The Overwhelmed and Underwhelming iPad

A couple of weeks before the official announcement of Apple’s foray into tablet computing, I recorded my own predictions hopes and dreams for the device. While my thoughts were wildly off the mark (as I expected) I have to admit I was fairly impressed with what they announced.

One of the prevailing questions that lingers even a week after the initial shipment of the device (and even the punchline of a Weekend Update joke on SNL last night) is what exactly is the iPad and what does it do? While I’m not qualified to provide a conclusive answer to that question, I have had a chance to play around with an iPad for a bit and feel like I can provide some vague insight into the “brilliance” of the device.

The first “brilliant” feature of the iPad (and perhaps the most obvious) is the screen. Most detractors claim that the iPad is just a giant iPhone/iPod Touch which is a simultaneously astute and petty dig. In the most basic terms that is true, but considering the fact that the iPad’s screen is three times the size of the iPhone and costs less than the original iPhone did at launch (with more memory) I think it’s a notable achievement. Okay, so technology has gotten cheaper, big deal. But really consider the statement – the iPad is really just a bigger iPhone/iPod Touch! Isn’t the iPhone platform considered one of the greatest innovations in mobile computing? Doesn’t more screen real estate and increased processing power open up a slew of opportunities for this platform? Or is this one of those platforms that only subscribes to the smaller is sexier line of thinking? Aside from the bigger is better discussion, the screen is actually quite striking. It does suffer from some glare issues in various lighting environments but overall the color and richness of the viewing experience is fantastic and the touchscreen is incredibly responsive (responsive enough to allow me to type this entire post in landscape mode without feeling like I want to give up and move to my iMac).

The second brilliant feature of the iPad is it’s overall size. While it is a bit heavier and a little more “awkward” to hold than a typical e-reader, I find it to be a great improvement over previous attempts at similar devices. A couple of years ago, circa 2007, Intel along with a slew of partner companies introduced a line of portable mini computers known at the time as MID’s or Mobile Internet Devices. Anyone could point to a number of reasons for the platform’s failure, but a leading candidate might be the size of many of the devices developed by the hardware manufacturers. At that time, laptops were getting smaller and lighter, cell phones were getting smarter and even the most mobile of professionals and consumers didn’t see the need for a clunky yet supposedly more “mobile” device – especially when the devices had similar price points as low cost laptops. If you are going to charge a premium for a new device, you have to convince the consumer that either a) the new device replaces one of the consumer’s current “must haves” or b) the device is a “must have” whose benefits outweigh the cost of carrying an extra device. Ironically I think Apple is attacking both approaches with the iPad – they’re not trying to tell you the iPad replaces the iPhone (in theory phone calls would be possible via an app like the Skype app), nor do they want you to forget about their line of MacBooks. (It appears they are doing a good job of convincing at least a few of us that either a) or b) is true. When I started writing this review, about 300,000 iPads had been sold. Now as I finish writing, the 3G iPad has been released and Apple has confirmed 1 million iPads have been sold.)

The third, and perhaps most brilliant feature of all is the potential of the iPad. As with the iPhone, there are many who questioned the need, form, function, and eventual longevity of the iPad. Many Apple and technology followers have been waiting for a long time for an Apple branded tablet device because of the reputation that the folks in Cupertino have of churning out innovative, functional and easy to use products. I mentioned earlier that there are a lot of naysayers disappointed with the fact that Apple didn’t really bring anything new to the table with the iPad. I disagree with that perspective. The App Store is what eventually made the iPhone a “must-have” device. While the App Store is not new with the iPad (and the iBookstore is not poised to have the same effect with the iPad), what is new is the form factor: increased screen real estate + increased processing power + general improvements in technology and software = new possibilities. All Apple really needed to do with the iPad was figure out how to get a powerful platform into a small package. The rest, as they showed with the iPhone, could be left to the thousands of developers out there to unlock the full potential of the platform.

Note: I started this post on April 12th and finished it on May 4th, following the release of the 3G iPad.