A lot of discussion has been given to the topic of what the iPad's role is. It is neither a phone, nor a laptop. Is it a device for which there is no place? Having owned an iPad for about two months, I'm of the opinion that the iPad is something new, unique, and paradigm changing. The interface is intuitive and fluid in a way that I have not experienced on my Android phone, nor any of my windows PCs.
HP Multi-touch all-in-one computers have promise but appear unable to deliver results. The machines come with large (22"+) multi-touch capable screens with all the computer hardware built directly into the monitor. Unfortunately, the Windows 7 OS integration is clunky and relies on the mouse driven paradigm. Take for example pinch-zooming. On either an Android device or an iPad, you can pinch to zoom in nearly any application. In most apps you can turn pages by swiping them to the side. Windows was never built for this kind of intuitive interface, so even the paint program I tried at Best Buy today failed to take advantage of the spacious multi-touch monitor on the computer.
The iPad, on the other hand, was built from the ground up with a touch interface in mind. This allows it to use gestures with consistency throughout the entire interface. Just as the mouse changed the way we think about interfaces, I'm convinced that the iPad will do something similar.
One of the complaints often voiced about the iPad is that it is a device with no apparent market space. That was true, however 3 million sales later, it appears that perhaps many of us were only begrudgingly staying in the laptop space anyway. As we prepare to head to the cottage this weekend, I wonder if there really is any reason to take my laptop to study. There is, of course. It's nostalgia.
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2 comments:
The eye pad and touch screen tomfoolery is just beginning. I phone 4 is out. The nintendo ds is about obsolete and new macs operate on a push click no button touch pad already. Two more years until we have dick tracy phones. Please buy the i pad and I phone 4 and the nintendo ds, you will be glad you did. The droid is a sexy rectangle. Bill Gates hates your family. Well not really, but he probably doesn't like them either. That other guy steve whatever, he doesn't care either. They both want to sell you soon to be outdated gadgets.
All the ipad has to do is survive for 3 generations and people will wonder what they did without them. Cheaper, smaller, more apps.. They have the potential to be throw away items. Ipad died.. Toss it and get a new one...
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