30 iPad Productivity Problems.

Posted on 12 April 2010, Last updated on 12 April 2010 by

No high-speed internet. Ever been to a conference where they gave you a drop cable and you plugged it into your Gigabyte Ethernet connection and were uploading YouTube videos faster than you could fill in the title? If so, be aware that you can’t do it on the iPad because there’s no ethernet connection. Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think there’s a docking or dongle solution for that either.

Videoconferencing. Another major roadblock for anyone that uses Skype video or similar. There’s no webcam and no ability to plug in a USB cam.

Browser not 100% compatible. The Safari browser is good but it’s not a desktop browsers and therefore you will find issues. If you have critical web-based productivity tools, make sure you test them before buying an iPad.

Programming and coding. Not on the iPad.

Umid drives usb hdd.Limited storage. For $499 you get 16GB of storage. (14GB available I understand) I can blow that in a single conference with images and video. Be careful if you need to store big docs, images, videos or CD/DVD images.

Use DVD/CD/BluRay media Speaking of CD/DVD, you won’t be able to plug in an external drive to play videos, presentations or to run learning tools from a CDROM.

Expand memory/storage As time goes on, the specifications on your device get less and less impressive. Memory requirements go up, connectivity requirements change, storage requirements go up. The iPad is a sealed unit and there’s no upgrade path.

Run pro-quality apps. (Music, graphics, CAD, dev environments, office suites) This is fairly self explanatory although as time goes on, this hole will gradually be filled by the app store. However, I don’t see high-end pro-level apps ever being ported to the iPad based on effort required and low pricing points in the app store.

USB Charging GoodnessVGA/Digital video output (presentations, desktop monitor) With a dongle you can get 1024×768 VGA output which is enough for presentations but there’s no digital video output and nothing that allows you to work with higher resolutions.

Charge a phone (from the USB) I do this all the time. In fact I charge multiple devices from my UMPC. See image right.

So, there’s a nice big list of things to think about. I’m sure you’ve got thoughts, both positive and negative and as I’m not an iPad owner (yes, I know. If you’re an iPad owner it’s difficult to take this from someone that hasn’t even touched an iPad yet) I’m happy for owners to correct me or offer solutions.

As for alternatives that might be more useful in a productivity scenario, here’s a few to take a look at. All of them have their own issues but there might be one there that fits you better than the iPad.

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83 Comments For This Post

  1. utechtm says:

    I think the biggest problem I have with the IPad, and Apple in general, is Steve Jobs makes too many decisions for me. I also have a U820 and I did upgrade the slow 60gb hard drive to a fast 120GB SSD with little trouble on my own. Not going to happen with an IPad.

    I travel a lot on airplanes and I have to make tough decisions about what will fit in my carry on bag. The IPad would be left behind for either a net book or my U820. The IPad is nothing but a big Itouch meaning it cannot be a solo act on the road.

    I’ve been down the Apple path and I am back to Microsoft and Windows 7, which I never thought would happen. Steve Jobs seems to have a following for customers willing to accept sealed batteries, no upgrades and lack of external ports, and a lack of choices in hardware. Not me.

  2. BHUPIN says:

    Thats what it is my Friends..steve does the job for others becasue his name is Steve Job.. but his name should be Steal Jobs- he steals ur money , ur time , ur IQ , takes u many steps backwards and then sells these primitive products to u .. oh look at this girl she is so beautiful…oh ..no boobs???u can get an attachment later for that…oh what??no pussy???come on do u need it??we have put an APPLE LOGO OVER TYHERE … look she is so pretty and slim , form factor and if she has pussy she can give u troubles ..u dont need it ..hahah its so funny . so apple will intoduce a car without AC , with one door , without power stearing /power windows , — who needs them??u can buy a fan and put in ur car????
    anyway lets face the reality – apple is just ripping u off and u have no idea.. so ipad is not a productive device -that means u need to carry on a productive device with u then transfer videos and pics from a 13 or 15 or may be 12 inches laptop to this bloody 10 inches DIGITAL PHOTOFRAME AND THEN WATCH IT BECAUSE THIS DAMN THING HAS AN APPLE LOGO ON THE BACK???WAKE UP people and admit they apple is just after ur money. I am nor saying its not a good device , i am not saying it doesnt have a use . what i am asking is tell me single thing which other devices cant do and this one can do?? I am just concerned about the blind faith and lack of IQ in many people. Ok let me ask one more question which no one has asked so far.. IF APPLE THINKS IT MAKES COOL AND MOST RELIABLE HARDWARE THEN ASK STEVE TO RELEASE THE VERSION OF MAC OS FOR INSTALLING ON ANY LAPTOP OR NET BOOK..THEN I WILL SEE HOW MANY OF U WILL BUY THESE MACBOOKS AND IPADS
    CHEERS

  3. BHUPIN says:

    So next time when u r travelling – u need an ipad go surf the net , listen to music and watch videos and paid TV shows
    then u need a netbook or laptop to convert and transfer a DVD/music/pics to ur ipad as cant do that.
    Then u will leave ur 13 inches laptop and watch those things on 10 inches Ipad.
    Then u will need a portable stand and keyboard if u wanna use ur ipad for Psudoproductivity .
    Then u need one adaptor to convert single available port to a card reader ..
    then u need a back up battery as u may get out of power.
    then u need a case of ur ipad
    Then u need an aother adaptor as u cant connect this this thing to a printer
    COME ON FOLKS – JUST ADD ALL THOSE THINGS , TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND THING THINK — U HAVE BEEN RIPPED OFF.
    I would have appreciated a 12 inches or 11.1 inches macbook with touch screen capability and it would have been a killer device .
    anyway good luck to ipad buyers .If I NEED ONE I WILL WAIT FOR 3-4 MONTHS AS PEOPLE WILL FED UP AND START SELLING THEM ON EBAY FOR 1/3 PRICE AND U KNOW WHY I NEED IT????AS A DIGITAL PHOTOFRAME …HAHAH THATS WHAT IPAD IS — TAKE A DIGITAL PHOTOFRAME , ADD VIDEO CAPABILITY, ADD WIFI AND TOUCH SCREEN === IPAD..HAHAH

  4. sergio says:

    Interesting analysis, although you seem to be forgetting that the iPad was never intended to be and never will be a productivity device. It’s a lifestyle/luxury object that targets a completely different segment of the market.

  5. apple says:

    Interesting statement, although you seem to be forgetting that Apple has said the iPad is for content consumption and creation for people who want to be productive. They specifically said it’s for people who need something between the iPhone and MacBook.

  6. Steve 'Chippy' Paine says:

    Sergio. I agree. You know, I know what the intended market of the iPad is but that hasn’t stopped people thinking they can use it as a productive device. It hasn’t stopped many tech bloggers claiming they might be able to use it instead of a notebook. It’s a simple checklist of things to think about for people that might be leaning towards the thought of a productive iPad.

