I should probably start this piece by laying my cards on the table right away. I am a self-certified, unashamed Apple fanboy. One who will make no apologies for being so. I have bricked up all of the windows on my house in an effort to rid myself completely of the dirty “W” word, I have more of those cute Apple stickers than I now have non-Apple items to falsely re-brand, and when Steve Jobs speaks, I listen. Two of those three things are ridiculous exaggerations.
Like many of my fellow Apple-ites however, I spent around an hour and a half of 27th January 2010 rolling my face across F5, refreshing every live blog I could find. From the moment Jobs took to the Yerba Buena stage in San Francisco, with his high waistline and scruffy trainers, I hung onto his every word. Words that should have been sugar coated and dripping with tablet computer flavored honey. To my horror, the more Steve spoke, the more bitter his words began to taste. I was actually disappointed. Unfortunately, that is no exaggeration.
Things have changed since though. I have had time to reflect. The internet has had time to reflect. In America at least, the iPad is now available to pre-order, and if early estimates and surveys are to be believed, America is responding in good numbers. Pre-orders will launch to those of us here in the UK soon, but before they do, I’ve got some big decisions to make.
Do I need an iPad? Do I want an iPad?
To appreciate the iPad for what it does, or at least claims to do, it might be wise to completely forget the waves of pre-launch hysteria or expectation. To many, the iPad should have been bundled with full Mac OSX support. It should have been the new one stop solution for mobile computing, a device to make us all forget about laptops and netbooks. It should have been the future and it should have been called the iTablet or iSlate; as opposed to something that sounds like a packet of tampons.
The iPad is what it is; the third pillar of an Apple that very much sees itself as a mobile devices company. Steve doesn’t want the iPad to replace your laptop and he certainly doesn’t want the iPad to cannibalise Apple’s own hugely successful range of Macbooks. The iPad is built to fill the void between your iPhone and your Macbook Pro, taking shots across the netbook and e-reader markets in the process. That is it’s role and it’s reason to exist.
You could be forgiven for asking why we need a third pillar and where this apparent void actually is. It’s a question I’ve asked myself numerous times since late January, particularly during the presentation itself, when I hopelessly waited for Jobs to pull out the killer feature and the reason to need an iPad. It’s a device that takes several technologies and places them into a single unit, often with compromise. It’s an e-reader without the popular e-ink technology, an iPhone without the phone, a games console without any buttons, an iPod Touch with weight issues and a web browser that supports neither Flash nor multi-tasking. At a basic level, it’s hard to see what the iPad does that cannot already be achieved on an iPhone or Macbook.
Today though, I think I may have found my answer. It came not from an Apple press release or respected technology journalist, but from a humble post on a forum.
“Can you picture yourself using it?”
The question was as simple as that. I found myself coming up with an answer with just as much ease. Yes. Absolutely yes.
My current set up at home consists of a Mac Mini running as a HTPC (Home Theatre PC) whilst connected to my 42” HDTV, and as a result I have the pleasure of doing the majority of my web browsing from the comfort of my sofa, a feature which the iPad has largely taken plaudits for. Even taking this into account, I recently took afew moments to think about just how much I use my iPhone even when I am already browsing the internet at home. I am not sure whether it’s through force of habit or because the iPhone is genuinely such a convenient and pleasurable way to access my emails and internet, but even whilst sitting in front of my main computer at home, the iPhone never leaves my side. It is always within arm’s length, constantly being referred to for emails and specialist apps.
I constantly find myself using my iPhone for any number of purposes and reasons around the home, despite the presence of a more traditional computer at my disposal. Place that usability into such a nice new form factor and blow up the screen to just shy of ten inches, and the iPad should be well positioned to replace the iPhone as a secondary web browser and email device. Featuring a gorgeous looking screen, plenty of tailor made calendar, email and photo apps at your disposal and taking a lighter and thinner form than any netbook, the iPad could become the perfect sofa, bedside or kitchen companion for the casual web, email and e-reader user; something which I increasingly find myself becoming.
