A message to the Internets regarding the iPad

151 thoughts on “A message to the Internets regarding the iPad”

1. Yes, But….
   If it doesn’t fit my specific needs, why should I buy one?

2. So does this mean you’re giving up the f’ing newsprint edition?

3. Bravo! Well said.

4. Matches, let me give you an example you might understand.
   Here are my specific needs for a car: drives via autopilot so I can sleep, has 50 Mb/s internet access, gets 100 MPG, and can fly through the air.
   No car exists that meets my specific needs.
   So, I won’t buy a car. I’ll wait till a car comes along that meets all my specific needs and until then, I’ll drive a horse drawn carriage in protest.
   See how stupid that sounds?

5. My only knee-jerk reaction is to wonder how to get one of the demo units the office will be receiving.

6. Matches,
   Luckily they have several other product lines that may address your specific needs.

7. Good read, Michael, and it’s nice to hear from someone who’s actually gotten their hands on one. I wasn’t all that impressed by what I saw today, but then again, I was already fairly skeptical of a tablet’s usefulness for myself.
   I am definitely a little curious and plan to try one out, but I just don’t see it as something I’m likely to want, even if it had all those bells and whistles people were clamoring for.

8. This is a false choice.
   Saying that your not buying a car because it doesn’t get 100mpg, with a 400hp engine, and features a built in ipod with 500tb storage is silly.
   Equally as silly – saying that you just test drove a BMW 3series and because it drives amazingly well, people should/will buy one.
   Did Apple create a better tablet computing experience? Absolutely. Was there really an empty niche between ipod-touch and laptop (apart from the price gap)? Debatable. Will actually using the device guarantee that you’ll change your mind and buy one? Nope.
   ipad to iphone … apples to oranges. The iphone solved the problem of having a smartphone that actually could browse the Internet without driving the user mental. And it does this quite well while supporting apps and music. Where there was a clear need for the iphone, the ipad is attempting to create a new market and solve a problem that I’m not sure even exists.
   In the words of some who attended the event and fondled the device: “This is great, but what am I going to use it for that I can’t already do?”

9. iMeh

10. I understand the ipad *way* more than I understand the Kindle.

11. So what you’re saying is basically because something sells a lot, any complaints people have against the product are invalid… right, keep dreaming.
    The fact of the matter is I can get more functionality out of a $300 netbook than a $500 iPad.

12. Don’t like the iPad? Don’t buy one.

13. No camera. No Flash like a netbook. Lame.

14. Except its a huge waste of money. I can do everything I want right now with a compute. Maybe I’m too jaded but I’d rather have money to pay rent than to waste on stupid gizmos.

15. Of course there are a lot of people complaining about the iPad. One thing i didn’t like is the fact that apple took a jab at netbooks but there’s no way the iPad can replace them. I think many people (myself included) were looking for a real computer, not just a big gagdet.

16. I agree with Michael McCracken. The true measure of the success of the iPhone would be to discover how many people bought an iPhone as their first phone. Anyone who moved from a different mobile phone to the iPhone doesn’t really count as those are people who were buying a phone anyhow and just wanted the best available product.
    The people that count are the one’s who saw the iPhone and said, “That’s it… Honey, get my hat! We’re going to the store!”

17. One thing that has more than fulfilled every specific desire I have had is the AAPL stock I bought way back when at $15/share or so. And the shares I bought more recently when it dropped to $88. I think I’ll keep it.

18. @Don It’s not about more functionality – it’s about *better*. Apple’s not setting out to make a device that does more than a netbook, they’re trying to make a device that does the things it does not just better than a netbook, but better than any other device out there.
    Not saying they’ll succeed, but I haven’t tried one, and unlike some I actually reserve judgement until I have some kind of experience to base it on.

19. >> The fact of the matter is I can get more functionality out of a $300 netbook than a $500 iPad.
    Sure, but does your mom do “functionality” – or does she just want to check her peeps on FaceBook?
    There’s a market for that.

20. I can’t believe I have lived to see the day where you didn’t kick a Mac product in the teeth and looked at the features before claiming it was wrong…

21. The only real problem I see is that this tablet is running a Phone OS, not a Tablet OS. If MS gets knocked for shoehorning a desktop OS into a tablet, then it should be fair to note that Apple is using a Phone OS in a tablet.
    Apple has limited resources so perhaps supporting 4 variants (os x, appletv, iphone, iPad) is too much, but to me running Iphone OS 3.2 on a totally different class of device was…well un-applelike.

22. I think the way this might really work is by eliminating the laptop altogether…
    Your ownership chain becomes:
    Desktop -> Creation
    iPad -> Consumption/Light Creation
    iPhone -> Light Consumption/Light Creation/Cellphone
    On the other hand, this is infinitely better than the Kindle. The ability to read long hours on it might be an issue though…

23. @Michael: “If it doesn’t fit my specific needs, why should I buy one?”
    You shouldn’t, simple as that. Recognize, however, that *your* needs may differ from others and this device might very well work well for some market segment. Just not you.

24. Toy nailed it – but it bears repeating – if it doesn’t do what you want it to – fine – don’t buy it. Easy schmeezy. If it costs more for what it does for you – don’t buy it. The critical question is, will it do for the average consumer what the average consumer wants it to do, at a price they want to do it at? Probably. While Apple isn’t infallible – they have gotten smart over the years, it is possible they have a finger on the pulse of the average consumer. After 40 million iPhones, and a bunch of other stuff – they just might have this right. Let’s compare your expertise with Apple’s. Toss your 50B dollars on the table, pull out your own top 3 devices and set them there too. We can wait. Take your time.

25. Sorry, should have said @Matches rather than @Michael, but the message is the same: If it doesn’t appeal to you, then you aren’t a member of the target demographic. That doesn’t mean it’s going to fail and it’s quite egotistical of anyone to think that way.

26. Great writeup. I can’t wait to actually use one and really see if it as good as people are saying.
    This is the iPhone all over again. The iPad will grow, and become integral to the daily lives of many people.
    This is Apple living to its motto, Think Different — and they certainly have. I cant wait to see where this goes, nor can I wait t o sit on my couch, and play Bejeweled on a 10″ screen!

27. Awww, look how helpful the Internets are! They just went and proved your point. Isn’t that sweet?

28. Oh, and if it doesn’t fit your needs, or doesn’t do every single thing that was rumored, don’t fret, just don’t buy one.
    Apple is obviously a company that isn’t afraid to make bold moves, and it’s a company that doesn’t chase after people, it makes people come to them.

29. In addition to all the valid points laid out in the article, I’d say the biggest reason it’s silly to doubt the iPad is that it ignores the biggest advantage Apple presently has in the mobile space: An excellent, gigantic array of talented and innovative devs that can see the $ at the end of the tunnel and an excellent sdk for them to leverage. The software is what makes the difference, and until we see what the devs can do with all those extra pixels and processing power, we really should keep our mouths shut.

30. Thanks Michael, couldn’t have put it in better words.
    For the skeptics:
    The question “What am I going to use it for that I can’t already do?” has been asked over and over again and is really getting old. The “others” usually always have an answer for that. “You can watch TV in 3D!” “You can surf the internets on a cramped keyboard at the speed of molasses and store all the porn you want in your outdated file system for only $299!” “You can see through the screen!” “You can dazzle your friends with hundreds of Swarovski crystals!” (Honestly WTF with all the Swarovski crystals on gadgets?)
    Here is the answer to those who have been completely dulled into the “New Features” marketing hype of Sony, Nokia, Samsung, etc..
    It is NOT what else can it do, it is how it can do the same thing F*KING AMAZINGLY LIKE-IT-WAS-MEANT-TO-BE MIND-BLOWINGLY BETTER!
    After they prove the concept, they iterate and improve the heck out of it like all good engineers do.
    Capiche?

31. Sr: What’s a “phone OS” as opposed to a “tablet OS”?
    Seriously. What’s the criterion of difference?
    If the release order of the iPad and the iPhone had been reversed, would you be complaining that the iPhone is “using a tablet OS instead of a phone OS”?
    The thing to remember here is that the OS is not a phone OS. It’s a mobile device OS that happened to be on a phone first.
    (If by “tablet OS” you mean “generic computer OS with touch support added”, you’re… missing the entire point of the device, I guess.)
    (Contra others above, however, I think it could replace my netbook admirably, by doing everything I want it to do at least as well, and being smaller, lighter, and having more battery life.)

32. Until I use it, I have no comment on the actual usability of the iPad. But here is my concern –
    “For those that have iPhones, you know the experience of showing someone the iPhone for the first time. The look in their face, when they first flick the screen or squeeze the image to zoom. The realization that this is something different, very different, than what they have experienced before.”
    The iPhone is a social experience. You are hanging out with friends and whip it out. Everyone ooohs and ahhhs. It became cool and nearly ubiquitous because of that. Simply by being so large, the iPad misses out on that trait. I don’t think it’s a fair comparison for exactly that reason.
    While I wouldn’t be surprised to see the iPad do ok, I don’t anticipate it will be the game-changing, socially acceptable device the iPhone has become.

33. The primary complainers about the iPad so far appear to have fallen into one of two categories: typical Apple haters (let’s be honest here and call them MS Fanboys; since they like the “fanboy” term so much they can have it as well) who are determined to loathe the device without knowing anything about it. These are the people who start with twittering that the only way they’d like to see the iPad is running through a modified shredder, then they start to really go downhill.
    The second set of complainers are those who mistake the iPad for what has been done — and continually failed — in portable computing. The reason the netbook market is full of unsatisfied customers, and the tablet market has struggled to do anything but flop about is because both of them have been approached from the perspective of “let’s cram all the functionality of a full laptop into something much, much smaller”.
    The iPad isn’t about bringing laptop functionality into a portable computing device, it’s about redefining portable computing to recognise the middle ground.
    Cheers.

34. Anybody comparing this thing to the iPhone and predicting it will do well based on the iPhone’s sales is missing one very important fact:
    IT’S NOT A PHONE.
    It’s not competing with other phones. The iPhone was better than any other phone out there, out of the gate. That’s why they sold 40 million of them. Yes, the iPhone had problems and was behind in technology, but the user interface and experience was better than any other phone.
    The iPad is not competing with shitty phone UIs. It’s competing with fully-functional netbooks and actual general purpose operating systems.
    That’s the fail. The iPad is not a general purpose device. It *could* have been that, and that’s what everybody expected… instead, they got an iPod touch that won’t fit in your pocket.
    And that’s why it will fail. People don’t want a large screen iPod touch. They want a general purpose computer they can carry around. The iPad is not that computer.

