The Apple iPad Transcends Its Category

I was going to refrain from commenting on the iPad, although, I must admit that if it turned out to be a “tabletized” MacBook, I probably would have thrown my two cents in. However, since Apple’s announcement, I have seen some really interesting takes on the device, some of which are that the iPad is the Computer of the Future, and some of which are that it is very disappointing. The name itself has been disparaged due to its similarity to a very different set of products.

Rather than reiterate other people’s opinions, I’d rather just give my impression of it, and maybe make some predictions about it.

First of all, I have to say that the iPad has me thinking. View Apple’s video, and it will (or should) get you thinking, too. Go ahead! I’ll wait…

One thing that struck me as very non-Apple was the iPad’s pricing. It is very, very well priced. The most expensive model is $829. That is so unbelievable, I had to recheck it twice. The entry-level one is $499. This is less than the iPhone was at launch! Again, unbelievable. This pricing will drive sales, no doubt about it.

That out of the way, the iPad itself is a truly remarkable device. It has me thinking, because I have to wonder what I really need out of a computer that I can’t do on one of these. My initial reaction was that it is not suitable for the professional computer user, and, that is true in that it cannot replace a powerful desktop or laptop. It is not a replacement for power computer use. Designers, programmers, some writers, most white-collar pros, will still need a “real” computer. My initial reaction was that it was really a consumer device, like the iPod, as opposed to a true computing device, like the Mac. I perceived the scope of the device as a great entertainment device with a modicum of “work” ability. In other words, if you relied on your computer to get your reports or spreadsheets or projects done, this would not be your device. That’s what I thought. But, as I looked deeper, my perception of its scope began to broaden considerably. Now I think that there are lots and lots of professionals and students and “knowledge workers” where this truly could replace, or at least seriously augment, their laptop or desktop.

I can see almost everyone drinking coffee at a Starbucks or Peet’s using one of these instead of lugging a laptop around. Why? Because it is designed to be an extremely good “Netbook,” meaning that it uses the web and internet technologies very well. If you can do it on the web, you can do it on an iPad. At first I thought – sure, Facebook, or Twitter, or reading the New York Times or Drudge Report. But then, I thought – all web-enabled applications, like, say, SalesForce.com, or GMail, or, say, GotoMyPC, can be used on an iPad. In other words, professional applications. This is what gets me thinking. In a world where almost everything has a web interface, then a truly great web device will rule. From just the little bit I saw of the iPad, it is a truly great web device.

Besides its web capabilities, it looks like it will be an awesome PDA – the calendar looks really well thought out, the email application is clean. It will be interesting to see how it works at note-taking. In addition, of course, it plays video and music, and it’s an E-Reader, too, complete with Apple’s new book store.

Dana Blankenhorn wrote a blogpost yesterday about the iPad’s use in Medicine. When I saw it, it became obvious! Of course this would be used by medical pros. Again: Web interface, with some specialized apps available for the device. The iPhone already has a drug database on it… and now, so does the iPad, since it runs all of the iPhone apps.

It got me thinking. Who else would use it?

Every salesman out there (except Microsoft’s or Dell’s) would use it. What a presentation device! You can show it directly to your prospect, or hook it into a projector, all on battery power. Easy too.

Who else?

Let’s see. How about sports junkies? Especially baseball junkies. Take one to the game. Listen to it on the iPad’s headphones from the audio stream, or watch the video stream for televised games. Enter all the stats you want, or look them up as you watch. Imagine looking up the stats on Manny Ramirez as he walks on deck!

Coaches and managers could use it as a mobile playbook.

Who else?

Lawyers during trials, executives instead of PDAs or even laptops.

And teachers. This is a great teacher’s aid. It is a great student’s aid. If it is easy to read on, imagine how it can be used in learning and reference: textbooks and manuals, instructional videos, lectures.

I mentioned that it is an E-Reader, too. I am not fond of E-Readers, personally. I like books, and to me, a book is more than just words on a page, it is tactile as well as intellectual. However, I do a lot of online reading, so it will be interesting to see how the iPad is at reading. It does not have to be as good visually as other E-Readers to seriously eat into their sales, although if the display makes it easy to read for extensive periods, it can easily become the de facto E-Reader, like the iPod became the de facto music player.

Yes, there are limitations – no camera being the one that bothers me. There should be one, but that is not enough to hurt it much. It needs to support Adobe Flash. It would be nice if it had a USB port or two. We’ll see what version 2 brings.

As I write this, I am left thinking, everything I just mentioned can be done with a good laptop computer. What is so special about the iPad that makes it different? The answer is that it is not a laptop. It is a device that is very easy to use, has amazing multi-touch capability and space-sensitivity, is easy to carry, has great battery life, and can easily be used in places where a laptop could not be.

I think the iPad will seriously impact the cheap laptop market. For years the choice was “cheap laptop, or expensive MacBook.” It is not hard to pull the trigger on an $800 Windows laptop as opposed to a $2500 Apple MacBook Pro, even though the MacBook blows it out of the water. Now, the equation has changed. Cheap laptop, or iPad? Windows-dependent (or addicted?) people may choose the cheap laptop, but there is a lot of baggage that comes with Windows, and the iPad just cuts through all that. This will only become more true as more applications become web-centric.

I think that when people saw the iPad released the other day, they were looking at it in the context of laptops and other tablet devices, as I was. The iPad transcends these expectations, and is really a new device. It is tempting to call the iPad an overgrown iPhone, but it is not. Of course it is similar, but it transcends the iPhone, too.

The bottom line is that this is a milestone, just as the iPod and iPhone were milestones.We’ll be seeing a lot of these in the summer, and I am really curious as to where it will go and how it will be used.

What are your thoughts? Please comment!