I see your point on battery life. The thing is the HP Slate like others have said in this thread will be running a full OS and not a basterdized version of a phone OS. It will also display flash in all it's glory so I'm sure that stuff will use up some battery life. All I wanted to point out was the Slate will be $400 cheaper have 3G and 64gigs built in. All your really sacrificing is some batterly life. Plus the OS for the Slate will be Windows 7 so Itunes will be there. You just won't have the App store. So instead of a Netflix app you can go to the actual site. Same with Hulu. Plus you have full access to ESPN. That would be a deal breaker for me.
All very good points and I don't really disagree that the differences between these two products isn't substantial. My only point is that anyone interested in these type devices will have to do some homework. Everyone has different needs and desires with a devices like this. I think Apple's idea of the iPad is as a niche product that sits between the smartphone and notebook. If flash is important to you then clearly the iPad won't be for you. I just feel there are a lot of folks out there that don't care that much about the shortcomings that they deem as such a big deal in regards to the iPad. For me, I don't mind paying more for a device that doesn't have flash or a native usb port. If that device can provide 10 plus hours of battery life, give me a great touch screen experience and is yet tied to a naturally extended Cosmo's which I am already use to via my iPhone and iPod touch. The other thing this device is so, so simple you can literally take it out of the box and hand it to grandma after the activation on iTunes and she'll be up and running in no time.
The big issue with Windows and HP and Dell which they have clearly never gotten, is to create a device that provides for a no brainer experience. Now for some end users mainly advanced ones they want all the bells and potential whistles, but in doing so you create a no so user friendly and easy experience. Not to mention the technology on the Apple side is just better in terms of touch screen technology and creating a device that is optimized to provide the longest battery life, with a beautiful display that while not perfect almost seems so.
I think some will love the Slate, but I don't see it selling as well as the iPad even though it will be cheaper and have more features. The reason is simple... Apple makes it all so damn easy and the fact is you can use a device like the iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad, you never really have to know jack about the OS, because the OS is seemless. I never a had a Windows based device that I didn't have to end up learning more about the OS than I really wanted too. The OS should be transparent and I don't really want to have to get to know it, I just want it to work. So given my experience with both I don't think this Slate will be any different than any current Windows based device and that in and of itself will reduce the user experience to just be meh... rather than GREAT.
Seems pretty simple to me, not everyone thinks the way you do and not everyone feels they've got to have flash and usb ports and sd cardslots. Especially when those things reduce battery life and ultimately end up creating exactly the same generally poor user experience that most people have with a lot of Windows based devices. Price point is important, but me I'd rather pay more and know I am going to have the user experience that I want to have even if it doesn't have those things you deem as being so important. Fact is for many those things just aren't that important at all. If they are then the iPad isn't for you. But the iPad will still out sale the Slate over time and maybe I am being presumptuous, but just what and see.
No doubt about it, it is a double edge sword! But to assume that because someone likes a product that someone else doesn't seem to think has value to them is just a blind mindless Apple Fan is rather ridicules too.
You can compare it based on the specs that have already been out there about both. We already know what the iPad will do, some are reporting over 11 hours. My point is that this new Slate will simply not be able to compete in terms of battery life. It will excel in other areas basically features, but ultimately one has to decide which is more important to them. Price/Features, Battery Life/Better Touch screen technology. We'll see what the Slate does once it is released and as I said if I am wrong about the battery life, I'll man up. But I don't think so because one thing that stands out to me already is just how well Apple has tweaked this device in terms of processor, features, display, memory for it to provide truly rich experience. Though power users such as man of us are will find it wanting. None the less I don't think the iPad was designed with power users in mind. I think it was designed as a niche product that fits between the smartphone and notebook. In that sense it is a great product. I still have no real interest in one at least not yet. But I do plan to check one out at the Apple store this weekend.
I am cool wif dat!
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