35. Too bad there is no multitasking. And a lot of sites use flash. Will it have flash capabilities in subsequent versions?

36. The only thing I have to complain about is the lack of an open software echosystem.
    Forcing every applications to be approved by Apple, sometime forbiding competition, and not providing any other mean of distributing an app than with DRM though the App Store is a serious limitation that removes a lot of the device’s value to me.

37. Why do I smell Macbook Air again?
    Impressive technology, but without a market, therefore commercial failure.
    The only ones who really need this thing, apart from addicted early adopters, at the moment are avid ebook readers and I don’t think they are that many.
    You are right on one point, that at last it will sell a lot.
    Even the iPhone at first was half baked, it became a success after the 3g came out. In this case, too, they will keep pushing it and adjusting it until they find a real need it will be able to satisfy.
    And BTW the original comments on the iPhone were right, that’s why apple improved it into the 3g.

38. The one thing that would make me buy an iPad is if it has some killer music creation applications on it. if you can turn it into a tenori-on, then I’m there.
    http://www.global.yamaha.com/tenori-on/video/demo02.html

39. There is no doubt in my mind that the iPad is a hell of a piece of kit. 5 years ago, most people confined the idea of a 1cm-thick, wirlessly-connected computer to the realms of science fiction — and now you can own one for relatively cheap.
    That’s really nifty. What I can’t wrap my head around is… who is it *for*?
    I can answer this with every other product Apple has produced, almost without thinking. MacBook? People who need a computer they can take with them. MacBook Pro? People who need a more-powerful computer they can lug around. iPhone? Anybody who would want a pocket-sized device that always has an internet connection (which includes just about anyone under 35). iPod Touch? People who want most of the iPhone features, but don’t care about 3G or phone calls (also a lot of people).
    I got all of this pretty much immediately as products were announced. But the iPad? It’s not portable enough to have as an “always with me” Internet device. It’s not big enough to use for the kind of work I’d use a laptop or netbook for (writing, design work, etc.) — and I can’t run my Mac apps on it anyway. It’s a pretty, but expensive and not very usable eBook reader (LCD type displays suck in bright light – if you can’t read by a window, in the park, etc., what’s the point?).
    So if you buy an iPad, you still need a phone; you still need some kind of music device unless you always carry a bag big enough for a book; and you probably still need a laptop if you currently need one. So, if I have those things, why wouldn’t I just own an iPhone and a laptop? What does the iPad get me?
    … confused.

40. Michael,
    I know that you had the benefit to be one of the first on the block to handle the iPad and so I respect your perspective if not the tone of your message. That said, if you did not have a big corporate budget to expose you to all the technology that you measured the iPad against and had to buy this device with your own money would you? I am as big an Apple fan boy as there is and I think that the iPad is evolutionary not revolutionary, but it is not a must have item for me since I already have a MacBook Pro, an iPhone and a NetBook. Yes it is cool. Yes I want one too. But do I need one? Do I need one at that price point? And would I buy one with my money not my company’s? Not today, and not 1st generation and not until a device like this ran a tablet or notebook OS. Again I want one but don’t need it. But then there are lots of great products out there that I want but can’t justify spending the money on. And yes, I am sure some day there will be an iPad of some flavor around my house…

41. @ Michele: If you think that Apple made the iPhone 3G and 3Gs because of people complaining about the original iPhone’s lack of features… you’re delusional. Apple puts out a product and at the same time has plans for a better version of it to release later. They’re not catering to anyone. They already have plans for a better iPad no matter if the first version sells well or not.

42. @Matches Malone: “If it doesn’t fit my specific needs, why should I buy one?”
    Don’t. It’s as simple as that. Do you feel you have to buy every product that Apple releases? If it doesn’t fit your “specific needs” then you SHOULDN’T buy one.

43. “don’t buy it”
    I won’t. But that’s the point. MOST people are going to be asking “Why do I need it?” Everybody needs a phone, and these days everybody needs a portable MP3 player. The iPhone/iPod Touch had those and ON TOP of that they were immensely sexy. A whole new way to use digital devices had emerged. So they became must-haves. (Apps came much, MUCH later)
    But this? Multi-touch is not new anymore. It was very much expected of this device, or any of the dozens of clones that will be announced in the days to come. Apple still has (and will have in the foreseeable future) by far the best and most sensible multi-touch implementation, but you ALREADY get that on an iPhone/iPod Touch.
    Now those two devices succeeded because they were the best in a WELL-established class of tech-products that people already understood the need for. The tablet needed to CREATE that need afresh, much like the iPod (pretty much) did back in the early 00’s. And I just did NOT see that happen.
    I’m not saying nobody’s going to buy it. It’s a good enough device, so those that found sense in buying portable DVD players (and so many other such niche devices) will find a use for – and even love – this thing. But not ENOUGH people are going to buy it because not ENOUGH people will have a need for it.
    In short. Is it good? Definitely. Will it sell. Yeah. Will it sell like iPods or iPh-NO!
    P.S: I guess most of the complaining has come from existing iPhone/iPod Touch owners who simply WANTed this tablet to be just as revolutionary. And seeing it as a mere (yes I said that word) evolution of what they (we) already have and use everyday (without significant complaints) was plain disappointing.
    To all the others, I’d say it’s just another tech launch. And that’s not a very good thing for something supposed to be ‘revolutionary’ and “the most important thing” Jobs “has ever done”.

44. Sigvald: One obvious example is multitasking. Multitasking on a tablet is infinitely more practical and desirable than on a tiny phone. Even when multi-tasking comes to the iPhone, it would be logical to assume that the manner in which one multitasks and switches between apps would be different depending on the device.
    The apps will certainly be different. They will be far deeper and richer (and more expensive), with unique interfaces. So why does the iPad’s os interface look exactly like a Touch. The touch was designed to be used with 1 hand. I’d have expected them to design something catered to this device, rather than retrofit the Touch’s interface to this.
    Should a device the size of an MS surface also use this interface? An iPhone nano? Is there a size at which you would acknowledge that the fundamental experience changes.

45. Glad to hear smarter people than myself are having a similar reaction to mine:
    http://feralchimp.com/blog/?p=872

46. Thanks. I have been arguing about the iPad on the internets all day long. It’s nice to know I am not the only one who gets it.

47. Thanks for your common sense perspective.
    I think the tech elite have missed the boat on this one.
    Apple has been known for it’s innovative technology and the technocrats will always push for more and won’t accept anything less.
    Apple made a new category of device not to replace our iPhones or laptops but to bring the joys of a mobile media and multitouch for the rest of us.
    This is a much bigger play and this device will attract millions of people who currently do not interact with media in the way many of us early adopters have.
    It’s an interesting strategy to create a device targeted directly for the masses. I think some of the bleeding edge feel a little snubbed by this approach. I wouldn’t worry – most of these innovations will trickle up eventually and most of their desires will become fulfilled in future products.
    As a producer, I am very excited with all of the possibilities to create apps/interactive content for such an amazing device. If the ipad is successful, all producers will have a huge audience for our creations on this incredible platform.

48. I’m as bored of people like you, Gruber and Stephen Bloody Fry going on and on about how wonderful it is as you are of people who just saw a large iPod touch going on about how crap it is.
    Sure, I’ll try one and sure, it’ll be lovely to use.
    it doesn’t change the fact that I simply don’t need yet another device to sync and keep charged and remember what I was working on on which machine. If I have an iPhone and a Macbook Pro, and use them both heavily, why on earth will I *need* to use one of these as well?
    What does it do that I can’t do on my iPhone/MBP combo?
    I’m serious, I’m genuinely, seriously asking. I’m open to new stuff. I just cannot think of a single damn thing I would want this for. I can’t deny there are some people that do just want something to flick through the web with, but… well if I’m going to carry something around, I’ll carry around my MBP, it’s not that heavy. And if I don’t want something of that size to carry with me, that’s what my iPhone is for.
    I don’t deny it’s well made, slick, does everything the iPhone does on a much better screen with whole new layouts and is a pleasure to use, but I really, seriously, cannot think of a reason I’d want one alongside my iMac, MBP and iPhone.
    It is genuinely niche. Genuinely.

49. The biggest problem is that IT IS NOT OPEN.
    What we wanted was a MacPad, what we got was an iPad.
    http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/what-we-really-wanted-was-a-macpad-not-an-ipad

50. Great open letter.
    Being a college instructor I find the more I learn about the iPad the more I realize the shortcomings I encounter everyday teaching can be solved by this device. The fact that I could use this iPad to not only store all of my classes’ texts, but hook it up to a projector and give a presentation with keynote; flip to a bookmarked section in the text to show on screen and load a website without having to mess with my laptop or the ancient PC at the teacher’s workstation is a dream. I was about to buy either a Kindle or a Nook this month, but no longer.

51. @Anon “I can do everything I want right now with a compute. Maybe I’m too jaded but I’d rather have money to pay rent than to waste on stupid gizmos.”
    Really, if you are considering buying *any* tech gadget with your *rent* *money* then you have much larger issues than whatever Apple is marketing today.

52. I’m sure discussion and speculation are fine when you do it.
    It’s a new computing device, not first contact with an alien species. Of course people will have specific wants and needs. Of course they’ll discuss the ones it hit and the ones it missed.
    Just because the reaction on the Internets is predictable doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with it.
    Personally, I want a tablet. It either needs to be as powerful as a netbook (replacing it) or as cheap as an iPod. The iPad is neither of these things so *I* will not buy it.
    I will not condemn anyone who does.

53. @MichaelMcCracken: To split a hair, the claim made in the post is that you’ll want to buy one once you’ve handled it… not that you necessarily will. I claim which I am comfortable will ring true for enough people to let stand.
    To go along with your analogy, you may see a Ferrari Testa Rosa and shrug at it looks… but that says more about you than it does the Ferrari.
    @Don: it’s not that complaints are invalid as such, but that they’re not nearly the death knells that typical Internet banter likes to frame them as. Also, netbooks blow if specifically for the fact that the preferences screen of too many apps simply spill off the bottom of the screen.
    Also, if I may brag a moment, I posted this prediction back in April… I got the camera wrong, and my hunch on app compatibility, but not much else 😉
    So I’m feeling like not toning down my guesswork…
    Great piece, amigo!