  7. sergio says:

    Good point. I’m curious to see how the iPad, its apps and how people use it evolve over time.

  8. Joseph G.Mitzen says:

    Sergio – you’re correct, but that hasn’t stopped some folks from touting it as the death of the laptop, and are convinced that Microsoft will be forced to port Excel to it….

    http://www.thevirtualcircle.com/2010/04/the-ipad-will-replace-the-laptop/

    It seems some iPad users don’t even understand what they’ve bought.

  9. XLogiX says:

    I think the iPad is grat for “unexpireienced” users – that kind of people that won’t get into details and accept these immense limitations as given.

    However – experienced users would come to similar conclusions like this list of 30 issues. I’m just very happy to have a P1610 for normal mobility (and an old fashioned Jornada 720). The only thing I would prefer the iPad is because ou the battery life (which is compensatet by an external 115Wh external battery pack on field trips).

    And ther’s an “advertisement” from earlier this year (for all those contacts who ask if I would buy an iPad):
    http://www.paranoid-pixxtures.de/xpad.jpg

    Best an mobile regards

    Toby

  10. XLogiX says:

    … and the P1610 current use case as nav, tracking and entertainment-system on the road (as well as commenting this UMPCportal thread ;-)

    http://www.paranoid-pixxtures.de/pxc-lab-20100412-p1610-nav-med.jpg

  11. Another guy says:

    So, to wrap it up: this is another Apple marketing stunt without any real beef to back it up, just like the Macbook Air.

    Again, I must question the point of this device: just to couch net surfing device to lazy Sunday mornings? And if that’s the only use, what’s wrong with the standard netbooks (some of them tablets!)?

    I swear I cannot see how the iPad is a useful device beyond the typical Apple “cool factor”. Again, this is Macbook-Air-fiasco all over again.

  12. Joseph G.Mitzen says:

    I keep asking this question myself – what does it do that a laptop doesn’t, and I just keep getting told that “the iPad does it better”. Maybe that’s a euphemism for eye-candy; I don’t know. Then I’m told that it must not be for me and that’s ok.

  13. some other guy says:

    Criticizing the iPad for not being able to run CAD, for a lack of expansion ports, and the like is missing the point of the device, I think. The iPad isn’t meant to be a general computing device. It’s an *appliance*. It takes common computer tasks (surfing the web, sending email, etc.) and makes it as simple as using a washing machine or a microwave. Just press a button or two and off you go. There are millions of consumers who find a general purpose computer painfully complex for their needs. This is aimed at them, not at business power users or tech geeks.

    My grandma could use an iPad. If I gave her a Fujitsu ultra-mobile running Windows XP she wouldn’t know the first place to start.

  14. Tejlgaard says:

    And your grandmother could probably also use a tricycle. If someone makes an awesome tricycle, cool, but don’t blame us for remarking that it’s still just a bloody tricycle =P

    It’s not missing the point if the sheer awesomeness of the tricycle make people, bloggers and fans start comparing it to a motorcycle – it is, simply put, remarking in a factual manner upon a topic that’s come up.

    Criticizing this article for missing the point of the device is missing the point of the article; the article is not responding to the device, it’s responding to a response there has _been_ to the device.

  15. Chippy says:

    Wow. Couldn’t have put it better myself. Thanks.

  16. Joseph G.Mitzen says:

    S.O.G., it’s iPad users themselves who take issue with this. I got into a debate with one blog when I referred to the iPad as a platform for running widgets, while laptops were for people who want to run their existing desktop applications on-the-go. They start bringing up this app, that app, and Google Docs, and then insist that the iPad is better than a laptop. iPad champions don’t want to think of themselves as someone’s computer-illiterate grandmother; they believe they’re on the cutting edge of technology. It’s not the grandmothers who were camping out to buy the iPad. That’s why it’s fair to warn people about power-user limitations.

  17. andy says:

    I disagree on a few points:

    Tablet Form factor (that’s a matter of personal preference)
    Processing power (It’s more about how you use it. Is it slow?)
    Memory (It’s more about how you use it. Can you run what you need? The no-multitasking is a legitimate gripe, but a laxk of RAM is not.)
    Adobe Flash (This will not be a negative for long, given Adobe’s inability to get their wares on arm based systems. In other words, Adobe is dying.)
    Weight (Claiming that a 1 pound device is too heavy is absurd!)
    No 3G (I thought some models had AT&T 3G)
    No Stand (I prefer a stand, but Apple actually has warranties on their products, and stands break. Buy a wire stand if you must.)
    No high-speed internet (Wi-fi is faster than your DSL line, so the lack of a a wired connection is irrelevant.)
    Videoconferencing (Computers with cameras can be hacked, so all cameras should be external and removable.)
    Browser not 100% compatible (That’s the web site’s admin’s fault if (s)he does not support safari.)
    Programming and coding (As a college computer science prof, I’ve found that there’s no way someone developing for a mobile device wants to use the mobile device for dev work. You can not see enough code on that tiny screen to make sense of anything.)
    Limited storage (You’ll see how little room you actually use after trying a tablet for a while. You will never load a DVD image on it; you will load a 350MB AVI.)
    Run pro-quality apps (I thought the same thing when I first tried tablets, but this is like programming: you need the big UI for those CAD programs. You will have tablet apps for what a tablet can do.)
    No removable battery (It’s just as easy to use a universal external battery as it is to carry a spare battery, plus it’s easier to charge a universal battery.)
    Printing (Did you ever hear of a wi-fi printer?)
    VGA/Digital video output (Did you ever hear of a wi-fi projector?)

    The ones I agree with you on are all due to one problem:
    No Memory card slot / No in-car use /Use DVD/CD/BluRay media /Expand memory/storage / Charge a phone (All of this comes from one thing: Apple wants control. Giving a few external USB ports and one internal for your own 4g/GPS/SSD use would be too compatible.)

    Andy

  18. apple says:

    Did you even read the article (skimming doesn’t count)? I wouldn’t want be a student in your class.

  19. Steve 'Chippy' Paine says:

    Thx!

  20. Smileyguy says:

    +10!

  21. andy says:

    I’m confused by your comment.

    I read the article, and have used tablets for years. My current favorite is a Smart Devices Q7.

    Maybe I should have been more clear: I noted what bullet point I agreed or disagreed with, then gave my comments in parenthesis.

    I’m still confused by your comment.

  22. dude says:

    How about this:
    If you actually read and understood the article, your comments in parenthesis would have been answered. In fact, maybe you did read the article and like the Jeopordy TV show so you created questions for the answers in the article since they directly correspond to each other.

