apple raises the bar with the ipad

why the ipad will be a success

I've been longing to see what Apple would deliver to us for the much anticipated 'tablet' and the iPad didn't disappoint.

Since its launch in January I've read a many blogs and listened to a number of PodCasts about the iPad, but moreso how the iPad wasn't up to expectations, how it just looked like a big iPod Touch, how it didn't have multi-tasking, how it didn't have a video camera, etc, etc.

I think they were missing the point.

Apple has created a tool for the home. A tool for the home user, not a tool for the majority of the authors of the blogs I read and podcasts I watched. These guys live and work in environments that require a lot more than they discovered the ipad would offer. However, Apple hasn't designed the iPad for them (well it has, but not in the way they were hoping/expecting). It has designed the iPad for the everyday home user whose needs are a lot less than us techno-peeps.

Multi-Tasking: Yes, I would find this handy but from what I can see the system and processors in the iPad make moving from one app to another pretty darn quick so I'm pretty sure I can live without this luxury (for now).

Video Camera: This was on my wish-list about 12 months ago when I began reading about the forthcoming 'tablet'. However, now that I've seen it I can see why a camera wouldn't work. The iPad is designed for casual use around the home. It's meant for use whilst you are reclining on your sofa browsing the web or flicking through your holiday pictures. It's not designed to be held directly in front of your face which is where it would need to be if it had a video camera. A video camera in the iPad would make users look fat and squatty if they held it.

Looks like a big iPod Touch: Well, how else where they expecting it to look. All the pre-empted iPad designs I saw looked like large iPod Touches. Apple products have a beautiful, ergonomic look and feel. They've spent much time and many dollars in developing the optimal user-friendly design for their products. An iPhone, iPod Touch, iMacs, etc, have these elements in abundance. It's what makes them 'Apple'. A Kindle looks pretty much like a large version of the original iPod. The iPad has been carefully constructed to handled easily, to feel safe in your hands, to feel like it is almost part of you. The iPhone, iPod Touch, et al, fall into these categories too.

The iPad will be a huge success. It will, once again, set the benchmark for all other manufacturers. It will deliver a beautiful, user-friendly tool that will bring families closer together by allowing them to share their lives with their friends and family in a way that has not been seen before. It'll be 'part of the furniture' of millions of homes.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on an iPad later this year. I'll certainly update my blog with my thoughts on it. However, I'm pretty sure that my family and I will not be disappointed. And once the authors of the blogs and podcasts take the iPad home, I look forward to reading and listening to their comments again too.