FanBois indeed!
What is really hilarious is how the Apple advocates here have been going on about how Apple computers give you much more power for the money you spend. Then here comes Apple with the iPad which is nothing more than a woefully underpowered computer. And invent all kinds of apps for this underpowered computer
Big contradiction here
I have been going on for a few years that Window7 computers...even cheapo ones with just two GB ram and older dual core processor are enough computer for 90% of computer buyers. The iPad has pathetic power compared to a 3 year old laptop I have with Win7/2GB/T2130/80GB hard drive. My desktops have higher specs
That is rarely stated, except for the Mac Pro in high configurations. The question is VALUE for your money.
Then here comes Apple with the iPad which is nothing more than a woefully underpowered computer.
Except the OS is a lot lighter, perfectly fast and functional on a system that would have Vista being unusable.
even cheapo ones with just two GB ram and older dual core processor are enough computer for 90% of computer buyers.
iOS doesn't require 2 GB RAM to function smoothly. 256 MB seems to be sufficient, although 512 MB looks like the comfort level (compare with 2 GB for Win7). Expect 1 GB capacities eventually to handle larger data.
The iPad has pathetic power compared to a 3 year old laptop I have with Win7/2GB/T2130/80GB hard drive.
And for a portable device, the iPad uses a fraction of the power of your 31W Intel processor. This is about portability, with enough performance to do what you need on the road.
My desktops have higher specs
I would certainly hope so. But do remember that the A4 is last year's chip. Expect dual-core, higher-performance this year. Now is really not a good time to buy an iPad.
You misunderstand the market, and misunderstand the product. I think you misunderstand Microsoft, too. I'd encourage you to go to an Apple store and try to understand what everyone else sees.
The iPad is not a content-creation device; it is a content acquisition device. Most people are consumers, not creators, of content. Do you get the difference?
It's sole purpose it to put content into the hands of the user. In that sense it's revolutionary, and any comparison to your PC is a strawman.
Further, with the advent of the app store, Apple has neatly sliced the bottom out from under Microsoft's bloated 1970s-music-industry business model. Remember in the old days how you used to have to buy 12 songs on an album to get the one you wanted? Well, Microsoft uses that same business model to force you to buy their software. You want Word? Hey, here's Excel, Powerpoint, and 9 other things you don't care about! Talk about value!
In the App model, you buy the pieces you want, and nothing else. You want word processing but not spreadsheet? Great! You want the title song from 'American Pie' but not 'Vincent'? Great!
Steve Jobs will cry all the way to the bank-- $10 billion in apps sold as of last week. What's Microsoft invented lately? The Zune?
And I see posts here about PC's and gaming ability. But I can't remember the last time I sat at a PC that had 3D positional sensing, GPS and the portability of the iPad. Not to mention all the other apps available, all for a fraction of the size of a laptop. The convenience alone is worth the price. I have a MacBook Pro for content creation, but the more I use my iPad the more I realize that the game has changed.
It’s not that they have more power, it’s that they’re more usable.
How’s that 1.5 lb, 0.5” thick, 11+ hour run time, instant on, anytime/anywhere performance working out for you?
...oh, right, you don’t have that with your 3 year old laptop with Win7/2GB/T2130/80GB...
...but mine is working out great, thanks for asking.