This may come as a surprise to you (although probably not, you smart devil), but it turns out that plenty of people are dissatisfied with their current
e-reader options -- according to a recent study conducted at the University of Georgia. The study was conducted over a six-month period where participants read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on a Kindle, then provided feedback. The results were, well -- not entirely shocking. Younger adults found the Kindle to be lacking because it had no touchscreen or other applications (though to be fair, neither does the print version of the paper), while older adults seemed more satisfied, but also reported missing the crossword puzzles and comics of a real, live newspaper. Pretty much everyone agreed that the screen was nice and comfortable to read on, but almost no one was a fan of the price. All in all, there's not terribly much here that we think is overly telling -- besides (of course) the fact that paper rules.
posted January 30th 2010 10:25PM
i want an ipad
@Xega
Don't worry, it won't sell out, you'll be first in line.
@ROFL
You say that but you don't know for sure.
I've decided not to buy the iPad but only because it truly doesn't offer any of the features of a netbook which is what Steve Jobs said it was supposed to replace or be an "evolution" of....I don't remember his exact words.
But the bottom line is that it doesn't have multitasking. And on top of that it doesn't have flash like their regular MacBooks do.
So to me it's not a solid competitor. Perhaps Version 2.0 or 3.0 will be the definite truly revolutionary "iSlate" that I was hoping Apple would reveal this previous Wednesday.
That being said though there's nothing in this world that prevents Apple from still selling a million of these iSlates during the initial launch.
While I myself don't have a need for it (seeing as how I have an iPhone) there are others in the market who DO want it.
And I'm willing to bet there are still a sizable chunk.
All this rage on Engadget over the last few days is just a bunch of huff and puff from Apple HATERS who have nothing better to do. They don't realize that they don't represent the mainstream.
And to be even more precise NOTHING Apple released this last Wednesday would have pleased the doubters/haters.
Nothing short of Jobs pronouncing himself the Messiah in the flesh come to save the world.
Period. So enjoy that haterade. MEANWHILE Apple & AT&T continue to laugh their asses off all the way to the BANK.
@TheRogueFFAngel
It will not sell out, it may sell "relatively" well though. Unless of course Apple pulls a Nintendo and artificially keeps stock very low. I can see it now, an iPad per Best Buy and headlines reading "Apple iPad sold out everywhere!"
Apple is setting up their iPad for the future. They are the first to release the best tablet/slate computer. By the time the competition brings their answer to the market it will be too late.
@Xega
HP Slate
Notion Ink Adam
Those two alone already beat the iPad in terms of features. Matches it in hardware. And the Adam has the best screen (Pixel Qi).
So what are you talking about?
Unless Apple breaks their once a year updates, it will be simple for the others to bypass the "future" of the iPad.
@ROFL
Did I say it well "sell out"
NO.
I do believe that it has the capability of selling well despite the negative backlash by the Apple hating crowd.
Whether it deserves to or not is up for debate (personally it's not for me but I can see it being useful to certain people in my life).
Personally while I'm NOT going to buy an iSlate I hope to God it sells well just to piss off the holier than thou, hypocritical, Apple haters out there.
In the meantime I'm reading up on the MS Courier and so far I'm loving what I'm seeing. However I can't seem to find anything that points to it being a true e-Reader.
@TheRogueFFAngel
The Courier is so mythical it's not funny.
Turn your attention to the HP Slate or the Adam.
I know for sure the HP Slate has an e-Reader. The Adam has Android, so there's Aldiko. And the Pixel Qi screen makes it a blessing to read on while not straining your eyes.
@Xega define "best"
if you mean, "most crippled by using a smartphone OS powered by a smartphone chipset in a tablet form factor" then i would highly agree.
@TheRogueFFAngel
Me disliking one of their products makes me an Apple hater, huh?
@iDavey
Hate to break it to ya, but I'm pretty sure the HP Slate,
Notion Ink Adam user interface will suck. Bloated interface on top of a Win 7- a UI that tries to be everything, but ends up really being nothing.
@TheRogueFFAngel speaking of hate...
@Xega
You do know the Notion Ink Adam isn't Win 7?
And if Windows 7 can run smoothly on a netbook, how can it not do a tablet?
The point is...both of these will actually offer more out of the box than the iPad.
Adam will have even more since it will have the Market to back it up also.
HP Slate will have it's main points by way of having a true desktop OS that will allow any program, choice of browser, and a FULL experience.
So your 'bloated' comment seems to be out of place.
omg will you people shut the fuck up about that goddam ipad already. this story is not about apple or any of its products!
