Chris Till

iPad Thoughts

The iPad is an interesting device. It is incredibly easy for a lot of sceptics to label it as simply the iPod Touch XL which is valid to a point, but there are a number of things which do help to distinguish this device from it’s smaller cousins, while also avoiding being too simplistic to make it valid as a netbook alternative. I would say that for Apple, this is certainly not a guaranteed hit, but I’m sure it will start well with the techy crowd and then catch on to the mainstream audience fairly soon after. It might just end up being like Twitter in that I had it years ago when it was a geeky bit of fun, but now everyone’s doing it. I’m sure that’s what Apple are hoping for and I think they have a chance.

When Steve Jobs suggested that netbooks weren’t better at anything, and that the iPad really offered something fresh and interesting into that market really resonated with me.

I remember talking to my Dad about the iPod touch about how he should get one over a netbook because of how nice it is to use, and how it does everything the vast majority of people will need from a netbook type device. Of course, the screen size was the main reason that it wasn’t really a possibility. The iPad solves this perfectly. There are a lot of people who just want a nice device to sit on their coffee table or bed-side table that they can just pick up and use effortlessly without having to mess around with a comparitively bulky laptop or netbook.

Steve was talking about what a device of this type should be good at. It should offer the best way to surf the web, a great way to communicate via email, excellent media functions and should also be able to provide an ebook service which despite the lack of an e-ink screen, can still provide an experience that makes up for it and adds so much more besides, that you can overlook that fault.

I think now more than ever, that netbooks are going away for good. In the end, what are currently refereed to as netbooks will just be smaller laptops. Prices will stay low but the performance will start to catch up to current laptops. Of course there will always be a specification difference between cheaper and more expensive laptops but that’s always going to be the case. Apple have positioned themselves in the luxury end of the market for a long time, and I thought it was foolish of them to not do a netbook. In the end though, they were right to not go that route and instead make a device which gives you the perks of a netbook (portability, low cost) without almost all of the negative (bulky, cheap looking devices) and instead providing a device that looks and feels like a premium product for a close to low-end price.

Many enthusiasts will blast the iPad for not being a computer and not allowing the customisation of a full operating system, and also for not having flash player support and things like that, but in the end, those are small concessions in a product that really blends together the tablet computer, media functions and ebook readers into one in a way that will be attractive to a fairly wide audience. It’s success as an ebook reader will probably depend on how much people are willing to compromise on the screen type and possible eye-strain, but I think a lot of people will be prepared to because of the sheer amount of stuff that this device can do for the price.

Tablet PCs in the past have never really taken off in the mainstream and the reason for that is probably because they don’t provide a tablet specific OS and are therefore too fiddly for most people. Desktop OSs just don’t work on smaller devices like phones. The iPhone proved that and this device really goes even further in proving that specialised operating systems tailored to fit a specific device type really do help to elevate the user experience to a much higher level. Apple’s trademark attention to detail and interface is evident again as they bring tablet computing into the new age, and this time, it’s not going to be just for technology enthusiasts.

I can certainly see a lot of iPads on coffee tables all over the world in a couple of months time. However, only time will tell to see if people, the mainstream especially have room in their lives for a product like this.

Happy iPad Day.. or not

To say I’m sceptical about this new device would be an understatement. I just don’t see where the market is, even at a medium to low price for something like this. Even if this thing is a hit, it’s still a niche product in my opinion and will never have anywhere near the appeal of an iPod type product.

Apple have to have some kind of special screen technology akin to e-ink to make this viable as an e-book reader because that’s really what attracts people to devices like the Kindle. People want to avoid the backlit LCD screens and the eye-strain that comes with it that most devices bring. The Kindle is also simple to use and doesn’t give you a lot of options, which is a good thing in this case, especially for people who aren’t as proficient with gadgets and just want an alternative way to read without carrying books around.

As far as its computing properties, it appears that it’s going to run an altered version of the iPhone OS which while powerful for a mobile device, for a device costing probably at least the price of a well equipped windows laptop just won’t cut it for a lot of people. You lose a lot of customisation, and are more restricted to apps released on the App Store, which you can be sure will be a part of this.

So, what is this device going to be? As a book reader it seems likely that it will either price itself out of the market for most consumers, or it will not have an e-ink screen and put people off that way.

As a laptop / netbook replacement it surely won’t offer what people are looking for in terms of a nice keyboard and a screen facing up rather than lying flat. It’s also in danger of pricing itself out of this market.

As a media player I can’t see the benefit whatsoever. It’s a flat screen so if you stand it up it’s going to be essentially the same as a laptop, and most people probably won’t take it around with them unless they go on a trip somewhere. And even in that case, you could take a laptop or netbook without too much trouble.

As a comic book reader, it has definite potential. The issue will be price and the number of people adopting it. You would think that not a huge number of comic readers are going to pick up this device specifically for reading comics, so will the market be there for something like this anyway?

I personally think that devices which have comics as a minor secondary function, like the PSP now with the new software update are the best ways to bring comics to the digital format. That may well be the case too with the iPad but I just wonder if the price of admission will be too high for anyone other than gadget geeks who also happen to be comic book fans to buy into it.

Overall, of course this is all complete speculation and I would love to be wowed tomorrow by some big surprises like a special new screen technology or a low price point, but in general I don’t see the tablet format as having a large potential market.

That is unless tablets totally converge with e-book readers when technology allows, because I do think that e-readers are going to be a quickly growing and potentially large market in the next few years and beyond. Myself included, for the most part enjoy digital content and it seems only natural that books follow music and to a lesser extent, video and games as being digital. Books, more than almost anything else are a huge consumer of space and while it is nice to own some books physically, if you’re a big reader and / or a frequent traveller or just someone who likes to avoid clutter at home, then these devices will continue to get bigger and bigger in popularity.

Apple may give the market a shot in the arm tomorrow, they may make a hash of it, who knows, but it will be exciting to find out.