I have been quietly waiting in the wings to see what the world would say about the iPad. As is usually the case with any Apple product, people seem to fall into two categories: 1) going to get it 2) don’t need it. Everyone seems to forget that this happens for every single product announcement that Apple does and every time Steve leaves the stage we seem to be underwhelmed.
Overall though, when does Apple disappoint? When I sit back and think of all their products I can easily list reasons why I don’t need them. I don’t need to spend a premium on an Apple laptop when I can get a cheaper laptop that does exactly what I want, but yet I still bought one. Why? The user experience that it provides. When the iPod came out there were cheaper mp3 players and yet people bought the iPod in droves. Why? The user experience.
The only reason I don’t own an iPhone is because I am a texter and I still can’t get used to doing a ton of texting on a touchscreen. However, I do want to get an iPod Touch, not because I don’t already have five iPods, but because it will allow me to download all of the cool applications from the App Store. That is what many people don’t seem to realize. How many iPod Touches have been sold that people never needed? They could easily get a cheaper iPod that does the same primary function of any iPod and that is play music, yet it still sells. Why? Because there is a different user experience behind it. There is an ecosystem that sucks people in. The iPad didn’t have to be the greatest product in the world, it just had to be one that fit in nicely with the existing ecosystem.
In a similar vein, wasn’t the Nintendo Wii in the same boat? In theory it was a neat gaming system, but many people figured they wouldn’t get it. Then they experienced Wii Tennis and they became hooked. Can’t you see the same thing happening with the iPad? Someone shows you a killer application on it and then you find yourself saying that you have to get it.
Apple created a blank canvas for developers to play with and although people are busy trying to find use cases for it, use cases will happen over time with the imaginations of the people creating the toys behind it. Look at the applications that have been created for the iPhone. Did you imagine even half of those being created for it at launch? I sure didn’t.
Don’t forget the lack of features that the iPhone had at launch and people didn’t seem to have a problem jumping on board with it. For some reason, I have a feeling Apple understands what they are doing. Of course, people might have said that with the AppleTV as well.
Apple had the ecosystem in place with the App Store, but they only had a small device that worked in it. Now they just increased what can be done inside of the ecosystem and that is what is so brilliant about the iPad. Let’s not forget about the people that wouldn’t mind simply using it as a portable video player. I mean, watching a movie on the iPhone is cool, but it’s still a small experience. Maybe you could hang it on your fridge and pull up some recipes while cooking or better yet follow along with a cooking show.
There are a million uses for the iPad that you just can’t think of yet because we have never had a device like this in our lives. Seems to be as good as time as any to have one in it now.
3 thoughts on “The iPad is the iPod is the Mac Air is the iMac, but not the AppleTV”
There is no iPad in my future. I see no reason to spend $500 or more for a device that duplicates devices I already have. It brings nothing new to the table and I have yet to see why Apple is SO excited about it.
An enlarged iPhone, that’s all I see. So since I already have an iPhone, iTouch, Kindle and laptop, please tell me again how I can use a iPad?
And to think it might replace or even compete with the 360, Ps3 or Wii is total nonsense.
The developers at Apple should all go on a much needed vacation.
@Jan…first of all THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN ITOUCH…I am so sick of people calling it that…it is called an iPod Touch…there is no such product copy write and I doubt there will ever be…
and how can you say that you won’t get something that duplicates the functionality of things you already have…an iPod Touch and an iPhone are the same product without cell signal…and you seem to have both…
and I can completely see the iPad competing with the game consoles…especially if they use the multiple player action games that are available now with the iPhone OS…you need to get your head out of your ass…DON’T BUY IT…you won’t need to…most of the people you know will have one and they will not let you touch it
and this was a nice article since this site likes to continue to slam things they don’t know about…it’s a breath of fresh air to read
You have an iPhone and an iPod Touch and you are talking about devices that already duplicate each other? Aren’t some of the apps available on the iPhone on the cusp of being just too small to be useful? They need a larger screen. You have are worried about duplicate devices yet from what I have gathered the iPad takes care of many of the uses of the iPod Touch, Kindle AND laptop. If anything, you are getting rid of the need for duplicate devices.