Wednesday, September 08, 2010

You need a computer to use an iPad

For months I have been going on about the wonder of apps and the iPad.

The product’s single biggest weakness, as a device that radically changes the way older people use the Internet, is the limitation that it must connect to iTunes. Both the product's activation and software updates require iTunes connection.

This is not a problem for me and zillions of other older people but it makes it impossible to pitch the iPad as standalone devices. Right now, no computer, no iPad.

As long as this situation continues it will be a brilliant/magical adjunct not but not a replacement.

The Appleblog has a great article about this point. Apparently in Apple’s third quarter results conference call the point was raised by analysts as a limitation of the device.

I am sure if Apple’s brainpower was focused on this ‘problem’ they could find an answer. If they don’t they will be missing out on a good slug of the older market. Dick Stroud

2 comments:

Chuck Nyren said...

I didn't know this because I don't have an iPod.

But I do have an iPad and I hate iTunes. It's clumsy and takes over your computer (and iPad). Sometimes I bypass iTunes when loading the iPad - but that's difficult.

Apple had better fix this one.

My take on some related stuff:
Smart Phones, iPads, and Baby Boomers

Chuck Nyren said...

Whoops. I switched vowels. I have an iPod, not an iPad. (I think - now I'm not so sure.)