We’ve had 48 hours to hear all the news about the new Apple iPad (and God forbid, we’ll hear more about it in the near future more than many of us would care for). Many of the pundits are calling it a true rival to Amazon’s Kindle and the e-reader market.
I came across a brief article the other day that asked the question “Is the iPad a game-changer?” (CNNMoney.com article) The article lists a few valid points about the ultimate question of where the iPad fits into the computing scheme of things. After taking some time to digest the specs and capabilities, as well as read some of the drivel (for everyone’s sake – there have been a few good ones out there) that many reporters have spouted about the iPad, I don’t think that it will be some huge seller or success like the iPhone is. (see this CNNMoney article for the analyst’s predictions.)
First off, I think that these analysts are over-estimating the appeal of the product. They’ve been bitten by poor ratings and projections over the past few years, and as such, are willing to give Steve Jobs the benefit of the doubt.
(I should probably take a second and say that while I’m not an Apple fanboy, I do own an iPod and an iPhone and love both products. )
As far as the iPad goes, however, I just find myself questioning the ultimate use of this product. Whereas the iPhone and iPod both serve a legitimate purpose, the iPad, in my eyes, is more targeted towards the “netbook” crowd – people who crave an ultra-portable computing platform bigger than a smartphone. Unless you purchase a keyboard and other additional accessories, it isn’t meant to be a full productivity option. While I can tap out a quick email or text message on my iPhone, i wouldn’t want to type an entire document on a touchscreen. There’s a tactile feel that’s missing from the keyboard.
What also concerns me about this being a long-term and viable computing solution is the fact that it’s not based on the OsX operating system, but the iPhone operating system. As I understand it, it’s an entirely different ballgame. Programmers need to develop specifically for that code, and then to distribute the software, you’ve got to be approved through Apple. Not exactly the panacea of functionality. Sure, there’s plenty of silly little apps for the iPhone/iPod touch out there, but nothing is terribly robust for the price point.
Not only that, but have you ever tried to actually get into the filesystem and work with the files on an iPhone (or iPod)? Not terribly straightforward, is it? Makes it hard to drag and drop files.
Added to that is an article I read earlier today about how supposedly Apple is going to be more selective with application development for the iPad. I don’t recall where I read this, so don’t quote me on it. But that reeks of a worse proprietary system than Microsoft or even the Amazon Kindle.
Speaking of the Kindle, of which I also own (the Kindle DX), many writers and fanboys have pegged the iPad to be a “Kindle-Killer”. I find that hard to believe. The DX is roughly the same dimensional size as the iPad. It weighs half a pound less than the iPad. And it doesn’t have that neat LCD screen so you could watch movies.
But where the Kindle excels is the simple task of reading. Since having purchased my Kindle, I haven’t looked back. I grab fanfiction from web, do a quick conversion through an open-source software program (Calibre), upload, and bam, I’m reading. I read a book and a novel-length fanfiction on my DX at Thanksgiving without my eyes bugging me. And, I never had to recharge either. (I usually turn the wireless off unless I need to sync what I’m reading or buy something.) I don’t have to worry about losing my bookmarks, and the thing is easy enough to carry. (The “original” Kindle, as well as B&N’s Nook and Sony’s e-reader are more portable though). One-handed reading is possible with the DX, but not for great lengths of time. I’d imagine that the iPad, with 1/2 pound more weight to it, as well as the necessity to drag your finger across the screen to page flip, will mean that reading will be uncomfortable.
As nice as that LCD screen surely is, reading at-length on it, especially after a long day in front of the computer at the office, has got to be uncomfortable. LCD’s require a coating which increases the glare exponentially. Sure, you can read in the dark, but what’s the point? And LCD’s have never fared that well in bright light (sunlight, exactly).
As Jobs said during his introduction, the iPad is a multi-function device. But realistically, is it going to be something you’ll keep in the living room to browse the web or do emails while watching American Idol? Maybe. Photo-editing? Doubtful. At least with a netbook or notebook, you can do virtually anything you want from anywhere in the house. Sure, it’s a little bulky, but at least you can do it. And, at least with a PC-based solution, you can find tons of free software (much of it extremely comparable to its commercial counterpart). I’m sure that there are “open source” developers for OsX, but they can’t be as abundant as they are for Linux (the ultimate open-source platform) and Windows.
The rest of the e-Readers aren’t without their shortcomings either. As a Kindle owner, I’m disappointed that there’s really no advanced content sorting (folders, for instance). Also, the web-browser is usable, but hardly a decent replacement. And the inability to get books published in anything other than the Amazon format or mobipocket format. And while it’d be nice to see the screen in the dark, it would lose its usability and desirability.
Apple’s agreements to provide “enriched media” at a premium price don’t really concern me that much. I got the reader to read, not watch videos or have other ancillary content. I don’t think that many who buy the iPad will care much for not only having to drop $10-$20 for a usable piece of software, but then pay money for the additional content that they may never use. That $500 entry price gets a whole lot steeper to actually make use of the iPad.
But where I see this product fitting in is exactly what Apple is known best for doing – forcing the industry to make changes to keep up. I’m sure once the news broke, Amazon’s development team began looking at enhancements to the Kindle and its content/agreements. Amazon may find itself forced to make changes on a quicker timetable than what it had originally planned. It will have to drop the price of the Kindle (again), and will need to introduce enhancements (hello, filesystem, sharing, epub format?) sooner. Just like the iPhone forced other manufacturers to consider touch-screen displays and app stores, the iPad and content agreements will force the re-thinking of similar products.
So is the iPad a game-changer? It could be. Apple’s got work to do on their end to make this thing a bit more competitive (hello USB port?) and deliver on the promise. Not only that, but in today’s economy, it has to prove itself as a stout competitor to the netbook market (which a lot of college students get these days). But, it’s really going to depend on its competitors. If Amazon doesn’t evolve the Kindle two or three steps beyond their original timetable, they may lose market share quickly. Will I be getting one? Nope. I still can’t even justify a netbook since I already have a good notebook, desktop, AND home server.
Maybe I’ll be wrong a year from now. It doesn’t really matter to me at the present time, since it’s just the product. But if it starts to affect what I’m already doing, then I’ll be worried.