[LINK] "Unforeseeable growth" (iPad)

[Rachel Polanskis]

On 21/01/2011, at 8:55 AM, Tom Worthington <tom.worthington at tomw.net.au> wrote:

> Ivan Trundle wrote:
>> ... Apple announced that they sold 14.8 million iPads in 2010. ...
> 
> Yes, I attended a meeting yesterday where I felt the odd one out, as I 
> was using a netbook: the only other computers being used were Apple iPads.
> 
> But Apple better sell as many as they can, before tablet computers 
> become low price commodity items.
> 
> Android tablet computers with 7 inch screens are now selling for $150.
> 
> Some companies are including a "free" tablet computer (or a netbook) 
> with a wireless data subscription, for less than $10 a month.
> 
> 
As an early adopter of the iPad, it seems to be everything they promised. 
I consider myself a "power user" of computing systems, so I am not easily fooled
by second rate technology.  Certainly there will be competitors, who have also had plenty of
time to produce a tablet of their own, but Apple did not only get theirs to market first, but also
set a very high bar for a v1.0 device.   

When I first got mine, I was concerned that there would be numerous bugs and limitations
regarding how the software and hardware worked, but it has been almost flawless.

My only issue has been with the virtual keyboard, which I am still getting used to.  I am 
typing this email on the virtual keyboard at present...

It is just that I am so used to a tactile interface, that I make a lot of typos on this keyboard.
It is a new technology, so I am a little forgiving of it, but a custom keyboard layout would 
be something they should add in the future.  

Also, this device is not just for content download.  The iPad has started a creative trend, especially in the music industry.  If you are a musician, the iPad has a comprehensive music creation  and production capability, with haptic control of almost any electronic music device, 
with custom hardware and software being created for it.  Where a control can be displayed and 
manipulated on a computer, it can thus be reflected or driven from an iPad.  

At the present state of the art, the iPad already has an almost full UNIX style stack. 
When I ran Cydia on my iPad, I was able to SSH into it and install a suite of GNU software,
to make using the device underneath the GUI more flexible.  This why the iPad can also 
be a dangerous tool within a corporate network.  But it also grants the user and programmer
an enormous capability.  

With respect to other tablets, running Android, there appears to be some issues with
Android version and compatibility with software products or service providers.  With IOS,
you only get one flavour, but it is a known evil.  The smaller tablets, IMHO also 
are less flexible with their display.  A 7.5" screen is just a little too small to run
the enterprise apps it should be able to run.  The iPad screen is still just a little too small 
for me, but it fits the purpose.

A lot of attention is drawn to the fact that the iPad does not support Java or Flash.
Many people criticise it for this.  I think in some ways the criticism is valid, as I need
Java to to do elements of my work and Flash means not being able to access 
some content.  But I think it is pushing the device a little too far - android units running
Flash frequently crash themselves, or run out of memory.  The limitations will probably
go away when the iPad gets a memory boost. 

In the end, Apple wanted to hit all the sweet spots - a pragmatic tablet UI with 
a long battery life, capable of showing decent video and multimedia without too 
much latency.  A networkable system that can still deliver content locally if no network 
is available.  I think the reason that the uptake has been so great has been because
the product is one of those rare ones that delivered on the promise.  Apple is already going
to release iPad 2 in a few months.  This will probably put a lot of blue sky between 
it and other tablets.  

I would like to see the tablet market become not so much a commodity as than a high end market.  There is a lot of technology in these devices, that will probably become obsolete
in shorter and shorter cycles.  I do not believe the components are that easily recycled. 
The batteries and internal components of these tablet devices are likely toxic to the environment.   Apple has replacement plans to swap units with dead batteries for a fee of 
$99.  I think this is fair.   I would hope there is also an upgrade plan for these devices
but not one that would force the user into a endless cycle.  I will not be buying iPad 2 
in a rush when it comes out, but I will probably get the version later, or another tablet if it also
hits all the sweet spots.   The competing tablets do have a lot of catchup to do...


rachel
> 
--
rachel polanskis 
<r.polanskis at uws.edu.au> 
<grove at zeta.org.au>