  23. andy says:

    Dude,

    We disagree. I find the OP to be wrong on many things.

    For example, the OP says “No 3G…” when the iPad has 3G. I have read the article, and I have to question wether anyone who thinks I did not has ever seen an iPad, nor have they even read a review of one.

    As another example, the OP complains about the “Tablet Form factor…” when that’s the point of the iPad. It’s apple’s first tablet with anything bigger than a cell phone’s screen since the Apple Newton. Complaining about the “Tablet Form factor” of the iPad is like reviewing a Toyota Tundra and griping that it’s a pickup. I can see that the OP doesn’t need to be using an iPad if he believes that “Tablets work in some scenarios but they never really satisfied anyone.” I use tablets daily, and have since the 286 days. They satisfy me. My tablet is every book ever printed, every audio tack ever recorded, and every film ever produced. It’s a quick way to jump on the web and check something. It’s not a way to mass-produce content. It’s not an OCR platform.

    I didn’t say the next thing, as I didn’t want to offend anyone. At this point, I figure I’ve offended everyone that can be offended at this point, so I’ll say it: The idiot OP has never used tablets, and doesn’t know how to use a tablet. It’s not intuitive to a PC user. You need to be shown by someone who understands that tablets are different from PCs. Everyone who claims I did not read the article is just as bad. I challenge those who criticize me to explain: what tablets do you use in a day? In the last 24 hours, I’ve spent 3 hours in front of my SmartDevices Q7. In the last 24 hours, I’ve demonstrated a Lenoxo X41, a Lenovo S10-3T, and a SmartDevices V7.

    The moronic OP actually says that “No removable battery If the battery life was anything below 8hrs I might have flagged this up as a serious issue but with 10hrs+ battery life, it’s only an issue for those planning a few days away from power.” He really said that. I replied “It’s just as easy to use a universal external battery as it is to carry a spare battery, plus it’s easier to charge a universal battery.”

    The moronic IP actually complained that the iPad can not “Run pro-quality apps. (Music, graphics, CAD, dev environments, office suites)” I replied “I thought the same thing when I first tried tablets, but this is like programming: you need the big UI for those CAD programs. You will have tablet apps for what a tablet can do.” If I was unclear, let me clarify for those who have never used tablets: The tablet interface is different from a PC interface. You can not run CAD, OCR jobs, or similar programs on a tablet. CAD depends on huge screens, fancy plucks, and (above all) keyboard commands. That does not translate to a tablet. This is like reviewing the Toyota Tundra again, and complaining that it has a bed. *DUH* It’s a pickup.

    If you dislike call tablets, then write a scathing review of the tablet sector. Don’t blame one product for being a tablet.

    Finally, to avoid confusion, I have the iPad. It’s a joke due to the way Apple crippled it to keep control. I just can not stand morons who don’t use tablets writing reviews of it.

    Andy

  24. Name says:

    The 3G iPad is currently not available. It’s coming “soon.” It does not exist as a purchasable product.

    If by OP you’re talking about Chippy, the author of this post then he has used tablets before.
    http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/05/smart-q7-review-a-touch-of-web-kindle-and-crunch/
    http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/03/viliv-s10-blade-convertible-netbooktablet-review/
    http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/12/archos-9-review/
    or how about this one:
    http://www.umpcportal.com/?s=tablet&=Search

    Good luck using your current universal charger with USB port. The iPad USB charger is 10W (2A at 5V). Yours probably just outputs 1A. It’ll charge when you’re not using it but probably not much or at all during use.

    There are currently no pro-level apps for the iPad while there are for other tablets since they use Desktop OS’s. You just have to live with using a virtual keyboard and other disadvantages on a desktop OS based tablet. iPad app developers may create pro-level apps in the future. That’s what the “fairly self explanatory” bit was about.

    Finally, this was a list of possible issues for people who want to use the iPad for productivity related tasks (plus ones mentioned in the post). This was criticizing the iPad only not all tablets.

    You have just proven that you did read the post but didn’t understand a word of it.

  25. Okay says:

    Here’s some tablets Chippy has written about before (reviewed or commented on).
    http://www.umpcportal.com/alltablets.html

    I’m pretty sure he knows how tablets work. You probably haven’t gone to this site before.

    This post is about the iPad only. Also only the WiFi version is available. The 3G version is not available. You can’t really say the iPad has 3G yet. Chippy has reviews on other tablets/convertibles. There’s a search bar on the top of this page.

    Did you know the iPad USB charger is 10W (5V, 2A). Can the USB port of your universal charger output that so you can use the iPad and charge at the same time?

    Maybe you can audit reading comprehension and how to research classes in between your lectures.

  26. Okay says:

    Oh yeah, since you need to be spoon fed. This post was meant to help possible buyers of the current, only existing, WiFi iPad think about some possible “productivity problems” (you know, the TITLE of the post). It was not meant for people looking into getting the iPad for say watching YouTube, surfing some sites or whatever use not meant to be in the scope of the post.

  27. chippy says:

    “This is like reviewing the Toyota Tundra again, and complaining that it has a bed. *DUH* It’s a pickup”

    That’s a classic line. I have no idea what a Tundra is or why it might have a bed and that’s the point of the post. It’s to help people that don’t know.

  28. commenter says:

    The post was saying typing on a virtual keyboard is difficult. Fat fingers aren’t better than a precise mouse pointer (that’s why UMID added a thumb mouse on their clamshell). This point is really about non-convertible tablets in general.

    ARM processors are slower than Intel CULVs. Of course you’ll never notice it because Apple will surely reject an app that requires more resources than what the iPad could provide. Anyway, it is something to keep in mind.

    Currently, the apps for the iPad don’t require much RAM but in the future especially with the upcoming multitasking OS, it may be an issue. No one can be sure yet. Apple has said that iPad is meant to also create. Photo and video manipulation requires a significant amount of RAM and CPU resoruces. Apple’s desktop video software and possibly the iPad’s current/future video apps use a proprietary lossless video codec that takes up significant amounts of RAM and drive space. The article sums this up by saying to be productive you need a lot of space.

  29. commenter says:

    Adobe is working on Flash 10.1 for mobile devices using ARM CPUs. They have clips of it working on the Nexus One, Motorola Droid, Palme Pre, etc.

    As the article says, the weight of the device is significant for people who plan on using it while mobile and without a table (carrying and using at the same time). This is a UMPC site so many visitors intend to use their devices in this situation.

    At the date of this article, Apple is currently only selling the WiFi version. The 3G version is coming soon, maybe by the end of this month and no rumored dates for other countries.

    Some people may want a built in stand like other small tablet devices so pointing out that the iPad doesn’t have one is useful.

