Right, then, here we go. Many of you may be wondering why I’m running a blog post that isn’t, in any way, about mobile phones. Y’see, the big news today is that Apple have finally got their bottoms in gear, and announced the tablet computer that’s been rumoured for roughly 8 years. Only now it has an official name: the iPad. It’s being called ‘revolutionary’ (but then, can you think of one device that Apple made that they didn’t call revolutionary) and ‘magical’ by Steve Jobs, as you’d expect.
Well, I’m blogging about it for a simple reason. Three simple reasons, in fact.
First, it’s built not around Mac OS-X, but around the iPhone OS, the same as is used in, obviously, the iPhone (and that brings problems of its own… you’ll see in a minute). Second, you can get it with a built-in 3G modem, effectively giving it mobile broadband, and putting it more or less within the remit of this blog. And the final reason? I really, really cannot see the point of it. So, I get to pick on Apple, while, at the same time, keeping you up to date with the latest tech news.
I love it when I get to do those two thing simultaneously…
But anyway, first, before I go off on a tirade of mickey-taking, the specs. It’s running a specific, Apple branded CPU, running at 1.4 GHz. And that, my friends, is the only noteworthy thing about it, because other than that CPU, it’s an oversized iPod Touch, with a 9.7 inch screen and delusions of grandeur. Honestly, it really is; it even runs on the same operating system (iPhone OS), and that ain’t necessarily a good thing, because it means no Flash support (seriously, even when Captain Jobs was browsing in the keynote speech itself, you could see it wouldn’t display Flash content) and more importantly, no multitasking. Can you think of any other computer that won’t let you do multitasking? And that’s before you get to the fact that although the iPad is clearly designed to let you consume media content (with the inclusion of things like the iBooks reader), the lack of multitasking means you can’t read a book and listen to music at the same time. Or surf the web and listen to music at the same time. Or do anything at all and listen to music at the same time. I’ll edit this bit, after being corrected in the comments. You can listen to music to other things. But it’s the only bit you can multitask on. You can forget about, as I say in the comments, having a browser and an instant messaging chat client thing running at the same time. However, I stand corrected on the iTunes multitasking thing, which I wasn’t aware of. And a big ta to SteveTheGeek for letting me know.
So, if it’s not that great as a tablet computer, is it better as a phone? Well, no, because despite using the iPhone OS, there’s no phone components in it, making it not a phone at all. The 3G modem is literally just for data, so what we have here is, to my mind, a halfway house between phone and computer that includes the worst bits of an iPhone (no multitasking or Flash, only App Store apps will work on it) and a Mac (big). Or, to put it another way, it’s a product for a market that I’m not entirely sure exists. Many tablet computers have been released in the past, and they’ve universally, to a device, sunk without a trace.
Basically, Apple have decided the market should exist, and so they’ve made the iPad to show how godlike and prescient they are, secure in the knowledge that Apple fans will gleefully queue up to buy any over-priced shiny thing that wears an Apple logo. Except, if you read a lot of comments that are appearing on other news sites, even Apple fans are having trouble justifying the iPad’s existence.
Essentially, I see it as Apple wanting the cash, and believing their own hype…
There’s no word on UK release dates or prices, as yet, but you can bet the one with the 3G modem will be a network exclusive. My money’s on O2. So, we shall have to see.
And that pretty much sums up my thoughts on the iPad. I can’t see the point of it, I think it’s an overhyped, oversized iPod Touch, and I don’t even think it’s that pretty (seriously, that bezel round the screen is vast… see the HTC HD2 for how it should be done, with a tiny bezel, that makes the screen look bigger). I’ll leave the final word, however, to Stefan Constantinescu, over at IntoMobile, as he sums up everything I’ve just said in one beautifully pithy sentence:
“With the iPad, Apple just jumped the shark.”
More news as it happens! And be sure to subscribe now to get all the latest action from the world of mobile phones!
January 28th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Just incase you fancy editing your post to make you sound more informed:
As with the iPhone you CAN listen to music while using apps. It’s the ONLY thing you can do at the same time as something else. You can’t however listen to spotify and read a book, because they’re both apps.
According to The Guardian it’s unlikely there’ll be any network exclusivity. But CPW are still vying for distribution exclusivity. And if the deal Apple is trying to make with AT&T is anything to go by there will be no contracts for the iPad. basically you pay full price regardless and if you want a data tariff you sign up to a 30 day rolling data package, which you can reportedly do from within the iPad itself without ever needing to contact a network.
Which brings me to another annoying aspect for anyone already having an iPhone and thinking “AHA! I’ll just pop my iPhone SIM in my iPad and use the same data plan!” Sorry the iPad uses a micro-sim and no regular phone SIMs will fit in it. Yet another example of Apple’s cushiony-soft prison of shinyness.
And i’m pretty sure you haven’t really thought about the bezel too much, how are you going to hold this thing? by gripping the sides of it which if the screen was edge to edge, would cover a portion of the screen.
Don’t get me wrong i’m firmly in your camp and only see this as an expensive coffee table pick-up-and-surf gimmick for those too lazy to turn their laptop on and want a bigger screen than their iPhone.
January 28th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
“As with the iPhone you CAN listen to music while using apps. It’s the ONLY thing you can do at the same time as something else. You can’t however listen to spotify and read a book, because they’re both apps.”
You are absolutely right, I wasn;t aware of that when I wrote the post, so ta. However, I will say this: when, in the years I’ve been writing this blog, have I EVER come across as anything other than a massively ill-informed Apple hater?
I’ll change my point, then, to something I do all the time: having a browser AND an instant messaging client running at the same time. THAT’s something the iPad can’t do. Post editted, ta for pointing that error out.
To be fair, though, there were no subsidies on the original iPhone, but it was an O2-exclusive. We’ll see, though. Very good point about the micro-sim, though, and “cushiony-soft prison of shinyness” may be the best phrase I’ve ever heard.
Fair point about the bezel, but it still doesn’t help the looks, at all.