Some people might want a computer for their iPad. Some.

by WyldKard on May 17, 2010

We’ve said before that the is a fantastic computing solution for the average person, since the delivers all the content most people need, and works very well for basic office work. Maxator points out a number of things the can’t do, which necessitate also having a “traditional” computer at home.

CD/DVD burning/ripping.

Media issues are likely a short-term problem for adopters of -like devices; how long can the optical disc remain viable in a world of digital distribution, especially when there’s little legitimate reason to burn anything anymore? Seriously, we’ve burnt a handful of discs in the last couple years, and most of those were related to a console hack.

We can’t imagine that our burning needs are much different than for most people. Burning audio discs is a thing of the past thanks to the , and most data (like office documents) are small enough to be thrown onto the . In what common use scenario is burning 650MB of data a reasonable solution compared to removable flash storage or simple network transmission?

As far as movies go, legacy media is one thing, but for all future media, online consumption will become the norm, so why not adopt it now? Arguably, one could obtain an online copy of media you already own, which is effectively the same thing as ripping the respective DVD yourself. Now granted, this doesn’t address storage issues, since the maxes out at 64GB at the moment, but that’s not necessarily a deal breaker, as we’ll note later.

One obstacle for dealing with online media, however, is with tackling file distribution outside the iTunes store. This is great for the big labels, and , but not great for those who rely on things like BitTorrent. That’s because without a BitTorrent client for the in sight, or similar apps for other peer-to-peer networks, downloading files of any sort to the is impossible without something like FTP, which is ultimately limited.

Legacy .

Faulting state-of-the-art technology because it doesn’t cater to legacy is a questionable practice. Yes, people want backwards compatibility, but sometimes that compatibility needs to be balanced with a forward momentum, which has almost mastered. Thus it was with the floppy disc, so it is becoming with optical media, and so it will be for closed technologies like Flash. Faulting for not supporting a third-party plugin seems like misappropriating blame: if you’re upset that you can’t view all your favorite websites on mobile devices, maybe you should blame the respective website developers instead. After all, it’s not that their content doesn’t work on devices, it’s that it doesn’t work on any mobile device, since Flash doesn’t exist in a mobile form yet. (Adobe is “working” on it.)

Same goes for legacy in general. Sure, it’d be nice to have TurboTax, Crossover, and Ulysses running on the , but if the demand and capability were there, you can bet that the will follow. (As far as TurboTax goes, does the web version not run in Mobile Safari?) The AppStore is a tour de force, with an amazing number of quality apps available designed for productivity. For most users, the AppStore either already offers an app you need, or will soon.

Backup/syncing.

The real hang-up to relying purely on the for computing that entails massive storage is backups and data management. Right now, the works well with iTunes, but this means you’re relying on at least a Mac Mini to serve as a data warehouse, which becomes an investment of around $500. It’s a fine solution for backing up an ’s data, but it’s not perfect. For one, uninstalled apps won’t retain their data in iTunes, which means that reinstalling an app on the means starting from scratch. That’s bad design, pure and simple.

What should do to address the backup issue is roll out over-the-air syncing, either at the local level with the Time Capsule, or via the with a an enhanced Mobile Me service. A -based iTunes solution would be perfect, allowing you to keep all your media files on ’s servers, and choose which ones to stream or copy to the directly. A Time Capsule solution would work similarly, with the Time Capsule serving up a local web page for accessing it’s own iTunes program for handling media, apps, etc. Both solutions could be implemented at the level, and both would potentially allow users to upgrade their firmware without physically tethering their iPads to a traditional computer.

In the meantime…

We still stand by our assertion that the is a tremendous computer for most people, without them needing a traditional computer at home. This may require visiting the local Store, or a friend, to perform firmware upgrades and the occasional backup. But these are minor inconveniences at best, which will inevitably be addressed by as Mobile OS X evolves.

For the rest of us, who still need a server appliance to make the something more than Average Joe’s computer, the additional investment in a pint-sized server isn’t a deal-breaker, especially when it means that 99% of our non-work computer use is on the itself. Niche requirements like burning CDs and downloading torrents are easily addressed, and can likely be met without shelling out for a Mac Mini like we did, especially with how cheap PCs are these days. Maybe there’s a continuing market for low-cost PCs after all?

Similar Posts:

Tagged as: , , , ,

Leave a Comment