Apple’s iPad…boom or bust?
Tue, Mar 16, 2010
With the April 3rd launch of Apple’s new iPad right around the corner and the fact that they are now taking pre-orders for the device, I thought it would be interesting to reflect on what it brings to the table and not only ask the question of whether it is worth the price but also whether a device like this necessary at all? (especially for us boomers)
Before I begin, I have to admit I laughed out loud when I was first reading about the product unveiling and someone had posted a comment online that said…”Hey look…they finally made an iPhone with buttons big enough for old people.” It’s sad but true. I have tried multiple times to convince myself to buy a touch screen device (phone), however I find the user interfaces to be frustratingly delicate and difficult when coupled with my tendentious.
The iPad is marketed as the portable multimedia end-all-be-all. Frustratingly, it seems a lot like the iPod and the iPhone. It plays TV shows, movies, music. You can surf the internet, view pictures, and even use it as an e-book reader. And of course it comes with free wireless internet through traditional 802.x access points, and the optional ($) connectivity to AT&T’s 3G internet through their cellular phone network is a nice upgrade.
To its credit, I admit its 9.7 inch screen is a welcome increase over the smaller screens of the iPod and iPhone. But even as I write this article, I am having a hard time thinking of how I would actually use it. Simply put, the idea of it makes me feel awkward. Its size makes it less portable than an iPod or iPhone; therefore as far as listening to music goes I think I’ll stick to my iPod. I would never watch TV or movies on it while in my house as I have a nice 57 inch plasma hanging on the wall. In terms of traveling, I suppose I could watch TV or movies on it but only when flying on a plane. No need to buy one for long car rides as I’m usually the one that drives. If my family members come over, the little ones already bring their Gameboys and PSPs so there is no need for them to play games on my iPad. Mobile internet could be a selling point, but Apple still doesn’t provide a way to play flash on their devices, so flash enabled websites are out of the question. And finally, all of the hype that I have heard about Amazon’s kindle e-book reader is that it is super easy on your eyes. I attribute this to the fact that there is no backlight which reduces eye strain. Most anticipate that the iPad will be much harder on your eyes due to its constant use of backlight…
My rant could go on and on for quite some time, but at the end of the day I feel that for any use I can think of, there is already a more reasonable solution to the need. One can make the argument that it combines the best of all the other devices; however that is unsatisfactory as they are all provided with some level of compromise. Think of a Swiss army knife…yeah it’s great that it has a screw driver in it, but wouldn’t you really prefer to use a real screw driver?
Additionally, the iPad does not make accomplishing routine tasks any easier for us boomers. Maybe I would be more interested if it alerted me whenever new pictures of my grandkids were available and threw them into a slideshow automatically for me- but no, it does not. I still need to perform my normal functions (check e-mail, login to facebook, etc) to keep up to date with my family.
What are your thoughts? Am I being too hard? Have you already placed your order for one? By some estimates Apple is selling 20,000-25,000 of these an hour. Only time will tell if they managed to hit it out of the park once again but for now I’m keeping my credit card in my wallet…
Until I read this review, i had NO idea what exactly the iPad did. I think Apple has done an awful job of advertising the product, especially to our market. They think that just because people are “hearing about” it in the news, that they actually know what it is or does. Even some of the other reviews I’ve read about it seem to be in Spanish for me. So, thank you for actually explaining it’s usage within your review. I can say for sure that there is no room or need for an iPad in my life. I am trying to feel more a part of Earth and less a part of the internet as I get older. I am already too connected and miss the good old days
My thoughts exactly…just another consumption based gadget offering stuff we really don’t need…how many people *should* rather be saving that $500 in case they get laid off or in case they have a medical problem.
I’m sure the marketing department will be able to get these to fly off the shelves but thats less of a function of its utility and more of the “keeping up with the joneses” effect.
Box, I agree that I already feel too connected. It’s good to have some privacy and not have people know your status 24/7
We all must be old fogies as I have to agree with all of you. I don’t like touch screens. I want my screen to be clean enough to see, and hands are usually the dirtiest part of the body. I don’t need to be so up-to-date with something that I have to watch it on a 9 and a half inch screen. If it’s live sports, I’d rather listen to the radio play-by-play. If it’s anything else, we have time shifting devices such as TIVO. But I’m sure there’s tons of people out there that have already pre-ordered their new iPad just so they can be seen with one. Haven’t we learned our lesson from what we just went through? I can’t believe that all the people who will buy one of these things have a 9 month reserve to live off of in case they lose their job or enough put away in their retirement savings accounts. I guess too big to fail goes for egos too. I can’t help but think the iPad is just an iPhone/iTouch super-sized. It seems to me Apple has learned more from McDonald’s than any other retailer.
It’s a Boom for me! Great article by the way. I love gadgets and I am a techie at heart, and an Apple lover.