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Is the iPad a Guy Thing? One Woman Thinks So

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Apple may have used its clout to get Ellen DeGeneres to apologize for her spoof of the iPad. News of that caused a bit of a stir earlier this week. But somehow I think Ellen got the best of the deal and another good dig in at Apple for saying they wanted her to apologize. Of course this came after just about every comedian in the game has come up with some sort of iPad slapdown (or lickdown). But most, if not all, of those I’ve seen have been male comedians. Curious that Apple didn’t go after the Colbert’s, the Letterman’s and the Stewart’s out there. (Again, I think Ellen got the best of Apple here.)

All of that said, there’s at least one woman reviewer of the iPad who isn’t too thrilled with the device and I doubt Apple will ask her to do much apologizing. Irene Macabante actually takes on the device form a woman’s point of view, and well, finds it lacking on a number of fronts. One section is sub-headed A Woman + an iPad: an unlikely couple. It’s tough to refute her arguments, beyond the usual axiom that not every device is for every person.

So, I’m curious. Is the iPad a guy thing? Any ladies out there care to comment and let us know their thoughts either before or after reading Macabante’s review?

16 Comments

16 Comments

  1. Charles

    05/07/2010 at 10:11 am

    I read her review and agree completely with it. Many of the things Steve Jobs claimed it would be great at it just isn’t.

    I don’t think it is necessarily a guy or girl thing as much as an Apple fan thing or hype thing. Apple has a great ability at convincing a certain segment of the population that a new product is “magical and revolutionary” when in all actuality it isn’t. Thus, many run out an buy it (even sight unseen) and will defend their purchase to the death because they believed the hype and don’t want to admit they just got sucked in by marketing.

  2. Tablet Teacher

    05/07/2010 at 10:26 am

    Is it magical or revolutionary? No and Yes.

    While it is lacking a full-blown OS, it is a good mobile surfing device. The form factor is good just for that.

    Can it be a productive stop-gap for someone who needs to do some mobile work? Yes.

    Will it take the place of a laptop? Yes and No depending on what your purpose is. People groused about the same issues with a true-slate form factor (Think LS800). Yet, the iPad cannot convert handwriting or ink well for that matter.

    However, if you need something bigger than a SMART Phone and can find a use for it, then it is a good device.

    It will never, for the most part, take the place of a full-fledged laptop. But, that depends on your use.

    As for this being a device touted by Apple Fanboys…that is a misnomer. I was a strict PC and Tablet supporter. However, nothing was GREAT. Some came close, but none were GREAT. I have had an Acer Travelmate, the 14 in. screen model, and then both Gateways, an LS800, and a Samsung Q1.

    While all of these were great, I needed a laptop for video editing when all was said and done. So, I switched to MAC. Vista was a nightmare for me and I wanted something stable. So far in the full year of switching, I love it and haven’t had nearly the problems I did in the 15+ years of dealing with MS. I still do think MS has the best Inking software with OneNote. But as for crashes and virus problems, etc. the Mac is Superior. Like them or not Apple builds a great product.

    As for buying the iPad. I’m still waiting. We are looking to “pilot” them for our school as a teacher device. I think it could very well take the place of my SMART Phone and PC for assessments and reporting.

    So, iPad for just guys. No. I think it is for anyone depending on their use for it and how well they adapt and give it a chance.

    ***I think they should have let Ellen alone, or bash everyone. But, the publicity only helped her cause.

    • Tablet Teacher

      05/07/2010 at 10:35 am

      Oh yes, and no tablet has approached the 10 hr. battery life.

      • JOE H

        05/07/2010 at 11:09 am

        Beg to differ. My Electrovaya SC 2100 would get 9 hours on a charge. It’s not produced anymore, but it definitely had the batteyr chops to go 10 hrs with management. And it weighed in at just about 3 lbs, ran a full (XP) OS and had millions of applications that could run it, many free and open source!

      • Scott

        05/07/2010 at 1:59 pm

        That’s why I have two for my Stylistic (5022)…more than enough to get through the day.

