[jlarocco]

I don't really understand why people complain about this. iPads aren't tools for creating things. Do you get upset that your lamp doesn't allow you to create things? If you want a tablet that lets you hack it however you want then hop on Octopart, order the components you need, and start hacking away. But that's not the product Apple is selling, and it's not the product most people want to buy.

Also, nobody is stopping anybody from building desktop PCs. As long as people are willing to buy the components I'm sure somebody will be selling them.

[fpgeek]

> Do you get upset that your lamp doesn't allow you to create things?

People don't usually suggest a lamp as an introductory computing device for children.

[jlarocco]

If they did, would you jump on the Internet and start complaining about lamps?

[nsmartt]

I might jump on the internet and complain about how consumers believe that's what lamps are for.

edit: Or rather, I might jump on the internet and complain that the company making this particular lamp markets it as such.

[Vivtek]

I think the single-bit limitation is a real step backward.

[Swizec]

Add a long piece of paper and suddenly you have a limited manual turing machine. Add some LEGO Mindstorms, and suddenly you have a limited automatic turing machine.

[saraid216]

This needs to be done.

[orangecat]

I don't really understand why people complain about this.

Because it's a largely artificial restriction imposed by Apple to further their business interests at the expense of users. As noted below, the iPad form factor would be great for a programming environment like Squeak, but Apple says no. Now that we're starting to get Android tablets that don't suck, I'm hoping that we'll see some tools like that.