9. The big picture: What impact will the iPad have on consumer expecations about personal computing?
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Comments:
“The iPhone OS is the first new metaphor for the computer UI is 26 years. It removes much of the desktop metaphor we are used to. This, in and of itself, is revolutionary and will change how the majority of people interact with a computer. It will be like going from a standard transmission to an automatic.”
“The iPad is a simple, fairly light device to get full-screen access to all of iTunes and the Web. Its main advantage is simplicity – there is nothing to adminster. So it is better than buying a cheapie laptop for the family to use on the coach.”
“It’s revolutionary….eventually. Once they get people used to the idea it will take off. I expect that this time next year the market will be flooded with tablets.”
“I’m not even sure it is an evolution. It looks more restrictive to me, but it may make rough edges of computing smooth for those who are prone to accidents.”
“IF there is fast connectivity available that actually works, and IF the battery technology actually works and IF media companies figure out a way to use it, it will be fantastic.”
“Apple wants to ‘fill’ a gap that was not there. Apart from the pure uselessness of it, the iPad is just to fragile to be a ‘on-the-go’ device. I do not want to worry about a thousand dollar piece of glass in my bag at all times!! This device will bought by people with disposable income.”
“I recently bought a MacbookPro. Experience so far with Apple products makes me not want to buy anything from them ever again.”
“It is revolutionary for many reasons. One is — shows the value of transplants. Two, show innovation can innovate what the imagination can conceive — who would have thought the the hardware maker would turn into our main music and book stores. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE APPLE TEAM. At a time in history when there are few heroes those of you who work at Apple keep coming through for the world! People are not into wasting money these days. Yet, this product is selling.”
“Could change publishing and save newspapers and magazines… stay tuned.”
“Eventually I could see the iPad or similar device filling a specialized niche, perhaps as sort of an electronic clipboard. Revolutionary? No, not from my perspective. I can’t ever recall thinking to myself that my computing/entertainment activities were restricted due to the lack of a tablet-style PC.”
“It’s short of revolutionary, but not unimportant. Tablets have been around for quite some time, but perhaps the release of the iPad has brought it to the forefront of consumer thought. Ultimately, the development of the tablet itself was not nearly as important as the first use of touchscreens in a mobile device, and I don’t think that the new wave of tablets (iPad or not) will significantly alter the way consumers prefer to access info/apps or how they view personal computing. I think iPad will give other eReaders a run for their money, but little else.”
“I suspect the clip at which this cannibalizes computer sales for large swathes of casual usage will seem revolutionary to those being burned by it. Large, common multitouch apps are the real revolution.”
“I just don’t see it. If it were running full OS X, maybe, but I’ve got no interest in a big iPod Touch.”
“It will finally get tablets into the mainstream, like the iPhone did with smartphones.”
“I don’t think there’s enough market space between smartphones (which are perpetually outpacing each other) and laptops. Especially given portability and battery life of laptops and the prevalence and reliability of of aircards and services like ClearWire, I just don’t see the iPad making a dent.”
“I’ve seen a TED Talk that highlighted new technologies that will eliminate traditional keyboards, screens, and the way we think about how we interface with computers. The iPad is great, but I already have an iPhone and I don’t really see an advantage to getting what is basically a larger iPhone.”
“It’s the beginning of the end of the desktop interface (mouse, menus, windows).”
“It certainly has the *potential* to be revolutionary, but without multi-tasking and Flash support, it is severely hindered.”
“Doesn’t solve a need. Too big for full portability. Not powerful or full featured enough to replace my laptop. My laptop works fine in my living room. Why do i need a $500 book reader/tv remote control? When it has real apps and handwriting recognition like my Windows 7 tablet, then maybe I’ll consider it.”
“While I love my laptop/desktop/mobile phone, I find myself watching TV and surfing the web on my iPod Touch more often because it’s just easier. My g/f feels the same way and is in fact wanting to buy more than I do. I think once people realize how easy it is to just turn it on and surf the web, the less they will use their laptop/desktop.”
“There will be many other tablets hitting the market. Most other ones will run a version of GNU/Linux (partly because they will have ARM cpus for reduced power consumption, and no version of Windows runs on ARM). They will be cheaper and open, general purpose computers. They will likely also have features the iPad does not. At least some of these tables will likely be fantastic devices.”
“I believe we are seeing the slow death of the keyboard + mouse paradigm. Interestingly, I believe Apple’s decision to highlight iWork on the iPad is the clearest symbol of their commitment to this vision.”
“It’s already sold out. Enough said.”
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