An Indie Musician's Guide to World Domination

My first reaction was in regard to its name – I mean, really? That’s the best they could do? Do they know that in Boston, saying iPod SOUNDS like “ipaad”? Strike.

Outside of possibly appealing to some Baby Boomers, who might want a sexy way to surf the internet without having the bulk of an OS to worry about… There is not much to offer. They improved on battery life, but that’s about it. It’s a shame there are some *major* things missing. I can only see this as a stepping stone for Apple and the future of touch-screen tablets (oh, wait – stepping stone – now there’s a good use for it!)

Might as well be this [warning, spoof on feminine products]:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFNQE_TzQNI&feature=player_embedded#

HOLY CRAP! ‘seems like “typing” would take forever!
geez! %p

Couldn’t agree more Brian. I might as well carry my wife’s little Netbook around. At least that has a camera, wi-fi, a KEYBOARD instead of that pain in the ass touch spinny thing…
FAIL.

Anthony

The problem is, that for the past several years all the speculators kept saying ‘Apple is going to release a tablet at the next conference.’ Then blogged about how they were horribly disappointed. Apple isn’t stupid though (you don’t get $55B in profits for being dumb) They waited until the time and technology were right to release the product. The problem is that they explained the device as a competitor for netbooks, when it really is not. A netbook may be thicker, may have less computing power, may have less battery life. But a netbook’s strength is in it’s ability to run any application you want (like your MacBookPro). The iPad being just an XL iPod Touch and only running apps from the appStore is it’s weakness, unlike it’s smaller brother the iPhone who’s biggest strength is the appStore. The lack of flash support is directly tied to this. A web device simply cannot ignore flash. HTML5 isn’t ready to take it’s place, and will be a huge thorn in the side of the iPad. The reason that it doesn’t support flash, is adding such support would render the entire app store useless. 95% of the apps you can buy in the app store could just be made in flash and could be found free on the internet. Why pay for an app when even a locally cached website running flash would do the same thing for free? This is why streaming video sites like YouTube have started testing displaying videos in HTML5. (if you use the Google Chrome browser, you can already try this)

The iPad’s other weakness is, while the touch interface works great for a device like the iPhone, it’s not the best way to interact with a computer. Nobody is going to edit a spreadsheet or write a text document with a tablet. Yes the iPad has an available keyboard dock. But now you’ve transformed the device from one that you can hold in your hand, to one that requires a flat surface. I’ve owned a tabletPC for 2 years now. I carry it with me everywhere I go. And while I love using it for general web apps, any text input longer than this post right here, would require me to flip the screen around to reveal the keyboard. I love my tablet, but trying to touch type a reply such as this one causes one to run out of patience very quickly.

One thought that has come out of this product idea is a change in the way we treat print media. It’s dying, we know it’s dying, print media knows it’s dying. The most interesting part of the iPad introduction was how they were showing off the NewYorkTimes reader. People see newspapers going away because blogs are free. But not everybody who writes a blog is a good writer, or can provide good content. Content that I feel will be worth paying to read. Because who has better sports stories, Joe’s Hockey Blog, or Sports Illustrated? TimesInc, (owner and publisher of hundreds of magazines you know and already read) put out a demo video of the future of their magazines using Sports Illustrated as the example.

http://vimeo.com/7939946

Now you don’t need a tablet device to do that, any computer (netbook/laptop/desktop) can do that. But I mentioned that Apple compared this device to netbooks. Really their competition are eBook readers. Yes the Kindle and Nook do not have the power or features that the iPad has. But at CES last week DOZENS of new eBook readers were announced and displayed. Devices with color eInk displays and touch screens. THESE are the competition for the iPad because they fill the gap between the iPod Touch and the MacBook. Cheap media readers that can bring interactivity to the traditional model. Nobody is going to use an iPad to do spreadsheets, (nobody uses iWork now as it is) but treat the iPad as a fancy eBook reader and it begins to show it’s true potential.

Once the iPad is released and settles into the market, we’ll see a convergence. The iPad becoming a better eReader, and eBook readers becoming better web devices.

~Mike E.

