Apple's iPad


Suddenly the competition looks antique
Well, I had a mad on and a bunch of topics to write about. And then Apple had to change the game again.

Today Apple introduced the iPad.

Yes, I'm a Macintosh user. This blog is composed on a G4 iMac named MaKai.

Yes, I'm an Apple fan. For good reasons I'd say.

Let's get down to business. The iPad is a reader that kicks Kindle's posterior. It makes the Nook look primitive. I don't expect that will stay that way, I think both will improve, fast. That's what makes competition work. Meanwhile Apple will make the iPad better yet. Lower prices, better product, and the consumers win.

Unless you are doing mostly typing, the iPad leaves every netbook I have seen in the dust.

Apple's iBook store looks terrific. If the iTunes Store and the Apps Store are any indication, it will be pumping electrons for a very very long time.

That's just the beginning.

Keynote presentations from a tablet? It's going to make PowerPoint look weak. How about wireless Keynote presentations?

Collaborative software doesn't exist for the iPad yet, but when it does, meetings and jobs will have a whole new meaning. Telecommuting will become simple and practical. You may never meet most of your "coworkers."

Every home automation geek will have a triple orgasm. Imagine something in your hand that can control and talk with your appliances.

This thing will not only do cookbooks, it will show video demonstrating the techniques.

This will replace the doctor's clipboard in diagnostic medicine. With Bluetooth and WiFi, practically any medical monitor from EKG to heartbeat could be displayed, complete with scrollable history automatically highlighting any trouble spots.

Speaking of diagnostics, how about an app that talks to your car's chips and contains your owner's manual and diagramming blueprints? Your iPad could show you exactly what the bad part is and how to replace it. Maybe it could even order for you at the local auto parts store.

And if that could be done to cars, there's no reason it couldn't be done on any industrial process. Virtual reality and remote manipulation is about to take a huge step forward.

Now, again, this isn't because Apple has invented anything. But what they have done is refine the user experience and made powerful developer tools available. Home, professional, and industrial electronics will be designed to link with the iPad and it's competitors.

Yeah, it's an ebook reader today. Yes, it's a netbook replacement today. Yes, it's a way to centralize controls and widgets today And yes, it does movies and music today.

But Apple isn't content with that. Remember that Apple has been providing content tools for years. Macintosh computers sold today not only let you play and organize music, they let you compose music out the box. You can clean up your photos, make slide shows, create movies, and write books. All of this exists digitally, none of it exists physically unless you want it to.

Imagine what is about to happen to publishing.

Remember when Amazon decided that they didn't want to play nice with small publishers? Guess what happens next.

Imagine what happens when the iPad starts to work with existing Macintosh computers. Media editing is about to take some intriguing directions. That touch screen will amplify creativity.

It's not that Apple did anything incredibly original here. They just put it together in a package that works. I can't wait to see what's next. It took Microsoft till Windows 3.1 before they started giving the classic Macintosh OS a run for it's money. I've yet to see a smartphone do a better job overall than the iPhone. It's all about the integration and the user experience. The computer as an appliance.

Look out world, here it comes.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Wed - January 27, 2010 at 04:00 PM  Tag


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