Assuming my Mac Mini remains seated under my TV as a HTPC, there are also going to be plenty of times when my telly addict fiancee will need to satisfy her needs, presumably with the Wedding channel or some other rubbish. If I can score brownie points by staying on the sofa and not buggering off upstairs into a darkened room, using the iPad to post my ramblings to Tap while still “spending time” with her, than the iPad will just about pay for itself. She can even use it to check Facebook during the commercials, if she can successfully snatch it from my kung-fu like grip.
Outside of the home, I can also envisage myself using the iPad while on the go. I have contemplated buying a laptop or netbook for some time, as the idea of added computing power on the road is something that interests me. However, for all of the iPhones charms, it is not without limitations and much of the extra power of a Macbook would probably be wasted on my rather limited mobile computing requirements. While I certainly don’t expect to be able to pen a novel on the iPad, for short-to-medium length blog posts and note taking it could be a worthy accompaniment to my mobile life. I’m sure the keyboard will take some getting used to of course, but so did the iPhones. I wasn’t able to type as many words per minute on a physical QWERTY as I can now when I acquired my first PC aged around 12 years old, either. I am prepared to learn and prepared to adapt to an on-screen keyboard that I am almost certain is going to be better than that of the iPhone, at the very least.
I can see myself using the iPad at home and I can see myself using the iPad on the road, ticking both boxes of the question posed earlier. The lack of a camera doesn’t bother me, as I will always have my iPhone for impromptu pictures and I have never before taken part in a video call. The lack of Flash doesn’t bother me, as the websites I use the most barely use Flash themselves, and only to minimal use when they do. I also remain convinced that multi-tasking is coming in the form of a software update with OS 4.0, so it’s exclusion as of writing is an issue I am willing to forgive in the short term.
So what is holding me back?
For all the justification I can apply to the iPad, it still doesn’t jump out at me as a must own product. Highly desirable it may be, but for me the iPad still lacks that killer feature which would make a discussion like this one irrelevant.
The lack of information from Apple regarding UK pricing is also becoming increasingly annoying. In my head I have a mental barrier regarding how much I am willing to pay for each different model and a straight conversion from dollars to pounds places almost all of them below my targets, but unfortunately exchange rates often count for little on these shores. Until Apple confirm a pricing structure for both the 3G and WiFi models, my purchasing decision remains in limbo.
I also hold reservations regarding being an early adopter. Although the iPad will be far from my first Apple product, it may potentially be the first that I have bought at launch, and Apple do not have a great reputation when it comes to first generation hardware. Having said that, Apple now have close to 4 years of experience with this UI on iPhone, so perhaps it would be short sighted to expect the same teething problems that have marred some of their previous hardware launches in the past.
Perhaps the best solution here would simply to point you to Stephen Fry’s excellent (and very much hands-on) report on the iPad. If it’s good enough for Stephen Fry…
All this said however, this is only the start of my iPad adventure. Part One may very well be an attempt to justify the iPad for what it does right or on the basis of potential, but the crucial stage will be Part Two; actually pre-ordering one. Whether I take the plunge or not, I’ll be explaining my reasons for my decision when the time comes.
Do I need an iPad? Probably not. Do I want an iPad? Of course I do. Don’t be surprised to see Part Three: The Review some time in May.
Mat, if you are an Appleist, of course you need one. Do not doubt yourself. And keeping peace in the household is by far the best justification to buy an iPad I have yet to read anywhere. That alone is priceless.
Portable Gaming: iPod Touch, Droid, Nintendo DS are good enough. I am NOT taking something the size of the iPad on the train with me. Not only do I not want to look like a pretentious douchebag, it would be cumbersome to have something I couldn’t immediately put in my pocket as the train arrives at my station. Also, I really don’t want the rest of the world to see what I’m doing…I can imagine those private emails you want to send aren’t so private on a display that big…plus trying to type with that thing in your lap looks awkward.
At Home: I own a Netbook that is always on and ready to go next to me on my couch. It has a physical keyboard and the ability to put anything that Steve Jobs doesn’t want me to put on it…and I can play any game Pop-Cap puts out. For quick email reads, I have my Droid…and if it’s REALLY pressing, I get up and walk to my PC which is right next to my home theater.
