Why is the Ipad the leading tablet?

So I have been using the Ipad for a whie now but a store close to me had a promotion in which If you purchased a toshiba laptop you go a toshina thrive for free. I havent used a great amount of it but it seems to utterly destroy the Ipad already. Its not only this but most android tablets. It has full USB slots, hmdi, SD cards, a customizable backing and a removable battey. Also, it has flash! The device is similar size to the ipad (it longer but shorter however) and the screen works just as well. Not to mention that it also has cameras similar to the ipad 2. I don't see why the ipad is the better choice over the androis tablets.

I'd like to hear what you guys think of the devices and see which one you prefer and why.

Because people like buying the Apple brand name. The app store probably doesn't hurt.

Because owning apple products has become a status symbol.

Because people realize they don't need something until Apple tells them they do.

Because it's simple to use and doesn't have a whole bunch of crazy features.

Tech people are always mad on stats and performance, but Apple understands that most people don't care, they just want something simple that looks nice and lets them browse the web and shit, with a curated app store and a friendly interface.

They do not want a big black plastic thing with extreme fonts in the UI and a million cores and megabytes, ports and app stores. They don't know how to work those things. They don't want choice. They want Apple to choose for them.

And that is fine. Buy the tablet that's right for you.

Edit: also the thrive is giant, thick and pretty heavy. For a tablet, surely those attributes are not good. I don't care about how many different types of SD card it accepts if it weighs 1.6 pounds. (Full disclosure: I don't own a tablet)

@imsh_pl said:

Because people realize they don't need something until Apple tells them they do.

Don't act like you know what you're talking about, you're not Apple!

wait a minute.. fuck, you're right

Because no matter how much better specs your tablet of choice has, it's still. not. an ipad.

App store. Same thing goes for the iPhone versus Android/Windows Phone 7. The functionality of tablets and smart phones are dependent on the the apps that are made for the devices. The App Store is the most supported.

It's because Apple did it first, and they did it well. Other manufacturers are trying to add functionality to their device by adding USB, HDMI, etc, but all of that's pretty unimportant compared to the functionality that the thriving App Store brings to the table. Apple knows that people are really only going to use this thing to browse the web and maybe play some games, so they design it simple. Manufacturers that try and design it like a laptop are missing the point.

Marketing it to be a status symbol. Exact same as owing an iPhone.

@chrismafuchris said:

Manufacturers that try and design it like a laptop are missing the point.

The point is catering to the *gasp!* non-iPad market. They're hitting that point rather well.

A lot of this 'its a brand thing' is correct, though that doesn't mean it's a poorly designed product. They have the good brand image for a reason, not just marketing. They are pretty good at customer support and replacing it, if it gets messed up and they build good looking quality products. There is a lot of outside support because of how popular they are, applications, cases, addons etc.

Who the hell would want a tablet as heavy as the Thrive, and with less apps than Apple's app store? I'm not really into tablets, but I've used a few of them and it makes perfect sense to me why the ipda is the leader even looking past brand loyalty. This isn't the desktop performance race: the ipad is the best tablet.

Because it's Apple.

EDIT: I should probably cover my ass. That article is pretty soft. It just also happens to represent my position on the subject.

Also, the fact that it's an Apple product doesn't hurt. Who wants to be the guy with a Zune or a Creative Zen when you can be the guy with an iPod?

@Hitchenson said:

Indeed, people pay ridiculous amounts for a symbol (e.g. clothes, phones, TVs etc.).

Quality of the product. Dont got one then you just bash it like all the comments on here. Every tablet I,ve used was shit in comparison. Only non Ipad tablet I'm looking forward to is Kindle Fire

I don't know.

I have another question: why do some people call every tablet an iPad? That shit is annoying.

I like how people immediately jump onto "lolapplebranding" without trying to find a reason first.

Sure the branding has to do with some of it, but the fact that it's easy to use, has most if not all the features the mass market wants, itunes and the appstore integration with are the most use marketplace for msuic and apps right now, plus the UI is fast and responsive doesn't hurt.

Though I think the kindle fire could put up some pretty stiff competition, much more than any other android tablet out there now or in the future.

You people saying it's because it has an Apple logo on it are fucking dumb.

