Stability as a Selling Feature
The backlash at the backlash has started; I think more positive press is coming out about the Apple iPad. Jokes about the name aside (people laughed for months about names like iPod and Wii; plus Apple’s company name is pretty darn quirky to begin with), journalists and bloggers alike have started to respond to the initial lack of excitement over the product that closely resembles a large iPod touch.
Coupled with this new batch of positivity are solid arguments about the iPad’s lack of certain features as a selling point rather than a weakness. Yes, some people (myself included) truly believe that it’s partly what the iPad DOESN’T do that makes it such an exciting device. Here are some of the key areas.
1. No multitasking means simpler user operation. As noted by Andy Ihnatko in the Chicago Sun-Times, multitasking on Android devices can at times be problematic. Multitasking “makes Android devices a little crashy, [and] it slows down performance (sometimes to the point where you need to restart the device).” The iPad, without third-party app multi-tasking means stability and speed. (So, yes, you can listen to your music and read your email and browse the internet at the same time, but can’t listen to music via Pandora and do the same thing.) That means I can give it to a less tech-savvy person and have them use it without worrying what they might do to the device that could cause it to crash.
2. No flash means a better internet experience (eventually). Installed on my Mac is a Safari plugin called “ClickToFlash.” It blocks Flash rendering until I specifically tell it to display. Sometimes I do look at Flash content; more often, I simply ignore it. And this makes my browser run faster, preserves battery life, and keeps my fan from taking off when an advertisement seizes control of my processor. Plus, it means HTML 5 for video, which I can now get in YouTube and other video sites. That means that the lack of Flash is actually making things better overall.
3. No file management system means greater central control. This one is a bit more of a stretch, as it may make things more difficult for some people. But under certain conditions (see below), this can help to make the iPad work better. For example, it means that users can’t just put any files they want onto the device. Instead, files can be controlled by whoever has the right to sync the device. This makes it easy to keep the devices clean after being used by different people. Other public use devices must be reset after a user logs off because the user can download different files.
4. No camera means less liability and distraction. There are some places that the iPad could end up where a camera is a potential bad feature. A camera represents both a distraction and a liability on the device, making it less than ideal when users (or administrators) want a streamlined experience.
5. Only one button means no confusing “how to I get there again?” questions. If you want to use an app, you touch its icon. It you want to get back to your selection of apps, you hit the home button – the only button on the whole device. (Okay, I guess there are buttons for volume and power, but hardly positioned in a place to cause confusion.) This streamlined operation could be ideal for lots of wary computer users.
Not all of these limitations are benefits to everyone, but to certain groups of potential users, they are a blessing. For example, some hospitals are rumored to be considering the iPad as a device for displaying medical information. A simple, “just-works” tablet is ideal for them; the iPad’s limitations may make it perfect. There have been examples of police departments using iPod touches for certain tasks; the iPad works the same way but is faster and bigger. Schools could be drawn to the low price point of the iPad as a way to buy a fleet of computing devices for use in the classroom. Central control over things like cameras and files mean it’s easier to roll those iPads from one classroom to another, no worries about what may have changed on them in the interim. Less tech-savvy users may appreciate the fact that there is no way to wreck the device, or get into a place where they aren’t sure what they did. Simply hitting the home button returns them back.
All this means, of course, that users who were planning to throw out their laptop in favor of the iPad must be severely disappointed! But, as journalists are starting to recognize, the iPad has so much potential that it’s hard to fault it for not being something that was never actually intended. Its restrictions may be many, but its possibilities are endless. I can’t wait to see how the iPad touches all our lives, no hyperbole intended.
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