Just went to the apple store on Boylston St, Boston. Amazing to see how many people were flocking to the store just to touch and get a feel for the device. Being the opening Sox game there was no shortage of people on the streets.
It was very interesting to see the kind of people playing with the device. There were no obvious geeks looking for their next programming device, nor were there people from the young student populace. It was mostly middle aged people and kids. Its clear that Apple's marketing using the show "Modern Family" paid rich dividends. (Also tells you a bit about what audience apple is really after with this device)
The device itself feels like a finished product, some technical specs - USB ports, cam, 3G, storage - aside. It is an absolutely smooth experience interacting with the screen. Flicking across pages of apps, rotating the device makes the screen image reorient itself, although there is perhaps a tenth of a second's lag, but its hardly noticeable. Used the youtube and gmail apps on the device. Absolutely gorgeous. Wonder why google keeps building their best apps for apple devices when there is so much open animosity between the two :P.
Coming to the important points of typing on the large screen without any tactile feedback. The only negative was not knowing which key the fingers rested on. All of us have our own quirky ways to type. All you have to do is rest your hands on your natural typing position and just type. The keys are spaced well enough that most (9 out of 10) keystrokes will be accurate. The only things I noticed about the keyboard that would be a pain is the flatness of the device, the lack of a palmrest and the fact that you cant just "rest" your fingers on the keyboard without inadvertently pressing the keys. Hope there is some kind of a software/hardware lock to prevent unintended input.
Another minor issue with the flatness of the back of the device is that you cant place it somewhere and watch a movie/video on it, this would have real practical problems if you have a group of people trying to watch something on the device. But this could have a work around using some third party cover for the device with a built in stand.
Coming to apple's strategic targeting of market segments. The ploy seems to be to place the iPad as a general purpose consumption device. With a screen larger than the iPhone/iPod it will meet a few more requirements like pass time consumption of youtube/other internet videos, television viewing online, reading blogs/books even email.
A common argument would be I can do all that AND more using a computer. Agreed. But an average 30+ year old or a 12-20 year old doesn't want to have to fiddle around with 10 settings and codecs and directory structures just to watch videos or browse the web. They want a device that gets out of the way and lets them do what they want with it. With windows or even a mac the device is just way too powerful for such basic tasks and it takes devices like the iPad and iPhone for these points to become glaringly visible.
A final point - imagine you coming home from work or school where you use your "computer" for work. Once getting home you dont want another "computer" to look at, it feels like you are working again. The iPad and other tablets like it will create and then fulfill these market needs.
For the non technically inclined they have the iPad, for the rest of us geeks we have our computer which can do what the iPad can do and a LOT more (and its got USB ports a webcam and 320 gb storage :P :P :P)
updated: Forgot to mention how the device give a platform for the dying media and publishing businesses to reinvent themselves and if nothing else survive for a few more years. Hopefully they wont just build apps costing 30/mo which let you read the same stuff you get on their website for free. If this happens and is successful it might be the beginning of the end of free information as we know it on the internet, also applies to music and videos. Why would any organization let you have things for free on one family of devices when they can charge you on another family of devices.
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Nice to have 1st hand expr yaa.. i think, Ipad will be great for a secondary device. Instead of those "Net"books, Ipad will be a great option. You shud have seen some apps made for ipad... stunner.. saw one created by Formula 1.. it was soo mindblowing. As far as USB and Cams are concerned, i think version wud have it..
ReplyDeleteIm pretty sure the nice-ness of the keyboards is not what you wrote when the pad is in potrait. And if it is so, Id like your take on the comparison between typing while the pad is in potrait and while it is on landscape!
ReplyDeleteAlso, dont bull away saying people who work on "computers" all day dont want the same "computers" at home. The people who feel like they are at work when they use their "computer" will not even turn on their home "computer".
all in all a good write brotha, imma have to experience the pad on my own one of these days, but i aint buying that POS magnified iTouch!
@kushal P: I found the keyboard was decent enough to type on both in landscape and portrait mode. By type I dont mean type out a 50 page report, perhaps a few lines of email or a comment on youtube. If you have anything real or meaty to type out a physical keyboard is the way to go. And anyways the device is flat so typing a lot on it would be a pain since theres no natural position you can keep the device in and be comfortable while typing.
ReplyDeleteAs to your comment about ppl not wanting to turn on their computers at home, the internet and the computer are too ingrained into our daily lives to not interact with one at home. The point of the device is to train people's behavior out of using the computer as a default for all techie activities and provide an alternate device to do most of those tasks on. You and me might not find much use for the ipad as we are very comfortable with laptops/desktops but for the non-technical people who use computers which are over powered for simple tasks they will find the simplified operations of the ipad very welcomed.
AA