Being a self-proclaimed gadget fanatic with a blog, I pretty much have to sound off on the recently announced iPad, lest I do the internet a disservice.
Apple is very good at repackaging technology and selling it as something new. They didn’t invent the mp3 player, nor did they pioneer the cell phone (or the smart phone, or – and someone correct me if I’m wrong – the touch screen cell phone). But they are quite good at taking a piece of technology coveted by a niche of gadget fans and turning it into something that few consumers can live without.
As it is, the iPad is hard to categorize, though not for lack of trying. What I see right now is a sexed up, slightly overpriced and rather crippled netbook. The lack of video, the inability to multitask, the Flash non-support, and the paltry 16GB capacity should be deal-breakers for anyone wanting to do something resembling computing with the iPad. Even 64GB is nearly an affront to anyone who downloads video, installs applications and games, or generally accumulates files. The fact that the processor has the muscle to run OS X, but instead runs a modified version of the iPhone OS, also elicits reactions ranging from head scratching to outright annoyance.
I have little doubt that Apple has adopted the “rush to market, then iterate” approach to this device. They’ve announced to the world that their stable of high tech consumer goodies now includes a tablet, and people familiar with their products should expect a new version to appear every year or so. Sure, this approach pretty much screws the early adopter, but at the risk of sounding cruel, the early adopter is a bit of a masochist, anyway. Their love for either Apple or such devices will not wane. The iPad is a $500 (to $830) membership fee into that exclusive technophiles’ club.
But it’s in the yearly updates where the iPad will start to show some real promise. Expect to see all of the issues above checked off in future generations. Third parties will jump on board with productivity-boosting peripherals (that will still cater to the ultraportability of the device). Flash memory capacity is already reaching terabyte levels, even if it’s not yet ready for mass consumption. And if consumers demand it strongly enough, they’ll get that video camera, and possibly even a suitably brawny OS.
Apple pretty much has to do this. It’s not like they’re going to have the market to themselves for very long.