  30. commenter says:

    As the article points out many institutions (universities, workplaces, etc.) have high speed internet that exceeds the speed of WiFi. With fiber connections people can get 100+ Mbps. Real world speeds of 802.11n can’t handle that. People with gigabit routers may want to transfer large files faster within their LAN too.

    All computers can be hacked. Why single out the camera as the high security risk?

    The article points out that some sites may not work properly and suggests people to test sites they’re likley to visit before buying. End users don’t care whose fault it is. They just want their sites to work.

    There are people who intend to code on the iPad since they probably didn’t do much research or they want to do some quit code edits. The article reminds them of possible hurdles.

    As said above video processing requires a lot of space. All those itunes music and HD videos could easily fill up the drive too. Personally shot videos take a lot of space too especially for Mac users where Apple’s software usually converts camera/camcorder videos to their lossless video format.

    As I mentioned, Apple is also touting the iPad as a content creation tool be it software, photos, videos, etc. iPad specific pro apps will come out and may not be very easy to use.

    In addition to the charging requirements, batteries lose capacity over time and replacing it youself is easier than shipping it out to Apple for $100 for a replacement unit. That is if you haven’t voided your warranty.

    WiFi printing isn’t available for many people. The article gave an example.

    The article mentions the need to output video at higher than VGA resolutions and preferrably digital not that it doesn’t output video at all.

    Most of your comments were answered by the article itself or was not said to article.

  31. FireDragon says:

    Well, I am not going to read the answers you have following your posts, I am going to sum-up this article in a easy way.

    Apple made another toy for its followers, and followers are happy playing with it.

    We are talking about people with creativity and productivity here in this article.

  32. commenter says:

    Just to be clear, my comments were aimed at andy and how his comments were uninformed, were not really what the article was about or clearly answered by the article itself.

  33. allan says:

    WoW! Can you point me to a single portable computer/UMPC/Tablet that doesn’t have these “30 Productivity Problems”??? You’re looking for a desktop! C’mon, this thing’s not designed to run CAD software! Charge a phone? You need a wall charger for that! Learning curve? If one can’t use an iPad in an hour, he’s hopeless! Processing power? You’re indeed comparing apples to oranges– you know better than that.

    I have a viliv S5 and you seem more positive about it compared to the iPad. Are you saying the S5 is better than the iPad?

    I bought an iPad right at the time it was released and you forgot a few:

    -Charging cable is too short.
    -Screen is a fingerprint magnet.
    -It can’t run wmv files.
    -It doesn’t run any flavor of Windows.
    -It’s made by Apple (many hate the iPad because of this and I hope you’re not one of them).

  34. Marvell says:

    >> -It doesn’t run any flavor of Windows.

    ymmd

  35. XLogiX says:

    > WoW! Can you point me to a single portable computer/UMPC/Tablet
    > that doesn’t have these “30 Productivity Problems”???
    > You’re looking for a desktop! C’mon, this thing’s not
    > designed to run CAD software! Charge a phone? You need a
    > wall charger for that! Learning curve?

    I don’t agree. I use 3D Studio Max and various video editors on my UMPC – sure it’s a bit slower than on the workstation at home but the system is fast enough to do the job. And yes – its also charging (and syncing) my phones and a lot of other mini-usb-charged-thingies. And its also my ebook reader and multimedia-player. So it’s for productivity and entertainment, whereas the iPad ist less for productivity but more for entertainment and applemaniacs…

  36. Steve 'Chippy' Paine says:

    Just to re-iterate why the list is here.

    “The list doesn’t just apply to the iPad of course and it’s not exhaustive but seeing as many are looking to use the iPad as a productive device (and I’m honestly very happy that people are trying) it makes sense to put this information out there.”

    The iPad is indeed, not intended as a productive device but if you’re thinking about it (many are) *this list is here to help you think about it*

  37. robman84 says:

    A good 20 or so points in the list are valid for *me* in terms of productivity issues. I really want an iPad, but I couldn’t do my job with it. Hopefully I’ll get enough cash to get one and use it for what it’s good at.

    Part of the problem as I see it is that it is *quite* good at a lot of productivity things, thus a lot of people want to try to put it up against either laptops or tablet/slates running a desktop OS. If the iPad (and iPhone) wasn’t quite so good at having a go at most things, people would be more willing to accept it for what it is.

    I imagine the iPad will be a great sofa surfer and mobile media player. For me it will be highly productive in my music “studio” too. But sadly I need a proper computer too to be productive in my work when mobile. I’ve even dreamt about using VNC on the iPad as a solution to having access to a proper OS whilst on the move (3G version obviously)!

  38. Not Lofty says:

    I think a lot of people that think he is forgetting things is forgetting the point of the article. He is not saying you can’t give the ipad to your grandma or that the ipad is all around bad. He is addressing the people that seem to forget the ipad is for your grandma and think that they are just going to take this device everywhere with them and do all there work on it. If you’ve read/listened to other stuff by Chippy you’ll know that a few years back they jumped on the tablet bandwagon and tried to do all their work on tablets and thought it was amazing but eventually had to admit the many limitations of tablets, so in this article he is just sharing his experience.
    I do think that Chippy is a bit too picky about the weight of his mobile devices, but thats all personal preference. I thought he would like the weight as his magic limit seems to be 800g which the ipad falls well under.
    As for charging a phone, he includes other things in the same category. My mp3 player doesn’t have a wall charger and I assume many other devices don’t come with wall chargers either. Stuff like this charges via USB which can’t be done from the ipad. Thats what he was talking about there.
    Wifi isn’t always available and isn’t always faster than the wired connection. In my dorm room there is no wifi but there is a 35mb/s wired connection. Also just watching many videos of different mobile device shows like CeBit or CES there are so many people using the wifi that no one can get any speed, there are probably other places like that where it would be good to find a place to plug in.
    All webcams should be removable?? Come on, just about every single laptop made along with just about every single phone has a camera. Are all of those devices in the wrong and the ipad is right that cameras are a security risk? I’ll risk being hacked to not have to carry around an external camera. Just like I risk making online payments so I don’t have to walk to a store. If you are paranoid about being hacked cover up your mic and camera with a piece of tape when not in use.
    Do any computers have internal USB ports? I don’t really know of any as the percentage of people that would use an internal USB port is so small that its not worth the extra money putting it in.
    I don’t think he ever claimed that there was one device that had none of these 30, even in the link to the list provided he says they all have problems.
    Great article and great list of things to think about for anyone who expects the ipad to their mobile productivity tool.

  39. UMPCWatch says:

    I think one of the major killer-questions is this one: would one choose an iPad over, say, an ASUS T91, if this person was a road-warrier? Not a chance!
    Chippy already pointed this particular roadblock out.

