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
Related posts:
- My iPad thoughts on BBC Radio Lincs
- So, the iPhone is coming to Orange…
- Upper West Side Apple Store opens
- Forget 2mb broadband, how about 4G mobile?
- Quick WWDC 09 thoughts
Comments
4 Responses to “It’s now an iPad world”
Leave a Reply
I was quite looking forward to this announcement. I was expencing something revolutionary. Revolutionary this ain’t though.
I just can’t see the point of it. There was so many possibilities for this device. Camera for voice & video, cut down version of OSX for proper applications.. it’s too limited. It still doesn’t have flash! No multitasking (this is a big problem. Moving to android has shown me how limited the iPhone really is), no USB, no SDCard slot, no camera.. it doesn’t bring anything new that I can see other than the form factor.
And, I hate to say this.. but it’s a bit ugly.
I probably will buy a tablet at some point, but i’ll wait out for a decent android, or even Win7 one. Apple didn’t deliver with this one for me.
Hi Jon, really good write up on the iPad. You make some really good points.
My initial feelings are that this is a gadget for iPhone users – not Mac users. I wanted a touchscreen Mac that I could serious work on – I’m sorry, but iWork is not a serious piece of software for me.
As an avid iPod Touch user, the iPad (at present) for me appears to be just a iPod Touch with more real estate for reading emails and viewing web pages – something which I have got quite fond of doing on my iPad Nano.
But, as you rightly pointed out Jon, this is version 1.0 and Apple rarely gets things right first time round. And as a platform for testing out their own CPU – WOW!!
JA – nodding here.
In comparison to Apple’s expertise, we’re just laymen commentators. I think they have done their homework on this one.
Even discounting for the Apple evangelist inside me, I think this is going to be big.
I think that Steven Fry is likely to be bang on the money with his comment of “don’t judge it until you have tried it”. We will try it and want it, it will change our behaviour.
However, iBooks US only? That’s got to change.