Setting iPad Expectations Straight
I emailed my dad about the iPad almost as soon as it came out, saying that he should seriously consider buying one so that he can have a portable and useful internet device. He said that he’d looked at it and thought that it could be really good. But he also commented on the wide array of negative things that he had heard about the product. As a life-long Apple fan (Apple’s life, not his life), he felt the attacks were personal and uncalled for, going as far as to compare the attacks on Apple and Steve Jobs with attacks on other famous innovators who were similarly mocked. Clearly, we had been reading different sources. I have read mostly positive things about the iPad, ignoring criticism, whereas his popular press sources seemed to steer more negative (or at least more disappointed). I think people’s expectations have gotten way out of whack.
For everyone who expected the iPad to replace their laptop, are you that stupid? First, Apple’s laptop sales and share of the market is huge. That’s where they make a TON of money, especially because college students opt for laptops almost exclusively these days. A tablet that was a fully functional laptop would have either A) cannibalized sales of laptops, B) been way too expensive to appeal to a casual buyer, or C) both.
Second, Apple is innovative, but no one is innovative enough to completely redesign an operating system around touch only. That means that, had Apple released a laptop replacement tablet, you would have ended up needing a stylus and keyboard, and probably a mouse as well. Now, knowing what we know about Apple’s minimalist design philosophies, how likely would that have been? Anyone who spends even a minute thinking about Apple’s decisions in the past knows that they would never make such a jump.
For everyone who expected the iPad to have an infinite number of ports and connectors, have you seen the way Apple innovates in the past? They do it by eliminating features that they believe will become unnecessary in the future, not by adding whatever new technology is available. Look at the iMac – it caused a revolution because it didn’t have a floppy disk drive. But it wouldn’t take many more years before no one on earth used floppy disks. Indeed, recall the capacity of a floppy disk and compare that to the capacity of your smallest flash drive; there is no comparison.
Yes, if you want to use an iPad with a lot of different files, you will have to interact with those files without using a USB-based peripheral storage device. In this way, Apple has embraced the use of networked and “cloud” based files. Their dedication to data-via-networking prompted them to get rid of the optical drive on the MacBook Air, and this philosophy continues with the iPad.
For everyone who expected the iPad to fit perfectly into their life, realize that no Apple product can be everything to everyone. In fact, it is entirely possible that the way you use a computer is different from how Apple envisions most people using a computer. The world as Apple sees it has a distinct rupture between content and the devices we use to interact with that content. We have easy to use websites like YouTube running on full-powered computers. In Apple’s vision, the device actually makes the content harder to use, and thus less enjoyable. Feel free to try to dispute this thesis, but from this perspective Apple’s products make a lot more sense.
The iPad is restrictive and not a full computer so as to eliminate some of the barriers between the content and the device. Typing in a URL or accessing bookmarked sites does not require a full physical keyboard and mouse. Neither does using a calendar application or reading your email. Playing music, watching movies, looking at pictures – all these tasks and more are actually more natural to do without a full-power computer. This has been demonstrated by the incredible success of the iPhone and iPod touch – two devices with small screens and limited functionality that have, nevertheless, sold millions and millions. That same functionality has been replicated and expanded on the iPad.
Lastly, for everyone who expected the iPad to appeal to techies, get a life. Just like the market for hard-core video gamers is not enough to sustain the revenues video game companies need to survive, Apple cannot depend on the most tech savvy to keep the company afloat. Indeed, Apple has always prided itself on their intuitive combination of hardware and software to make the computing experience as seamless as possible. If you are the kind of person who wants to disassemble your computer, you’d best not buy from Apple. But if you’re the kind of user who wants to know how to use a product right out of the box, then take a peek at Apple’s offerings.
As a relatively tech savvy individual, I could not be more excited about the iPad. I am now 90% committed to purchasing one as soon as I possibly can. It most certainly won’t replace my laptop, but it will augment my computing experience. At the iPad’s price points, my expectations have been so far blown away, that I can’t even begin to find complaint at Apple’s newest product.
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