The more I think about the iPad, the more it looks like a computer to me and one that would satisfy a large segment of the PC market. I'm just not sure why Apple isn't marketing it as one and selling a package that includes the dock and keyboard and maybe even speakers. It's a PC but one that you can easily take with you, turn on quickly, and do stuff on the go. In a weird way, the history of the Tablet seems to have them responding that it's not a Tablet PC. But I see no reason, practically, why it couldn't be exactly that.
Otherwise, I agree with you completely. And looking at their 8% market share of PCs, there's a lot of room for them to improve in that category and do very, very well. They've already shown that simplicity sells.
No. Please, no. I love my Mac to death for one simple reason: I can program it and distribute my apps to just about anyone without restrictions and without having to go through the abomination that is the AppStore. Why does the computing industry suddenly want to take the joy out of programming by pushing for closed devices?
No, I won't program for the web. Why? Because I don't want to write JavaScript. I want to write C, C++, Objective-C, Python, Perl, Haskell or any one of the thousands of programming languages I can run on my Mac today.
> selling a package that includes the dock and keyboard
I think many of those who are fine with it being their main computer will be fine without a keyboard. Also, it wouldn't be Apple's style. It reminds me of how the MacBook Air doesn't come with an optical drive.
package that includes the dock and keyboard and maybe even speakers
There is a dock with a built in keyboard, and there is a plain dock. The iPad also supports Apple wireless keyboards, has a built in speaker, and both docks have audio jacks.
Also, you can buy iWork for it, so yes, may as well be a consumer computer. Don't expect XCode or Terminal apps though.
The thing is: Why not just sell this device as the next generation iMac? It could have had a sweet stand, a wireless keyboard, a remote, etc. Set the base price at $599. Heck, Jobs could have demoed it as a desktop, then grabbed it and unveiled all the Tablet features. (Of course, you still sell a version without the peripherals). But it seems to me many of the complaints come from an anchoring bias. If this were introduced as a desktop that you could easily (very easily) travel with, what would the complaints be? That it's not really a desktop? That would be the point! And at the price point, wouldn't they start to take business away from Dell and HP? Instead, now it seems like a luxury item where this could easily be an inexpensive family computer for doing homework, research, coach surfing, etc. Why does the marketing seem off?
Why not just sell this device as the next generation iMac?
Because it has a 1GHz single core CPU which is far slower than any other computer Apple sells, with an architecture that most likely won't run any existing programs.
Otherwise, I agree with you completely. And looking at their 8% market share of PCs, there's a lot of room for them to improve in that category and do very, very well. They've already shown that simplicity sells.