54. With the iPhone the market has spoken … great product that fulfilled a need. With the iPad the market has not even had a chance to open its mouth. So you tell people not go on about how it won’t succeed, but you have no problem implying that the iPad will be a great success. Perhaps you should heed your own advice: “And please, please stop trying to make predictions about what’s next, you have no clue and just look stupid when you do.”

55. @ johnny
    Thanks for the “delusional”, hope no offense was intended.
    I strongly believe a good enterpreneur is able to change course if he sees he’s slightly off target. I do believe they really missed a couple of points during the development of the first gen iPhone, mostly because it was a market really new to them.
    In this case I have the sensation of a stone in a pond. They sure have a killer technological implementation, they’re not completely sure what we gonna make with it.
    And Jobs is very good at it. The first Mac, already an excellent piece of hardware and software, stagnated until they understood the potential of the desktop publishing.

56. Hmmm, that ending was a little harsh. My point is that if you’re going to use sales to determine whether or not a product is a success, then we’ll all just have to wait and see …

57. I love apple but this is what they do. you should now this just as well… they put something out and then everyone buys it then 8-12 months later they make a better one. and god bless steve jobs. he’s a businessman. he knows EXACTLY what he’s doing.
    as far as this article goes… we still waited 2 years for MMS and almost as long for cut and paste there’s still no replaceable battery and it took over a year to get 3G. we all complained about that. yet, we wait patiently for all those features like everyone else. does that mean we should wait again for features that should be on this device? no. fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.
    once again, this is just another article from a fanboy who’s also a “technology professional” and who probably either has a disposable income, gets all this shit for free or writes it off. what the fuck is a technology professional anyway? am I a technology professional because I can type an email?
    “For those that have iPhones, you know the experience of showing someone the iPhone for the first time. The look in their face, when they first flick the screen or squeeze the image to zoom. The realization that this is something different, very different, than what they have experienced before.”
    Well, I’m sure you’ll look cool carrying your new $600 lifestyle device.
    me? i’ll wait. it doesn’t do anything that I need or that my iPhone doesn’t do.

58. @Michael
    “So, I won’t buy a car. I’ll wait till a car comes along that meets all my specific needs and until then, I’ll drive a horse drawn carriage in protest. See how stupid that sounds?”
    That’s some analogy. It would make sense if the competing products actually were comparable to a horse and buggy. Alas, netbooks do more, laptops do more better, and iPhone does the same, but smaller.
    No one has yet made a good point on why this should exist.

59. I’m with most people – It looks nice but that’s it. No multi-tasking and being chained to the app store is not my idea of convenient mobile computing. I’ll stick with my laptop or netbook and use whatever software I like. The people who will buy this without much thought are looking for an ego boost or have been trained well to be loyal apple minions. If Microsoft put out the same device with the same limitations and restrictions my opinion wouldn’t differ. Have fun with your dongles.

60. How’s that Apple cock in your mouth tasting?
    iMaxiPad is not a game changer.

61. Point 1: I’ve not handled, fondled or used this device. I’m relying on those who have and partially speaking out my south side.
    Point 2: For good or for bad, seems like most people are looking at the “coolness” of the concept.
    Point 3: If what I’ve heard about the iPad Keynote is true (being able to use the device as a laser pointer and write on a slide on-the-fly), then I think we can look forward with some level of assurance other programmers will follow with at least this degree of usability in their programs.
    I’m looking forward to testing point 3. I do many presentations every year with my MBP17. Not that I mind carrying it around (and at this point I’d probably still lug it around even with an iPad) the opportunity to fine tune the audience’s attention with something like the new Keynote is worth $1000 to me.
    t

62. @owen: It can’t do anything your macbook can’t. The point of the iPad is that it can do some things, as Jobs said, better. Are you still using a seven year old laptop? Technically it could browse the web, write documents, look at photos. But chances are you have a newer laptop because it does those things better.
    The iPad is built to do some things, better still than any device with an attached keyboard can. To be a better device for browsing the web, for reading books. And I can believe it would be better. A web browser in a laptop works well, but browsing can be better through touch – I actually would use my iPhone more for browsing the web than my laptop except the screen is much smaller, a problem the iPad solves. It gets the keyboard out of the way and offers portability only laptops with removable screens can match – but because the device is so dedicated to the specific tasks it wants to make better, it will perform far better than any of the other general purpose tablet computers.
    I personally have thought for years the whole tablet market was the ultimate niche, which would never expand to the main market – I think Apple has built a device that is really different than other tablets because they have focused so intently on building a device with the intent to exceed what a traditional computer can do in a few specific areas, rather than allow a traditional computer OS and software to run on a touchscreen with a compatibility layer to pretend you really still have a mouse.
    If Apple had built nothing other than this device, I would say it would probably be a big success. But now think about the fact that on launch, it comes with the ability to run well over 100k apps, many of which will probably see iPad specific enhancements. Does that not greatly expand the appeal of what was already a very useful device? Apple has shown that that can take a few categories of ways we use a computer, and make something that can do them better. So they have built a platform to do that, which needs only software to make other tasks Apple has not improved on work better too – and that is where the army of developers Apple has at hand now really comes into play. Each of the developers that helped build up that 100k+ base of apps is now going to be thinking, how can I write an app that makes the iPad into the best way to do X possible.
    People doubt Apple because they think the success is based on marketing, without realizing that Apple is serious about building devices and software that solve specific needs and that is why they see such uptake from the market. It really is a “if you build a better mousetrap the world will beat a path to your door” kind of thing going on.

63. @ Michele: Please excuse my remark about you being “delusional”. That was rude and uncalled for. I apologize. That’s not usually how I am.

64. This looks to be the perfect couch surfing appliance. WANT!

65. @jason>The iPhone is a social experience. You are hanging out with friends and whip it out. Everyone ooohs and ahhhs. It became cool and nearly ubiquitous because of that. Simply by being so large, the iPad misses out on that trait. I don’t think it’s a fair comparison for exactly that reason.
    Really? So it’s success has nothing really to do with the fact that people like to use it and find that it does things for them in a better way than others? The social experience is a side-effect of what really makes the iPhone popular: it does what people want in a better way than the competition.

66. @Johnny
    No problem, I understand the subject is polarizing, no offense was taken in the first place…

67. Wasn’t the Newton supposed to change the way we did computing?
    Just because a product has the potential to do something doesn’t mean that it will. Flaws left unfixed can be fatal.
    Things are great because of what they are, not what they might be. As it stands, the iPad really is not that awesome. It’s less portable than a mobile and less powerful than a laptop. It will be up to Apple to make this thing bloom, because right now it really ain’t much.

68. There are legitimate criticisms of the thing, but I think the funniest thing about the people saying that it’s not different enough from the iPhone is the fact that there currently aren’t any apps written specifically for it.
    That is, you’re bashing its lack of differentness before the community that produced 140K apps for a palm-sized screen–many of which are fantastic programs–has had a few months to work on apps designed for a tablet-sized screen.
    Just as there are dozens, if not hundreds, of completely awesome apps that take perfect advantage of a tiny screen to let you do old things differently or entirely new things, I fully expect there to be at least as many, if not more, apps that do the same for the iPad. Probably even more, given the reduced UI constraints.
    Don’t wait till you hold it, wait till you see what apps people come up with for it.

69. Will I buy an iPad? Nope. I’ll continue to use my MacBook and iPhone, cause that’s what I need when I go mobile.
    Will my wife buy one? Hell yes, the day it’s for sale. Cause it’s what she wants and has all that she needs. (And in addition to her iPhone.) There are probably tens of millions with her same wants/needs.

70. Nice post. I love the way you talk to the Internets. Very humorous.
    I have never bought an Apple product, but the iPad looks like a great device to me and for me. I’m a teacher and use PC desktops and a nice Toshiba Tablet PC that I got used for $400. [BTW, Teachers should ONLY have tablet laptops with video projectors. Presentation is the name of the game and tablets are wonderful. But too heavy. And with not enough battery power.]
    I wish that the iPad were open (in HW and SW for more developers to create for) and open (not tethered to Apple stores), had multitasking, had a pen for drawing/writing input like a Tablet PC, had USB ports, was a phone too, had 2 video cameras (one to face me and one to face away), could do 3D without glasses, could replace my TV,VCR,DVD remotes, could read to me in a soft melodious (not computery) voice and could take dictation and respond to voice commands.
    But those extra features will come one day. Or HP or Sony or whoever will develop a device that can do them. I still see the iPad as the form factor for the future and as a browser, eReader, light computer, photo display and music player it hits the sweet spot now.

71. Quite simply, if you already have an iPhone and a MacBook Pro, I’d say Apple has done a good job of meeting your needs and taking your money. Now imagine there are people in the world who are *not like you*. Shouldn’t Apple try to meet their needs too?

72. Wow, naysayers must of forgotten about anyone under 18 or older than 60. Teenagers love mobile and my mom, 78, needs a little thingy to email and imdb that she can hold and see comfortably.
    The iPad is for developers and newbies. It delivers in taps and clicks. No system files to muck around with. No peripherals. And you don’t think a crowd will gather when you whip it out at Starbucks?
    I do IT at a high school. This device may be the first tech that delivers on the promise technology made to education 30 years ago.

73. I a lot of, “why would I buy it?”, “what problem does it solve?”, “what’s it for”? type of questions.
    And that’s all fair enough.
    That doesn’t mean there are no answers.
    But it might mean you have to wait for them a little…

74. Interesting op piece.
    I have to admit, I was completely disappointed yesterday when I saw the iPad. It really just looked like a big iPhone and I have an iPhone. Why would I ever need this?
    But then I thought about it… what do I do with my iPhone? I barely use it for calls. Instead, I use it to sit in front of my TV and read Web articles, look up items on Amazon, etc. I stream music through it or listen to talk radio. I use the computer functions much more. So, was I disappointed that the iPad wasn’t some crazy new invention? Sure. However, it could be a nice addition to do the things I do on my iPhone in a more pleasing and easy-to-use set up. While I won’t buy one any time soon, I also am not saying I won’t buy one.

