Further reflections the iPad
Certain sectors of my office were abuzz following the announcement of Apple's latest piece of iCandy, the iPad.
The fanboys were salivating all over their keyboards, barely containing their gadget lust. Other were less impressed. I texted youngest son and his reply summed up the skeptics' point of view: "It's like a giant iPhone that doesn't have a phone, is more expensive and less portable."
My take: they'll probably sell a bunch as soon as they are available, and then sales will drop off dramatically.
Smart things
The fanboys were salivating all over their keyboards, barely containing their gadget lust. Other were less impressed. I texted youngest son and his reply summed up the skeptics' point of view: "It's like a giant iPhone that doesn't have a phone, is more expensive and less portable."
My take: they'll probably sell a bunch as soon as they are available, and then sales will drop off dramatically.
Smart things
- Entry level price point is about right, though you are still paying the Apple tax.
- Keyboard dock is a smart move, given that touch screens suck for much more than lightweight typing
- Uses iPod/Phone apps right out of the box, at least most (what are those mystery apps that won't work?)
- Does a lot of stuff
- These are going to be fragile devices. Think of all the cracked iPod/Phone screens you see walking around.
- The Apple tax makes this much more expensive than a netbook for what it does. And despite what my fanboy friends say, this will not replace your home computer.
- Typing much with out the extra keyboard dock will be a bitch, not to mention looking through the layers of fingerprints.
- If you get 3G, it will be through AT&T, whose bandwidth has already been pummelled by the iPhone. This is going to improve service?
- Updated: no camera, no multi-tasking and still no Flash support!
- This will likely kill the MacBook Air.I'm just sayin'...
- The $130 3G option will be about as much as option as air-conditioning on cars in Texas is an option. Can you think of anyone who will get one of these and not get the 3G option?
- Size. Sure, it looks sexy in the advertising, but I'd rather have one I can slip in my pocket. You'd have to be Captain Kangaroo to get one of these bad boys in your pocket.
Comments
But here's something that's somewhat un-smart that as a middle-aged guy I never thought of: There's a whole big slice of the demographic for this tablet thing that's really put off by that iPad name. Seriously: I've heard several women say that there instantaneous take on the name was "feminine hygiene product."