Consumer Devices (or, what I think about the Apple iPad)
Last week, Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple, Inc) unveiled their newest gadget, the Apple iPad. I’m certainly not the first or last to opine on the topic, but I do want to talk about it a little bit. I should probably have a silly joke here about the terrible name they’ve given the thing, but I’ll let you come up with one instead.
So far, a lot of the opinions expressed about the iPad have been negative. It’s mostly gone like this: I already have a laptop and a smart phone, why would I need this device in the middle? I think it would be unwise to take a gadget geek’s perspective on the iPad. I don’t think gadget geeks were particularly in mind when they designed the device. It’s similar to the argument between people who like to play video games on computers (I can configure my PC however I want, use the controller I want, and change the soundtrack by modifying the MP3 directory) and people who like to play video games on dedicated video game systems (I put the disk in, I use the controller it came with, and it just works). The iPad is designed for people who want that dedicated device that is going to do just a few things easily and well.
I think the iPad fits on your coffee table, where you used to keep newspapers, magazines and nice books (or stacks of bills and receipts, or clean clothes). It makes sense as a “life accessory” like the note pad that my wife keeps around to scratch grocery lists on, combined with the books we have laying around, and the photo albums on our bookshelf. With 10 hours of active battery time (okay, make it 5-6, because of the silicon valley battery warp that nearly doubles battery endurance) and up to 30 days of standby time (15 days?), you really could pick this thing up to read blogs in the morning, set it back down, pick it up to show off pictures when your sister-in-law drops by, put it down, pick it up to update your grocery list or the family calendar, put it down, remember that there was something on TV you wanted to watch, check the listings, make a note of it, and so on… it could just make life easier.
Again, for people who have already integrated smart phones into their lives, there’s a little bit of “why would I need to duplicate functionality,” going on. But, I’d propose that the iPad wasn’t made for those people, even if they are a secondary market. The iPad is aimed at the consumers who haven’t already integrated a device into their life at this level. Oh yeah, also, I’d pretty much love to have one. So, maybe I’m a little biased (crazy?).
Totally agree. This thing is less a gadget than it is an appliance. You buy it to do certain things and only those things and it does it well.
I immediately pictured it replacing my laptop which has been in my living room for casual browsing while watching tv and…well thats almost about it. This sits on the end table or coffee table showing a constant stream of my networked photos, and then when I want to browse, find out what’s on tv, update facebook, its all there with a swipe of my fingers.
Not only that but I think this will kill the kindle. Especially with the new iBooks store. In fact with your view on publishing I can’t wait to see what you think about this aspect of the iPad. Although most of those details might not be clear until the iBooks store is open to all publishers and not just the 5 that have partnered with it.
I’m looking forward to having my Wired, Popular Science/Mechanics subscriptions just appear on my iPad the second they are “off the press.” Not only that but imagine you are reading an article in a paper or magazine and they are doing an interview…tap the play button and instead of reading the interview, you watch the video, once the interview is done, back to the written article. Imagine advertisements in the magazine, where if they captured your interest you just double tap the page with your finger and there you are at the products website.
I wait for the day when the new iBook you download is not only text, but in between chapters you get video diary’s of characters, video flashbacks, where the lines of movies and books are so blurred you have to come up with a new name for what you are doing. Your not reading a book, or watching a movie; your experiencing the story.
While this iPad might not be the greatest of all tablets, or a replacement for your PC, but for the publishing industry I think it could open a whole new world.
just some thoughts of mine…also if someone could figure out how to convince my wife to let me buy one that would be great…
Joel
2 Feb 10 at 10:55 pm
Joel… I’m with you on Kindle killing… Josh Topolsky from Engadget got to do a iPad hands-on after the keynote and said it was the best eBook experience he’d had (as I recall). It’ll be interesting to see how Amazon responds: I feel like they either have to drop the price of the kindle or upgrade it seriously to compete.
I also think you’re spot on with the future of digital content being a converged format — it would work to transform every medium we consume currently.
And then… convincing the wives… I got nothing.
andrew mackay
3 Feb 10 at 8:55 am