What the fuck is with the iPad

[Kintaro]

So it seems that the media is as mad as always. Every fucking article where I hear about Apple's iPad I also hear about it as if Apple invented it and Microsoft just decided to tag along. Mark Fucking Shuttleworth claims that it will be two years before Windows and Linux are Tablet ready. Linux maybe, but Microsoft have been doing this the longest. Obviously, Microsoft probably didn't invent anything either, but all Apple seem to be is a marketing department that looks around at existing technology and then markets it. Apple seem to innovate the least out of anyone else. Creative and other companies make shitty MP3 players and fail at marketing them, and Apple releases the iPod and conquers the market. Apple needed an OS so they decided to market others work via a Unix variant with a very pretty and original interface. Microsoft release the TabletPC but fail quite epically at failing it. What do Apple do? They take the idea and market it.

While this itself isn't bad it gets kinda annoying that people consider Apple 'invented' the iPad. Besides, since Vista, I have been able to use Ultimate (Vista or 7) on a tablet and any applications that run on those systems. Apple users are stuck with iPhone OSX and the App Store. Which brings a point forward that is seriously fucking annoying: Microsoft have application support Apple can only dream of, and despite the renewed interest in tablets they don't make any decent attempt at marketing the tablet. Which leaves the morons worshipping Steve Jobs and his phony credit.

In any case, I'll never buy anything that uses the App Store.

The last time Apple innovated was with the original OSX, every feature included since then was in FreeBSD, Linux, or Windows first and as far as hardware goes Apple don't really do anything either. I wonder how long Apple can keep running off of the fumes of its competition. Unfortunately I doubt they will get the message on time, and Apple stocks and Apple sales will continue to move upward until the very end when Apple are just repackaging the same old shit and making small changes.

[piratePenguin]

(I basically disagree with most of your post (which doesn't mean I will enter into a dictionary-fight with you, as others may do, I just think we should all understand your purpose here by now, Fawlty Towers), but this is my opinion:)

6-8 months: Android tablets better than iPad
12-15 months: Android has better choice of apps, of better quality, than the Apple App Store

Not so unreasonable, I think. But the only thing I KNOW, is that when Apple goes up against the world, it eventually sinks into irrelevance. And that's exactly what is going to happen. Thank you Steve. I know he loves the fanfare - but he's experienced it all before - he just may wish to forget that nowadays.

[Refalm]

Actually Apple kinda invented the tablet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64QuJdJmCbA

[worker201]

The similarities between the iPad and the Microsoft tablet are limited to shape alone.  The iPod might not seem all that different from its predecessors, but the simultaneous release of iTunes and the iTunes store gave it an important boost.  And I think the iPhone and iPod Touch were the first truly successful touchscreen devices.

Also, Apple doesn't really need your approval.

[Kintaro]

Apple doesn't think they need anyones approval. When it comes to devices the only approval they care about is theirs to use the App Store. This is why Apple will always suck, worse, it gets more likely by the day that they will go on a witchhunt for small third party developers as well with OSX.

[worker201]

I spent some time playing with an iPad at the Apple Store yesterday.  Goddamn, those things are awesome.  I can't wait to get one.