I talk too much… so here’s my thought on the iPad (okay, seriously, couldn’t they have come up with a name that doesn’t make me giggle uncontrollably?)

http://pondertart.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/introducing-the-i-am-running-out-of-fun-words-to-put-here/

Basically, I don’t think it’s for everyone, but it’s exactly what they want it to be… an alternative to the cheap PCs out there. They finally have a “laptop” at a price that can compete.

I watched the demo video, and while I was also mildly creeped out by their (drug-induced?) extreme enthusiasm, I also admit that I did get a case of “Iwantitnow”-itis.

To be fair, I own very few Mac products. The only Mac product I have is a 2nd generation 2 GB ipod Shuffle, which I won as a door prize. I also don’t own any “smart” devices. So, I haven’t played around much with anything like an iTouch or iPhone. Perhaps if I owned one of those products (or some similar device from one of Apple’s competitors), then maybe I’d be swooning less.

Also, I noticed that my case of “Iwantitnow”-itis wore off soon after watching that video. In fact, I’ve had a similar experience each time I’ve watched one of Apple’s product demos at their website. The technology is cool and flashy, and taps into a part of my brain that wants cool and flashy. But, then I start to realize that I don’t know what I’d actually do with said technology, should I have it in my hands. Will my life be that much easier/cooler/faster/happier/more fun/more convenient should I purchase said device?

My feelings about smart devices may change soon. My sister has insisted that I must buy a Nintendo DS, and I may go along with it. That’s a product (the newest model, anyway) that is really trying to nibble at the corners of the smart-device market…

This made me laugh. And what’s better is that you’re totally right about everything. and iPod touch is useful, and iPhone is useful for a really busy person, but an iPad is just ridiculous. I especially liked:

“We should probably make the human interface method less convenient than a computer or iPhone, too – maybe force users to either lie the device flat on a table or cradle it in their lap? Can we make it impossible to use well one-handed, but also difficult to look at while typing if you put it on a flat surface?”

That’s the best point. You’d think they’d at least sell it with some kind of stand or something.

I loved the “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” radio news show take. They did a segment on fake statements of the obvious in the news: “It’s like a larger version of the iPhone, but without the phone!” The best part was that their call-in contestant owned an iPad:

Peter Sagal: “Do you like it?”
woman caller: “Oh, I love it.”
Peter Sagal: “What can you do with it that you couldn’t before?”
woman: “…[pause]… Nothing.”

I think this review is very comprehensive, can let masses understand iPad better.Of cource, People can buy an ipad or not, just all are up to themselves. So far from ipad realeased, I have to admit ipad is an revolutionary, really amazing! Just see the booming 3-party sofware and apps developers along with it.

great information you write it very clean. I am very lucky to get this tips from you.

Thanks a lot for this, I appreciate the info

So not really on the same topic as your post, but I found this today and I just can’t resist sharing. Mrs. Agathe’s dishwasher quit working so she called a repairman. Since she had to go to work the next day, she told him, “I’ll leave the key under the mat. Fix the dishwasher, leave the bill on the counter, and I’ll mail you the check. Oh, and by the way…don’t worry about my Doberman. He won’t bother you. But, whatever you do, do NOT under ANY circumstances talk to my parrot!” When the repairman arrived at Mrs. Agathe’s apartment the next day, he discovered the biggest and meanest looking Doberman he had ever seen. But just as she had said, the dog simply laid there on the carpet, watching the repairman go about his business. However, the whole time the parrot drove him nuts with his incessant cursing, yelling and name-calling. Finally the repairman couldn’t contain himself any longer and yelled, “Shut up, you stupid ugly bird!” To which the parrot replied, “Get him, Spike!”

ha, I will test my thought, your post get me some good ideas, it’s really awesome, thanks.

- Norman

boom chica wowow

The top paper I read in my life!?!

Michelle

Great post! Maybe you could do a follow up on this topic!

Frieda

I’m happy that you wrote that post

Elsie

Maybe the GREATEST page I read in my life =D

good points and the details are more precise than somewhere else, thanks.

- Murk

Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town.

i see what you did there

radio news are very important and timely so i always listen to it’`:

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I must digg your post therefore more folks can look at it, really useful, I had a hard time finding the results searching on the web, thanks.

- Thomas

thanks