75. Michael, somewhat condescending but you make some valid points. Remember folks, this is version 1. You either buy it or you don’t – I won’t.
    People, the comments about MS fanboys, Apple haters, etc are very funny since it strikes me that many of the people seriously questioning the role/need of this device are devout Apple users. Refreshing to see that there are some objective Apple users out there.
    And @James @ 11:33am, you’re an idiot. Grow up…

76. > If it doesn’t fit my specific needs, why should I buy one?
    You shouldn’t, and that’s the part that hurts: you believe everything should be for you.
    This is an awesome open letter. People hating on the ipad would do well to remember the hate on the ipod, and the iphone, and how they would never sell because of all the things that geeks thought they should have, no matter how many times the world proves them wrong.

77. Good post Michael. I find it peculiar how many people are vehemently angry that Apple made a product that they either don’t understand or simply don’t find interesting and instead of leaving it at that feel they have to attack Apple for making what they think are stupid design decisions. If Apple has proved one thing, its that they generally know what they’re doing and think things through to the nth degree.
    Anyway, I’ll be buying a first gen iPad and I’m hardly an IT newbie and my age is irrelevant. I suspect I’ll also be buying later iterations of the iPad down the line.

78. Apple’s past success predicts future success? Like Newton? Apple TV?
    Make the case for the product itself, don’t go pro hominem.

79. iPad is an around-the-house portable information device. It’s not a “computer”. It will allow moms everywhere to look up recipes right in the kitchen instead of printing it from the home PC. It will be the first “computer” for lots of kids. It’s going to live on the coffee tables of homes all around the world to serve as a midpoint information device as well as perhaps the best universal remote EVER. Everyone keeps going on and on about, “why would anyone with a laptop buy one?” LOTS of people don’t have a laptop and lots of people have an old PC laptop that they only use for email and internet. Tech geeks need to get their heads out of the clouds once in awhile.

80. i love you.

81. “Who is it for?”
    It’s a computer replacement for the mainstream consumer – the millions of people for whom a computer (even a Mac) is just overkill in terms of functionality, and a hassle in terms of upkeep and use. These people just need a simple appliance that does specific tasks for them. They don’t want to know about file systems (hey, why do people put most of their files on the desktop?) or URLs/bookmarks. This kind of simplicity is actually the power of the iPhone apps (esp compared to the Internet), it puts together a workflow and walks you right through your task. And for those with slightly different workflows, there are slightly different apps. (That’s why there are so many similar apps.)
    It’s also a second “computer” for those who use their primary computer for “work” and thus, who invest a good deal of their time adapting to it. This second “computer” allows them to do the other tasks in their lives much more simply when they are not “working” but relaxing wherever they are.

82. Other people have said this in other ways, but the big factor here is that Apple is coming into a market that has proven time-and-time-again to not be entirely viable. Yes, some people have a use for a tablet. But VASTLY more consumers have a use for an MP3 player, a smartphone, or a netbook. This is where Apple was historically successful with the iPod and iPhone.
    Forget the merits of the iPad – it was doomed to failure because of the market for such a device doesn’t exist en masse (but not having Flash support, multitasking, or a kensington security port doesn’t help).

83. @Brent: You too can write an iPhone/iPad app and get it published. There are over 140000 apps that don’t raise Apple’s hackles at all, and maybe less than 500 that do. That sounds pretty open to me. The bigger obstacle might be buying a Mac to write the app with.
    Like you said, the rest of your list looks like it will arrive within the next 1-3 years, except maybe the 3D without glasses (too expensive).

84. I see the iPad as the perfect coffee table computer. It will be handy for checking e-mail and browsing the web from the couch. Hopefully, with the advent of the iBook Store and the publications offered there, it will replace the pile of magazines and newspapers that accumulate in my house.
    I think it will be a huge success. And the next version, with the camera, will become the VOIP video phone we have been promised for years. Right there on my coffee table…

85. I had been reading the coverage (extensively!) until now, but managed to catch the video just about a half hour back. And I must say the interface possibilities that are unlocked by a larger screen are absolutely incredible. Just seeing what Apple has done with their own native apps makes me drool. (Never said that wouldn’t happen) This may very well be how our ‘personal’ non-work computers look in the future. Will internet browsing, and even interacting with basic applications, on this be leaps and bounds better than smartphones and laptops? Definitely for smartphones and in specific scenarios for laptops. But is it something I MISS from my laptop or smartphone SO sorely, or is the jump SO game-changingly significant that I can justify paying (at least) 500$ for it? Not yet sir. Not yet.
    And I’m sure that extends to a LOT of folks that occupy the no-man’s-land between ‘budget’ and ‘luxury’ spending. Sorry. But the pad’s time is not come yet.

86. @ron: If you’re using it while sitting at work or home, you don’t need to pay for internet access again. You ever hear of iPad or iPod touch, and this wonderful thing called wi-fi?
    Get a cheap phone and get rid of your iPhone; if you don’t want to pay for a data plan, it’s not for you.

87. I think – judging by the keynote – that the iPad is a very, very nice device, in a somewhat revolutionary way, and it does everything I would expect from it. But still, I do not have a desire to have one. Perhaps as a gadget, but that is not enough of a reason.
    I have an iPhone, a laptop and a desktop computer. There is honestly nothing the iPad does that I really *need* it for. If I still need a desktop or laptop to run my Adobe software on, I’ll just use that for internet as well? If I don’t want to sit behind a desk, I’ll grab the laptop. If I want to watch a movie I prefer my full HD screen.
    In other words, the iPad is awesome, but I don’t need it. I guess it could be a very useful device for a certain group of computer users who only want to visit some websites (that is, if they don’t use flash) and send some e-mails. For everyone else it’s a useless device.

88. A message from the Internets regarding Apple fanboys:
    Shut up already.

89. A frequent comment in this thread is that “it doesn’t do anything I can’t do with my MacBook and my iPhone,” but consider: most people don’t have a MacBook. In fact, most people I know don’t even have a laptop. They have some sort of desktop computer, usually a cheap-ish Dell or similar.
    So think about these average PC users who wish they had a portable computer, but who can justify a second computer in this economy? Wait, what’s this? A device that I can use to do real work on the road, watch movies, and check my facebook — all the things that the laptop would have been for anyway. To top it off, it’s WAY cooler than a netbook, and WAY less expensive than a MacBook (assuming they go for the low-ender).
    Anyhow, this is kind of a long way of saying “It’s not FOR you.”

90. “You’ll storm the message boards, wring your hands, and promise you won’t buy one till ‘Gen 2’. The din will grow and grow as time passes. And then one day, in a few months, you will actually hold one and use it. And you will say, ‘I want one. I want one right now.'”
    Hmm.
    With the iPhone, I vowed I would not buy one until ‘Gen 2’, or whichever generation allowed for faster cellular networking and third-party apps.
    You know what?
    I kept my promise.
    — Nathan

91. The question is, what will the next generation think. If a kid wants to play a game or browse the web, or chat with a friend, will they want to pick this up or use a laptop/computer where they interact with a keyboard and mouse. I think the iPad model will appeal to a lot of people.
    I have an iPod Touch, and when I’m not working, I use it–for email, light web browsing, Twitter, etc–far more than my laptop. It’s simple and fast, and it’s good enough for what I need to do. Of course, I can’t stick an iPad in my pocket, but if I didn’t have an iPod, I would totally consider this as a casual net access/media/game device.
    Of course, when I’m writing code, I like a totally different environment that this won’t support, but that’s why they make different devices.
    I’ve used a few different netbooks, and I find them cramped and annoying to use. If I’m going to do anything serious, a full-size laptop–13″ or bigger–is necessary. For casual access, it seems to me likely that this device could absolutely take over the netbook niche.

92. I want FLASH SUPPORT
    I would be happy then.

93. I’ve heard a lot of people saying “sure, it seems cool, but given my laptop and my smart phone do I really need this thing?”
    The answer is “no, you probably don’t.” But at $500 (sure to drop) actual need gives way to simple want quite swiftly.
    And once this sexpot is in your life, you laptop is going to have a heart attack. Seriously, it’s going to be storming around, throwing things, breaking stuff, threatening to end it all now, and why?
    Because clearly you don’t love it any more. Christ, you barely even touch the thing. And when you do (for ‘real’ work) you imagine how much better (and cost effective!) it would be to operate on one of those gorgeous 27″ iMacs.
    So you go out and buy one (for about 1/2 the price of an equally capable MacBookPro). Suddenly, you’ve got a phenomenal machine on your desk, a fantastic bit of gear in your (now very light) briefcase, and – let’s face it – no room for that sometimes too big and at others not big enough laptop that used to be your A Number One.
    Heartbreak City, here it comes.

94. “It’s a computer replacement for the mainstream consumer – the millions of people for whom a computer (even a Mac) is just overkill in terms of functionality, and a hassle in terms of upkeep and use. These people just need a simple appliance that does specific tasks for them. They don’t want to know about file systems…”
    “It will allow moms everywhere to look up recipes right in the kitchen instead of printing it from the home PC. It will be the first “computer” for lots of kids.”
    Yeah, but there are two questions here:
    1) Are they even gonna KNOW it is the perfect device for them? The mainstream market needs a gimmick for a product to explode. The iPhone had it with multi-touch, the Wii had it with the wiggle-thing. With the tablet, there is no NEW, unique gimmick. It’s an improvement – even a grand evolution – but improvements are things only noticed by people who could see (and care) BEYOND the gimmicks of the original – and that’s “us” the tech-crowd. Additionally, you would need to get your hands on it, a nice TV ad alone won’t be enough to entice the mainstream non-tech consumer to buy this – because there’s nothing differentiating here that can be shown in 30 seconds! The only way this product will achieve growth is through word of mouth, and that’s gonna take a WHILE.
    Oh, and the fact that it’s called “iPad” doesn’t help.
    2) Here’s how a typical conversation might go:
    “…but I don’t even NEED another computer”
    “Yeah, but look at this, it is really simple to use. You can browse the internet, send emails, go through photos…”
    “Oh that’s..(approving smile)..very nice….but 500$? I don’t know…we already have a computer. ..(Ah!) I could really use a new toaster though”
    Few that end up buying it anyway, will love it. No doubt. But like I said, that number is gonna trickle in REALLY slowly.
    And really, mass market acceptance goes BEYOND specific needs like checking recipes or giving better presentations. Those are supposed to be ‘add-on’ benefits. But right now, all we have for this tablet are specific needs.
    Four-five years from now, this might very well become THE device to get. Right now? Pass.
    To summarise, great device. No real identity.

