iPad - just like the iphone, but worse.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 10:35AM |
Trip ODell *** Disclaimer - I work for Microsoft as a designer on Windows Live. All views reflected here are completely my own. ***
Those of you who know me well, know that I am a long-time (and usually fervent) Apple fan - I buy almost every 1.0 product they announce (when I can afford it) and usually I’m psyched when something as hyped as today’s iPad (seriously? - sounds like a hygiene product) get announced.
Perhaps, now that I work for the competition, I’ve been inoculated against the “reality distortion field” that gives most apple fanboys that warm-fuzzy feeling every January, but to me it stands to reason that this product isn’t particularly disruptive, exciting, etc, etc.
The iPad is cool, but it still encompasses many of the features that I dislike about my iphone - software keyboard with no force feedback, closed system, gets dirty quickly, fragile, etc. etc. I don’t like having to hunt and peck at the keyboard while I type.
Per usual Steve Jobs has designed a device he want to use - but I don’t think Steve watches a lot of TV, movies, etc. I don’t think Steve twitters or blogs.
I think this device would be downright painful to use over an extended period of use. Its not a TV that you can sit back and watch, its not a laptop where you can tilt the screen, its not a reflective display like eInk/Kindle - ultimately I think iPad may join the likes of Newton, the Mac Cube, AppleTV, and the Macbook Air on the trash heap of devices that came, were seen, but did not conquer.
I don’t know about you, but I’ll hold out for MS Courier.


