Our visions of what a tablet-sized mobile device should be capable of have changed considerably over the last 25 years or so, and although the iPad isn't voice-driven and doesn't have a bow-tie wearing host, it is a pretty remarkable step forward in computer interaction. But with all the hype, our expectations were high, and it's easy to understand why there's so much negative press surrounding the release of the iPad. In short, it didn't meet our expectations.
I feel obligated to weigh in on the other side, though because I see a device with a potential to become completely revolutionary (a user interface), disguised in a wrapper that's not so revolutionary (an oversized iPod Touch), and that means it has the key ingredients to become a successful product.
Historically, technologies are either accepted or rejected based on two criteria: 1) Does it do something MUCH BETTER than anything else that's already available, and 2) Does it work like anything else that's already available. Hopefully you agree that these are mutually opposing forces, so it's understandable why any innovation in technology must strike a delicate balance between the familiar and the radical. I would argue that Apple has done an excellent job of finding this balance.
Historically, technologies are either accepted or rejected based on two criteria: 1) Does it do something MUCH BETTER than anything else that's already available, and 2) Does it work like anything else that's already available. Hopefully you agree that these are mutually opposing forces, so it's understandable why any innovation in technology must strike a delicate balance between the familiar and the radical. I would argue that Apple has done an excellent job of finding this balance.
Since people reading this have likely already read a number of articles pointing out the tablet's flaws, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't at least acknowledge some key sticking points and explain why they're not that big a deal. The biggest criticism is the use of DRM--the tired refrain is the same one that's been choking digg with criticisms about the iPhone and the iPod Touch: It's locked down, and the App Store approval process sucks. If this bothers you, just go buy a netbook. With the iPhone and iPad OS, Apple is trying to give us the option of moving away from the plague of viruses, malware, and crapware that accompany an open computing platform. Even for gurus, managing these problems can be time-consuming. Apple also moving away from long boot times and loading big, clunky programs that have a bunch of features we'll never use. Another key criticism is the inability to multitask, but what benefit does multitasking really offer besides distraction from what you're working on? Conceptually, all this means is the ability to switch from one task to another seamlessly, or take a piece of media (or clipboard contents) to another program. The iPad seems to have no trouble hopping from one application to the next, and the clipboard will likely function just like it does on the iPhone. For most people, this is more than adequate. Last but not least is the lack of physical connectivity (USB, etc.). This may prove to be the Achilles' heel of the device, but maybe not. With wifi and cloud-computing tools like Dropbox, the need for physical connectivity to a device is quickly becoming obsolete. I can't even remember the last time I plugged my iPhone into my computer--aside from making backups it's just not that big a deal.
I want to leave you with some underrepresented features that I believe are truly revolutionary. The three productivity applications (Keynote, Pages, Numbers) represent the next generation of software that doesn't rely on a traditional mouse and keyboard, and that, to me, is the most exciting announcement of all. Adjusting images in presentations, designing a page layout, and even manipulating number tables in a spreadsheet just works better when you have direct contact with your content. I've mentioned that I've worked with SMART Boards before, and when you can literally touch the content you're interacting with, the interface just sort of melts away, and you don't even think about it. That's revolutionary.