95. You know, I use my iPhone for a lot of internet surfing around the house. It works great, I can keep it handy, and anytime I have a question, I can answer it (most of the time at least).
    I would love having a larger version… so I come home and drop the iPhone and pick up an iPad. But I really wish it had the same phone number… and I am sure it will at some point. No reason not to.
    The issue with the release yesterday is that all of this is left to the imagination. The iphone launch — it was all new. Everything they showed yesterday was basically something that I do every day now… so it didn’t seem that impressive. The failure in launch, IMO, is that they should have forgone a bit of secrecy in exchange for having a few more dev partners on board so they could show a few killer apps.
    Home automation would have been great.. or at least integration… for sure I will want that app with an iPad. How about that SI magazine mock-up. Something….
    That is a marketing failure that will be addressed by the time it is released, I am sure.

96. > Except its a huge waste of money. I can do
    > everything I want right now with a compute.
    Many people with a computer buy computer books like “Photoshop Bible” and put them next to the computer and learn Photoshop. The iPad replaces that book, not the computer. One thing I’m looking forward to is replacing my 20 kilo Web development reference library with a single iPad, so I can have that library with me all the time. My personal computer weighs 1.3 kilos and is with me all the time, so the print bookshelf of reference books is looking really crazy.
    > Maybe I’m too jaded
    I think so, actually.
    > but I’d rather have money to pay rent
    > than to waste on stupid gizmos.
    I agree with you 100%. Stupid gizmos are a waste.
    I don’t think iPad is a stupid gizmo, though.
    My friend is a photographer, and an iPad is going to become his portfolio that he shows to clients. If he spent $500 on printing, he could only print a small fraction of his portfolio, and it would weight many kilos. Putting the whole portfolio into less than 1 kilo for that price is very exciting to him, and will get him more gigs and he’ll make more money and of course pay his rent.
    I also have a friend who is a lawyer who does his “computing” with stacks of letter paper and huge paper clips and white out and sticky notes and those little colored bookmark stickers because he doesn’t know how to use a PC, and flipping through a 500-page PDF of a legal document is not like flipping through the paper. For him, iPad may be the first computer he can really use in his work. He’ll be able to use the same physical movements as now but all the paper will be virtual, with all the advantages of both paper and digital.
    You really have to think that digital itself is inherently worthless to think iPad has no productive use case. iPad is a pad of digital paper. You can do anything with it.
    > No Flash
    I’m a Flash developer since 1997. When you see a broken plug-in instead of Flash video in your iPhone, you should blame the website, not Apple. The video format that you see in Flash is the same ISO standard MPEG-4 H.264 video from QuickTime, iTunes, iPod, Blu-Ray, YouTube and many other devices. It’s the universal video format, and is actually based on the QuickTime format, it’s “open source QuickTime” so to speak. The iPhone and iPad and other mobiles can already play this video without help from Flash, if only the website would give them the video instead of trying and failing to create a Flash presentation that would in turn load the video file.
    I mean … an iPod plays video right? What technical purpose do you think Flash serves in that case?
    Flash is basically the video player from Windows, because Windows does not have it’s own MPEG-4 player like all other devices. So when you see a website trying to load Flash on your mobile (any mobile, not just Apple mobiles) that is like the website trying to patch your Windows, which you’re not running.
    > The biggest problem is that IT IS NOT OPEN.
    It is open. You can run any W3C HTML5 Web app. What could be more open than that?
    You can run any ISO MPEG-4 movie or music, any ePub book, attach to Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth wireless, use UTF-8 text, login to standard security at your bank, and so on. Totally open.
    If you mean you want to run arbitrary native code on the device, you may consider that to be open, but the 90% of humanity that do not and will not ever write software code considers that to be unmanaged. Google drops websites from its Search index, but has served malware from Android Market. That is backwards. Users expect the Web to be the wild west and native apps to be safe. On the Apple devices, you have managed native apps and unmanaged Web apps, that is how it should work.
    You can’t argue with success. I have many friends who have both iPhones and Macs or PC’s, and they have never, ever installed an app on their Mac or PC, let alone purchased one. On their iPhone, they buy and install 2-3 apps per week. That is because Apple is doing the job of computer nerd, so they don’t have to. Hearing other computer nerds complain that iPhone users don’t have all their nerdy rights is just ridiculous. We don’t want those nerdy rights. We don’t want to have to understand things about software code in order to use our phones. We have other jobs. We’re lawyers and photographers and artists and writers and so on. We are using calendars and writing tools and various other apps and we don’t care that they are made with software code. We just care that they just work, that they are malware-free, that they are of a certain quality.
    Really, it is tiresome to hear Computer Science people ranting “but it’s a … COMPUTER! Don’t you understand it’s a COMPUTER!” We don’t care. To us it is a book, a movie, a fitness calculator, or 140,000 other things, not a computer. We don’t want it to be a computer. We don’t want the endless gotchas of a PC.
    > How’s that Apple cock in your mouth tasting?
    > iMaxiPad is not a game changer
    You need some kind of counseling.
    > No multi-tasking and being chained to
    > the app store is not my idea of convenient
    > mobile computing. I’ll stick with my laptop
    > or netbook and use whatever software I like.
    In that case you are responsible for making sure you don’t run malware. For most people, that is a chore that turns us off using the computer at all. That’s why most Mac/PC users don’t buy or install native apps, but they do buy and install iPhone OS apps. Most people don’t even have a computer yet. We’ve seen the PC and many people have passed on them. The technical hurdles of a PC are fun for people who like to jump technical hurdles but that is at most 10% of humanity. Most PC users are frustrated office workers who would literally smash the computer to pieces if given half a chance.
    As liberating as it may feel to you to run any software code you want, that is the liberation others feel being able to run any app from the App Store with 1-click. They’ve never been able to install software before App Store.

97. @Dev Kanchen:
    1) Apple has yet to run their first commercial – we’ll see what angle they take; they’re plenty to choose from. And 50m visitors went to an Apple Store last quarter; many will get their hands on it. In any case, remember that Apple only sold 125k iPods in its 1st quarter (a Christmas quarter no less), and 1.3m iPhones in its 1st 93 days. I actually think it’ll top the iPhone number by June 30th.
    2) Here’s the conversation:
    “it’s time to get another computer”
    “what about the iPad? it does all the things we want to do. its only $500, and its so light I can use it anywhere in the house, or even when I go out.”
    By the way, out here in MA, there are lots of people with desktop computers near or in their kitchens.
    The identity is that it can do everything you want it to do – especially with over 150k apps that can be downloaded with a single push of a button.

98. I see many of the commenters went to great lengths to… prove Michael’s point in his original post. Well done, Internets!
    Cheers,
    Rick

99. “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” — Steve Jobs
    I find Henry Ford’s version of the same much more compelling. It goes something like: Had I asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have answered stronger horses.

100. @Otto, which activities essentially constitute general purpose computing on a netbook? Which does the iPad provide?
     Besides videochatting, I don’t seem to see much difference besides the iPad’s allegedly improved interface for completing such tasks.
     I believe that makes the iPad a general purpose computer people can carry around.

101. How gloriously ironic that this post asking people to put aside their prejudices and preconceptions and just plain – Hush your mouth! until they’ve seen one of these should provoke such a torrent of nonsensical opinionated ignorance.
     Ah well. When I heard about the first iPod I thought who in their right minds would buy that when you can get a perfectly good portable CD player for 1/10th of the price.
     I love it too when people talk about it not fitting their “needs”. All you actually need is food and shelter. Everything else is gratification. Perhaps for “needs” they should substitute “prejudices” or “religious beliefs” instead.
     I have no idea whether this will fly or not, but Steve Jobs’s track record is pretty good, so I’d be reluctant to bet against him with real folding stuff.

102. The past few months, I have realised that I only seem to use my laptop for web surfing, emailing and music. Stuff that the iPad would be perfect for. I’m not likely to get rid of my laptop anytime soon but if I didn’t already have a laptop I would definitely see a use for this.
     Most of the doubts seem to be because we are comparing it to a computer…but generally I don’t make use of the full power of my computer anyway.
     Also, I have seen many articles about this iPad saying that it doesn’t have certain features (camera, Mac OS X, multitasking, Flash etc). For me those are features that I wouldn’t do without on a computer but for something that I use for web browsing then I can probably easily do without most of them.
     And the sooner web sites get rid of Flash, the better. With the exception of video (YouTube etc) it only seems to be useful for ads and other annoying things. I won’t miss that!

103. This so funny. Your trying to justify a mammoth sized iphone. You think being 20 years professional gadget man makes you the god of tech lol. What sad little life you lead. Gut instincts are first to tell people what emotions to have to scenario or object in the world. I could watch the tech world 24/7 but doesnt make me the god. Apple placing bets that ipad will be the same success as iphone by simply thinking of a new market. Tell me where would you use this ipad, on the subway to work, in the car, office, street, shove it in your back and watch the screen get scratched, someone to knock out of you hands, drop from 4 ft enough to see it to a grave and to walk the streets would be suicide. It just become a glorified steal-able object which actually doesnt do anything new that iphone hasnt. “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new” no you as a company should know what your customers expect, not the other way around. I m MS fanboy who owns iphone and uses mac software makes no difference to me.

104. Wow! Look at those Internets yabber on! Well done Michael, it’s exactly what you predicted they’d do. You asked them to hold off until they’d used one, but will they listen? No 🙂
     Since you’ve held one and I haven’t, can confirm for me that it’s a great device for two people to view at once? Cos if it’s a hugely social product as I think it may be it will at least silence its critics twice as fast 😉

105. Thank you for this article. I will take your advice and try one out in person before I take a firm stance on whether it is good for me or not.

106. Your post is spot on. I’ve gotten that same reaction every time I show people my iPod Touch. They are simply amazed at all the things it can do.
     Most people who don’t have an iphone/ipod touch really don’t understand how different the experience is. They look at what it can do, rather than how it does it. Browsing the web, for example, is utterly amazing on the iPod Touch that I find myself pressing my desktop monitor. It’s just so intuitive!
     I’m pretty sure everybody quipping about “it’s just a big iPod Touch”, doesn’t realize how desirable a “big Ipod Touch” actually sounds.

