Posted 04/15/2010 - 9:41am by Julia M
Apple’s iPad has been a big hit so far. Apple sold 300,000 units in the first day and within two days these new owners had downloaded well over a million apps. As compared with the launch of the iPhone, Apple was better prepared for the buying frenzy. Even with the impressive sales numbers, the devices were readily available in many Apple retail stores. Outside of the first day, many buyers were able to walk into their nearest store to buy any of the 3 models (16GB, 32GB, and 64GB) in the initial release, without having to wait.
PMG’s Tommy Hadges and Pat Welsh were among the early adopters, purchasing their units within the first 3 days that they were on sale. This week, and in weeks to come, they will share their thoughts on the device. While others have talked about the various pros and cons, doing traditional reviews of the iPad, Tommy and Pat will take a different perspective, talking about how the device is changing their computing and entertainment consumption and the implications for the future.
A New Category
Other observers have rightly pointed out that this is a different kind of device; a tablet computer is not a substitute for a laptop. The early consensus is that the iPad is for consuming media more than productivity. While there are apps designed to let users create documents, spreadsheets and presentations, this is not what most people are likely to use the iPad for. There’s also no way to attach a printer or other peripherals (except for an external keyboard), other than potentially using the iPad’s Bluetooth connectivity.
The iPad has been described as an overgrown iPod Touch. It has the functionality of the iPhone’s little brother (i.e., everything but the phone), but in a bigger package. The version of the iPad now being sold is the one that can connect to the Internet with Wi-Fi, but not through the 3G network. The version offering both Wi-Fi and 3G comes out in a few weeks.
Another way that it’s like the iPhone and iPod Touch is with the proliferation of specialty apps. Many of the developers who have already created iPhone apps have modified those apps into HD versions that take full use of the larger screen of the iPad. Virtually every app designed for the iPhone is also compatible with the iPad. On an iPad, the iPhone apps can be viewed in either small (1X) format, exactly the same size as the iPhone’s display, or in a full screen (2X) zoom format that does exhibit some pixilation due to the expanded view.
This is a significant change. You might recall that apps were not a part of the original iPhone experience. The ecosystem of apps evolved outside of official channels and there was initially a lot of tension between the app developers and Apple, until the latter decided to officially sanction the concept by creating developer tools and opening the App Store.
New Ways to Consume
There are at least 4 areas where the iPad shows its value compared with the iPhone and other smart phones. First, it serves as a color e-reader. Apple has opened its own iBook store, but you can also get iPad apps that allow you to transfer e-books from Amazon’s Kindle store onto the iPad. This make a big difference since Amazon currently has a lot more titles available. Amazingly, the Kindle app will even sync the last page read among various devices on a single account, like switching between a Kindle Reader, a BlackBerry, a PC and an iPad.
The second big advantage for the iPad is video. Watching videos, TV shows and movies has been possible with the iPhone, but not very practical. The tiny screen makes it difficult to watch long-form video for all but the most hard core fans. The 9-inch screen on the iPad solves this. It’s still a relatively small screen, but we’re talking about portable DVD player small, not cell phone screen small. Plus, even standard definition source material looks very good, with really excellent quality for high definition content.
A third advantage for the iPad is surfing the net. It’s a simple lightweight, one-touch device that allows users to surf the web quickly and easily when within Wi-Fi range. Again, this is possible, but not very satisfying, with the iPhone due to the small screen. Even entering data on the virtual keyboard is now a pleasure, because of the larger key size.
Finally, gaming is a much more satisfying with the iPad. As with watching video and surfing the net, the larger screen on the iPad makes it easier for players to immerse themselves in the experience. The higher resolution of the graphics also greatly enhances the joy of gaming.
The Future of Computing?
Even with the improvements brought by the larger screen, reviews of the iPad have been somewhat mixed. While everyone agrees that it’s simple, elegant and easy to use, some people want it to do more. They complain about the fact that it doesn’t offer the advantages of a “real computer.” We think this misses the point entirely. For many people, a traditional computer is unnecessarily complicated. Instead of complex file-saving systems and numerous peripherals to be plugged in, everything with the iPad is basic and intuitive. This is a good thing.
Using a typical PC or Mac is analogous to driving a car 100 years ago. In those days, drivers also had to be mechanics. Without a thorough knowledge of what was under the hood and under the carriage, you weren’t going to go very far. It’s not a perfect analogy, but an easy-to-drive iPad is a big advance, especially for those who just do the computer equivalent of Sunday driving.
Over the next few months we’ll share more observations on the iPad and other devices like it. In the meantime, we welcome your comments and experiences as well.
To read the full "Tech Trends" for the week of 4/12/10, click here.
