I've been reading and thinking a lot about the iPad (how do you not?) since posting my initial, underwhelming reaction to its launch announcement last week. And, suffice to say, I've changed my opinion rather drastically.
The iPad will be, for many, greater than the sum of its parts.
Because on a checklist, the iPad disappoints. But then, this happens a lot. Consider the first iPhone: no physical keyboard, no picture messaging, no video, etc. But the device quickly overcame those detractions.
What the iPhone had, and what the iPad probably has, is totality. Apple's genius in start-to-finish user experience design is well documented, and the iPad will be no exception. Interactions large and small, short and long, will all be easy to execute and fun to try. And it won't take long before people yearn for one.
I noted last week that it's likely a perfect complement for someone with a desktop computer: one device for heavy lifting, one for casual use. And the more I consider it, the more I think that's the likely scenario.
This gadget is also a harbinger of the future. Apple is banking on people working more in the cloud, using shared and networked services, and interacting in new ways. It's already happening; Ai, for one, despite griping about its flaws, uses Google Docs extensively. I know my own life has shifted from POP email and file hierarchies to IMAP and file search. Throw in a few multimedia subscriptions and the entire paradigm could shift for good.
Plenty of people have said this similarly and more eloquently than me; I particularly like Mike Monteiro's observation, that the iPad is the cinema's device of the future. So add me to the list of believers, with a dollop of humility.
Leave a comment