    Perhaps, a VERY LARGE niche (lol!) for an iPAD is to be a device for two crowds of people in the developed countries: those who are crazy about everything APPLE no matter what, and those who do not use computers for more than the functions provided by iPAD applications. While the second crowd definitely exists, and is still quite large, I hardly can imagine people who do not use digital photography or e-writing … so even this crowd would need an alternative of the sorts to an iPAD.

    So, likely an iPAD will be quietly moved to where it belongs: closer to a couch or a kitchen table…. but then show me who would easily admit that they spent hundreds of dollars/euros/pounds on something that might have been replaced by cheaper alternatives…

  40. Stosh says:

    Actually, I sold my T91MT to get an iPad, and I’m very pleased with the switch. in attempting to do too many things with a device that isn’t up to the task (slow atom+Win7 is the issue) the T91MT is a fail. The iPad has clear limits on what it can do but it does them very well.
    Comparing the iPad to a netbook is like comparing a netbook to a server. Each has it’s place, you wouldn’t buy one instead of the other.

  41. allan says:

    Oh… The article’s title should have been something else and not “30 iPad Productivity Problems”. It should have been something like “30 iPad and (other Tablets) Productivity Problems”. I’m sorry that I did not read the first part of your article.

    Don’t get me wrong, I own both Mac and Windows machines. I got my feet wet with personal computing back in 1985 or so with my first 8mhz PC (DOS only) until I started using a Mac in 2004. I jumped on a viliv S5 when it was introduced last year and owns a Windows Desktop for gaming (I have BootCamp on my Macs too!).

    The iPad I think is designed for users to “consume” media and information and not to produce them. Productivity is limited to emails and other iWork apps and a few image retouching/enhancements. It may be intended to replace the netbooks if all one does with a netbook is read/write emails, surf the web and other social networking chores (i would believe that a majority of netbook owners belong to this group). Anyone who uses a netbook/tablet/UMPC for image manipulation via PS CS4, edit video and other CPU intensive work just have so much time in their hands.

    It doesn’t mean though that you will find it hard to be productive with an iPad. It all depends on what kind of productivity you want to achieve. If one expects to be productive while mobile doing image manipulations, animations and the like, the iPad will not fit the bill. But if mobile productivity means crunching numbers with a spreadsheet, document editing, creating slide presentations, emails, surfing the web, social networking and some gaming, the iPad is more than enough.

    In a week that I have the iPad, I have used it a lot more than the total time I used my viliv S5 (running Win7 and handwriting recognition enabled).

    Having said that, and being a real iPad owner, I would say that the iPad is a great mobile productivity tool!

  42. BHUPIN says:

    i bought an ipad and then donated it to someone with low IQ. apple should make things for mentally retarted people like u who follow every apple product without any questions and believe they make the best things

  43. focus says:

    I agree with Steve ‘Chippy’ Paine(about ipad)but,at this moment i can`t see any killer device on the market,the alternatives are outdated.The best device,for me,could be an ipad (size ,format)with moorestown,usb,cardreader,camera,and under 500 grams of course :)

  44. Jan says:

    Chippy, you have a very beautiful and productive grab and go desktop there!
    I think you are very right that many users that are currently being swayed by the ipad hype might discover the device is not as good as a real computer for productivity.

    However I plan to buy an iPad anyways, AND not for games! Not all productivity is writing. Reading is also productivity. (The iphone browser also has multiple ‘tabs’ and is in that sense already multitasking even if OS 4.0 is not shipped yet)
    Besides that: Learning a foreign language? Their are tons of apps for that!
    Music apps are great too on the iphone (and I am developing one myself) and already very productive on that little machine, I can’t wait to see the bigger versions of those apps. They will be very productive on the ipad. Databases is something else that can be done quite good with a touch screen. Bento might be a good tool for that although I think it still is a little bit too simplistic for awsome productivity.

    http://www.filemaker.com/products/bento/ipad.html

    Ever heard of EverNote (note taking app with great cloud syncing for Mac/PC/iPhone/iPad) or of Dropbox (file syncing cross platform linux/mac/windows with a great iPhone app to view files)?

    I even imagine that one day touch interfaces for programming languages will appear. Not now, and not on this first gen ipad. But as a developer, I feel that that is something that could be done.

    So, I think there will be productivity on the iPad, but it will be different than the productivity that is currently possible on UMPCs. The fact that there is a capacitive touch screen is a disadvantage for some tasks like photo cropping, but in generally it makes a lot of user interface innovation possible.

    I have to agree though that writing (a task which journalists like you must do very often) is an area for which the iPad is particularly unsuited.

    I hope that you continue to follow the Apple products (even if the company is a bit ‘cocky’ – I agree with you about that) and maybe dive in some ipad hardware / apps yourself. It is not a steep learning curve and there are lots of great apps to discover.

  45. Ian says:

    In some of the arguments I’ve had about the iPad, I’ve also said the same… while I feel it is useless for many things, it could do very well as an inventory management device in databasing.

    Other than that, I only find it to be useful for time wasting.

    Great article… I love how the writer comments about the cliche iFan comments and then lo and behold, there they are in the comments section. Old faithful.

  46. timelock says:

    More than 99,8% in the web are “only” contend user. With or without the ipad. I´m a contend producer. I`m working with my toughbook CF29 (no comparable apple product) and my U820 or OQO +01 (no comparable apple product) for the generation i. And i like the ipad cause one more time companys needed stuff for the users.
    So i`m realy happy with it :-)

    P.S. Apps are only avatars of producing tools

  47. timelock says:

    Hi Steve, have you had time to check out the controlrunner?
    And another tip for the U820: http://www.statbar.nl/
    freeware starbar on the top of the screen gives you a good view of battery/cpu/ram – level. But the best is that starbar adjust the the real desktop a little bit from the top of the screen. And this have a nice effekt for working with the touchscreen. It is easier to control menue buttons when they are not direct on the top of the screen.

  48. Brian Kuriyama says:

    RT @benz145: Good article from @chippy: 30 iPad Productivity Problems – http://is.gd/bqmDE

  49. Michael says:

    I can understand where you are coming from, as you would like for people to consider all aspects of the iPad before they purchase one. And you also want to make an attempt to objectively criticize the iPad … Something most seem unwilling to do. But it has some very significant advantages over a UMPC that you have failed to mention along side the cons. If you really want to compare an ipad to a UMPC, you should include both the pros and e cons:

    1. Fast. Fast, fast, fast, fast, fast. You list the lack of multitasking, flash, etc. But you don’t include the benefit of the lightning fast experience. When was the last time a UMPC was lauded as blazingly fast?

    2. Instant on. Sure, you can put windows into standby. But its not comparable. You have to wait for the device to wake up, load everything back into RAM, connect to wifi again, etc. The iPad just “comes on”. Again … Fast.

