Ok, you guys know I like Apple stuff. I think their operating system is fantastic, and I like their hardware design. I’m on my third consecutive Apple tower, and there is nothing that would make me think I won’t be getting another Mac Pro for number four, and five, and six, etc..
Apple does two things really well. They design smart products, whether it’s hardware or software, and they give great keynote.
That’s why I was so surprised yesterday when I was watching all the live blogging events from the Apple iPad unveiling. You expect Apple to come up with a device that there is a perceived need for, come up with some great twists that you never thought of and are so brilliant they will change the way you use that device, and set the bar for the rest of the people who are gonna hop on that bandwagon and make me-too devices.
Wow. Just didn’t see it. Tell me if I missed something. The iPad looks incredibly, well, ordinary to me. Not only did they not come up with some amazing ideas that would change how we think about a tablet, it’s also missing stuff it should have:
- No SD card slot.
- No Flash support. I thought this was supposed to be the “best” way to experience the web?
- No multitasking??? Apple, you may get away with this on iPhone, but I need my tablet to multitask.
- No high def. 1024×768 is the resolution I used in 1996. Now there are YouTube videos that do better than that. It should have AT LEAST been 1280×720.
- No webcam.
Now the above list is damning enough, but it isn’t the biggest boner they pulled with this tablet. Apple wants to market this device as an eReader, but they neglected to use a display technology that is suitable for eReader usage. Go read War and Peace for 8 straight hours on your LED backlit iPad and tell me what a great eReader it is. Better yet, just go read my eReader article from 2 weeks ago. There are devices coming soon that will make both kick ass tablets AND eReaders. For Apple not to have figured out this crucial point is baffling.
They did get the form factor and the price right. The iPad is not a bad gadget for $499. The problem is that very soon that price point is going to be crowded with devices that do what the iPad does, and more.
At the end of the day, iPad is pretty much what Steve described the netbook as: not better at anything. What a disappointment.
