Computer Hope
Software => Apple => Topic started by: Geek-9pm on January 22, 2013, 09:31:22 PM
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A review on ZD net says the Apple iPod with a keyword is a practical desktop replacement. I am willing to believe it, but I need proof.
Is it true? Is there out there some combo of iPod and a keyboard that is close to a desktop computer?
I need to know right away! :)
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I can only see it as a viable desktop replacement for people that consume, rather than create. the ipod, ipad, android phones, etc. are data consumers- you read books, you read websites, etc. But the task of creation using these devices is unweildy, slow, and essentially discourages it; first you have smart-dumb features like "autocorrect" which can tuna your riding into nun cents, but you also have the fact that the screens are so small and difficult to use in the same manner as a keyboard & mouse.
Thing is this problem isn't really solved by just having an attachable keyboard because the system is designed as a device for consuming content anyway.
My point is, I guess for most people- who don't really create content, but instead use it- watch youtube, maybe write short E-mails, etc. It might work, and in fact most people have practically replaced their traditional desktop activities with portable devices. But it won't work in the same way for people that create said content.
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Is there out there some combo of iPod and a keyboard that is close to a desktop computer?
I shall assume that you mean iPad and keyboard. Not the iPod which is a portable music player.
I have friends who do use their iPads for most of their computer tasks, and the handy thing is it is very portable, my one friend puts it in her handbag and can easily take it to business meetings. I myself do use my iphone a lot... I can keep it with me all the time and it'll notify me the moment I get an email etc. However some things like spreadsheets etc almost are harder to do then on an actual computer. I cannot see the iPad ever replacing a desktop or laptop computer. But they are very handy devices for people who are in and out of business meetings, conferences and on the go.
And yes you can get keyboards for iPads! :) Check out Apple's store: http://store.apple.com/ca/browse/home/shop_ipad/ipad_accessories/keyboards
The only problem is that most keyboards connect via Bluetooth. And the Bluetooth is currently broken in iOS 6 and Apple STILL has not released a fix! But I dunno, maybe the keyboards arent affected by the bugs. ::)
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I also think that you were refering to the iPad plus a keyboard. You can buy keypads for any kind of tablet PC. First of all you need a tablet PC like iPad and a tablet keyboard. By combining the two things, I belive you will have a thing that is closer to a laptop than a desktop computer. I am developing an own app for iPad (sg. similar to this one: http://www.voip-sip-sdk.com/p_457-voip-iphone-integration-voip.html). I think the iPad/other tablet + tablet keyboard combination is better than having a laptop.
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iPad with Keypad.
Yes, In meant the Apple iPad. Especially the new one with a detectable membrane keypad.
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as much as I love the iPad's capabilities I find it funny to consider it a desktop replacement, that's quite an overstatement..
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Thank you for your post.
This topic is now almost dead... But wait there is more!
Many mobile devices and now with excellent vice recognition software. Much better than what you bet in Windows 7. The new voice command gadgets nae really better than current t desktops with keyboards. Many people never do get to be good typists. They love the voice powered things you carry in your pocket.
If I wee to do this topic over, I would title it:
New Mobile devices with voice commands will replace desktops.
OK, we are not there yet. But soon.
Just last month ...MS on voice recognition. (http://www.thatvideosite.com/v/6517/incredible-speech-recognition-breakthrough-by-microsoft-skip-to-630-for-the-impressive-stuff)
Move ahead in the video, look for the English to Chinese real time voice translation... Inexpressive!!
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I guess it's just my personal preference but I don't think I would rather use voice command to type a document for example, and I think it's awkward to use voice command in public so if I was to use the device in a coffee shop for instance then there's no way I'd talk to my iPad out loud :p
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Right. No talking in the Cafe.
Go to a pub!
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haha the 'pretentious geek' who doesn't want to use his old-school fingers to type is trying to send an email out loud in a busy pub, the drunk part of the crowd would probably want to beat me up if I tried :p
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It depends who you look at. For most users they will still need a computer for certain tasks, tablets are great for content consumption but anything above basic emails and letters, they can become a bit cumbersome.
That being said, my auntie's ageing desktop failed (Athlon XP running XP with 768mb RAM), turned out to be the PSU which due to the strange form factor was going to be pretty costly to replace. She had just bought an iPad a couple of weeks before. She asked me to wait and she would see if she could use the iPad for everything she needed and would call me back if she wanted the PSU replaced, needless to say, her desktop is still dead about 4 months later!
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camerongray, thank you for posting that.
So then, in her case the iPad was a replacement for here desktop. :)
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My mother bought her iPad as a more portable computing device, since her laptop weighed ~9001lbs (it was heavy as *censored*). She started using it more and more, and when her laptop finally died it was like nothing had changed. She's very happy she got it, and would definitely agree that it is a viable computer replacement for some people. As others have said, it's meant for emailing, social networks, YouTube, and other apps. It's not a serious computing device, but it's more than enough for some people, and surprisingly versatile.
I've seen the 30-pin port used for some of the weirdest gadgets, including oscilloscopes and other weird stuff you'd never imagine with an iPad, and it can use special apps to interface with them. Maybe not necessarily something my mom needs, buts it's more-basic features definitely fit the bill.
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I did not think this thread would live long. I was wrong. The mobile marketplace is over taking most of the transitional areas where computers were needed.
One needs to think about how small powerful CPU or a memory arrays can be. You can have a 16 GB chip the size of your thumbnail. Another thumbnail for a quad core CPU. Power is not the issue. Using new technology, one watt is enough power.
Recall that Google claims you can put of the graphics into a pair of eyeglasses. People are accustomed already to using eyeglasses. So that might catch on. But by then the term 'Personal Computer' will be all but forgotten.
Flash. Just in!
http://www.techlife.net/lifestyle/news/2013/7/how-does-google-glass-work/
News for iPhone with Google Glasses
The PC is now dead! Call the mortician.
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An Ipad can never replace a computer, simple as that. A computer is different and more useful than an ipad for many reasons. Programs that can be downloaded on computers can not be downloaded on an ipad. Along with hardware modifications. Long live computers. The only way the ipad could replace a computer would be... well, if it was a computer.
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The only way the ipad could replace a computer would be... well, if it was a computer.
Yes. And now it is.
Google is , has, announcing anew tablet the will out do the iPad. Sooner or later, the tablet , in some form, will be the new personal computation device you carry on your persona. (See computer news for details)
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Yes. And now it is.
You're playing a game of semantics.
are iPads and tablets "computers" in the strictest sense? Of course they are. But so are toasters and washing machines.
Are they general, programmable instruments? Yes and no. They have their own set of limitations and most of them take a walled-garden approach. For example, it takes expertise to switch your smartphone or tablet to another OS, and even then you'll have myriad issues.
Can they replace the desktop and laptop PCs? For things like facebook and web apps, Yes.
But for the general case? no. The fact is that while a PC can do everything you can do on a tablet or smartphone with a larger screen and better input capabilities as well as more "oomph" you cannot do anything you would do on a PC on a tablet or smartphone.
Google is , has, announcing anew tablet the will out do the iPad.
Just like Google+ was totally going to outdo Facebook.
Sooner or later, the tablet , in some form, will be the new personal computation device you carry on your persona. (See computer news for details)
It already is, but the same thing was said about laptops several decades ago. They are only now serving as reasonable replacements for a desktop PC for many people without sacrificing capabilities.
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It can possibly replace a desktop but I don't think the process will be as fast.
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It can possibly replace a desktop but I don't think the process will be as fast.
(sigh)