    3. It does what it is supposed to do well, and it looks damn good doing it. The iPad has a sexy form factor, and the interface is slick and polished. Internet and email are a delight. Netflix and others add great apps and eye candy that people will soon say “how did I ever live without this?”

    I could write 27 more, but am not sure you would post them. I much appreciate a site that does not shy away from the down sides and limitations of the iPad, but I wish someone would present the complete package.

    Michael

    Sent from my iPad.

  50. chippy says:

    Hi. check out some of our iPad posts at carrypad.com We bought one and are testing it over there.
    This article isn’t really meant to be a comparison, just a think-list for people that might be wondering about productivity.

  51. animatio says:

    you could suspend to disk – slow or to ram – quick. and it comes up multitasking with all progs running where they were left. that’s the point. and then compare wake up with pc’s with ssd’s not slow harddisks.

  52. AP says:

    Michael,

    Steve will most certainly post 27 more if you can come up with 27 different ones and not repeat the same ones over and over again in different words. So why don’t you give it a try.

  53. Michael says:

    1. Overall experience
    2. Battery life
    3. Weight – much lighter than a UMPC
    4. Apps store
    5. No antivirus, windows defender, zone alarm, spybot, firewall settings …..
    6. Stable … no BSOD, no need to shutdown / restart regularly ….
    7. No fussing with drivers
    8. No need to carry extras (charger, extra battery, mouse, etc)
    9. Hardware form factor – slim and slick
    10. Software prices
    11. Familiar and intuitive interface
    12. Speed, app launch and close time
    13. Superior portable web, email and media experience
    14 Touch friendly OS
    15. Portable alternatives to MS word and excel (haven’t tried keynote)
    16. Screen touch sensitivity, brightness, resolution, and clarity
    17. Tablet form factor; no stylus needed
    18. Tech support
    19. Volume of sales (increases # of apps, long term support, etc)
    20. No weekly firmware/OS updates
    21. Boot and shutdown time
    22. HTML5 … have to admit I wont be sad if flash dies
    23. Wifi connect time
    24. Portability
    25. Couch surfing, bed surfing, and bathroom surfing (don’t deny it – you know you do it)
    26. People seem to find me more interesting since I bought it ;-)
    27. Oh … and it’s “magical” ;-)

    Now I’ll go play with my $500 UMPC that gets 10 hours battery life, weighs 680 grams, boots in 15 seconds, has a cheap software store for applications and … oh … never mind ;-)

    I know I’m taking the bait and replying to the challenge to “bring it” with 27 more things the iPad does well. But I hope this stays light hearted – my only real point is and is that I’d like to see pros and cons of the iPad presented together. And I’d like to again thank chippy – most folks seem afraid to say anything bad about the ipad at all. I look forward to further coverage over at carrypad.

    Sent from my iPad.

  54. magic says:

    You just need to start and end with pro number 27.

  55. Chippy says:

    Excellent list. We should expand on it and i’ll publish it over at Carrypad where the focus is more on the average consumer and not the ‘pro’ that we tend to focus on at UMPCPortal.

    I would add ‘always on’ to the list. It’s one of the key challenges that netbooks face as it enables messaging, active status, background retrieval and updates and mobile location services. I addressed more of these issues in an article here:
    http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/02/social-netbooks-and-arms-lock-in-netbook-opportunity/

    Anyone else want to chip in with ‘advantages’ ?

  56. AP says:

    Thanks for coming up with 27 although some are very general and I may disagree with lot them but I won’t argue you since you have put in lot of time and imagination coming up with these. Good luck and have a good time with ipad.

  57. Fred says:

    We can discuss a lot here but nothing makes sense if we do not have new mobile devises actually on the market. Here are a lot of talking, tenths of concepts and prototypes but nothing real. At least the iPad is out in 60 days after talking. Productivity problems or not, is real. The was talk of Hanvon, where is it?? there was talk of N5, where is it?? there’s been talk of new platforms, Where are they?? its been many months and nothing real. The disapointing part is when it comes out and is a peace of unpolished shit.

  58. Bart DePalma says:

    Multitasking. Best point, but solved with Iphone OS 4.0 this summer.

    Keyboard. – You may want to actually use the screen keyboard for a bit before complaining. It was far better than I expected. However, I will get a blue tooth keyboard for extended typing. The ipad takes them all flawlessly.

    Tablet Form factor. “Input of any kind on a tablet PC can be stressful and unproductive in many scenarios.” – I cannot disagree more. As soon as I got used to the iphone interface, I was frustrated having to go back to the mouse on my computers. Manipulation using your fingers is about as intuitive as it gets. Once Apple and its inevitable competitors get these tablets refined, the netbooks and kindle are history and standard computers will need to adopt at least parts of this interface.

    Processing power – The ipad bench tests better than the netbooks with which it is competing.

    Memory – I have not come close to filling my 64 Gig. The ipad is designed to put netbooks and kindle out of business and serve as a supplemental portable computer.

    Adobe Flash – As an attorney, I simply do not miss this. I suspect that vast majority of computer users will not either.

    Weight – Weight is one of the reasons I purchased the ipad. I can carry this 1.5 lbs powerhouse anywhere and get work done in court without dragging around a laptop. BTW, you do not hold a netbook or laptop and type. Why would you do so with the ipad?

    No 3G – 3G comes in a couple weeks.

    Capacitive touchscreen – You can do an amazing amount of detail work with this screen. Give it a chance.

    Glossy Screen – This is a tradeoff. Given that you generally do most of your work inside out of direct sunlight, give me the brilliant screen.

    Limited USB capability Good point – The problem is probably one of what you are going to leave off of on a compact device.

    Printing – You do this by wifi with a growing set of apps.

    No Memory card slot – My ipad has plenty of memory at 36 gig. If you are using the ipad as your primary computer, this could be an issue.

    No stand – Case includes a stand as you noted and Apple will be selling a charging stand with a full keyboard in a couple weeks.

    No removable battery – The ipad actually gives you more than 10 hours of charge, which is frigging amazing. My laptop does not come close. The thing must be half battery. This is the second big reason I bought one.

    Learning curve – Seriously, stop whining. A five year old can get the hang of this interface in less than an hour. Try it.

    Distractions “Please, if you’re an author, don’t try writing your book on the iPad. There are so many fun distractions on it that you’ll never find your groove!” – Heaven forfend! This is a negative?

    No in-car use. – Your laptop and netbook are not GPS devises for drivers to use either. You are beginning to reach to make your preconceived number of flaws.

    No high-speed internet. – It’s a wifi world, my friend. Why would you tether yourself to a cable if you can avoid it?

    Videoconferencing. – Good point. I did observe an aperture at the top for the camera, though. This is coming.

