Having bought my first Mac in 1991 (it was the platform of choice in the design/print industry) I am used to having the piss taken out of me whenever a new Apple product is launched. But I have to say I’m amazed (dismayed?) at the level of hate that surrounds the launch of the iPad.
It goes beyond the normal nerdy reasoning that it is style over substance or that you can get something better for less money, etc, etc. There is an underlying nastiness, the like of which I haven’t seen before – like a pack of dogs turning on one of their own. Why do these people feel so threatened? Is that the normal reaction for people with no imagination? Do they need to pigeon-hole it as inferior until we find out what it is really good at?
I’ve always seen Apple as an equivalent to where Bang & Olufsen is in the hi-fi market. Sure you can get the same features for less – or even better specs for the same money, but B&O have style, and some people are willing to pay for that.
The iPad? Will I get one? Dunno is a good honest answer – I’m keeping an open mind about that – a concept the anti-Apple brigade don’t understand.
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One of the criticisms I have seen is that the iPad is a solution looking for a problem. Consider this:
We are about to witness a great battle in the media/communications industries. Rupert Murdock is backing the Conservatives – and in return they will castrate the BBC.
Old mentality (Rupe losing money with his online newspapers) will be fighting those who “get the web” (Guardian making a profit online). Clearly there will be a rise in people getting their news online and the printed newspapers will go into serious decline.
If Apple wanted to have a profitable presence in this struggle – and being on the online news side – maybe that is the problem that Apple is providing a solution for. I did notice in the various videos and demos that online news was used a lot.
The clincher for me is the pricing – normally Apple is horrendously expensive – but these things start at a price of $499. Very affordable for the type of person that spends far too much time on the web.
I can see it in my mind’s eye, on the coffee table of someone who doesn’t want a laptop/desktop in their lounge.
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