iPad Mania

The iPad has at this point generated probably almost as much if not more hype than the iPhone. However the difference is in the quality of hype. When the iPhone was coming out, almost everyone I knew either wanted one or at least was aware of it. This iPad buzz is an entirely different phenomenon. I have a few friends and relatives that I use as my test points when I am curious about how far an industry meme has penetrated into mainstream userdom.
None of them have heard of it. When I decribe it they all have had the same reaction.
So it's a really frickin big phone? Ewwww. This is a fascinating product to those in the blogosphere and in the tech press. Outside of our rarified world nobody cares. Ipods are great because they are smaller than a cd walkman and you can take them with you everywhere in your pocket. Obviously, the ipad isn't that!

I don't want to join the chorus of naysayers that predict doom and obscurity for Apple and it's latest product. But let me just say, this product is doomed for failure and will be the undoing of Apple. (I said I didn't want to, not that I wouldn't!)


I have been saying for a while, "gosh I wish I had a device that bridged the capabilities of a notebook and a cell phone." Something I can use for google maps, excel spreadsheets, email and web. This device seems to fit the bill but it utterly fails in a couple of places for me. That is why I will keep searching, or settle for a lesser device. It also has one or two major points in its favor.
The Failure Bowl

• iBook store. I don't have to go to a different store to buy books, CDs or Mp3s on Amazon. But then maybe this is something to do with different content provider types.
  
• No keyboard, sure you can hook one up via the dock port, or I assume bluetooth, but it really puts a cramp in portable as soon as you have more than one thing and cables involved.
  
• Proprietary processor. I can't believe Apple acquired a chip designer and had their own chips made. Supposedly very fast, but if memory serves me correct Apple just got out of the chip business not too long ago for speed reasons.
  
• No USB without Dock adapter. I use so many USB devices. Thumb drives, cameras, audio recorders and so on. USB is very necessary.
  
• No SD card slot. I have a lot of these and they have started to become kind of the standard (finally!) for memory cards. This would be a killer in-field photo review box if it had an SD card slot. Field audio or video editor?
  
• The apparent requirement of a host computer for iTunes? Am I reading the tech specs right? Do we need to have host machine to download apps/books/tunes to this guy?
  
• The economy is in a dumpster. Not a good time to come out with a premium version of one of your more successful products.
• Awfully big for an iPod.
  

The Success Bowl

• The cheap data plan. AT&T will be offering two data plans apparently. One is $14.99 for 250MB of data a month. The other is $29.99 for unlimited download. All 3G iPads will be unlocked, meaning they can be used on other carriers. Also, these plans are month-to-month. No contract! This is really the killer app on this box that no-one is talking about. I am looking at you. How much do YOU pay right now for your puny cellphone's data plan? $40 a month? $480 a year? They must have really twisted AT&T's arm!
  
• It already has all the App store apps to get it off the ground. Supposedly 99% will run. That 1% is a sliver of doubt though.
  
• great size/form factor, nice light weight for a netbook.
  
• Screen resolution of 1024x768. That's my 15" laptops screen resolution! On a 9" screen!
• It is very Star Trek.

What it boils down to is Apple needs to decide whether this is a sub-notebook or a big-ass iPod. It seems to have features of both but is leaning towards the latter. I don't know if it is wise of them to revisit the path of micro-segmented product line. That was one of the often pointed out problems of the Jobs-less Apple that was remedied when he came back.
Look at how many iPods they have out now? Four seperate product lines with various memory tiers within each. With the iPad that makes 5. It also has a very small amount of storage in my opinion. 16, 32 or 64 gigs? really? For this to be the "one ring" of netbooks meets e-readers I would have thought triple digit storage capacity (or an SD slot!) would be crucial. Like many Apple products this may take another product cycle or two to reach its potential.
You could also say that they are finally making a sub-notebook at half the price of the white macbook. I know some kids will be trying to convince their parents with that argument!

Me, I plan on picking up a netbook, by Asus. I really need USB and SD card slots. Being an old goofball with stubby fingers I really need keys as well. I was hoping that Apple would pull off some amazing slider type device that has a thin metal keyboard (like the current bluetooth keyboard) that tucks away when not in use. Well it was nice knowing you Apple.
Expect a brisk early adopter sales frenzy followed by a long decline.