So I read over a number of live blogs that were present at the Apple announcement of the iPad, and the reality was far less impressive than the full imagination of the internet. Now, I don’t think anyone expected it to live up to the full hype, but we were expecting something at least innovative and new.
The iPad could easily be called an oversized iPod Touch. With minimal interface improvements and nagging lack of multi-tasking the operating system is nearly a joke. There is a fundamental problem with making the core upgrade feature of something like the iWorks productivity suite, and that is the inherent disadvantage a touch interface has over a standard keyboard. If you are going to be writing or editing a 5 page essay, you are not going to want a touch screen interface, you need a physical keyboard. The keyboard dock aside, which pretty much invalidates the entire concept of the iPad, the laptop is the superior form factor. The iBooks eReader application seems nice, but I cannot imagine reading a 300 page book on a LCD screen, even if it does last 10 hours in-between charges.
I do like the thin nature of the device, battery life and the frame and face look extremely appealing, but poor way it handles existing iPod/iPhone applications makes this a difficult sell, especially when the lowest price of $499 is almost a hundred dollars more than an entry level laptop.
Many questions still remain about Mobile OS X 4.0, and how the iPhone and iPod will be affected by the upgrade, but with their focus on the iPad I don’t expect any real changes there. Most likely the details of the upgrade will be announced closer to the launch in 60 days. That is, if the internet doesn’t rip Apple to shreds for this whole affair.
Live Blog: [ Engadget ] Hands on: [ Gizmodo ] Editorial Opinions: [ Engadget ]
The iPad does have potential just the way it is. It did have a lot of hype to it, but it still will fulfill a lot of the hype once it is released. It’s biggest impact could be in education though. Read my blog post about it at http://www.edutechnophobia.com/2010/02/six-ways-the-ipad-will-transform-education/.
Its been my experience and observation that Apple avoids dealing with issue and problems until they reach critical mass. From the App Store, to the lack of a simple paradigm like Cut and Paste in Mobile OS X. To make it even more ridicules, Apple hailed the copy and paste feature, when released, as cutting edge and revolutionary, as if no one in creation had ever used it.
But that’s not the issue, as far as hype and popularity, that’s hard to predict. Apple couldn’t have drummed up more hype then they did two days ago. People were expecting God to come down from heaven and walk on water. The reality of what was announced was pretty much a bucket of cold water on the internet. Its nothing like what the technology populous wanted and everything a vision of their worst nightmares. Unlike the iPhone, the iPad will face fierce competition from every market they are trying to overlap. You can buy a new laptop for as much as an iPad, and you can buy an eReader for almost a third the cost. Plus having to fight the common perception that the iPad is just a large iPod Touch, this will be the hardest product Apple has ever tried to sell.
Mac’s in fashion iTablet will soon blow up after the over-hype launch during it’s unveiling. The touch screen and Job’s potential to fix issues will definitly to make the iPad a success story in years to come.