So when the iPad was originally released I was pretty disappointed, I was expecting a revolutionary device that would change the way we interacted with computers and we seemed to get nothing but an oversized iPhone. The internet was quite alive with funny posts and images trashing the iPad. A lot of the gripes with the device have been due to the lack of multitasking, a complete OS, camera, usb ports, etc. Then I read an article on TechCrunch about the iPad that put a lot of things in perspective.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2010/01/31/ipad-moms-next-computer/
Perhaps the iPad wasn't designed for tech savvy people, but for the vast majority of computer users that just want to be able to perform simple tasks. The author of the article brought up his mom as the ultimate end user of the iPad. I believe he made a strong point as I could definitely see my mom loving this device. Most of the computer users out there don't want to figure out network connections or have to watch out malware, they just want to perform simple tasks. I think the iPad is the ultimate product for that segment of the market.
And who knows, Apple just might release another tablet with full OS capabilities for the rest of us. Rumors are already flying around on the tech blogs.
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iPad, or any product, cannot be all things to all people. We cannot expect every product to be loved by everyone and to have all the futures that all people in the world want. I believe that the main problem with Apple is that we have too high expectations from them. We are expecting them to have an iPod-like success with every product that they launch. Is this realistic? I really don't thinks so and I also think that it is not fair. I think that we should think of the iPad as a product that certainly has a market and that there is some people that love it and actually need it.
ReplyDeleteFor example, I had a professor last quarter that travels 4-5 days per week, but while he travels he has to read his students weekly papers. He was dreaming for Apple's tablet to come. You are probably thinking why? The reason is simple. He already has a laptop (so the iPad would not be replacing it) but he hates taking it to business trips. He also hates to print all the papers to take it to the airplane. So what is the perfect solution? The iPad. Students would send their papers to his email and he could easily download them and read them there.
So yes, some people see the iPad as a big iPod but some see it as need. We cannot judge all the products as if they were designed for us. The iPad surely has a market and even if it is not us, there is people that really want it and need it...