Steve Jobs presents the iPad.
If you were expecting an immediate paradigm shift from Apple’s iPad, you’re probably disappointed with the actual device.
However, if you, like me, were prepared for something akin to an oversized iPod or an overstuffed Kindle, you might be a little more excited by the iPad.
iPad side view.
Apple rarely comes up with something completely new; what they tend to do is improve upon existing technologies to the point that their changes are revolutionary, not evolutionary.
MPMan F10, the first commercially available MP3 player, debuted in 1998. It held about 8 songs, and plugged into your PC with a parallel cable.
For example, there were many digital music players before the iPod, but little traction or adoption. The introduction of the iPod and its integration with iTunes changed everything. Similarly, there were plenty of smart phones before the iPhone, but the iPhone was such a hit that it quickly become the standard against which other phones are judged. Even the failed Newton (the iPad’s ancient forefather) took the idea of the digital assistant to new heights, inspiring an entire category of PDAs.
The iPad is a first generation device, with some obvious and frustrating limitations (no camera, multitasking, or support for Flash, for example). But, given its unique form factor, its substantive application base, its incredible suite of built-in features, and its price point, it might be the first slate or tablet to actually gain sizable market share, and therefore will start the ball rolling yet again for the Apple juggernaut. Or it could be another Apple TV. (Side note: who could have predicted that just a decade after Apple’s darkest years, we’d be able to justifiably call them a juggernaut?).
The Apple TV is fizzling, primarily because it didn't revolutionize any particular aspect of the television experience.
Tablets have existed for a while, and most people agree the concept is great. But no one has cracked the code from both a form factor and feature perspective that would make widespread adoption possible. I think the iPad may be the first device to crack that code, if Apple can clearly articulate, through marketing and demonstration, that the device fills a void no other device does…or does as well.
One huge advantage Apple has is its retail store presence: being able to hold and interact with the iPad may allow the device to sell itself, and certainly Apple knows this. Many great products, like Tivo for example, suffer because people don’t understand what they do or why they are great until they actually use them. Apple’s retail presence is a critical piece in the marketing puzzle.
As I said (and posted here just before the launch), I had low expectations for the iPad. Once I saw it, I wanted one. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone.