So, for $499, the iPad is paying for redundancy. I can see some uses for it though…for table-top gaming, or maybe for a fancy remote control for my home theater…but only after the inevitable price drop.
The Courier on the other hand…the dual-screen journal/e-reader that folds up like a day-planner…THAT is practical, compact, and will probably be in my hands the day it comes out…to me, that’s innovation…not just taking an existing product and making it bigger.
Opinions are what make the world go round, Hanover, and I think the question “Can you see yourself using it?” is key to that. Clearly, you don’t have a need for the iPad and can’t justify using one, which is fine, although there will be plenty of people out there who do see the iPad as a viable option. Personally, I don’t own a netbook or a laptop, so the iPad will cover those bases for me and for what I need to do. I’m also very much an existing part of Apples Eco system and don’t particularly agree with the hysteria over Apples content control. There are 150,000+ application on the App Store and thousands more iPad specific apps will be in development as we speak. There is very little if anything I personally need from a mobile device that isn’t covered by Apples approved content.
Also, I’m not sure I agree with the privacy point. At 9.7 inches, the iPad screen is by some margin smaller then the average laptop display, and competetive with the vast majority of netbooks. I don’t think privacy is anymore of an issue with the iPad than it is existing mobile options.
Regarding gaming – I agree with you. Plants vs Zombies and the new version of Flight Control will be nice, but gaming represents probably the least of my requirements from the iPad. I love the iPhone as a gaming platform because I can whip Doodle Jump and the like out of my pocket and play that for 5 minutes, but I don’t intend on doing the same with an iPad. It’ll be interesting to see what developers do with the added screen real estate but personally, I’m not buying an iPad to game on. For racing and other more traditional genres shoehorned onto the system – like the demo shown at the unveil – I don’t think I could be less interested.
Is browsing on a netbook really a poor experience? Regardless of how bad Steve jobs makes out netbooks, the current generation of Windows 7, 3gig netbooks are absolutely brilliant.
I’ve used them, and they aren’t slow- in fact they are nippy, have great software, are brilliant for folding away in a bag without worrying about damaging the screen. You can browse everything you wish including watching movies on them. While fundamentally because of it being a miniature PC they are great for anything from file sharing, to indie games.
Does the iPad offer anything over a netbook? I personally don’t think so, besides a slick interface and the fact its Apple.
I love my iPhone, but to be honest I mostly use it as a phone. I enjoy browsing the app store and buying apps, but I don’t use them as much as I thought I would. Still, I wouldn’t trade down to a regular phone ever again having had one of these.
The iPad seemed a bit underwhelming to me, which in a way mirrors what Mat felt during the presentation. But the whole “Can you see yourself using it?” is super-crucial. In a way it differentiates between Apple fanboys and non-. After all, I’m not really an Apple fanboy but I could totally see myself using and loving an iPhone, so I got one. Not an instant’s regret.
Mat, you sort of asked yourself the key question there. You’re not buying it because it’s an Apple, you’re not buying it because there’s no other option out there, you’re buying it (assuming you do) because you can see yourself using it. In a way it’s the barometer against which we should gauge every potential purchase.
Which is why necessary purchases, like water heaters (mine just broke) suck even more. I don’t want to drop $600 on a water heater, but I need hot water.
But Steerpike, a kettle (or six) is your answer to that quandry!
I could see myself using an ipad, just as I can see myself using a motorbike. It doesn’t mean they are a value for money, practical solution! 🙂
To be honest Matt, there is a teeny weeny bit of that in there aswell! I’m abit of a tech head anyway and love shiny new gadgetry, and as stated, I’ll hold my hands up and admit I am something of an Apple fanboy.. 😉
But, I wouldn’t buy one unless I thought I would use one. Lewis will attest to the fuss I made the day after the unveil about how gutted I was by the whole thing. But time has been a healer and the more I think about the iPad, the more I want one, and crucially can see it being a part of my everyday life. Thanks in part to the design and form factor, along with iWork applications etc, the iPad will probably become an extension of what I use my iPhone for now, as well as present a good opportunity to jump in where I originally wanted a Macbook or Netbook. Like was hopefully conveyed in the article, I don’t need a full computing experience on the road (certainly not file sharing, for example), but would like some extra power and flexibility than my iPhone – which I use constantly every day without fail anyway. For me, even what I know about the iPad now and ignoring the potential of the apps, I think it could slot nicely into my personal requirements.