      • Brett Gilbertson

        05/08/2010 at 5:00 pm

        Can get 6-7 hours on my Motion J3400, but have also had the iPad go flat in less than 6 hours too.

  3. AP

    05/07/2010 at 10:34 am

    What has happened to this forum. Its now nothing but apple and ipad. What happened to all the inkshows and reviews that you guys used to do with many different tablets. I haven’t really seen anything with Lenovo, HP, Dell and others.

    Sure ipad is a new product (more than a month old) and popular but its not the only game in town. It seems like gottabemobile has become gottabemobileipad.com

    • Warner Crocker

      05/07/2010 at 2:04 pm

      AP,

      We do cover Lenovo, HP, etc.. as we get the devices and we do look out for Tablet PCs as we all came to know them. But as a site that covers what’s going on in the mobile sector and with Tablets, to ignore the iPad, which has/is forcing many of our favorite mobile device makers to change their plans for the future, we’d quickly be out of topics.

  4. Margaret

    05/07/2010 at 10:43 am

    I’m a woman. I love my iPad. I know several other women who love their iPads. I resent her stereotyping women. I don’t even know what “Manolo Blahniks” are.

  5. R2D2

    05/07/2010 at 2:14 pm

    Careful Nokia,

    May the Force be with you but I’m not sure I want you to win this lawsuit. See, if you do, it means that Apple stole your tech. And there will be NO END to Steve and the Apple Fanboy whining. HAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHA!

    R2D2 here and I know my Droids.

  6. Bill

    05/07/2010 at 5:21 pm

    I am platform agnostic. Personally, i admire apple hardware but don’t think much its leopard os-over hyped etc. Having said that, its iPhone and iPod were transformational products-near perfect combination of hardware and software. Ipad will IMO prove to a be quantum game changer. pls spare me the magical nonsense but the product is just that good. It will remove that thin line that remains between computing and consumer electronics. hard not heap praise on a gen 1 device this good. The first 21st century computer.

  7. Osiris

    05/08/2010 at 5:27 am

    Its pretty easy to refute her arguments actually but congratulations to her for coming off like a stereotypical irrationally complaining woman. “its too slippery, it doesnt fit in my purse, I dont like the name, wa wa wah”

    This is one of my favourites:
    “There just aren’t enough features in an iPad to make it worth replacing my TV (a 52″ plasma), my iPhone, my new smartphone…” oh really, it cant replace a 52″ TV and a device that cant make calls cant replace your iphone? oh no way. The suggestion that a 10″ device cant replace a 3d IMAX thatre on your block….crazy….

    Way to generalise on behalf of your entire gender:
    “Women are obviously not the demographic for the iPad, but it will be interesting to see how or if Apple tries to find some niche use for us”

    Here how about you guys post a news story on this guys and his families ipad experiences, a much better read then her trite. https://chucksblog.emc.com/chucks_blog/2010/05/what-ipads-did-to-my-family.html

  8. Chris Hickie

    05/08/2010 at 1:17 pm

    So, I’m curious. Is the iPad a guy thing?

    Unless they do more with it, it won’t be my thing.

  9. Fogbank

    05/09/2010 at 7:31 pm

    I’m a woman and I have read the referenced article. She clearly wrote some provocative comments. In general, I agree with her comments as they relate to the iPad form (size, shape, weight, etc) of the iPad as I experience them. I can understand that holding at an angle while using it would be tiring on women’s arms. I do not want to carry a bigger purse or a separate bag for the iPad.

    On the other hand, as well discussed here on GBM, the functions of the iPad are gender independent.

  10. CLC

    05/11/2010 at 11:29 am

    I’m surprised she didn’t mention the fingernail predicament that a lot of women have with capacitive screens. LOL.

    What the heck are Manolo Blahniks? I had to look the thing up to see if it was real or a fake spoof name. It sounds rather hilarious!
    Blaaaaaaaaaahniks! They are soooo blah!

  11. Apple iPads

    05/18/2010 at 7:53 pm

    iPad is for everybody lol

    Chick this out Apple iPads|iPad Tablet|iPad Australia

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