iPad = Amazing

Look, I’ll be honest: even as an Apple freak who believes firmly that make the best products on the market, I never thought the iPad was an industry changing device. I mean come on, who’s to blow $500 to get a 10” touch screen that’s essentially a bigger version of the iPhone or iPod Touch they already have? Well, I recently learned that the iPad is worth the $499 price tag because it isn’t JUST a giant iPod.

So what changed my mind? Today I saw a video from MacWorld’s video podcast and it was a review of the iPad they had gotten slightly earlier than the true release date of April 3rd. They showed some of the typical features such as the improved Mail, iCal/Calendar, Address Book/Contact and other apps, emphasizing that the iPad’s applications are a cross between their desktop and iPhone OS counterparts. I thought some of this stuff as pretty interesting like how the new Safari is much more like the desktop version: allowing you to view webpages in their normal form without having to squint at the screen and keeping your bookmarks in the toolbar. Even the implementation of the Top Sites interface from Safari was an innovative way to view your tabs in Safari.

However, things really started to get interesting when the reviewer mentioned iWork. Not iWork.com, just iWork. That got me interested. He went on to talk about how this is the part of the iPad that would set it apart from the iPhone, iPod Touch and even the entire Mac family. If you don’t read the rest of the article, read this: The iPad is capable of running Pages, Keynote and Numbers in close resemblance to their desktop versions. (For those of you who use Windows, that’s Word, PowerPoint and Excel on your iPad.)

So what does this mean for the iPad? It means that the iPad can now compete with Netbooks by offering fully functional work applications that exceed the quality of other devices in the iPad’s market. Why get a Netbook? Because you either don’t wanna spend a lot on a laptop for making Word documents, presentations or spreadsheets or because you want something even more portable and light-weight for traveling to do things like I just mentioned. In this case, the iPad is much more appealing compared to a clunky netbook because it’s faster, comes with more helpful software built specifically to the device and has room to expand and do more than a netbook if you choose to do so.

Look, the bottom line is: The iPad IS amazing and IS an industry changing device. No question. I can keep talking about all the change the iPad is making as it’s released today and well, officially tomorrow but it would take too long and it’s a great day outside! Hell the iPad is practically the bailout plan for the publishing industry. Marvel, NY Times, Reuters and many other publishing companies are already in the iPad market and many more are sure to jump in and reap the profits and consumers the iPad will provide. The question is: Will you be getting an iPad?

Leave a comment below and be sure to check out other articles and graphic designs on my blog a christhurber.tk.

Comments

[Micheal Woodward]

I will be getting one when they are released in the uk , however I don't agree with the comment about "the bottom line is: The iPad IS amazing and IS an industry changing device. No question" ... nobody can say that ?? even people that have had it early couldn't say that..it will take time for it to reach anywhere near that status , yes it's got a good chance but let's remember it isn't yet.

Let's also remember that it isn't really a device that changes industry...it's the consumers that choose to buy the product & choose to change the way they choose to undertake tasks...The device simple gives the freedom to choose.

I hope the iPad is a big success but we have to be realistic & not fall into the same trap we did before it was launched , alot of people were moaning about it not having certain features...That's not a problem with the product it a problem with people's expectations being too high in the first place. I fear this could happen with the success of the iPad as well as way to many people are saying that it is an industry changing device without having given time for it to finds its place firmly in the market.

Obviously other people have their opinions of on it as well.