There are still aspects of it I’m disappointed with and appreciate it won’t suit everybody’s needs, but if the price is right (I’m still waiting, Steve) then I’ll find it hard to resist.
If I do buy one, I’ll write Part Three: The Review as a tester on it.
God dammit, Lewis, I need a new stove too! Why do you remind me of these things???
iPhone: takes a phone and adds all sorts of functions commonly associated with computers to it. People take phones with them everywhere. This is a very convenient thing.
Laptops: a computer that is portable. Does everything a desktop computer does from the comfort of your sofa/tree/toilet. Albeit with a little less muscle.
iPad: I don’t know what to put here! Aside from the touch screen thing and perhaps the e-reader, what does it do that raises it above a laptop? What makes it such an attractive prospect?
It seems more restrictive, less powerful and more expensive: a needlessly divergent shiny gadget for people with money to burn! I understand the iPhone because it has evolved an existing device but the iPad seems to be ‘devolving’ an existing device and selling it as a new one. If the iPad evolves into a laptop killer/substitute then amen.
I think the answer to the “Laptop killer” question lies with what people actually use their laptops for. An iPad isn’t as powerful as a laptop and doesn’t come with the benefits of a “full” computer OS, but do alot of people who use laptops need alot of the extra power that they bring? People who use Macbook Pro’s and other high end laptops to do heavy duty photo editing etc won’t sacrifice their lappies for an iPad just like they wouldn’t a netbook, but I think for alot of casual laptop users the iPad’s accessibility, user friendly OS and light form factor may be an attractive proposition.
For alot of people, the perception of computers and how people access them is changing. I have a Mac Mini, which as a desktop system is very modest in terms of spec, but even so I would guesstimate that I utilise less than half of it’s capabilities. I use it to browse the web, do some downloading, play Football Manager and run it as a HTPC. That’s it. I need nothing more from a desktop system, although I will always have a desktop system so I can do these things. Any mobile device I buy will always be an accompaniment, not a replacement, for my basic home setup.
Even going back to that first point about web browsing though, nowadays I genuinely do most of my surfing the web on mobile devices. My iPhone gets hammered at work because it’s a better way to access to internet than the desktop system I stare at all day. If somebody had said that to me 2 years ago I would have laughed. Mobile internet used to be a joke subject, but the way people access the net has changed dramatically.
Meh, I’m mainly playing devils advocate here and should probably point out (to cover my own back more than anything) that I’ve still not decided either way, but as someone who is looking for a good mobile solution to give me more than my iPhone does at least, I’m seriously tempted by the iPad. Moreso than I am a netbook.
Valid points Mr. C. I envisage myself getting a laptop in the future to read and write articles, watch videos, play games and do all the usual internet stuff in comfort away from a desk or my HTPC setup. So to that end my laptop would need to be pretty robust.
I think my problem is that while the iPad boils down the functionality of a laptop and adds welcome accessibility it will probably cost significantly more for something that ultimately offers less, for me at least. To some I suppose that that less is more.
The price is an issue, for sure. The lack of word from Apple on UK pricing is literally driving me insane, given that my entire purchasing decision is based around it.
With regards to functionality, I think again it depends what you’re after. Looking at it solely as a laptop competitor, the iPad loses out in regards to power and open flexibility, but then with the iPad you’re also getting a genuine e-reader; one which has got Amazon and the other major players in that field worried. You’ve then also got the magazine functionality added to that too. There are some stunning concept ideas for print-to-digital magazines with the iPad and I’m definitely on board with subscribing to my favorite mags and being able to save and store back issues on the iPad for future reference, as appose to the clutter of stacks of physical mags.
That’s only one example, mind. Just like with the iPhone, the App Store will be key to success or failure of the iPad. Without the App Store, the iPhone is just a phone. Since launch, the App Store has added functionality and features to the iPhone that are completely beyond the expectations of a phone. Again, I don’t think the iPad will do enough to persuade power users – at least not yet – but I expect the App Store and the creativity of it’s developers to compensate for alot of the differences between the iPad and a laptop.. functionality wise.