107. I see it as a *consume*-r media device. Personally, I can’t imagine myself typing on one all that much, yes it’s better than the iphone for email, but it still looked awkward. I would like a *good* reading device, the Kindle just didn’t do it for me and I still see 90% of those on the same trains as me reading papers/books. If I use it as my personal media device for film/tv/music, I will want to plug it into my TV and I want a larger hard drive
     It’s also too expensive as what I’d primarily use it for, I can’t justify that expense as I have a laptop, iphone, blackberry
     90% of people in London read on the Underground, trying to use a laptop in this situation is awkward, the iPhone is too small. There is a gap in the market there and I can see papers / books being replaced with a good digital reader that also acts as my primary media device.

108. Here is who will buy. A friend called who works at Microsoft, and I have friends at Apple. He was asking if he could get on a list or something, because he wants 3 of them – 1 for himself (to develop on) and 1 for each of his parents, since he is sick of doing weekly tech support for his parents Sony laptop’s

109. I have an iPhone, iPod, MacBook Pro, MacPro… I’m all set. Don’t overlook the market for others in the family. This is perfect for my wife, internet, email, iWork, plus Apps! And I don’t have to keep another computer updated with software, etc. it will happen automatically on wifi. I’ll save a few hundred not replacing her computer. I’m a tech weenie like most of you, is your spouse?

110. Thanks for the article. I enjoyed it immensly!! And a lot of the comments too 😉
     Isn’t it fascinating how many people get right out defensive!?! As if anyone were trying to coax them into buying an iPad. Where does the need to justify not “needing” one come from? (BTW: I used to be one who asked, What do I need an answering machine for? Or, I don’t need a fax machine. Or, I don’t need email. LOL)
     Now, I’ll have to wait until I have held and tried one, but I guess I know what it will do to me. What I have seen is very appealing. It could be just enough for me when I’m on the road away from my iMac.
     The iPad seems to make quite a few things nice, easy, and fast. I suspect there are going to a LOT of people who want just that.
     My own mother (71) comes to mind. She uses a Vista laptop and keeps trying to get support from me (a user of Macs for decades) – over the phone (imagine the challenge!!). If you’re not used to working with computers there is a lot to get your head around.
     The iPad seems to largely eliminate the need to deal with an OS – there is no Finder. Ah: less complexity, less to learn. Easier to send emails, look at photos etc.
     AND: This is only the beginning…

111. Great article. I really like it when other people are smart enough to open their minds to maybe think beyond what is now. In the comments you can really see who actually watched the “Stevenote” and who didn’t. I personally Can’t wait to try an ipad. It looks like something that would really get some use in my day to day life.

112. After watching the presentation and it got the software portion of it highlighting Keynote, I thought: “Can you make a presentation like that on your netbook?”
     Nope. And that’s why I’m sold.

113. @Dev Kanchen:
     “1) Are they even gonna KNOW it is the perfect device for them? The mainstream market needs a gimmick for a product to explode. The iPhone had it with multi-touch”
     The iPad STILL has multi-touch! And what you along with so many other people are not seeing, is how much it is not a gimmick at all, it’s as big a deal as the mouse was to early computers.
     As for how people will know about the device, as another responder noted the 100+ million people a year that peruse Apple stores will know all about it because they will play with one in person. That’s more than enough people to jumpstart a huge number of buyers and thus word of mouth.
     As for the name, you and others think it’s stupid now. But you were just asking how you get word of mouth and the name helped achieve that, big time… the Wii has a name many others considered goofy yet have sales suffered as a result?
     “And really, mass market acceptance goes BEYOND specific needs like checking recipes or giving better presentations.”
     Well lucky for the iPad then it excels at web browsing and email reading/sending, two of the least specific computing needs imaginable. The fact it can ALSO do many of those specific things well too, it what will really sell it to people. All those people who bought netbooks, they are totally a target market for that – the limited power and screen size of Netbooks make this device actually more generally useful (and usable) than any netbook. Or tablet for that matter, a franken-computer that is trying to be a touch device but it still firmly mired in the tar of desktop operating systems.

114. I’m sorry. I got bored reading this. bye.

115. I have to say, I had an MP3 player that was the size of a small brick, took 4AA NiMH batteries.
     My family bought me the iPod Touch just before the app store opened. It played MP3s no better or worse than the old clunker.
     Then for $10, I updated the OS to load Apps.
     I was looking up weather, streaming Pandora, VNCing into my two Mac Desktops (how cool is that?) Programming the TiVos, looking up movie times and watching trailers, yada yada, the list is endless.
     I said to my wife, just give me a big one (7-9 inch screen) and just a data plan, I don’t need a phone, company gives me free Blackberry to use.
     This is it. If someone has no use for the 100K apps, no one is twisting anyone’s arm. I don’t plan to walk around saying “look how cool this is.” I do plan to pay the $30/mo and enjoy the hell out of this thing.
     Here’s a device that doesn’t need a killer app. Maybe 5% will be eBook readers primarily, Maybe some will use it as a big GPS. The beauty of it is 100 people may use it 100 different ways. Do you really care if it’s my video center? My picture frame with a new/weather scroll across the bottom, with email/calendar alert?
     Truth is, I don’t know what my top 10 uses with be, I’ve not had a mobile device with (real) internet access before…..

116. I am agree with the most of your opinion. Especially about e-reporter, who are trying to get as many as visitor to visit their bias rumor articles. Most of Apple Fan Boys expecting something extrarevolutioner tablet device from Steevoo. Most of them are felt really disapointed about no Flash, no camera, no USB.
     For me, the iPad is a device that can be fit for early morning activity. I am nut subscribed to any newspaper, I only read news on internet. I can imagining I read my RSS feed using iPad in the morning while having my breakfast. In the late night, I read books before I get to sleep, or even email my friends or send message on Facebook.
     Yes, iPhone can do that too, but the small screen is not comfortable for long reading or browsing.

117. A 18″ B&W CRT can show Star Trek. A 60″ LED can show ray Star Trek.
     One experience is fundamentally better. And the iPad is not about more..its about better.

118. Matches,
     No one is trying to convince you to purchase something that doesn’t fit your needs. Believe me, no matter how it’s spun, $499 is not an insignificant sum. The point is, the pundits will pronounce this thing dead having never laid a hand on it. I believe he is attacking their “desire to pronounce judgment on things with the tiniest amount of actual information.” I concur.

119. Apple is marketing this as a computer. It’s price overlaps that of computers. It does everything, just like a computer, except one thing at a time. I can understand limiting functionality on a phone or an mp3 player. That’s fine. But a device this large? Unacceptable. There is no reason Apple could have modified the iPhone OS to support threading (this is essentially a modified iPhone OS after all).
     There is also no reason to exclude Flash support, and claiming that Flash is only used to view video in Windows is hardly an excuse. There are far more applications for it, many of which are implemented, and that is the website’s choice. It is ridiculous to expect website owners to modify their sites solely to support a very small minority. Hell, Firefox and other browser alternatives to IE are not supported on some sites. I can assure you there are far more people using these alternatives than there are people using devices without flash support to do normal browsing.
     The iPad just doesn’t know where it belongs. It won’t replace eBook readers, it uses far too much power and is much larger than typical readers, effectively less portable (excluding kindle).
     It won’t replace gaming devices, the DS and PSP are far cheaper and have much better gaming support. Controller-less devices are just not ideal for games (here’s looking at you, Natal).
     It won’t replace netbooks due to its limited functionality. It can’t multi-task, it has limited storage capacity, it uses a 4:3 screen so it is not optimal for widescreen media, nor could it really afford to contain much media (storage issue). It has no hardware keyboard (you can purchase one for who knows how much, or if Apple will let you, you can buy a USB adaptor and plug your own in, but you’ll have to buy a stand to hold the thing up anyway), no USB ports, no HDMI port (it had better have SOME kind of external display connector, and if it does it is probably proprietary).
     It is not a good thing that the app store is a closed system. Apple can refuse any software they please, and knowing what is acceptable and what isn’t is not clearly available to the developer. This includes things like content that might offend others, apps that compete with apple apps, interface designs they don’t approve of, etc. They don’t have to give a reason why your app was rejected, but sometimes they are “kind” enough to give a vague description. The big argument is that you’re given a better selection, more stable, etc. Well you know what system also works like that? A ratings system! Imagine that!
     And please.. nerdy rights? You’d be naive to think that these “rights” don’t affect you in some way. They’ll come to bite you in the ass if they don’t get defended. Remember DRM? Yeah, it is a pain in the ass, and it’s one of those “nerdy rights” people have been fighting for. You’re very thankful to the people who try to change things for the better, not just for them, but for everyone.

120. If you think about how most users use their home computers, it’s internet, email, and social networking. It strikes me that the iPad will be the BEST device on the market for these purposes. More portable than a laptop, and a much better interface than the tiny keyboard and trackpad of a netbook. Plus, the ability to run what looks like a pretty nice productivity suite in iWork, some games, and all the other Apps from the App Store.
     This will be the perfect device for a lot of people. I think about people like my parents, for whom this would be a much better primary computer than the monstrous Dell tower that scares my Mom. My only issue is that I would like to see it as a totlly independent device, rather than one which is supposed to be synching up with the mother ship.

121. This device is for 90% of the population in the USA. Forget that big old computer room in the house. Most people are missing the point on this forum.
     The target audience checks their email, sends a photo to their son, browse the web for 10 minutes, writes a letter to a friend, listens to some music while browsing the web, might even watch a quick youtube video & pays some bills. This is the biggest target that apple is going for.
     Then there is the other 10%, their needs will be addressed by developers creating pro apps in various fields. Apple is giving us the hardware and the ecosystem. Step back and see all of the brilliant apps that are going to flourish in the next 90 days.
     Apps for science, the medical field, filmmaking etc. This is only the beginning. And as the ecosystem is filled with brilliant amazing apps, the hardware gets better over time & cheaper. Laptops will be obsolete in a few years, with the exception of heavy writing. I do believe as people get used to this sort of input be it on the screen or with the bluetooth keyboard, laptops might disappear all together. Lets not forget as speech to text improves, this could also accelerate the demise of the laptop. The future for me is the iphone, ipad & the desktop for the power user.
     This is what apple is creating.

