Forums

Apple has released details of their new iPad product which is basically a big ipod touch. I have to admit that I can see a place for this product in my home and at $499 it is hard to ignore. Anyone else see this as an information hub for your home and while travelling?

jhack's picture

Gareth,

I've wanted one since a good friend of mine worked at Go Computer ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GO_Corp. ) back in the early 90's.   There's a good chance Apple's iPad will be in the neighborhood of useful and practical.  This is a very hard category to get right, and the company that succeeds will likely sell hundreds of millions.

I want to use one before concluding whether this is "the one."  It lacks some key things (Flash, Video input and output, USB port, death ray) but Apple should not be underestimated.  iTunes, not the iPod, was the more revolutionary innovation. 

As managers, we can learn some things from the iPad launch.  Apple delivered first, before promising anything.  They are going to let the product speak for itself.  No bragging about what's coming. 

Most impressive to me, though, is how long Apple has been working on this product.  Here is a link to the prototype they developed (with Frog Design) back in 1983:  http://designmind.frogdesign.com/blog/from-the-archives-frog-s-early-app... That's right, Apple has been working on this for over a quarter century.   Does your firm have a willingness to invest in R&D that might not pay off this quarter, or even this decade?  Somewhere at Apple, someone's working on something that won't be a real product until 2037.  How will you compete with them?  

And on a personal level, are you investing in your own skills, looking ahead to another decade?  What's your innovation?  

John Hack

bug_girl's picture

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/27/AR201001...

but there are some serious mixed messages. It's a balance between control of the platform by Apple, and letting 3rd party apps in.

Unfortunate for Mr. Jobs that flash didn't load during his demo! Someone had a stern talking to afterwards, I'm sure, since Flash did appear in the pre-launch advertising.  A reminder of the very funny blue screen of death moment for Bill Gates during a presentation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgriTO8UHvs

I know a lot of people who are hopeful the iPad will be a worthy successor to the Newton.  I'm hoping it functions like a Blackberry for those of us with bifocals and clumsy thumbs.  (I am at an age where I can't be bothered with tiny screens, alas.)   One of the neatest things is the reaction by my blind friends--Apple has been *outstanding* in making their computers accessible to the visually impaired, and early reports say this will not be a difference. 

The price isn't too bad if you're an early adopter, but I think I'm going to hang back on this one.

 

And yes, it's a terrible name. iPad??? Srsly dude?  Folks were making fun of that in 2005!  Possibly NSFW since girl parts are mentioned:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eF0y0IfpPU

Gareth's picture

I read a very balanced article last night, can't find the link sorry, that explained why it is unlikely for flash to available as a standard plug in for the iPhone/iPad.

It generally comes down to the historic relationship between Flash and OS X. Flash is apparently the most significant cause of crashes in OS X and a resource hog - it could technically demand 100% of your processing power.

Apple have in fact redeveloped how Safari runs plug-ins like flash to avoid any failings having system wide impact, all plug-ins run in a sandbox environment.

EDIT: You will also notice that HTML5 will start replacing some flash website. IN fact Youtube now runs HTML (see beta site) instead of Flash!

Gareth's picture

 Oh and yes.... the name is terrible for obvious reasons.

Gareth's picture

MD_144, it is probally the Apple fan in me but I still want one. The app store has had its problems but the quality of some of the apps are amazing. I have an app that helped me avoid getting lost on the London Tube and another that told me how fast I had to run to avoid missing my train back home.

The battery is 10 hours of video / wifi / 3G use which would suggest if your going to use it to read or listen to music your looking at a significant amount of more time. It has a month of stand-by time! The lack of e-ink is notable yes. Reading with the screen will not be as pleasing as using the kindle BUT it opens up a different type of reading material such as full content newspapers and magazines. And while you comment how close the iPad is, what about the Kindle - even more closed down surely?

Going back to the apps I think the bigger screen will open up a higher value of apps that will start a gold rush for developers. I will use the iPad as quick access to content and in situations that allow the uses of a bigger screen such as on a plane, train and at home.

EDIT: Found a different article that focused on the history between Apple and Flash: http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/31/steve-jobs-at-apple-town-hall-meetin...

jhack's picture

My 3G arrived a week ago and it has exceeded my expectations.

I travel a lot (I'm on Amtrak right now) and laptops are poor tools for tight cabins, long flights, and waiting areas. The iPad is a joy to travel with.  It's light. The form factor is perfect, and the battery is giving 12 hours of continuous use.

I can get all my personal and corporate email. It reads and edits MS-Office docs. The book reader is as good as the Kindle or Sony (but I don't read in full sun so that may be an issue for you). All iPhone apps work on it. Surfing is as good as the laptop experience (except flash, but I'm not going there). Custom news readers like BBC or the Wall Street Journal are arguably as good or better than paper ( this from someone who subscribes to four newspapers and many magazines).

The MT site is totally usable. I'm posting tonight from the website on my iPad. While on the train.

In short, it's teh awesome. More later if folks have questions.

 

John Hack

PS. I am not an Apple fanboy...my first computer experience was an HP2000F in 1971 (that's not a typo) and I bought an HP last month. I've worked at Wang, Sun, and SAP. I'm ecumenical.