@TheRogueFFAngel "I do believe that it has the capability of selling well despite the negative backlash by the Apple hating crowd."
newsflash: it's not just your average wintel fanboy hating on it. a lot of apple fanboys are hating on it, as well as the many moderates who roam the crowds without voicing a biased opinion. granted, there are also many out there who think it's the third coming of christ, too.
but to think the majority of people voicing their frustration with it are "apple haters" is not ignorant, but just ridiculous. go read some other blogs and mainstream media outlets to get a better perspective of how polarizing the news of the iPad really is right now.
@Xega
Oh, and you do know most people don't mind a true desktop UI?
You know...icons, widgets...things of those nature.
When I think computer, I think those things.
Not a grid of icons with no room for customiztion to make mines unique or no multitasking.
Or how about limited choice because I'm stuck with a mobile browser that doesn't give me a full web browsing experience.
I'm not hating on the iPad. It's good for what it is. And that is a multimedia tablet barring true mobile browsing (why they didn't just put the full Safari on there, makes me mad).
But these other two tablet PCs (and they can actually be called PCs) already out do the iPad in terms of being a computer.
Only thing holding the Adam back from being the best of the bunch is waiting for the Flash 10.1, Firefox Mobile (maybe even Skyfire), Opera Mobile, and that's it. Everything else would give you the qualities to make someone choose these tablets over a netbook.
Unlike the iPad.
I mean...since when does a "computer" have to be hooked up to another computer to operate. That doesn't make sense.
@iDavey And I can bet you money it will suck. You have to make a dedicated UI for tablet because it isn't a desktop or laptop. However no one seems to get this but Apple, so i predict that Apple will rise up on top again this time, and maybe Chrome OS will make a presence
yeah people want bright colors on the kindle and just one page a newspaper, isnt it, meh...
@Xega
So Android isn't made for a tablet??
Windows 7 isn't optimized for touch out the box?
From what i've experienced...both are.
So I don't get what you're saying.
The only OS not made for touch is Mac OS X, which is most likely why they stuck with the iPhone OS.
But the point of putting a PHONE OS into a tablet, calling it a computer is ridiculous. Like I said...the iPad is nice. No hating, but it's nothing that can beat a netbook or a tablet with an actual desktop OS or even Android. Android gives you more computer like function (multitasking, desktop visuals, etc).
Then once again...the Adam has better specs than the iPad already. And it's not even out yet.
And Slate has the advantage of a familiar OS. Just as Apple touted 75 million know how to use the iPad. Well...many more already know how to use the Slate, lol.
I understand your hate for anything not Apple apparently, so you're trying to give these tablets death sentences already.
But just stop. Android is a touch oriented OS. Fit for a tablet. Windows 7 is optimized for touch and does not NEED a skinning to be used, and HP has not stated they'd be skinning on top of that.
@iDavey
-No Android is meant for a phone
-Win 7 is meant for primary mouse/keyboard input; the touch screen is add junk meant only for a long spec sheet to make none few feel good
You're confusing capability with usability
@Xega
So...the iPHONE OS isn't meant for a phone?
You're confusing yourself...and becoming contradicting.
A tablet is a tablet. It doesn't make it a PC. But Android can be used AS, keyword as, a tablet PC since it comes closer to desktop computing than the iPhone OS.
Windows 7. I didn't state anything about usability. I just stated it is optimized for touch input. Plain and simple.
The fact is...if someone is looking for a tablet to use as a PC. They're out of luck with the iPad. No desktop-level applications, no multitasking, no ports, external memory...I mean, do you know how quickly you use 16GB on a real PC?
iPad is a great media device. But in now way a netbook killer or a viable tablet PC.
HP Slate and Adam succeed where the iPad doesn't.
And that's the key point. Different markets, different customers.
So there's no way the iPad can crush these things because they're not even in the same league.
When I can get desktop applications, full web browsing experience, and multitasking...then I'll give the iPad the nod. Til then...no matter the OS...Slate/Adam outpaces the iPad in functionality and capability. Usability is a fickle thing when coming to computers. Everyone will agree Mac OS X is more usable than Windows. Yet which one is still the leading OS? Hint...it's the one that is the de facto standard for making an application. You'll never see an program that isn't made for Windows...
@iDavey
Like I said anything can be used for anything, but that doesn't mean it was meant to be used that particular way.
Android tablets will probably suck the same way Win 7 touchscreens pc and tablets will also suck. Because they were not designed specifically for that task. Let me explain the experience: trying to find 1 key on a keychain with hundreds of keys.
This is why Apple will have a better chance of success with their iPad because they don't try to make switch army knives out of their UIs
@Xega The only operating system that needs a UI because it wasn't designed for touch interface from the get-go is OSX, so you're comment is nonsense.
@Ducman69
Tell me how successful PC tablets have been?
What about touchscreen PCs?