122. As I sit here on my couch, I glance over at the netbook sitting on my coffee table, unused. While I’m reading through the excellent article and varied comments – on my iPod touch.
     Apple is going to sell a boatload of iPads – the word of mouth will be amazing. People want *less* from their computing devices – less complexity, less hassle, less frustration. This thing will sell itself – leave it on the coffee table when a friend comes by, and watch them go from curiousity to amazement to desire – the exact same progression I’ve seen many times with the iPhone and iPod touch.
     For many people, the iPad could easily serve as their primary computer, and many ordinary folks would do a lot more with their “limited” iPad than with their more “functional” desktops and laptops.
     This is Steve Jobs carefully planned second run at making a computer “for the rest of us” flanking MS’s control of the desktop by coming up through the mobile space. He may or may not succeed, but it is sure fun to watch him try.
     Anybody want to buy a hardly used netbook? 🙂

123. @wiko:
     “There is no reason Apple could have modified the iPhone OS to support threading (this is essentially a modified iPhone OS after all).”
     They wouldn’t have to. Existing iPhone applications use threading all the time. the iPhone OS already supports it. Running one user app at a time is a choice Apple made, not a limitation of design. If you can only run one UI app at once you don’t have to worry about managing windows, about how a background app steals battery life, and all sorts of other things. It just makes everything simpler. And you do get a background presence via notifications – so you can still wake up an app as needed, as long as you are on a network.
     “There is also no reason to exclude Flash support, and claiming that Flash is only used to view video in Windows is hardly an excuse. There are far more applications for it, ”
     There are also a lot of applications for the iPhone and on the iPad. Wouldn’t it be better to have a native app than a Flash app? Again not supporting Flash is by choice – Apple didn’t have to wait for Adobe to finish a version of Flash that would run on the A4 chip, and then wait a decade for Adobe to optimize Flash so that it ran well. In the meantime video sites almost all support h.264 now (which most are using even inside the flash video players) and other uses of Flash are dying off or else you get dual application versions alongside flash programs (lots of flash gamers are producing iPhone versions now as well).

124. Any NASCAR drivers here?
     Hmm?
     Seriously. Any?
     Here’s why I ask…
     I don’t follow NASCAR at all. Not once, not ever. But how many races does a professional NASCAR driver compete in in a given year? 52? Once a week? Probably not. But let’s say he does. Let’s go crazy. He’s got to practice too, right? Two times a week? Three times he’s on the track?
     What’s he doing for the rest of his week, his life, when he’s not on the track?
     How does he get to the market, pick his kids up at school, take in a movie, or ball game? Does he drive his stock car? Or take the minivan?
     I think most people dramatically overestimate the level of complexity of tasks that they embark upon on their computing devices on a regular basis. Most people talk about what their computer *CAN* do, but most people don’t actually ever do that. It’s like saying “I can make love to my wife on the kitchen counter if I want.” But you won’t, bro. Except on Valentine’s Day. And that one time at Halloween.
     I’m a mobile developer and this iPad simply cannot replace my MacBook for development. And for portability, clearly it cannot replace my iPhone. But for the non-development time, this iPad seems like the absolutely perfect mid-level device at a reasonable asking price. I was traveling in Europe last year and this would have been ideal with 3G. Sure, my iPhone was more portable (which I brought) and my MacBook was more comfortable (which I also brought), but I would have loved to use the large screen purely for map purposes, if nothing else. To have several Lonely Planet guides (traveled to eight different countries, therefore eight different HEAVY books) in full color on this iPad… that’s a convenience that cannot be matched by the iPhone or MacBook (or netbook, as I looked into purchasing one of those as well… junk).
     Let’s remember, folks… Many people on this thread are probably spending $300 on a Harmony remote. Or $200 for Rock Band peripherals. Was it worth paying $130 to get the “night vision goggles” with Call of Duty 2? How much did you spend on that extra special espresso machine that you just had to have because you cannot and will not tolerate anything less than the finest coffee experience to start your important day? Is $500 really that expensive for this?
     The iPad is the minivan that the professional driver can use to conduct the daily affairs of life that doesn’t require the exorbitant high performance racing machine. Of course, there are some people who, though the speed limit is 35 MPH down the main street of their quiet town, insist on driving machines that can get up to three or four times that speed, but never do. Mostly to enhance their own self-image or pretend that they can and will get out to the rural highways to “really open her up” more than the two or three weekends they actually do.
     There are a lot of wanna-be NASCAR drivers who ought to just buckle up and hop in their damn minivan. Put racing stripes on it if it makes you feel more virile. But somebody’s got to pick up milk and eggs and that somebody is you.

125. The comment about Apple been the largest mobile
     phone company is incorrect. It is infact Nokia.
     although low sales in America the supply far more
     phones world wide. Apple is crowned with been
     the largest SMART phone supplier now.
     King regards.

126. It’s silly how many people are condemning the iPad without having a clue about its target audience.
     For most people, an iPad is just perfect! Most netbooks are just unsatisfying pieces of junk. The barely decent ones cost $600.
     I was ready to charge a good $899 to get a 6-10″ multi-touch device so that I could use gestures at my desk instead of a trackball! Do you know how much a Cintiq costs? $999 buddy. http://www.wacom.com/cintiq/cintiq-12wx.php That’s for a really nice 12″ display that you can draw on.
     I love the Kindle DX. The display is absolutely awesome! But it’s $489 and e-book reading is about ALL you can do with it.
     I’m thinking about the classes where I no longer will need to lug my MacBook Pro.
     And the meetings where I can take notes for even 4 hours. If I get anywhere close to 10 hours, I’ll be thrilled. Oh, and being able to make presentations from it is the icing on the cake.
     And sitting on the couch, reading my e-mail and browsing my web without being hunched over my laptop.
     And not needing to worry about an anti-virus for this thing.
     Yes, I want Pandora running in the background, and not having Flash is just plain stupid, but I’ll live.
     The 3-D gaming support doesn’t look too shabby.
     It’s small and light enough that I can carry it around in a messenger bag or a sling and not think twice about it, but large enough that I don’t need to squint to read the web or an e-book or a PDF or an e-newspaper.
     If I need to throw together a quick e-mail or document, I’ll have iWork.
     My electricity bill will go down since I won’t be firing up my big honkin’ tower all the time. At 25 cents per watt, if I use it 4 hours less per day, I’ll save $300 every year. The iPad will earn its keep in under two years!
     Best I can tell, Apple left money on the table. Unless the screen has too much glare to read for extended periods outdoors, I would easily pay more than $500 for an iPad.

127. @kevin:
     “it’s time to get another computer”
     “what about the iPad? it does all the things we want to do. its only $500, and its so light I can use it anywhere in the house, or even when I go out.”
     The point is, mainstream consumers don’t buy a new PC every other year. They don’t see a reason to plonk down that kind of money. More often than not, it’s the tech-types that will be GETTing the iPad for their moms/dads/gramps. It is more likely it will be a steady trickle of sales, than an explosion like the iPhone.
     Like I said, 4-5 years from now, this could very well be THE device to get. Right now, pass.
     @Kendall:
     @Dev Kanchen:
     The iPad STILL has multi-touch! And what you along with so many other people are not seeing, is how much it is not a gimmick at all, it’s as big a deal as the mouse was to early computers.
     I DON’T see it as a gimmick. I consider it an essential part of the experience, and of any experience designed by any company in the future. However, for the mainstream crowd it functions essentially as a gimmick that attracts them to the device. Do you really think they care about the interface possibilities a megapixel touch screen opens up? Would they even think about that? ONCE they start using it, they’ll love it. Of course, because it’s a great interface. They are, however, not necessarily going to see or understand immediately that a larger screen touchscreen is a VERY different deal from the iPhone/iPod Touch screen. I could see that when Apple demoed their apps. It was incredible, and I have said as much in prior posts. But if I throw out a phrase like “more interface possibilities” does a mainstream consumer understand that? Or even care at first?
     So the point HERE is, that touch is NOT a gimmick. The fancy animations in every Apple product are NOT gimmicks – they are essential interaction elements. Motion-sensing need NOT be a gimmick – unfortunately with the Wii it seems to have been limited to that somehow. But to the lay-consumer, when they see a TV ad, THAT’s what gets them. When they see the iPad they are not gonna see newer possibilities there – at first. They are gonna see a larger iPod Touch. So it’s just not gonna take off like that device did.
     This is a delicate point, so let me illustrate. I had a beautiful (back in 2007) PC that I was about to put to sleep since I was getting a new one. It had a decent GPU, an Athlon-64 and a gig of RAM – pretty good for that time. And my dad was on the look-out for a new PC at the time so I thought I’d give it to him. But he insisted on buying an old PC from the office instead because – get this – it had an LCD monitor. It was a crappy, narrow view-angle 15″ LCD. But it was better than the 17″ CRT with the gorgeous color reproduction because to him, an LCD was a visual, and accessible symbol of the modernity or ‘newness’ of the device. The fact that it came with a then-crappy P4 or about 256MB RAM and onboard video DID not matter at all. The gimmickry of that LCD did the trick. Now he hardly uses that PC, and hogs (sorry dad) mine instead. But the fact remains that it is the gimmick that he spent the money on.
     So ONCE people will get their hands on an iPad, they’ll see it’s a superior experience. But there’s no NEW gimmick there that could entice them to buy one in the first place. So it’s gonna be a while, QUITE a while I’d say, before the iPad sees mass market acceptance of any significance.

128. OMG! I’ve just realised I can’t print from my iPhone!!!
     Why, oh why, did I buy such a useless POS? I’m going back to my old mobile until I can get a device that has all the features I *need*.
     Sigh @ The Internet…

129. “The fact that I could use this iPad to not only store all of my classes’ texts, but hook it up to a projector and give a presentation with keynote; flip to a bookmarked section in the text to show on screen and load a website without having to mess with my laptop or the ancient PC at the teacher’s workstation is a dream.”
     I’m a college professor, too, and sort of share your sentiments. But it does also occur to me that I can do most of this with a MacBook. I’m pretty sure I’ll get an iPad soon after they’re released, but I also imagine somewhat wistfully an alternate reality where Apple improved Mac OS X to the point where it works just as well as the iPhone OS.