    Browser not 100% compatible. – All of the major online services like Google Docs work.

    Programming and coding. – Not a problem for 98% of us.

    Limited storage/ Expand memory/storage Memory is not changeable, which is a problem for upgrading. – Buy the 64 gig version.

    Use DVD/CD/BluRay media “Speaking of CD/DVD, you won’t be able to plug in an external drive to play videos…” – This is an “I”pad. Apple made a conscious decision to dedicate all of their devices to the internet years ago. See MacBook Air, iphone and now ipad. Apple was the first to dump floppies and is working on dumping discs.

    Run pro-quality apps. “I don’t see high-end pro-level apps ever being ported to the iPad based on effort required and low pricing points in the app store.” – Apple raised the price points for ipad because it can do far more than iphone. You can also reach a far larger global consumer base to make up for the lower margins.

    VGA/Digital video output – Good point

    Charge a phone – You can’t do everything.

  59. animatio says:

    just some points ….
    it will come in future this, in future that … im using my netbooks right from the shelf for 2 years now. did not to have to wait for or dream of features chippy mentioned to come in a next generation release.
    my netbooks not only serve as real productivity devices (office, planning, grafics, multimedia, web and so on) but also as library with hundreds of books, articles, videos and so on …. they all have in the meantime 500 gb harddisks to cover this
    by the way they are all running several os’es and can serve as servers if needed.
    no webcam – no real conferencing – my netbooks serve also as crossmedia communicationn tools – unpossible by the pad. prroductivity is not only about surfing and some mailing or note taking, but also catcchng the information, processing and storing it = means managing and giving it to others as realtime as possible. there is no way to do this without a proper keybioard and a mouse (as quick as possiible and as error prone as possible).
    grafics and publishing of content needs accuracy – do not try to tell an experienced professional that fingerpainting (that’s what one is doing on an ipad) can substiute a pencil – the guys from watcom would have been fools all the years invested in developping digitizing boards.
    as i sad, only a few points …. just to mention . if i’m browsing there are 10 – 20 browser windows open and up to 60 ore more tabs …. besides other applications running (and the system will go to sleep and wake up without problems) – no i-whatever can handle this

  60. John says:

    Some of your points make sense Chippy and some don’t. Others have discussed these at length, so just let me focus on only one: keyboard. I agree with you that the tablet form factor can be frustrating without a keyboard. But for a windows machine. Ipad is built entirely around touch, and touch is a more effective input method than pont-n-click for many usage scenarios. It is simply faster to touch a button than guiding the cursor over it and then clicking. It is almost liberating, as long as the response to the touch is properly implemented. In clamshell designs, it is not ergonomically viable to use touch on the screen as the input method. Touchscreens on clamshells are almost useless, unless you do what Lenovo suggested with the detachable kb. Having said that, you’ll be surprised at how well you can write with ipad’s landscape kb.

    Seeing the photo with the U280 reminds me why umpcs never really gained momentum. What you get with this configuration is a crappy desktop experience and an even crappier mobile experience. Just my $.02 of course.

  61. Chippy says:

    Remember, I’m not comparing here (or at least that’s not the intention) or saying that anything else is better. That’s not what this article is about. This article is focused purely on the iPad. The reason: because of 500,000 people out there, many are testing and trying and many 100’s of thousands of others that are wondering what the iPad can do. This article gives them more to think about.

    Actually the article has done a great job. There’s been a very well thought-out and passionate discussion here which could have easily gone off the rails! Once again, I have to tip my hat to the quality commentators at UMPCPortal.

  62. Not Lofty says:

    Man, so much hate in these comments. We all have different desires from our computers and all use them slightly different. We all have different budgets and different levels of experience. There is not going to be one device that satisfies everyone.
    I think netvertibles are the best, Chippy likes UMPC’s (just check the title of the website lol), and someone else may like a tablet. Chill.
    I’m holding out that by the time I go to grad school in a year I’ll have a dual-core atom netvertible at 10″ with usb 3.0, ddr3, pixel qi screen, gps and a wicked fast ssd.

  63. Chippy says:

    Yup, there’s no perfect device. I 100% agree. Thank goodness we have hundreds of different mobile and portable designs to choose from now.

  64. Ian says:

    According to Apple fans, we only have one.

  65. Marauderz says:

    While Chippy’s points are true and valid in my opinion.

    The main reason why the common man off the street is so dazzled by the iPad is the fact that the iPad is probably the 1st time they’ve ever handled a computing device which they can use without a table. ie. The often used on the couch metaphor.

    This was evident to me when my colleagues were counting off the advantages of the iPad to me.

    To which I replied, I’ve been using tablets and sub 12″ notebooks since 2005. While you are dreaming about having a slightly portable (not pocketable) computing experience, I’ve been living your dream for 5 years!

  66. XLogiX says:

    > This was evident to me when my colleagues were counting off the advantages of the iPad to me.

    True. And that from a lot of people around you. Sometimes this hype is getting very annoying. So I’m glad to give all those hypies the tip to also look for other dvices AND umpcportal, because ther’s more out there which could fit their usage cenario.

    And I’m thankfull that Chippy has made this list. Hopefully some buying desicions are made not only from a marketing perspective (what I’m made needed), but mor from “what I really need”. ;-)

  67. Transilvan says:

    IPad is not the device people on this website look for. It´s more like a cellphone and you can´t modify too much on it.

    But it has great software and you don´t have trouble with small icons, …

    I got a Viliv X70 and it´s a better device compared with IPad, but it runs on desktop software.

    I even can´t install Moblin or sth. like that. People in the world wouldn´t talk so much about Ipad if the “Microsoft-world” would have a good software for MID/UMPC!

    What do you think?

  68. Devang Maniar says:

    @rajivmakhni http://bit.ly/bVLfWy. R V all getting blindfolded by its luk & feel? iPhone also missed few

  69. Rajiv Makhni says:

    This is a good deep look into what are the real flaws in the Apple iPad RT @devangrm http://bit.ly/bVLfWy

  70. Syed Muddasir Ahmed says:

    RT @rajivmakhni: This is a good deep look into what are the real flaws in the Apple iPad RT @devangrm http://bit.ly/bVLfWy

  71. TJ says:

    Excellent article chippy. Looks like almost all of these pitfalls could be solved with a well engineered arm umpc (minus the x86 software issue.) Hopefully mainstream brand umpcs with unlocked 3G modems will soon fall under the $499 ipad base price.

  72. Alex Neuenfeld says:

    30 iPad Productivity Problems. | UMPCPortal – Ultra Mobile Personal Computing http://bit.ly/bwKiDK

  73. Ketan Kumar J says:

    RT @rajivmakhni: This is a good deep look into what are the real flaws in the Apple iPad RT @devangrm http://bit.ly/bVLfWy

  74. chuckdaly says:

    Great article,

    Many reviewer have been overly optimistic in the utility of the iPad. As Apple and reviewers use the term,”Content Creation” in place of productivity, there is a need for a “Reality check” regarding how much productivity can truly be realized from the iPad.

