Yet for a person who wanted a media player, book reader, and e-mail client it was - and is - a great option. You're placing your ideals and expectations as the "bar" by which any and all entrances in the market must be measured. Interesting!
The second one is better, but still not as good as an iPad even looking at straight specs.
Really? It's a great movie and music player. Great book reader. Lasts plenty long. Has removable memory that I can share between my laptop and phone (so I can always have my latest mix/arrangement of music/media/documents with me). Great apps available. Easy-to-use e-mail client.
It's great for what I need, and the specs are more than enough for that purpose. What "spec" would improve my experience?
Apparently it's not for Apple haters who say there's no reason to buy an iPad, or any Apple product for that matter
I don't. However, I am routinely accused of doing just that. If you're happy with an iPad, enjoy! However, just because I see no need for one, nor find it a good value or option for me does not make me a neanderthal, or Apple hater, does it?
They compete much lower in the market, not on the level of the iPad.
Which was the exact same argument put forth by iPad fans about the iPad versus laptops. It's lower in the market, but "does enough" that you simply must get one. Why does that approach break down when moving further down the cost ladder from the iPad?
The newer one is okay. Just don't try to say it's an iPad replacement.
For me, there is nothing that an iPad offers that I do not have. FOR ME, it is an iPad replacement. Are you going to seriously claim otherwise?
The new one is far more expensive than $130. The Shanghai street corner price is not the valid one to quote when talking about what the American consumer can buy.
You'll find them all over eBay for $190 shipped now (down about $30 in the last month), and that continues to drop. By November, they'll probably be $140 shipped.
At Alibaba.com you can find them right now for $145 plus shipping (putting them at $165). November will probably see the $130 street price in the US, delivered.
So, for about 1/3rd the price of an iPad, I got a device that can do everything I need it to do - everything than an iPad offers to me. How is that a bad thing? It's well-built, has a case, small, powerful enough for my purposes, and low cost.
It plays all my media (including WMA audio files and every type of movie I've ever found, including Flash), reads my books, stores my data, acts as a USB drive, and is a great sketch-pad (I can actually use a stylus on it, for fine-detail drawings/idea sketching when out and about).
What's the problem? Does everything NEED to be like an iPad? Is monoculture good?
No, just your continual rants about products you don't own, or ever plan to buy.
These threads are for people that want to know about the Apple product they own or plan to own, you are all about directing people to another choice.
Most here won't go with you, simple as that, so why the continual harping?