Yesterday Apple unveiled their latest supposedly revolutionary gadget, the iPad. For those not tuned in to the news, the iPad is basically a bigger, more powerful iPhone. There seems little market need for this thing, which now occupies a spot in between smart phones and laptops. It isn't powerful enough for much work beyond standard iPhone apps, internet and e-mail, but is clearly not as convenient or potable as the mobile device. Basically it seems to have sprung from a desire to have an iPhone with a bigger screen for watching movies or television shows online. The iPad's lack of Flash however, means that sites like Hulu are difficult to watch anyway.
Apple is this insane corporation, really. Its products are very good no doubt, but not far enough beyond the Windows competition to warrant its egregious pricing and general pretentiousness. They tend to add more specific niche products like the iPad every few years with the knowledge that their consumer base is so obsessive and favorably endowed that it will sell. And the iPad will sell for some reason.
One of its major applications seems to be the iBook, which is a means for reading books through the iPad. Its skin is this old, wooden bookcase that is supposed to simulate pulling a book off the shelve and thumbing through it. This sounds exactly as stupid as it really is. Our cultural need to digitize and simulate everything is astounding. There is no need for electronic books unless for some reason one would have a need to carry more than three or four at a time somewhere. Books are already portable.
So how does the iPad affect Rochester, NY? Well, it really doesn't at all, nor should it greatly affect anyone who already has either a laptop or an iPhone. For those few who have always had an iPhone but wanted a bigger screen, though, the iPad will surely be a dream come true.
You can read a generally nice review of the device here, and a much more scathing one here.
Comments