They haven't been successful, because they are not practical and Apple understands that about their OSX. Microsoft loves to cram every capabilities into their UI even though it isn't useable. They can't come up with elegant solutions only crappy solutions.
Look how useful win mobile is
@oakie
Dude we heard the same crap before the ipod, iphone were released and we all know how well those failed.
@ROFL
because your take on the console war is that... Nintendo lost big time eh? It was all smoke and mirrors? LMFAO
Tool
Don't be so naive.
@Wesscoast
Lol, WTF are you talking about...god, I hate asshats like you.
@Xega When iPad was compared to the kindle, the amazon device beat iPad in many terms (in respect of being as a reader) the only 'little bit' light of the iPad (as i see it) is its iBook towards the Amazon. But the rest, when it comes to specs, price, e-ink, battery... the Kindle has the competitive advantage. More Details: http://bit.ly/kindle-2-details
@ROFL
http://www.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:AAPL
Ironically that link works best with a flashplugin, although there's a fallback for those without, and I guess we know who those are.
Anyway see the stock of apple decline? That's the investors projecting sales there.
@iDavey I'll have to ask you to return to the Internet Remedial Room -
you obviously haven't been paying attention for the last 10 years. Apple doesn't do features. If you had been paying attention you'd know that at least 5 mp3 players had more features than the classic iPod. For bonus points: where are they now in terms of market share? You should be able to at least 5 mobile phones that have more features than the original iPhone. Where are they now?
We could play this game all day long. Apple isn't about features. Apple is about determining what features its audience uses and needs and then making sure those features work flawlessly and obviously. That is why the iPod is #1. That is why the iPhone sells so well - even in embattled San Francisco and New York. And that is why the iPad will sell well.
@dwbonline
I think it's you that should return. Think about what you just wrote. iPhone/iPod. What are those? Phones and MP3 players. NOT computers. You used market share as a measuring stick right. So lets dive in shall we.
Look at the market share of OS's right now. Where is Apple? Where is Microsoft?
Do I need to say more?
The POINT being made is...this is being labeled as a computer. A "netbook killer". People buy computer for functionality obviously. You seem to be an Apple fan, so you'd have to agree. Apple may have the usability locked down on OS X...but Windows have more function with every program available for Windows. Every game. Every browser made is first made for Windows, then later OS X.
If people were saying this is a media tablet killer...then I'd give the nod and agree. But no. The Jobs man touted this as a netbook killer. Yet it can't even do a fraction of what a netbook can.
I'm sorry, every OS is usable. That's the point of it. Where it splits is how the usability of each OS compares to another. And like I said, when it comes to COMPUTERS...people would rather fumble a bit and learn then have a computer that is simple enough for a kid to use, but yet lacks many functions, Windows vs OS X is a prime example of that. It may work for a MP3 player and a phone, but not a computer my dear friend.
@Xega
You do know Macs are also PCs? Just saying. So...yeah.
@iDavey
Everyone knows Macs are PCs, that's not the question.
The question is why wouldn't Apple cram OSX, which is meant for mouse/keyboard input, into a touchscreen tablet pc like the iPad? BEcause it won't work well and will only hinder the user experience.
Microsoft is too busy trying to make a one size fits all OS, when they need to be working on their courier concept
IF they don't, the iPad will also succeed without much competition
So after reading the Non Apple News post I only have one question...
Where does it stop?
Can I have a non Android news website then? Or a non Windows Mobile news website?
Or even better no MS or Google news website.
Seriously Engadget this latest move of yours is not a good look. You're basically caving into the trolls. Lowlife people who have nothing better to do than bash and insult the editors (in case you forget YOURSELVES) day in and day out.
Why? Because you report Apple news....news that most of your readers want to read and learn about.
I have nothing against Palm or MS or Google. Yet those people who are bashing Engadget? They HATE Apple. They HATE Engadget. They HATE Joshua, Nilay and the rest of the fine staff at Engadget
Seriously why would you cave into such hositlity? Since when did an angry mob control what Engadget writers post about?
This is a sad day in Engadget history. I truly honestly feel that people who hate this site so much should just go saomewhere else and quit trolling.
No one is forcing you to read Engadget. You have NO RIGHT to attack an editor/writer because their post happened to include the words:
1) "iPad"
2) Apple
3) iPhone
4) Steve Jobs
5) MacOS
@TheRogueFFAngel
I know i cant believe Engadget will go over would change their entire website just to appease 16 commenters. They should have done a vote at least. Engadget you guys are showing weakness
@TheRogueFFAngel Nothing wrong with giving the people what they want, even if the people are trolls that can never be satisfied.
@Edobe
Normally I'd agree but in this case this is a very small but vocal minority. And in addition it sets a DANGEROUS precedent.
