Air. I know quite a few people using this combination. Both have great battery life. Or even a MacBook Pro with retina display. Great having two devices with retina displays. What a joy to use.

You know what's even better? A Windows 8 Pro tablet. That's it. It does what the iPad and Macbook Air will do. It'll do even more too. All in a single device.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

lol, professional writers using an iPad for actual work. Ya, cause they definitely want to limit themselves to like what? 10 wpm. I type around 80-100 wpm. I probably can't even hit 25 wpm on any kind of tablet, unless I decide to carry around a bluetooth keyboard with me.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Microsoft Surface has bluetooth. The cover keyboards are just two of the many options available. MS has 3 different keyboards they released for the Surface. Type Cover, Touch Cover, and Wedge keyboards. There's also the possibility of simply getting a cheap USB keyboard and plugging it in (for the Pro versions). You talk about unlimited choices on the iPad, yet try to limit the Surface to 2 keyboards that MS produces for it. Even though those options for the iPad will work with the Surface too. With the Pro, it is completely unlimited. Any bluetooth keyboard, any USB keyboard, or if you really wanted to, any PS2 keyboard (using a usb to ps2 adapter).

Also, Windows 8 Pro tablets have been released. Sure, I don't own one, but I don't need to own one to figure out how it'll work. Why? Cause I have an HP TM2T with Windows 8 Pro on it. It's no different than a Windows 8 Pro tablet, aside from it having an attached keyboard, touchpad, and lower specs. It runs a Core 2 Duo, 4 gigs ram, 500 gig hdd, multitouch screen and wacom digitizer. Win 8 Pro tablet will have a faster processor, same amount of memory or more, SSD, multitouch screen that has a higher resolution, and no digitizer. I haven't seen any Win 8 Pro tablets that will have a digitizer, but wouldn't be surprised if they come out.

I also don't care if it has 3/4G on it. That's just another data plan you have to purchase. Instead, I can tether it to my phone or use my 4G Clear usb modem, if I felt like paying for that again (which I don't). I don't even see how 3/4G is even a selling point nowadays. Unless you feel like just burning money on 2 or more different data plans for all your devices.

It's like when I bought my PS Vita. It's got wifi and cellular. I never use the cellular, as AT&T wants to charge like $30 for 2 gig or something for bandwidth. That's not even enough to download a game. I just tether it to my phone. Just like what I do with my Android tablet or laptop/tablet.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Basroil,

Office does not exist on ipads, and businesses can't rely on horribly useless amateur copies. ipads have lost the new customer game already, and almost all devices purchased are "upgrades"

Well, you can open Office docs on an iPad and save and send them in Office doc format.

There's nothing horrible, useless or amateur about Pages, Numbers or Keynote.

In fact it's really easy to produce great looking documents on them.

Graphics is what Apple/Mac excels at.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Graphics is what Apple/Mac excels at.

Yep, that's why your 3rd party graphics programs run faster and are better optimized for Windows. Even big companies like Pixar moved to cluster farms on PC.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

I'm a world traveler. I'm living in Germany right now. I've lived 3 years in England, 2 years in S.Korea, and 2 years in Japan. I also do type in Japanese, although, of course not at those speeds. Everything I do at work is in English.

I also never stated anything about the Surface Pro being released. I could care less about that. I simply stated that Windows 8 Pro tablets have been released. This is MS, not Apple. We aren't limited to Apple hardware only.

Data packages in the states are cheaper than Japan and always have been. Doesn't mean I want to buy 2-3 different data packages just because I have multiple devices. I can pay for 1 data package on my phone and tether it to all my other devices.

"You may know how a car model works but until you have test driven it you can't really make an opinion about it."

I am running Windows 8 Pro on a tablet. I'm not test driving it, I'm driving it right now. On a daily basis. There will be absolutely zero difference between my current tablet and an actual OEM released tablet. Aside from that, my 2 year old Windows 8 Pro tablet will support and do everything the current Windows 8 Pro tablets do. It's both faster and slower than OEM Windows 8 Pro tablets, depending on the processors that will be crammed into them. Faster than the Atom based ones, but slower than the i3/i5 based ones. Attached keyboard on mine, but there are hybrid/convertible Win 8 tablets that have it too.

It's like you're telling me that Windows 7 on X computer with an i7 will be completely different than Y computer with Windows 7 on it, with an i5. No, they're going to be the same, except things get processed a little faster/slower on the respective hardware. If my motherboard supported an i5, I could dump that in, with an SSD, and I literally would be the exact same as a current OEM Win 8 Pro tablet.

I've also been using the US release version of Windows 98 SE, to NT, to 2k, to XP, to Vista, to 7, to 8. I've never had any issues with typing in Japanese with it. Nor any language really, not that I type in Thai, Korean, or Russian much at all anymore. Pre-OS8.5 support for Japanese was just as bad as MS's Japanese support in pre-NT Windows. OS8.5 and after is essentially a copy of Windows NT's language support. By Windows NT 4.0, Japanese support is what we see today. That was 16 years ago. Too bad most people were still sitting on Win98SE or WinME, until XP came out. IT professionals were already rocking Win NT. It took me a long time to move from Win2k to XP, as XP simply didn't bring anything great to the table or at least useful to me (was on single core system, so XP's better multithread support was useless to me).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

BertieWoosterNov. 07, 2012 - 07:20PM JST

Well, you can open Office docs on an iPad and save and send them in Office doc format.

