John Carney won't be buying an iPad:
When the iPad was announced yesterday I found myself surprisingly uninspired. At first it took me a while to figure out why the new product left me cold. But now I know: my problem with the iPad is that it just won't make my life better, simpler, and less burdensome.
The iPad will not rearrange my life the way the iPhone did.
The easiest way to explain this is to run through how the iPhone changed my life. It made a ton of stuff I used to carry around completely unnecessary. It replaced the following devices:
- my old cell phone;
- my blackberry;
- my Flip video recorder;
- my digital camera; and
- my iPod.
Here's a list of what the iPad replaces:
That's right: nothing.
The iPad replaces nothing I have. It isn't a usefully functional personal computer and it doesn't work well as a phone. Instead, it would add to the stuff I carry around with me.
I don't see the iPad as something to carry on a daily basis. Instead, I see the iPad as a much more functional version of the Kindle.
I expect to use the iPad:
- In lieu of my 15-inch MacBook when I'm on a short trip on which I don't need much more than email and web access
- When I'm sitting on the couch watching TV or a movie and I want to quickly Google or Wikpiedia something or check my email
- As a superior e-book reader to replace the Kindle (I hope), especially when it comes to newspapers and magazines or books with lots of maps and/or photos, which are essentially illegible on the Kindle 2.0
- As a PSP replacement
- When I feel like watching Top Gear clips on You Tube when I'm sitting in the back yard smoking a cigar
- Lots of my iPhone apps will work better and look better on a bigger screen
- If wi-fi comes to planes, a tablet will be much more usable than a traditional laptop
Which is not to say there aren't things that could be improved:
- My iTunes library is heavy on video, so it's over 300 GB. 64 GB of memory is going to require even more triage than is the case with my iPod (but not as much as my 16 GB iPhone)
- Why no Flash support?
- Why no USB port?
- How about a camera that's at least up to Skype and video chat?
- Having to pay for a bunch of peripherals (like camera connection cables and a physical keyboard) sucks
- No multitasking?
In sum, I use my Kindle almost every single day. Since I think of the iPad as a MUCH more functional Kindle, it's definitely attractive.
Besides, it's a really cool toy. I want it the same way I wanted a BB Gun and a Chemistry Set when I was a kid, except now if Mom says no I can just ignore her.
Plus, a couple of years ago nobody knew the kinds of stuff we'd be able to do with a iPhone. Who knows what we'll be able to do with an iPad in a year or two. Just like the iPhone, there are bound to be some killer apps we just can't predict.