Comment by carldall | Hacker News Reader

Comment by carldall | Hacker News Reader

The author invested quite some time to make his point, however, I disagree.

First of all, if this is the only possible way for a tablet to look, why did all the other Microsoft tablets up to the iPad look vastly different?

Second, there're two famuos quotes:

"The obvious is always least understood."

and

"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." - Galileo Galilei

The problem here is that Apple invested a lot of time and thinking into designing a fantastic solution to a problem. But that doesn't mean that it is the only solution. Instead, people are now seeing the world from this point of view, and can't fathom that there is any other solution to this problem - just like before the iPad everybody thought that the Windows Tablet Design was the best solution.

Does the author really believe that the iPad design is the answer to all questions? The final? I bet there're better, more intriguing, more beautiful, and more usable designs that yet have to be discovered.

Yeah, I thought some of the points contradicted too. At one point he says a curved edge is better for holding, but it is "impossible" to engineer it that way due to batteries. Then he says the Sony S tablet's curve makes it unusable. hmmm....

I've never used the S tablet, but it does seem like it might be more comfortable to hold in portrait mode. I almost never use my iPad lying flat on the table and when I do it is usually an uncomfortable reading angle unless I prop it.

His drawing of the "optimal" shape clearly shows that while the back is curved to follow the curve of the hand, the back is still symmetrical, so when the Pad is placed on the table, it lies flatly on the surface, and the front of the Pad is completely horizontal.

Two other key factors for the curved back:

- unless you look at the device edge-on right at 90 degrees, it looks much thinner than it in fact is

- when placed on the table, it gives a subtle illusion of floating.

Both contribute to a subjective "wow!" response, where other practical designs don't.

And its easier to grab it. with flat surfieces one would be forced to push it till the edge of the surface, like when I try to pick up coins from table, PAIN!

Maybe, but how successful were those Microsoft tablets.

"the only possible way for a tablet to look"

He never said that, he is claiming that most of the properties Apple is disputing are the best way to design an object like this, which is a perfectly reasonable argument.

You know what they say, "Hindsight is always 20/20"

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