If one thing in technology is for sure, it is that Apple knows how to make waves and market products. The disparity among users is staggering. People love them or hate them and rarely fall in between. It is no surprise that the iPad is causing the same kind of upheaval. Leading up to the announcement the speculation ran wild about what an Apple tablet would be and how it would work and what it would do. Then the keynote came on January 27th and immediately emotions ran high. Some people loved it immediately. Others were left wondering what it was all about and of course there were no shortage of jeers as well.
April 3rd was the big day that the iPad landed in the hands of anxious consumers. The overall reaction has been fantastic. We’ve seen videos showcasing its capabilities and durability. Its specifications, internal components and a large percentage of amazing apps. There is still come confusion about its usefulness however.
There are things to consider here. First, it’s not a big iPhone/iPod Touch. It is more. with 9.7” of real estate on the screen you can do more. This doesn’t cause apps just to be upsized but developers can pack more functionality into an app. Ten hours of battery life is something that no other mobile device can claim as well. It is not better than a netbook. It is not better than a laptop. It is not another iPhone. It is an iPad. It is its very own category. This will not replace anything. It is what is now being called a “category creator.” Why do we have notebooks? Because of the price only? No. They are small and portable. But they lack - high end video, optical drives, storage space, usability for graphics or photo work. They don’t replace laptops. They do their own thing. Right now, a smartphone user whips out the phone to look up every last little thing. Can you use an iPhone/Android/Blackberry to really and easily read a whole book? No. Is good for displaying photos? Not really. For large amounts of surfing the small screens get tedious, especially with calls coming in.
So we have a netbook. Now you can pull out a netback and open it, boot it up and run applications (which can be tricky to install sometimes without a CD/DVD drive) or you can use an iPad which is instant on and has a library of nearly a quarter of a million apps ready to be downloaded over the air (OTA) and used immediately. Sometimes you may want to sit and compose a longer email using a real keyboard, but for quick notes, checking email, surfing the web and other on the fly tasks, the iPad gives you instant access. What if you’re on the couch and want a quick reference? Open and boot the netback again or turn on the iPad.
Why is it better than Windows tablet computers? That’s easy. Tablet computers took existing versions of windows and threw them onto a tablet PC. Windows is not designed to work in a mobile touchscreen environment. iPhone OS is meant for EXACTLY that. This device is designed for its purpose. Windows tablet PCs are created with existing items to fit a new purpose. Can Microsoft answer with a mobile platform of their own and be successful? Absolutely. But they need to develop a mobile platform and not just take something and force it to be a mobile platform.
Most of the negative comments about the iPad that I’ve seen are from people who don’t own one and some are from people who don’t own an iPhone or an iPod touch. They see a resemblance and say it’s the same thing. This is uninformed. With some research and an open mind, it is clear that this is so much more.
For the record, I don’t own one. I know a lot about it but I think $499 for WiFi only does not fit my use case. It is a great price for what you get, just not in my particular situation. When the 3G version ships, I may consider that. The usability of this device is huge. My budget is now. For me, it comes down to dollars and cents.
