Steve Jobs has done it again. Well not entirely by himself, I'm sure he has some sort of a staff helping him. But there he was again, up on that stage as he has done so many times in the past, introducing us to the new Ipad and preparing us for the next must have device of the future. Jobs is should be getting used to this. So far as I can remember, Apple has had hit after hit with its new and innovative products. It changed the world with the Ipod, their computers have become more mainstream (No longer just for graphic artists) and the Apple stores around the country are often more packed then a Costco when you happen to walk by. This Ipad promise to be the device that ends all other devices, the one that replaces ALL of your travel tech needs. And all that for just $499.00.
Basically, the Ipad is just a larger version of the Itouch or Iphone. This bigger touchscreen is great for watching video or surfing the net. Ride any train in NYC and you see thousands of people watching videos on their tiny Ipod screens. The Ipad gives you a much bigger, clearer picture. But the biggest news is that Apple is going after the digital book market. Apple is also launching Ibook, which is a Itunes like store online where you can buy digital books. You download the books, then can access them in full color... while the Kindle and Sony Reader remain black and white. This along with all the features of a laptop and Ipod make the device well rounded and a must have for everyone who is anyone.
While everyone is pretty excited, there are some drawbacks to the Ipad. First, the full color screen will be dope, but it is sure to use a lot of battery power. Fuck all that noise about the battery life they SAY to expect, once you get it, will you have to charge it constantly??? The Kindle and other readers on the market have longer battery lives then a Twinkies shelf life, going on and on for days without needing to be charged due to its black and white screen. The Kindle also has limited features. This Ipad can do pretty much anything from surfing the web to solving world hunger, and its likely the people who buy it will want to do all these things. The more programs and uses a person is going to use, the quicker the battery will dwindle.
Also the price may be a problem. Even though $499 is low for a new innovative product, the Kindle is almost half that. Throw in the fact that there are thousands of netbooks offered at around $200 that are very portable laptop solutions and it makes you have to consider if the Ipad is worth the dough. Also, Kindle just launched a new APP for the Iphone, Blackberry and most laptops that allows the user to turn any device into a Kindle. You download the books digitally and use a similar interface as the Kindle to read your downloaded books on the your devices. This gives you the access to the Kindle experience without requiring you to fork over the money for the actual Kindle. But I'm sure it past track record will afford Apple another smashing success with the Ipad. I'm not planning on getting one just yet, but my Itouch is a great device... maybe somewhere on the future. Are you getting an Ipad as soon as they come out??? Do you need another device in your life??? Will you wait on the welfare type lines that are sure to pop up all over cities around the country on the release date??? Let us know in the comment section... happy E reading everyone!!!
When considering the issues that cricle what the battery life will be like, I just figure it can't be worse than my Macbook, which I basically use it for everything as well; from watching movies, to surfing the web, uploading/ editing my photos, to downloading music, etc. If they can at least match the lasting power of one of their standard Macbooks, then I, as a loyal Apple customer, will be pretty satisfied.
ReplyDeleteWith Apple starting the price at $499 (and I'm pretty sure this is the bare minimum when it comes to memory & service options; 3G or WiFi), that's a really big surprise. I couldn't imagine this product being anything under $800. They were selling iPhones for that much at one point. And how many people were willing to drop a half a G for one of those? Those same people will definitely be skipping the rent to get one of these babies.
As a newly converted mac-a-holic, i'm gonna wait until all the bugs and kinks are worked out before I purchase the iPad. No more lugging around my macbook. The iPad will revolutionize the way we use computers in my opinion, and it's looks so easy to use fresh out the box (like all apple products). I'll skip purchasing a pair of Gucci loafers for this bad boy for sure!
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