The Right Click: The iPad?
Apple have dissapointed me! This is no great cause for alarm however; I have an iPod like most of the population, but i’ve never been a mega fan of Apple, my roots firm in the PC section, where I know how things work, and enjoy the comfort of a right mouse click (an old joke, yes I know). Despite that I do think Apple are a neccessary factor of the tech industry; their shiny toys and powerful operating systems are not only tantalising to those who can afford it, but they force improvement within the industry when it comes to MP3 players, operating systems and the like.
So it’s not surprising that Apple decided to turn its attention toward the tablet PC, a section of the industry that is dogmired with clunky design issues, poor interfaces and hardware problems. Recent designs have seen the tablet PC change into a somewhat clunky mix of laptop and tablet put together in order to improve the market, but problems with the tablet PC are as bad as ever. They sit in a peculiar corner of the market; artists can use them for digital drawing, but why buy expensive when a digital board can do the same? Business groups can use them for the jotting down of information on the move, but why use a tablet PC when sometimes a pen and paper, or the cheaper PDA, can suffice?
So the poorly kept secret of Apple developing a tablet PC sent the industry into an excited frenzy (one it apparently is still in despite the results of the show). Could Apple solve all our problems? Could they develop something that not only breathes new life into the tablet PC sector of the market, but also revolutionises how we see the modern PC?
The answer seems to be mixed, but personally I feel it’s a no. Apple instead presented what I feel is a slap in the face; one though that we’ll take because we love Apple tech so much. The iPad is odd; design wise it will be the sleekest tablet PC on the market. Software wise it has all the power of an iPhone on a larger screen. Instead of developing an operating system more in tune with Apple OS, they’ve decided instead to go with the more recognised iPhone OS.
Will it sell? Most definitely. Even if Apple’s first steps into the tablet PC business is on rather shaky grounds, the iPad will still be an enticing offer. A browser, ebook reader, music player, video player and the full app store all in one stylish design? You can hear the roar of excitement already. It’s rather dissapointing though if you consider that the iPad leaves a lot to be desired. Its hardware is not capable of digital drawing and gaming wise don’t expect to be playing Mass Effect 2 on it any time soon. Battery wise it’s an improvement from most Apple technology, but is still rather mediocre. By and large its first outing is poor, but you can bet Apple won’t care when the money starts to roll in.
It’s all rather underwhelming. Apple’s outing into the tablet PC neither revolutionises the PC, nor does it particularly breathe new life into the tablet PC market. Comparisons between it and competitors are stark, almost to the point that the iPad barely could be considered a tablet PC in the conventional sense (other than similar size). It’s ability is lacking, but the app store will no doubt improve this. Rumours that the browser does not use Adobe Flash are proving true, which is a rather bemusing situation considering how much of the Net uses Flash technology. Continued competition between Google and Apple may see Google Maps dissapearing from iPhones and the iPad sooner than you think.
There is hope however; this is after all Apple’s first steps into the tablet PC sector, and just like the MP3 player it will no doubt take a while for them to get into the full swing of things. The naysayers who complain that the iPad is nothing but a large iPhone are correct, but the potential is still in Apple’s court. It will be up to the competitors to get organised if they want to beat it, and that will mean drastic changes in developing tablet PC’. Despite being probably the most underwhelming presentation of Apple’s newest tech, Steve Job’s will still be smiling. We’ll just have to wait and see how well the iPad does.
The iPad rules!