Engadget is not run by you or me. I come here to read the news. If Engadget wasn't giving me what I wanted then I'd go somewhere else.
It's just that simple.
Engadget has DONE NOTHING WRONG here. Absolutely NOTHING. Yet they are being attacked left and right by a rabid pack of Apple haters who have no class and no decency. Not to mention no common sense.
Common sense tells a person that if you don't like where you're at you LEAVE.
@TheRogueFFAngel What are you a moron? You are saying you would rather not have people have a choice? Make people wade through 75% iPad posts to find information about other stuff, even when they have no interest in the iPad?
Almost all gadget blogs off an option to filter out a particular topic if it proves to be dominating or overwhelming, and the iPad posts certainly fit that topic. It is not like nobody is getting iPad news, it is that they have given you the option to bypass it all.
@TheRogueFFAngel Actually, it's kind of nice to be able to filter out an incessant stream of articles about any one product. The tag system used at gizmodo let's each person filter out posts based on any tag and can be very nice when a big event for any major product results in heavy coverage.
Don't take out Apple it's a tech company too. You can't please everbody.
@TheRogueFFAngel
Although I agree with you somewhat (I was reading your comment in the voice of that girl who said "Leave Brittney Alone"), This is about the Kindle: not the iPad or Apple.
The Kindle is pretty expensive given the fact that it only excels at one thing: Allowing the user to read. I feel, on the most basic level, that the kindle should have a touch pad so user can scroll more naturally, and swipe to change pages. I feel that this addition alone would make using the kindle a more enjoyable experience.
As for other functions, I feel the limitation of e-ink would make a browser almost impossible, however even adding music content (hence adding a bigger flash drive) would help with sales. I like to listen to music when I read, so being able to do that with one device would be nice (especially on an airplane),
@TheRogueFFAngel
Well they're doing something that Apple doesnt. Giving the folks a choice.
I don't see anything wrong with it. It made me LOL seriously.
The people don't want to see Apple, they can now redirect themselves from the main site to that.
As long as I'm not affected, it doesn't bother me.
@RandomGuy
No RandomGuy YOU are the moron.
This site doesn't belong to you. Hence there is no law that it be made to satisfy you. No where in the Constitution of the United States of America does it say that "Engadget must provide a website free of ALL Apple related news"
That's just pure bullshit.
If you don't like Engadget GTFO.
Again tell me....who's FORCING YOU TO READ Engadget Random Guy?
I really want to know!? For that matter LAY? WHO'S MAKING YOU GLUE THOSE EYES TO THIS WEBSITE?
This website who's Apple articles are apparently driving you to insult the writers post after post, hour after hour, day after day....?
SERIOUSLY WILL ONE OF THE APPLE HATERS RESPOND.
@Edobe
I'm sure the people want Engadget to do everything for them, but it's not possible.
It seems Engadget is getting into the business of appeasing 16 out of millions. It's so silly, Engadget is becoming like Barack Obama: trying to impress the right just to get 1 or 2 votes, instead of following through with the promises that got you elected.
@TheRogueFFAngel
Woah there, bad boy, Engadget never got rid of the Apple news. They gave you an OPTION to filter it. OPTION.
@ROFL
Giving stupid options doesn't make it any better. Why not do a poll/vot survey first. Instead, Engagdet is bending over and taking just because of 16 people. it doesn't make any sense.
@Xega and Everyone else
I re-read the post and still did not see Apple and/or the iPad mentioned. Why is everyone still talking about Engadget having a filter on? I understand it is controversial and all (but really not), but this article is about dissatisfaction with the Kindle, not filtering Apple articles, or inserting random political opinions (yes Xega, I am looking at you). Sorry to complain, but I was interested in people opinion (especially those that own a Kindle or e-book reader) on what they would like changed, and if the e-ink is a necessity.
@Xega
OMFG Xega you are SO RIGHT.
Don't even get me started on President Obama. I voted for the guy and I'm so pissed off at him right now.
I need him to grow a pair, fucking MAN UP, and take the Republicans head on.
Otherwise he's gonna go down the John Kerry path come 2012 and I'd hate for the first black president to be a 1 termer...
Options? You Apple haters want to talk about options?
Here's your freaking OPTIONS:
1) Read Full Engadget like NORMAL PEOPLE...Apple posts included.
2) Read Full Engadget and SCROLL PAST the evil Apple news.
3) GO TO FREAKING GIZMODO or some other tech news blog/website.
It's not that freaking hard to comprehend...
@TheRogueFFAngel aaaaaannnd if you dont like the comments made by others, ignore them.
holy crap. it's like this is your first day on the internet and someone in the chat room made a joke about your mom. seriously... you're crapping up the comments area with your poorly spelled drivel worse than the "haters" you're going on about.
can you smell the irony?