The Apple iPad—Worth all the buzz?

In this issue, we give you a quick and easy breakdown of Apple's newest tech offering.  Whether you're camped out at the Apple store waiting for one, or shaking your head at the latest Apple-induced hysteria around you, here's the skinny. 

Since the day Apple and Steve Jobs unveiled their latest brainchild, critics and bloggers all over the world have been weighing in on Apple’s iPad.  The first computer marketed specifically as an add-on to a primary machine, it seemed revolutionary right from the start. But is the iPad as ground-breaking as Apple wants us to believe?  Will it push other technological staples and recent innovations out of the marketplace?

The Facts
The iPad is thin and sleek, new and sexy. Weighing in at just 1.5 pounds, its 9.7-inch touch-screen display tablet uses an on-screen keyboard for typing.  The iPad can perform the following tasks:  web browsing, checking email, reading e-books, viewing photos, word processing (spreadsheets and presentations, too), and playing movies and games. The design of the iPad is reminiscent of the iPod Touch and the iPhone.  Users who are familiar with these products will have no problem adjusting to the iPad.  The current array of 140,000 iPhone applications will be available to run on the iPad, and new apps specifically for the device are bound to emerge on a regular basis.

The Good
The iPad offers a wide range of benefits for users. It is:

• Convenient
  Lighter and more portable than a laptop, the iPad is convenient for travelers who want compact design, only need limited functionality, and who find working on smart phones  onerous.
• Cost-Effective
  With a starting price of $499, the iPad is cheaper than many similarly-functioning tablets.
• Ready for Work
  Although the iPad is designed primarily for web browsing and checking email, users can purchase iWork—Apple’s newest productivity software suite—that will allow for rudimentary business document work. iWork includes the following features: Keynote (for presentations), Numbers (for spreadsheets), and Pages (for word processing).  It can be purchased as an add-on for just $30.
• Fast
  The “netbook” was designed to be a revolutionary product that could perform the same functions as a laptop, but with less weight. However, when netbooks were introduced by the PC manufacturers, it became apparent that speed had been sacrificed for a streamlined design and lower price point. The iPad is fast because it uses its own Apple-developed processor chip, which has lowered the cost of production.
• Safe
  Because the iPad operates on Apple’s closed operating system, and all its applications must be vetted by Apple, it is more secure and less prone to viruses than netbooks. 

The Bad
The iPad is not without its drawbacks. They include:

• No Flash
  Literally. The iPad does not support Adobe Flash.  Potential iPad customers should be aware of Apple’s unwillingness to deal with the programming language that Flash requires to run.  Apple has a variety of reasons behind this decision, including the fact that Apple doesn’t want to introduce another programming language into the product without being able to control the applications. But, because many web sites rely on Flash for full functionality—and one of the iPad’s touted main uses is web surfing—consumers should be aware of this disconnect.  The web surfing experience will certainly be affected.
• Not a Replacement
  Potential consumers should note that the iPad was not designed to replace the business laptop. For professionals who do lots of work on the go (more than just checking and responding to emails), the laptop is still your best bet. The iPad is for the consumer who needs access to the Internet and email, and does only light work when traveling.

An Agent of Change?
Does the introduction of the iPad pose a threat for the current technology landscape, which includes the netbook, Amazon’s Kindle, and the traditional work environment? Definitely.  Here’s how:

• iPad vs. Kindle
  When the iPad is released, Amazon’s book reader is bound to have some stiff competition.  Amazon’s Kindle runs on an E-Ink screen, which was built to resemble paper, and is not backlit like the iPad’s LCD screen.  The iPad also does more than the Kindle.  Amazon recognizes the potential of iPad to kill the Kindle as a hardware platform, and is fighting back. According to the New York Times, Amazon has recently purchased Touchco—a company that has a touch-based technology that is cheaper to produce than those found in Apple’s products, and is also sensitive to different levels of pressure. This should get interesting.
• iPad vs. Netbook
  As discussed earlier in the article, Apple’s iPad, like a netbook, is designed to be an on-the-go way to check email and surf the web. But the iPad does this much faster than the netbook. Plus, it has a much longer battery life (10 hours fully active, longer on standby).
• iPad vs. the Traditional Workplace Arsenal
  Today’s organizations usually provide employees with a main computer, access to a laptop for remote work purposes, and a smart phone. Companies run into problems because laptops are often difficult to synchronize with primary machines, and they are difficult to manage, since they are not always connected to the network. Using a laptop as a primary machine can pose practicality and ergonomic nightmares. Smartphones can do more and more these days, but they’re still not designed for voluminous work on-the-go. These issues set the stage for the iPad to potentially revolutionize the traditional business hardware suite. In the future, a traditional workstation may be comprised of a main computer, an iPad, and a cellphone. Because iPads were not designed to replace laptops, laptops would still be provided to those employees whose job responsibilities require frequent travel.

Last Word
The Apple iPad has the potential to change the world of technology as we know it.  It could potentially change the way we read, view photos, surf the web, and even do business.  However, you may not want to jump on the bandwagon just yet.  Like most Apple products, a second generation is bound to be released in the not-so-distant future, with likely significant updates and improvements.  Stay tuned as this device—in one way or another—transforms today’s technology landscape.

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