Now that sounds really interesting with the magazines. I wonder how economical and environmentally friendly e-readers are when compared to their paper-based counterparts because I like the idea of them a lot. I think above all other uses the iPad will excel as an e-reader.
You might be interested in this, Gregg.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/18/viv-magazine-ipad-concept-is-sin-city-man/
I think it’s important to remember that this is a concept, and that not all magazines and publishers will have the resources (or perhaps even inclination) to be as elaborate as this, but strictly taken as a proof of concept I think this is an interesting example of what can be done in terms of integrating traditional print with a more motion, video style.
Oh, and everyone loves noir, don’t they?
Noir is nice!
If successful as an e-reader, I think the iPad has the potential to bridge that void between the flagging print medium (at least with monthly/weekly digests) and the more agile digital medium. Digital distribution is on the up and the iPod changed the way we listen to music so who says the iPad won’t gain a large stake in altering the way we read. It’s a shift from the tangible to the intangible. The only problem I foresee is that people might be reluctant to adopt an expensive means of consuming something as well as paying for the content itself.
For me, the pros of an iPad is the fact that:
1) Its made by Apple so will be high quality
2) It’s a big iPhone (never a bad thing)
3) It still has an App Store
4) It looks great
5) Its interface will be wonderful
The cons:
1) Price and storage limitations
2) I already own an iPhone and it will no doubt suffer the current iPhone limitations
3) No evidence of multitasking, nowhere to store images or downloaded files
4) If I want to read books, I will buy a book
5) No flash support
6) Offers less than a netbook in almost all avenues
7) Cannot truly type on it
8) Screen scratch paranoia (I wouldn’t want a skin placed on the screen)
9) Less portable than a Netbook (10.1 inch folded in half is TINY! 🙂 )
10) Is certainly no replacement for those who do work while travelling etc
At present, I honestly don’t consider that it fills any existing hardware gap. It is principally a big iPhone pretending to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. For watching the television while browsing, OK great- it will be wonderful. But then again, browsing the internet on a Laptop or Netbook is absolutely fine also.
If I had the money, I would buy an iPad for no other reason than to own one. And even then it would only be if I had an abundance of cash.
I’ll hold my final judgement however until I use one.
I think some of your “con’s” there are incredibly subjective, Lewis. Unlike the iPhone, the iPad will be able to save and store images from the net, and multitasking is believed to be due for both iPad and iPhone in the OS 4.0 update, which will lane around June time if 3 years of history repeats itself again. As for point 7.), right now that is a completely irrelevant point seeing as neither of us have a single clue about what the iPad is like for typing, or what it’s like for people who need to work on the move. The inclusion of a rather lovely bespoke iWorks suite for the device shows that Apple are ready to present a serious side to the iPad, as appose to the iPod Touch for example, and there are alot of commenters out there who say they see the iPad as an easier, more streamlined way to help them work than their existing laptops..
Regarding netbooks, you must have taken the fine tooth comb to the bottom of the barrel with point 6.), and if you can find me a netbook which is thinner than 0.5 inches and weighs less than 1.5lbs, I’d appreciate a link!
Still, as per our conversation earlier, I might let you hold mine.. 😉 (Disclaimer: IF I buy.. I’m still on the fence!)
Of course they are subjective, it’s a list of personal cons! 🙂 I’m on the hunt for a good netbook, when I find one Ill let you know! 🙂
Talking of netbooks, here is the Sony P Series jobbie I found yesterday. An outrageous product in just about every way.. (particularly price)
http://www.t3.com/reviews/computers/laptops/sony-vaio-p-series-review
Quick comment related update: apparently the iPad has now surpassed a million units, in less than half the time than it took the iPhone to achieve the same milestone (74 days)
http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/03/apple-sells-1-000-000-ipads-in-revolutions-first-month/
SF Chronicle is reporting that the iPad is a hit with seniors:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/03/MNDT1D7JQP.DTL
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