130. Very well put sir!

131. OMG WTF roflolcopterzorzbbq lollerskates! iPad fail. I can haz iPadburger?
     Yours sincerely,
     The Internets

132. Man, I must be just a wimp or something because I think it’s a hassle to haul my MBP from the desk to the couch to the bed, etc. The iPad will be so much better when I’m consuming rather than creating.
     There are days when my workload is such that I can do everything from my iPhone — except doing email on that device is a hassle and the screen is so small I usually end up plopping down in front of the MBP. With the iPad I can grab it and work throughout the day wherever.
     When my parents (or other members of my family) need a new computer I’ll point them to an iPad — for what they do this appears to be the right device.
     Jay Jennings
     PS – Before the iPad was announced I read all the rumors and thought, “meh.” But the presentation swung me clear around and I intend to buy one the day it’s released.

133. I DON’T NEED NO STINKING IPHONE; I DON’T GOT TO BUY NO IPAD. GIVE ME BACK MY W95.
     oliver fliptop cellphone sandwich

134. iPad

     Alex Payne en Aaron Swartz hebben beiden een punt: Alex: “This is why I say that the iPad is a cynical thing: Apple can’t – or won’t – conceive of a future for personal computing that is both elegant and…

135. iPad will fail, no doubt.. i don’t have iphone, but i want one or something similar, like nexus one.. formfactor is appealing, you can put it in your pocket, you can be on the web while your girlfriend is stuck at dressing room at Bloomingdales.. Apple decided there is a gap between macbook and iphone.. and there is no gap.. i held ipad in my hands, i spent 20 minutes checking out what it can do, and i agree, the device is uber-cool, fast, beautiful.. but i understand very clearly i don’t want one.. and i am not going to want one.. there is no place for this thing in my life.. i have a nice laptop that can do way more stuff than ipad.. and if i didn’t have a laptop and had to choose between laptop and ipad, i still would buy a laptop.. there is a reason we don’t see many tricycle cars on the streets – well, Apple might come up with iCar someday if they find a gap between a car and a motorbike.. but neither 3-wheel iCar, not iPad are needed.. this is why it will fail..

136. It’s a total waste of money. Stripped down, Locked down, expensive for what it is, Jesus Pad.
     I’m totally buying one the minute it comes available.

137. i love the ipad besides them stealing a copyrighted name and getting sued for it i wont buy it until it enables flash that’s the only flaw imo

138. I’m curious, how does iWork work? How do you grab a chart off of Numbers and move it to Keynote? or a graphic from Keynote to put in Pages? How do you access saved files? How do you share a file on your iPad to your friend on their iPad?
     How do you see sharing files between iPad users for other, future apps, working?
     I’ve only seen videos of the iPad at work and haven’t had the chance try it out, but I’m very curious how this works.
     Thanks.

139. The opinions posted here are very passionate. It doesn’t fail to amaze me how strongly people feel about what computer is best.
     Kind of reminds me of the the strong rivalry between UCLA & USC. Being a UCLA grad, just thinking about USC raises my hackles.
     However, if my son says the ipad is good, it’s good!!!
     All I know is that an Apple computer is easier to use than a PC and I’ve had both. I just got my first iPhone last week, and every day I am discovering something new I can do!
     I can hardly believe that in just one week I have started texting, compiling a database, scaning the web and checking my email … all on my phone, anywhere. My iPhone is simply amazing and wonderful.
     I don’t know if I will ever want or need an ipad, but if it as amazing as my iPhone and more, my bet is that it will sell and will be a success.
     Yesterday, I went to the dentist. While waiting for him I was working on my contact address book. When he walked into the proceedure room, he noticed the iPhone on my lap. He said that he saw I had a new iPhone. With excitement in my voice, I answered in the in affirmative. My dentist said that he was sure glad that a few years ago he had bought Apple stock! Boy, I sure wish I had!!!
     Apple Rocks!
     Posted by Mike’s mom on her iPhone! 🙂

140. I have no doubt that iPad is revolutionary and will start to see copycats come out with similar products. What I hesitate to do is downloading content from the internet. I know you can’t do this on the iPhone, so what about the iPad? I need to download files which may not be jpg or pdf files and want to transfer them to my laptop when I get back to the office or home.

141. Colin, there is already an iPhoneand thus and iPad app that is a lot like a Tenori. It would be cool if someone built an app to allow Midi to go over wifi from the iPad.
     Actually, I thought what would make the iPad different would be that it would automatically hook to a nearby mac as a second monitor, for palettes and control surfaces. There are plenty of dedicated remotes built on the iPhone for some purposes, I just wish apple had given it extra juice for people that use Macs by doing the Second Monitor trick

142. Bravo. Well written post. Look forward to trying out the iPad. I’m not a Mac person. I used the iPhone for a year and went back to Blackberry. I use Windows 7. Exchange, OneNote and many other programs tie me down to MSFT (and I’m a happy customer). But this may be the way Apple gets me sucked in. My wife is not a technologist. Hates gadgets, yet LOVES her iPhone. She tried out the fancy new Nexus One (given to her for free) and went back to her slow, old iPhone. She will love this too. I can see us having many of these over time lying around the house (due to upgrades over time). 30 day stand by time is something no-one seems to be amazed by; then add instant on and 10 hour battery life => it could change the way we use computers. I do have the latest iTouch. It’s a total pleasure to use. Like no other device I’ve ever owned. It’s not for work (like my Blackberry). It’s just for fun. Even if the iPad turns out to be just a big iTouch (which does not have a camera) with new programs suited for the new form factor, I can see myself loving it. Here is a blog post I wrote about the iPad: http://www.blog.altosventures.com/vc/2010/01/a-little-warning-for-all-those-skeptics-of-the-ipad.html

143. I think one of the chief reasons for the failure to see what markets the iPad will appeal to is simply this – the lack of imagination.
     To me, I am convinced that the iPad will indeed find its markets when the collective pool of creative geniuses around the world develop killer apps for it. Until then, I tell people this:
     “The single, most potent thing you can give to a creative person is a blank slate and the tools with which to work on it.”
     To an unimaginatve person, they will never see what a blank piece of paper can show them until someone’s creative force is applied to it.

144. I think one of the chief reasons for the failure to see what markets the iPad will appeal to is simply this – the lack of imagination.
     To me, I am convinced that the iPad will indeed find its markets when the collective pool of creative geniuses around the world develop killer apps for it. Until then, I tell people this:
     “The single, most potent thing you can give to a creative person is a blank slate and the tools with which to work on it.”
     To an unimaginatve person, they will never see what a blank piece of paper can show them until someone’s creative force is applied to it.

145. I have a macbook and an iPhone, and the combo is enough for what i do everyday. So i never needed a netbook.
     Hence, i did not buy one.
     But I know many who can no longer live without their netbooks. And that is enough for them. They don’t need a powerful laptop and a smartphone for their needs.
     The iPad was not made for me, or for them.
     I think it was made for people who needed a better way to interact with the internet than a netbook without needing the powers and added weight of a laptop; for people who love to read books but wants something that can do more than just show letters on screen; for people whose primary interaction with computers and the internet is to check email and use the internet but can do so with a device that is intuitive and easy.
     My mom owns a laptop PC but never really uses it because it is much too complicated for her. She even needs somebody else to open her account on Facebook. But she knows her way around a phone. Imagine what a device that has features of a computer but the simplicity of a phone can do for her.
     At the risk of repeating my point, it must be stressed that people are railing against something that was not made for them.
     If you don’t need it, don’t buy it. Would an eskimo buy ice to keep their drinks cold? No. They don’t need it. But for every eskimo out there is a who lives near the equator.
     Moreover, if you ask why would you need it, i think the developers of the 150k iPhone apps in the itunes store can answer it for you by developing an app “for that”.
     Think about what the iPhone has become for its owner thanks to the apps. I think the iPad has that potential too. It can be what developers and owners make of it.
     This ability to transform, from a gaming console, to a phone, to a web browser, to a daily spending calculator, to many more has made the iPhone into the success that it is today.
     It has made a market for itself. A market which probably did not exist at the time of the iPhone’s launch.
     Meanwhile, there are also those who rail against the iPad because it did not meet their expectations. If you think it is good but can do better, then wait. I’m sure it will improve in time, like every device that man has invented.
     I think the first generation iPad was made with the barest of technology precisely because it is a brand new device and Apple wants to see how the average consumer interacts with it, instead of spending a huge amount of money cramming everything in only to find out that it is not needed after all.
     That is what “Generations” are for.
     True, Apple’s restrictions on the App Store, which shall most probably remain for the iPad leaves us wanting more. But the people who have a need for more than what the itunes store has to offer has found a way to go around it, albeit by hacking the iPhone. so what makes the iPad so different?
     I think, the iPad, despite its limitations today (which shall probably be resolved by generations to come) is a great. Not because it is revolutionary in terms of the technology that is in it now, but because of its potential.

146. I’m somewhat cautious about the device overall, but I think it will serve my needs nicely. I need my MacBook Pro to write or to really manage all of my stored content. I need my iPhone for phone, texting and handling something quickly while on the go. But the iPhone is terrible for using the internet because it’s just too small for me, yet my laptop is not good because whenever I want to use it to write, half of the time I use it to read. I want to separate my use of the internet from my writing. Tablet should do that so I am pretty excited about it.

147. God bless you sir-
     I was more amused about the comment on the Internets than the iPad comments. I’m as guilty as anyone else sometimes, but I could not beleive how awful people are when this “object” does not meet every single desire that they have ever had. Ever. Every single one.

148. I say this is an Apple fanboy, but they are not the largest mobile device vendor in the world (assuming you mean cell phones). It’s not even close. Nokia is still the 800 lb gorilla.
     http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2010/02/phone-market-shares-for-year-of-2009-and-last-quarter-2009.html

149. Thoughts On The iPad

     I watched Steve Jobs’ keynote presentation of the iPad yesterday and the reaction to the most talked about tablet in the world was underwhelming.

150. The general comment seems to be along the lines “I have a iPhone, a laptop, and a desktop. I don’t need this!” That is a very true statement, but people should realize that set up applies to a tiny portion of the population. I can see a move to households have a desktop for “heavy” work, an iPad for social media around the house, and an iPhone for outside the home. A device to meet the needs depending on the situation. For me the iPad would replace my POS laptop for couch surfing, another outlet for the wifes FaceBook, a portable movie player for the kids in the car or airplane, and when not in use a kick-ass digital photo frame. All for $500!? The tech world has gotten very jaded/spoiled.

151. when i pick it up i’ll feel the same way i did with the iphone: wow its pretty nice, but too bad its closed and its true potential is limited. Such a waste…

Comments are closed.