There's nothing horrible, useless or amateur about Pages, Numbers or Keynote.

According to reviews:

Unfortunately, when you import a file in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx) or export a Pages file in a Word format, you permanently lose essential formatting, tracked changes, comments, and other file attributes. http://www.macworld.com/article/1151397/word_ipad.html

Ouch... that's basically losing everything that makes word different than notepad!

In fact it's really easy to produce great looking documents on them.

But can you use or make Office (TM) compatible files like I and others specifically discussed? No, a very big no.

Graphics is what Apple/Mac excels at.

1) Graphics have nothing to do with office files.

2) Businesses won't care unless it has to do with office files, which is why the number of ipads integrated into the workplace remain at practically zero (mcdonalds uses them for menus, because that's as much as they can handle, can't even order on them!)

3) As an avid user of Adobe graphic products, I can tell you that that is certainly not true, ever since the last powerpc mac pro. But as there is no lightroom or photoshop for ipad, and never will be, lets discuss the gaming potential. The ipad mini itself has only the graphical capabilities of a nintendo 3ds, which is not much for something that commands three times the resolution (and therefore needs about three times the pixel fill rate, or runs three times slower). How can we claim that a device that under-performs a two year old kids game be excelling at graphics? It's like saying the cellphone version of breakout (brick-breaker) was not as good as the original atari one! (which incidentally was originally made by jobs and wozniak, and lead them to design the Apple II and the rest is history)

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

I'm on T-Mobile USA. Unlimited data. MetroCPS, unlimited data. Sprint, unlimited data. Verizon and AT&T are probably the only ones that don't have unlimited data, except for those grandfathered in.

I'm grandfathered in on my T-Mobile acct and keeping it, as I don't feel like going under the new unlimited data plan. Right now, I just bought a prepaid T-Mobile Deutschland SIM, as I won't be in Germany that long. I still have my Softbank prepaid phone and my SKT prepaid phone for when I roll to Japan or S.Korea.

I also don't need to use every single language out there. Simply need it to be displayed. I have my unicode setup for Japanese, so that my Winamp playlist correctly identifies where my Japanese songs are, since they're all in kanji/hiragana/katakana.

Only time I need to download anything is if I want to actually input the specific languages through IME. Think I have nothing more than Japanese downloaded on my laptops and all languages on my desktop.

@basroil

I was at the Minnesota airport about a month ago. One of the restaurants there did have iPads setup to view menus and take orders. You even paid through them via some credit card swiping thing. Not sure how it was all hooked up.

The iPad is a great media consumption tool and to become a decent productivity tool, it's going to need internet access. That's the same as Android or Windows RT. Me...I don't want that and Windows 8 Pro is the way to go for me. I will be in areas where I won't be able to access the internet via wifi or 3/4G.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Think you need to research these things more.

T-Mobile - Unlimited talk, text, and 5 GB high speed data with tethering = $94.99. Once you hit 5 GB data cap, your bandwidth is throttled, but not stopped. So you can still surf away on your tethered devices. That or pay $124.99 for zero bandwidth throttling.

I've busted T-Mobile's data cap multiple times. Think the highest I've downloaded in a single month off my phone (while tethered) was about 32 GBs. They throttled me down to around 50%. Even then, it was essentially a 1.5 mbps connection.

MetroPCS doesn't allow tethering, which isn't a surprise, seeing as their networks are very limited. They don't even have 3G/4G biscuits.

Sprint allows tethering still, but it's $50 for 6 GB of data (shared between phone and tethered devices). That's on top of whatever you decide to go with for talk and text.

Japan is at what right now? 6000 yen for 7-7.5 GB of data, then throttled. Add in another 500-ish yen if the specific carrier charges you. Like Docomo doesn't. Then toss in the crappy talk and text plans on there. Pretty much all the Japanese carriers will be a little more expensive than the most expensive carriers in the states, while offering about the same service. Course, better coverage, but well. Small island vs gigantic country. Nothing new there.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

For those who can't do without Office.

Early next year, Microsoft will offer it for free for iPad. Well, kind of free. Free to view documents, but if you want to create or edit them, you will need to pay a subscription.

http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/11/07/free-microsoft-office-app-for-iphone-ipad-to-be-released-in-early-2013

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

BertieWoosterNov. 08, 2012 - 08:27AM JST

For those who can't do without Office.

Early next year, Microsoft will offer it for free for iPad. Well, kind of free. Free to view documents, but if you want to create or edit them, you will need to pay a subscription.

http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/11/07/free-microsoft-office-app-for-iphone-ipad-to-be-released-in-early-2013

Free? App? Neither of those actually:

"Included in Office Mobile will be Word, PowerPoint and Excel support, while those with an Office 365 subscription will be able to edit documents." according to your link.

In case you are clueless as to what Office 365 is, it's a cloud-linked version of office you can access from any device, for a pretty hefty $150/yr per user fee. Sure you can look at files for free, which you can just as easily do by exporting as PDF from any office document, but editing for $150/yr is pretty steep compared to outright buying office for your home computers for around $100, or zero dollars for RT.

The "app" itself is likely like many apps out there, merely a web browser shell with settings storage and cache.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

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