Originally Posted By: Irishacts
Quote:
Non-Apple manufacturers have been promising alternatives to the iPad for quite sometime , to date I've yet to see anything actually on the market that I can actually use like I do the iPad.


Tablet PC's running Windows have been around for well over 10 years, long before Apple even knew what an iPod was. As for cheap version of them, the Archos 9 was out before the iPad. It costs less, does way more, and it runs Windows 7.

Apple are not doing anything �new� here, they are just good at marketing a device to people who don't follow technology.

Regards
James


James, pardon me, I work and have worked in the tech sector for the last 12 years, I'm the MIS manager of medium size law firm with 3 offices in the greater Boston, Massachusetts area. I have worked for storage giant EMC EMC and also for UPS giant ( uninterruptable power supply) American Power Conversion So I guess I can say I follow technology very closely. Apple may be marketing the device to those who don't follow technology, I'm not one of them.

In civilian life, I'm also a consumer of media and I'm familiar with the Archos, considered purchasing one some time ago, but it didn't appeal to me............and yes tablets have been around for a long time. But it's only the marketing genius of Apple that took the bull by the horns and made the tablet category very successful. I will also admit I'm an Apple fan boy and may be a bit biased........but I also work in a Windows environment at my day job and I've dealt with the vulnerabilities there. If tablets of 10 years ago and forward on Windows were so great why have they not been successful? Why is everyone now chasing Mr. Jobs aka Apple?


I did not purchase the iPad for reading lead sheets. That turned out to be a bonus. And $ for $ I'm getting plenty of use as does my wife from our iPads.


Just a sampling of what I use the iPad for:
Reading Kindle, Nook or iBook electronic books
Reading magazines, PC World, MacWorld, MacLife, PC Magazine, Popular Photograhy, National Geographic
GoodReader for all my owners manuals
Calendaring for keeping track of gigs and other appointments
Contact lists for Assisted Living/Nursing Homes and personal contacts
My Photo Library
Wall Street Journal
New York Times
Scrabble for when I have a few minutes downtime

Training on various software programs via lynda.com. Very convenient I can even watching while stretched out on the couch relaxing.

The list goest on and on........I can only speak for myself and possibly the millions of others who have purchased iPads ( some are members here too LOL) Currently I don't think there is anything better in the form factor that the iPad comes in. And yes in the future I believe Apple will have a fight on it's hands to maintain the market share they enjoy now with the iPad. Yes, the Samsung Galaxy is meeting with some success, it will be interesting to watch the Motorola Xoom as well.

And with that I won't write another word for some reason I'm being drawn into a mine is better than yours contest and I don't enjoying being part of those. To quote my friend DNJ "use whatever you like and enjoy it" I know we are enjoying our iPads.