Even as the sniggers and the iTampon trend on Twitter began to gain prominence, the tech and the biz worlds realised one thing for sure: Apple’s “new creation” was certainly not the revolutionary device pundits had been ranting about. At the best of times, Apple’s products have hardly showcased sensational technology. This time, it seems, was not even close to the best.
Just another iPhone
Through the years, and increasingly since the iPhone was launched, Apple has relied on a heady pre-release buzz to confuse people about their product’s actual worth. This time’s near-delirious anticipation makes the eventual outcome seem even more painful. How we wish some of our pre-release predictions/hopes had actually been true!
In all fairness, the product is stunning. With one qualifier. Its looks are stunning. Period. If you’ve already jumped onto the iPhone bandwagon, then this product is as underwhelming as they come.
Apple has never really released any device that was revolutionary in the technological sense. Whether it’s the iPod or the iPhone, most of these devices succeeded not due to their capabilities but their packaging and marketing. The technologies for running these devices were gleaned from other, lesser-known, non-indigenous sources. At this moment, it seems it ran out of places to glean ideas from and simply enlarged the iPhone because it’s pretty.
Consider what it offers you. First, a bigger screen. So it makes reading newspapers and magazines and books feel sexy again. Big deal! You’re going to spend five to eight hundred bucks to get a device that lets you read newspapers and books and do everything else that a netbook or even a watered-down laptop would let you do. The screen apparently doesn’t even support the common widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9. What a waste of a larger screen!
To add to the pain, there’s no camera which even the most conservative tech-pundits predicted. If you thought this new device would be great for your business as a video-conferencing, presentation-toting device, here’s another disappointment for you. Oh, and if you thought you could switch between the browser and workspace while working on your documents, the device doesn’t support multitasking either. And wait, there’s more. Open up a website on Safari and a lot of blank boxes might appear because Flash is still not supported. Sounds great?
Want me to rub it in further? If you want to use a USB device with your iPad, you’ll soon realise that you’ll have to resort to a thousand adapters to connect to it.
Listen to the rumours, Mr. Jobs
Apple products have always stressed experience over utility and they’ve done a fantastic job with that. Their latest product is bound to get people raving about the fantastic feel of using it. And full marks to the company for putting so much effort into making their products attractive and a pleasure to own.
However, After the initial exhilaration of using an oversized iPhone (that can’t even make calls or send messages) dies down, there is sure to be a re-evaluation of the iPad’s worth. Even at $500, we have netbooks (which Steve Jobs shot down with contempt) that can accomplish far more. We’re actually surprised that even some of the more plausible rumours concerning the product didn’t come true: no camera, consequently no video-conferencing and no multitasking. Wait for the next upgrade to the iPad. There’ll almost certainly be a huge overhaul and additional features.
Mr Jobs, you know us men well. (Considering the name of the product, I’m guessing he didn’t even consider women as potential buyers). Yes, we like pretty gadgets and pretty women. But you missed out one thing: we love substance too! Your new plaything is just a pretty face.
Follow the grapevine. Give us more!
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You know one feature we’d really like to see?
The apple’s touchscreen doubling as a scanner for photographs and documents!
Watch this space to view a more detailed wishlist later.
