Many of the reviews of the iPad that I have seen reflect the impressions of people trying to put it into some known category. But, it doesn’t fit any known category and seems to many like either a bad computer or an overblown entertainment device.
I have learned that it’s just not possible to estimate the power of a new technology or device. Almost always, the ones that we think are revolutionary turn out to be mundane and vice-versa. Some devices go on to completely change the way we work, learn, and play.
The television was such a device. Reviewers couldn’t quite get how revolutionary it was. To them it wasn’t as good as the real thing because it was in black and white and lacked the smells and sounds of the crowd. It was expensive and there wasn’t much programming. But, as we all know so well, it changed just about everything. Politicians had to become media savvy as the Nixon/Kennedy debates proved to Nixon’s demise. Sports changed completely. Football became more popular than baseball. It almost wiped out the movie and theatre business. It diminished famous actors and actresses and raised others to new heights. It brought events to your home in a way never dreamed of and made going to events not only unnecessary, but not as informative as watching an informed announcer explain something while you are watching it close up.
The iPad is just as revolutionary a device. In its simplicity and minimalism it morphs a computer into an appliance. Anyone can understand and use it. It requires almost no instruction. Everyone in my family has picked it up after being attracted to its sleek simplicity and started to play with it. Within minutes they were watching movies or doing something with no instruction from me. On the other hand, no one has even touched my laptop – ever!
I have handed my iPad to people who do not use computers. Within seconds, they are doing something with it. Some are watching a movie, others are playing Solitaire, and a few are just pushing the icons and experimenting – something few of us dare to do with our computers.
Simply by eliminating the need to “boot it up” or load programs, it has lowered the barrier to acceptance. It becomes beautifully accessible and friendly. Even learning how to search for and download applications is intuitive, fun and cheap (or often even free).
I imagine older folks using this to communicate to their children, watch movies, listen to music, read books, or play cards. It weighs almost nothing. It’s totally portable. It requires a minimal learning effort. It can be used with the lights off and in silence with earphones. It’s also sleek and beautiful.
Students can load textbooks on it, teachers can use it to show movies or engage in chats with students. Business people can go to meetings with this notebook replacement and not be seen as disruptive or rude.
I think that Apple has invented the future of personal communications and entertainment. The iPhone was an experimental start, but the iPad is better sized and more practical as a replacement and enhancement to the computer and notebook.
It is the foundation of a media empire. Steve Jobs and Apple may have created the equivalent of the Gillette razor: sell hardware inexpensively or give it away and make your profits from accessories or, in the case of Apple, the applications and endless soft tools that can be added on. Apple will profit much more from selling books, music, movies, and applications than it will from the iPad itself.
Look for all books, magazines and newspapers to be available on the iPad soon. By keeping tight control on the system and the applications, Apple can ensure ease of use, consistent quality and no viruses. This alone is revolutionary. Apple is creating order and simplicity out of a world that has been not only chaotic, but also unsafe and unfriendly to many, many people. Sure, computer geeks will rebel and feel constrained, but to reach the masses computing has to become simple and easy to do.
It’s Not Perfect
Sure I have my quibbles with the iPad. I would love a video camera so that I use it for video conferencing. I’d love to add memory via an SD card. I wish it supported Flash or that Flash would go away (I personally really don’t care which). The screen is a bit too glossy and reflective when outdoors and the fingerprints are awful!
But, for a first generation tool: wow! What a game changer. It warps my mind to think of how many ways this device may end up being used: at hospitals for keeping medical records, by the elderly for almost every entertainment need, by kids to create a personalized learning experience, by adults as a learning assistant and content provider, by teachers as an assistant, and by anyone for reference and entertainment without constraints.
Is it as powerful as a computer: no, of course not. Is it as versatile as a computer: no, of course not. Does it lack USB ports, printing capability, additional RAM, and a replaceable battery: yes, of course. Adding those features adds complexity and makes it confusing to anyone who is not computer savvy. Apple is selling an appliance, not a hobbyist toy or a technical tool. This is as close as it comes to making computers accessible to everyone and Apple needs a gold star for this. They have changed the world forever.
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