I've owned the Eee Pad Transformer, the leading Android tablet for some time, the selection of apps on Android (tablet) is awful compared to iPad. There's barely any tablet apps; I'm glad I got rid of it, plus Honeycomb just feels kinda rough.

Android is much better than the phone version of iOS however.

It got Hype.

It's because Apple did it first, and they did it well. Other manufacturers are trying to add functionality to their device by adding USB, HDMI, etc, but all of that's pretty unimportant compared to the functionality that the thriving App Store brings to the table. Apple knows that people are really only going to use this thing to browse the web and maybe play some games, so they design it simple. Manufacturers that try and design it like a laptop are missing the point.

Apple bought themselves a ton of good faith with the the iPod and iPhone. The fact that the iPad is actually a quality product is just gravy.

About 4 weeks ago, I'd have stormed in here shit-mouthing tablets as a whole.

Having had my iPhone for a month now, I can absolutely see why someone may prefer a tablet over a laptop.

Functionality, performance and video. Given the choice, for anything other than Office programs (and their ilk), really, I'd choose a tablet. Specifically, the iPad.

Because it's Apple and Apple is functional, reliable and fun to use. The people who dislike it because it's popular should be ignored.

@chrismafuchris said:

It's because Apple did it first, and they did it well.

I'd say it's because of the vast library of apps it has.

In 11 months Apple has created the tablet market where there is not competition.

Everyone who is trying to play catchup are going after the wrong things.

Because it's the only one that understands why people want a tablet, being the item that created this demand in the first place.

Because every tablet out there is just trying to beat out the iPad, it set the bar. Plus nothing else runs that smoothly or cleanly which I think is what people like out of the iPad.

I heard they put a little "i" in front of it.

@crusader8463 said:

Because owning apple products has become a status symbol.

This. I have an Iphone. Why would I need an oversized version of that? Besides I love my Xoom. <3

I was gonna get an iPad at some point but I kept holding out because I knew there was going to be something better soon. I also don't like the way Apple has been churning out products so fast. It makes me want to wait almost indefinitely for the newest version. I am happy I waited now because of the Amazon Kindle Fire that was announced. The price is right. I use Amazon prime and cloud all the time and it doesn't have features I don't care about like 3g, cameras, etc.

The reason I wanted an iPad though was that I already have an iPhone and an iMac, so it would be fairly easy to just keep it all in the family. $600 is too much though.

Because Apple.

Because it's simple and barely has any technical problems. It's a quality product and was out first before tablets became popular.

It's really easy to use. My mom can barely use a TV remote, but she loves her iPad.

Because it's the best pad for what a pad is supposed to do? I'm a total Google fanboy, but I'm going to buy my parents a pad this christmas and it's gonna have an "i" in front of it.

apps!

@crusader8463 said:

Because owning apple products has become a status symbol.

For douche bags who are defined by how many ways they can check Facebook.

Because it has a better user experience, the Apple logo and it is entrenched in the market.

You should start listening to the Tested podcast.

Because this Tablet isn't released yet.

Because it's clear what you're supposed to do with an iPad. It has tons of apps, and a built in store for videos and music.

Android OEMs are currently throwing a bunch of things at a wall and seeing what sticks.

It's also sold on what you can do with it, not how many bells and whistles it has.

IOS UI is fantastic in comparison to anything I've seen on Droid. Droid is far more customizable and offers way more features, but it's completely unattractive aesthetically and is spread across so many pages I'd imagine a lot of people are immediately turned off. I personally use IOS devices because my family would rather use them than Droid.

What the hell is an "Ipad"? I only know about the iPad. Apparently its pretty useful, or so they say...

You people saying it's because it has an Apple logo on it are fucking dumb.

I've owned the Eee Pad Transformer, the leading Android tablet for some time, the selection of apps on Android (tablet) is awful compared to iPad. There's barely any tablet apps; I'm glad I got rid of it, plus Honeycomb just feels kinda rough.

Android is much better than the phone version of iOS however.

They were the first in the market and Apple has powerful brand recognition.

@Lunar_Aura: What other market is there? What group of people sees the iPad and requires a different tablet to accommodate their needs?

people enjoy having the apple logo. i'm pretty sure it was the first tablet that came out. like i said people enjoy having the apple logo on their stuff. i don't have any apple products, it feels good man.