The Apple iPad has been bashed the blogosphere over, even I took a swing at it. Reading through all the problems, I believe we’re missing the point. The iPad is a revolutionary device and it will change mobile computing as we know it forever.
Purpose
The first thing that I’m going to tackle is where the iPad fits in. That, I believe, is the fundamental key to its success. It covers a lot of categories under its umbrella, making it a ‘must have’ device among ‘must have’ devices.
E-book Reader: There are plenty of e-book readers on the market and more on the way. Most are bogged down by E ink technology in an attempt to mimic the ‘real’ reading experience. The iPad, like the iPhone, uses transreflective technology for its display allowing for easy operation even in direct sunlight. That makes it good enough for almost any conditions thus easily outweighing any advantages E Ink has in when it comes to displaying content. Concerning battery life, the iPad doesn’t disappoint with 10 hours of continuous use and up to a month of stand-by time. Millions of e-readers have been sold worldwide with their limited capabilities. The Kindle DX for instance is priced at US$489, just $10 shy of the iPad’s price yet it’s vastly inferior. Coupled with the iBook store, the iPad will be the best e-reader yet.
Netbook: The Netbook started as an in-between device; the device that bridged the gap between the mobile phone and the laptop. With a low price and conveniently smaller size, the netbook got really popular. Running Android, Linux and especially Windows operating systems, consumers started realizing just how limited the netbook was; they wanted more from their Netbooks at that same low price. Netbooks started to grow in size and power to a point where the lines between a netbook and a laptop are blurred. The big problem with netbooks is that they are wannabe laptops. The form factor, Operating Systems, and even manufactures all reek of laptops; this is where they fail. They are deliberate attempts to something that’s already there, a step backwards from the laptop computer. The iPad on the other hand, is an entirely new category. It is an expansion of the brilliant iPhone OS which revolutionized the mobile phone industry. In this sense, it is not a step backwards from anything, but rather an extension; a leap from something that was already brilliant but limited by size.
Enhanced User Experience
One thing I took away from Steven Fry’s take on the iPad is the user experience. He said
The moment you experience it in your hands you know this is class. This is a different order of experience. The speed, the responsiveness, the smooth glide of it, the richness and detail of the display, the heft in your hand, the rightness of the actions and gestures that you employ, untutored and instinctively, it’s not just a scaled up iPhone or a scaled-down multitouch enhanced laptop – it is a whole new kind of device.
I used that extract as I have not handled it myself but his words say it all. From my experience with Apple products, the iPhone and my iPod touch, there is no doubt in my mind that the iPad will deliver an unparalleled user experience, unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Even without multi-tasking, which may actually be a good thing, the device will be very powerful and extremely easy to use.
The number of applications available at the launch of the product, pretty much all the iPhone apps, is staggering. About 140000 in total and obviously more on the way. This guarantees that users will never be bored and developers will continue to deliver on innovation in more awesome ways.
Plenty of room for improvement
Apple is probably one of the best in the industry at maintaining their products and keeping them up-to-date with the newest developments. The iPod Touch 1st Generation was launched in 2007. Over the years it has received updates that have taken it to a whole new level. In that same light, the iPad has deficiencies with Flash Support and other things but there is potential for all that to be addressed. There are some hardware issues, such as lack of a camera, that are more permanent but that’s hardly a deal breaker. It’s possible that Apple excluded the camera to keep the price down, a worthy compromise I think.
In a nutshell
The Apple iPad is an awesome device by a company with a lot of passion for its products. Despite a few shortcomings, the potential of this device is high. With its awesome Operating System, wide variety of applications and its massive screen real estate, it will no doubt change the mobile landscape and in some ways, it already has.
Dis iCrap got NO future period so quit talking about it!
i agree ipad is not a revolution its not going to change our dailylives.
it has a lot of potential why cant it be like a small computer it has apps web music pictures videos multitouch touch even..best ui
i can use it for day to day for what i use a computer for
pity about no flash but youtubes working
Anphase I respect your opinions,
But tell me one thing that if you stretch iphone ,minus camera ,then what do you get???
Ans- ipad!!!
Apple must have at least tried to apply multitasking,or perhaps some cheap 2mp front webcam for chatting(cheap 2mp digicam wont change price that much.
What I actually see here that it has no advantage over conventional handheld devices or even laptops except multitouch,but it has many -ve aspects.
Iphone as a mobile was revolutionary as it offered more and new for any device of that size.
But when a large screen iphone arrives to compete with computers and laptops it wont do any magic!!
And just feeling right about the touch and how it operates wont help ipad in future.
For example – I am relaxing in the sun at a forest camp with my ipad and i am downloading some large file,and in the meanwhile I want to watch a movie,but! I can’t as this revolutionary product doesnt support multitasking!! And then i curse myself for not bringing my laptop along with me and i die the another day(LOL).
So you see apple would have included at least the minimum features that the devices of that size already has.
If anyone is planning to buy ipad,one should buy it as a toy or a entertainment device,one cannot rely on it for everything(thats where laptops come in).
But let us hope for the best and look forward for the release of this product and only after getting the hands on reviews we could come at some conclusion.
You’ve got some good points there and you’re right, the hands on reviews will tell all. I still feel that even with all the shortfalls, somehow Apple will make it make sense. I remember thinking a phone with only one physical button made no sense at all, but now that’s the way most smartphones are. You never know really. Cheers