Sour Grapes
There was a time pre-home, pre-husband, and pre-children when I had something called disposable income. Disposable income is a wondrous thing allowing one to purchase what they want, when they want it, just because. Just because you like the color. Just because you only have two and you want three. Just because your friends have one and it is the hot topic of conversation.
Now, however, I have a home, a husband, two children, two dogs, two cars and a choice as to whether I pay to fix the lawnmower or get a fun new gadget. No matter how much fun I try to make forking over several hundred dollars to a man named “Pete” to get my repaired lawnmower back, I can’t quite convince myself (or anyone else) that this beats the new iPad – which went on sale on Saturday.
Apple claims to have sold 300,000 of the devices on the first day they were available. The price starts just shy of $500 for the touch-screen device that combines features of tablet computers, book readers and the iPhone (I don’t have one of those either).
So, to make myself feel better and infinitely smarter than those 300,000 people now possessing one, I took great pleasure in reading an article by livescience.com about the device’s shortcomings. According to them, it is awkward, it is heavy, it is slippery, the screen has too much glare, it is almost impossible to read in bright sunlight, fingerprints on the screen are annoying, it does not multitask, the browser is limited, the keyboard stinks, there is no USB port, iPhone apps look horrible enlarged to fit on the screen, it is expensive and it doesn’t replace anything. Whew!
To be fair I should probably list some of the wonderful things people are saying about it; but, as my mother always said, life isn’t fair.
So, overtaxed, overworked, overburdened people unite! Pay the vet to get your children’s puppy back, pay the plumber to fix the leak, pay the repairman to fix the washing machine. We don’t need another new gadget to make ourselves feel like our tech savvy friends. Right?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100405/sc_livescience/13glaringipadshortcomings
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100405/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_apple_ipad
April 5, 2010 at 7:31 pm
I enjoyed reading blog. I do agree with what you’re saying…does the world need another gadget. I wonder if the folks in Alexander Graham Bell’s time felt the same way. Hmmmmm!
April 5, 2010 at 11:20 pm
This blog does raise interesting questions about the importance of the latest tech toys in our society and the importance some place on having them. Thanks for giving me some points to ponder-those waiting in long lines for the Ipad might do well to ponder them also.
April 5, 2010 at 11:35 pm
I read on slashdot (slashdot.org) today that the guy that led the Newton product team at Apple back in the mid 90′s thinks the iPad will fail. Yes, the guy who is responsible for one of Apple’s biggest failures thinks the iPad will fail. How’s that for sour grapes?
April 6, 2010 at 7:16 pm
Ah, I remember the Newton!
Not good publicity for Apple at all – there appears to be WiFi issues: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2362319,00.asp
April 6, 2010 at 12:57 am
As a woman I totally agree, however, I’m sure one will show up at our house and just guess who will be “playing” with it – - – right!
April 6, 2010 at 6:33 pm
It is interesting what people think they “need”…I’d have to say the latest gadgets aren’t on that list…and yet how many people will line up to have one?
You can be assured, I also won’t be on that list. I’ve got a plumber to pay!
April 6, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Well, if someone brings one home, it would be bad manners not to play with it!
April 6, 2010 at 10:33 pm
I was out with friends watching the Final Four over the weekend, and my friend literally interrupted me because an iPad commercial was on. He proceeded to point at the screen with such glee that it was almost cult-like. (He might as well have said to Job’s personal assistant, “Take me to your leeeadoor!”) I have several friends that blindly purchase anything Apple. While allegiance to a specific brand is great, I still exercise extreme caution with these new technologies. At the very least, I want to allow time for the bugs to be worked out before I run out and purchase the next newfangled media-conceptualized must-have.
April 7, 2010 at 11:43 am
I agree brand loyalty is important, but my real loyalty goes to my family. If I can wait a few months and get a better product for less money, I’m all for it!
April 7, 2010 at 12:24 am
I enjoyed reading all your posts/blogs whatever they are called. I have two teenagers and they are embarrased by my lack of tech savvy. But hey, they couldn’t find their way out of NYC subway without Mom! I think we will wait to get the iPad until it has gone through a few “generations” and improvements. I heard that HP was coming out with one and it would be better than this one. Have any info on that? Keep up the good work – keep us informed.
April 7, 2010 at 11:41 am
I found this article from February detailing some of the new products: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/02/24/tea.leaves.ipad.competitors/index.html Looks like there will be some good competition.
I agree that it will be a few generations before we buy one too – it will give them the chance to work out the bugs AND, more than likely, the price will drop.
I try to post to the blog twice a week, so check back often (or you can subscribe and a message will be sent to you notifying you that a new post is available).
Glad you enjoyed it!
April 7, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Loved your sour grapes graphic. Apple, Microsoft are in the market to make money/profit. Each time they hype something you have to have or you won’t live to see tomorrow, like those emails, it inspires those who don’t want to be left behind to purchase. The only problem is – in a few years something better usually comes along that you gotta have. America is a consumer driven economy, so this has its own built in stimulus plan.
Your mom is right!
April 7, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Maybe we could talk Obama into giving us all iPads?
April 7, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Just what we all need another “hand held” tool. This will probably be responsible in the near future for a lot of car accidents. When will it stop.
April 9, 2010 at 12:53 am
The iPad is the most revolutionary product in personal computing since the mouse. In less than a decade every computer will have a touchscreen just like most every smartphone has a touchscreen (and the iPhone is only 3 years old).
To answer the comments about what is does not have, one device could not possibly live up to all the assumptions about it that the “experts” made, but the things it can do no other $500 computer can touch. Oh, and Apple announced today that the iPad will get the iPhone OS 4 in the fall, so many of those complaints are moot.
April 9, 2010 at 11:30 am
I’m sure we will wind up with one, or something like it in the future too! It is only natural for the skeptics to criticize the revolutionary. Soon, as other companies add their products to the mix — critics will be comparing it to how wonderful the iPad is. It is cyclic.
April 9, 2010 at 11:17 pm
I’ll leave the new gadgets up to the young people! Got to keep the plumber, handyman, electrician, etc. working !!!!
Great site.
April 10, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Loved your Sour Grapes blog!
April 11, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Thank you! Hope to have the next blog out on Monday or Tuesday. Stay tuned!
April 23, 2010 at 7:26 pm
http://ipenforcement.wordpress.com/2010/04/12/should-i-buy-an-ipad-%ef%bf%bd-the-maniachis/
May 3, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Hi Tammy, I am a neighbor and friend of your mother’s. I wish I understood more what it is you do here, but then, us “older” people aren’t always the quickest to understand technical things. My eleven year old grandson was a help to me when he visited. Good luck in all of your endeavors. Judy Ayotte, 2135vAcadia Greens Drive.
July 14, 2010 at 7:27 pm
[...] Sour Grapes Apple sold 3 million iPad’s in the first 80 days. No, I still don’t have one. [...]