Apple sets launch date for Newton… er, iPad
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Now that an official release date has been announced, there are a couple of key points that dampen the iPad excitement. First, and most glaringly to me, is Steve Jobs’ assertion during the product’s unveiling, that there is a gap between mobile device and laptop in need of filling. I would argue that there is no gap, but instead a need for laptops to get smaller and retain (or improve) their power, and by “power” I mean processing speed, storage, battery life, etc. A gap-filling device simply means another device, and that’s the last thing anyone needs (the relatively modest and I believe transient success of Kindle-like readers notwithstanding).
The most successful technology products are often those that eliminate the need for multiple devices, ones that simplify, not complicate, our lives. The iPhone, or more generically any good smart phone, for example, has for many users effectively eliminated the need for separate MP3 players, GPS devices, portable gaming devices, PDAs and, of course, cell phones. To think that some of us can now do with one device what used to take five is the genius of the iPhone and the clarion call of good technology.
So the iPad gets a strike on that count. Today, at least. The lack of portable storage support and a meager 64 GB of maximum disk space proves that the iPad can’t really be considered a serious laptop replacement. But as flash memory capacity increases, as it will, and processors become more efficient, also a certainty, Apple will be in a very good position to be a market leader in tablets. So while today it may have technical deficiencies, Apple can start to learn about usability (as a colleague pointed out, typing on this device while, for example, commuting on a train is going to be a challenge Apple will need to overcome), perfect the design, lock in parts suppliers and, of course, build its brand.
If I didn’t truly believe, long before the Apple announcement, that tablet computing was the future, then I think I’d be smelling a Newton. Instead, we’re probably looking at a not-so-wow-ish first generation product that could grow into something very exciting and profitable for Apple, assuming it eventually becomes subtractive, not additive, when it comes to my list of must-have devices.
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