  75. Stu Lowe says:

    I think the point that most ‘computer’ people miss here is that companies have been trying to put desktop software into smaller mobile hardware for years and the complete failure at capturing a market is because most people just can’t be arsed with the fiddlyness of it. I had a U820, ha! I also had a viliv s7, everun note, latitude xt, archos 5 and every netbook going I think. Not one of them I kept for more than a couple of months. Once the novelty wears off I would go back to my laptop every time.

    I picked up an ipad last week and my favourite thing about it is that it doesn’t have a desktop OS (plus what you said about always being on, that’s pretty massive on a mobile device). Maybe my mobile needs are different but I have a computer on my desk at work and another on my desk at home. What I do in between the 2 places is mostly accessed through online portals, email and through piles of text notes. All 3 of those things the ipad has so far excelled at. Not a single crash, lock, reboot, slow operation or any need to turn the side of my finger nail into a sharp poking device and keep prodding at the top right of the screen to close an app. In addition to those things it is also a cracking media player and general content consuming device. Using MyWi with the iphone is smooth and fast as well. I used it nearly all day on Friday at work and came home with a battery at 70% !! But then I guess if it didn’t suit my needs then I wouldn’t have got it in the first place. People just need to put their personal hatred of apple aside and realise that a desktop OS on a tiny device is just not good (we’ll see how meego pans out, looks interesting).

  76. XLogiX says:

    > Maybe my mobile needs are different but I have a computer on my desk
    > at work and another on my desk at home. What I do in between the
    > 2 places is mostly accessed through online portals, email and through
    > piles of text notes.

    And maybe this ist the difference – “productivity problems” adresses a little more than surfing and reading mails. I think these are functions a decent smartphone (iPhone, WinMo & Android devices) are capabel of – an what I do with my Touch Diamond. But my understanding of a mobile companion is that are able to get your stuff done on the go. I don’t need a a desk at work – thats done by my UMPC. And I don’t need a desk at home – thats done by my UMPC. And on the go… right – there’s my UMPC. With a desktop OS and enough resources (except battery of course) to be real productive (including video editing). And I think that’s the point Chippy was thinking about in making this list. For mobile entertaining an reading the iPad is certainly great, but it has a lot of limitations, so people with a more demanding usage scenario may look at other devices which are better suited for their productivity. And most certainly most of the comments are not created by apple-hating blasphemists, but by people who expierience and work in a mobile scenario, while thinking about the devices enabling them to do, to create and to consume on the go. Surely you’ve had some mobile devices and all lacked of something – it’s the same with the iPad (and the list of possible lacks you’ll find above!). If it suits your needs congrats & keep it!

    (Apropo keep it – this text is written on an antique mobile companion still in use toady: HP Jornada 720 ;-) )

  77. David says:

    I’m a long term frustrated tabletPC user, considered UMPCs at times, but how many have Wacom digitizers? how many have daylight readable screens? how many have eight hour battery life? the stupid lack of operating system discs is one more reason I never want to buy another TabletPC again. Got a dead one now, and will NOT spend the days to create a TabletPC install CD. Never considered an Apple anything before, but saw output from Sketchbook Pro on it (for $8!). The sheer volume of affordable and innovative cheap apps is what may convince me, although I may wait for the next version. A pressure-sensitive and/or daylight screen would convince me, sight unseen. As for 3G, I’ll just use my $30/month unlimited data and 500 minute plan with wireless router, the same as I would with any tablet, when I’m out of wireless range. I wouldn’t even be surprised if someone came up with a decent CAD package for it. If it only had SketchUP…

  78. Chris says:

    Some of these replies are hilarious, others are just sad. Most are ignorant.

    As far as the article itself… I can only agree with a few.

    Use the iPad, you’ll see it is actually pretty good, and VERY handy.

    Most importantly is this is an AMAZING platform for developers. Apps are going to come out that will make this a productive platform.

    I do hate how Apple limits its products. I’m not talking about limiting for control’s sake. I’m talking about leaving out painfully obvious features like Cameras and Webcams. Features still missing from the iPhone and iPod Touch.

    But regardless, you all have to thank Apple, they take existing “ok” products and turn them into products that everyone takes a look at. Even if they have less features than the existing products. Ask any of the majority of regular people what a UMPC is, they have no idea. Ask them what a tablet PC is, they might say “is that like an iPad?” That only improves things for all of us.

    Only NOW are companies scrambling to get their own versions of Pads out there.

    This will increase competition.

    This will force all companies to add more features that people want.

    This will make these devices more productive.

    You guys really have absolutely no forethought at all. It’s really scary.

    and really.. you don’t know what a Toyota Tundra is? Where do you live??

    Also, I don’t have an iPad though I want one.

    The only people I know who have iPads are WINDOWS users. So yeah, it’s not just a “toy for applemaniacs”.

  79. Total Relaxed Org. says:

    30 #iPad Productivity Problems: http://bit.ly/aS2pOi #GTD-inspired #TRO #timemanagement

  80. The Resident Geek says:

    30 #iPad Productivity Problems: http://bit.ly/aS2pOi #GTD-inspired #TRO #timemanagement via @totalrelaxed

  81. Tai-Pan says:

    What I think is interesting about this list is that many of the points are easily solvable… not necessarily by Apple but possibly by other competitors.

    Size, weight, USB connections (keyboards, media transfer, device charging), video outputs, expandable storage, video conferencing (web cams), all of these issues will be tackled in competing devices, many of which will be cheaper.

    As these cheaper, possibly better tablets proliferate the Apps (for Android) will come and we’ll see even greater adoption and more usage scenarios.

    I’ve played around recently with some new 7″ tablets that will be coming out soon and I was amazed at how much better the performance was than even the SmartQ V7 of last November. If this pace of development continues I’m convinced by the end of this year we’ll see some very useful very affordable devices that will make a lot of the above commenters happy.

  82. Steve 'Chippy' Paine says:

    Again – 30 iPad Productivity Problems http://bit.ly/b7vpu0 Just one roadblock is all it takes

  83. bobduffy says:

    @chippy goes deep & wide on: 30 iPad Productivity Problems. http://bit.ly/bKzhnY

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11.6" Intel Celeron 2955U
Dell Latitude E7440
14.0" Intel Core i5-4200U
Acer TravelMate B113
11.6" Intel Core i3
HP Elitebook 820 G2
12.5" Intel Core i5 5300U
Acer Chromebook 11 CB3-131
11.6" Intel Celeron N2807