Today Apple Inc. has set the bar 1000 times up the latter. Yup they have taken an idea that has been around for a long time and using their latest technology in their favor created the iPad. A new tablet device with so much to offer it may just turn the computer market on its head. But not today! Its an idea that Amazon has been selling for the last couple years. But unlike the Kindle the iPad allows you to see in full color witch is really much nicer for viewing photos. Now I can’t say this is better. Reading a book on any electronic device is not reading a book. A book has a distinctive feel.
But what the iPad is not may well define what it may become given time. With any new technology there will be bugs to work out. What Apple Inc. has done today is what or how things work. Someone invents an idea and sometimes it takes several iterations before the idea really takes off. Of course having deep pockets help. Bringing a device to market like the iPad takes lots of cash for R&D. Apple leveraged technology that they had already invented. This was smart in their favor.
My guess is they knew they were going to use the technology when they re-invented the super phone. The iPad is a natural progression of that idea. Every new product that comes out has a basis. Take the Leopard operating system (Mac O/S 10.5) it was superior to its predecessor Tiger. Now lets fix some of the issues and give it a new name and make it truly 64Bit. Hence we have Snow Leopard (Mac O/S 10.6).
When I sit down and use my MacBook Pro Original series with it aluminum colored keyboard I am reminded of the difference with my wife’s new version just simply MacBook. Mine is not cut from a single piece of aluminum but yet it has a distinctive Apple feel. It does not have lots of snappy lights to tell you your connected to the internet, or that your sound is on. Like many Windows laptop versions. Its clean interface is simple and not over designed. It is function in its purpose and a pleasure to use.
I love my iPhone 3G and it is easy to use. But I don’t us it to surf the web, play games. I use it for basic information and holding music when I travel. But work requires that I must use a Blackberry that seams inferior now to the simplicity of the iPhone. So my wife gets the pleasure of its company.
Will the iPad be the next evolution in computers? No not in my opinion. That will take much more but todays announcement is one step closer. Will it put a crimp in the Netbook market? Yes for sure. It will take a little time but eventually I think the iPad will simply blow the market away. Will Netbooks continue? Yes because the iPad will still be more expensive then the market will pay for such a device. Apple products have always traditionally been more expensive. However as they say you get what you pay for. You can have a basic model car, but if you want more bells and whistles you have to pay more.
This holds true to any electronic device. The first ones introduced are always more expensive. Will the price fall? No I don’t think so because Apple knows it has to earn a payback on its investment. And the prices listed today are within reasonable expectation.
This is one device I will add to my Mac collection. But not today or near future. Like the iPhone I will wait until the next version comes out. After they work out the kinks. Then I will gladly say yes. For now my old Macbook Pro will serve me just fine!
For those who live on the bleeding edge of technology go for it! Apple Inc.
