The first iPad TV advert
Shown during the oscars, and it looks rather cool!
Just back from skiing, so looking forward to some more blogging soon – trying to write some more lengthy posts, but time is not my friend right now.
Wired’s iPad magazine concept
Now this looks amazing…
My iPad thoughts on BBC Radio Lincs
Myself and Will Hawkins over at Digital Business were asked for our thoughts on the iPad launch on Friday…
Have a listen below:
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It’s now an iPad world
Disappointment? A let down? Where’s the camera? No flash! No OLED screen?
To be perfectly honest, whilst refreshing the Engadget liveblog page, tweeting, and trading emails with a few friends, I was questioning whether or not this was going to be a) a hit and b) something I would be queuing up for. Underwhelmed was the feeling I was getting…
Having woken up and started reading some hands on reports, it seems that the non-believers (and me possibly included for this launch) are going to have a very nice surprise…
We haven’t seen one, let alone used one yet.
There are many issues you could have with the iPad. No multitasking, still no Flash. No camera, no GPS. They all fall away the minute you use it. I cannot emphasise enough this point: “Hold your judgment until you’ve spent five minutes with it”.
Lastly, there’s the fact that the iPad is using a new CPU designed and made by Apple itself: the Apple A4. This is a huge deal. I got about 20 blessed minutes of time using the iPad demo units Apple had at the event today, and if I had to sum up the device with one word, that word would be “fast”.
Don’t get me wrong, it looks very nice, and it seems beautifully designed as always, but my initial thoughts were perhaps a little off. We are not going to get the whole “I need to buy this baby right now” experience until we are in the Apple Store and picking it up for the first time.
What I’m now thinking
I’m thinking that this could be possibly something I’d buy into. Perhaps to have with the dock in the kitchen, lying about in the lounge for RSS feeds, Twitter and photos. Used to run clients through proposals and presentations. To watch films or podcasts whilst sitting in a comfy chair.
All the hands on reviews are talking about the speed:
Apple now owns and controls their own mobile CPUs. There aren’t many companies in the world that can say that. And from what I saw today, Apple doesn’t just own and control a mobile CPU, they own and control the hands-down best mobile CPU in the world. Software aside (which is a huge thing to put aside), it may well be that no other company could make a device today matching the price, size, and performance of the iPad. They’re not getting into the CPU business for kicks, they’re getting into it to kick ass.
This is great news, not only for the iPad, but, possibly even more so for the future of the other 2 mobile devices that Apple have already made so successful – the MacBookPro, and of course, the iPhone.
Imagine the next gen iPhone with an Apple chip. This is going to happen, no question. Better speed, better battery (and that is a BIG need right now for 95% of users and essential as the apps get progressively more impressive and do more). We are going to be seeing a seriously powerful iPhone 4, and probably within the next few months.
Key points
1. Initial scepticism and underwhelming feeling, being rapidly changed to one of belief and looking forward to try it
2. Fast, fast fast. We will be impressed by the speed.
3. Apps, apps, apps. This will be the key thing, once again. Both for our enjoyment, but also for Apple’s revenue (not to mention iBooks – their books app – and iTunes). 3 stores selling 24/7 = multo £££ $$$.
4. This is only V1. Can you imagine V2? (which will be already prototyped and working in the depths of Cupertino).
5. My wallet is starting to look like it may be opened in the Sheffield Apple store shortly 
Links
Robert Scoble’s 16 year old son’s thoughts
BBC report with video
Editorial: Engadget on the Apple iPad
Apple special event video – watch the keynote here!
Griffin have already launched their cases
Apple punishes company who blabbed too early
Possible Apple Tablet UI
Can you imagine if it looks ANYTHING like this!? Wow. As we all saw with the iPhone, if the tablet UI is special, and I mean truly amazing, something that makes people want to use it, play with it, and show others, then they are onto a winner.
Will we be publishing our own digital magazines on the Apple Tablet?
So, tomorrow’s big Apple event is looming, and I’ve suddenly had a thought……
From their 3rd quarter earnings call:
And then there was Apple’s number 2, COO Tim Cook. During the call, he fielded a question more directly about a new product unveiling saying, “I wouldn’t want to take away your joy of surprise on Wednesday when you see our latest creation.”
They are using the word “Creation” rather a lot (hat tip to @TI3GIB for kicking off my thought process) and so this could mean something HUGE.
There’s been all this talk about how Apple are going to be offering new readable content, rivalling Amazon’s Kindle, and providing a new form of media experience (posted about here over at Hull Digital).
But what if we are also going to be providing that new content? Perhaps creating our very own “digital magazines”?
Think about it. Apple loves templates – think Mail, iPhoto books, iDVD, Keynote ….. easy to use guides that allow people to make great looking media to share.
Creation could be the fact that WE are creating – adding photos, adding audio easily recorded using the device, entering some copy, and then publishing or sharing.
I think the hard part will be the writing to be honest – that may prove a problem, but then again, Apple are sure to have thought about this and designed a really sweet touch keyboard which may well solve the touch entry issues.
So there you have it… my guess on what we COULD see tomorrow. Digital Magazines / Publications being created by ourselves and not just the the likes of GQ, Vogue, and the big newspapers.
PS Just had another thought when typing the word newspapers… how about hyperlocal digital newspapers which people create and share, reporting on news which is so laser-targeted it would be great reading?! The possibilities are now flowing thick and fast, and we only have just over 24 hours to go…..
