By spring of 2010 the new Apple iPad will be available for purchase in the US, but what exactly is this new modern marvel and will it really be a life changing piece of technology? Apple has a very good track record of making consumer products that are incredibly useful and wildly popular. This time though, one has to wonder if the iPad is really the next big thing or if it is the beginning of a really big blunder. Let's take a look at both side of the story.
Why The Apple iPad Will Be Successful (and why you should buy one!)
The biggest thing the iPad has in its favor at this point is that it comes from Apple. There is a huge user base of Apple aficianados that will go to almost any length to invest in the latest and greatest Apple gadgetry. This pre-disposed user base is also very vocal and very technically literate. If the product is as good as Steve Jobs claims then the Mac base will drive public opinion and in turn drive more and more non-Mac users to invest in the new gadget. While it may not achieve ubiquitous usage in every home, it will almost certainly break even and probably turn a tidy profit in the process. With prices beginning at $500 for a model without cellular data service it certainly does make a person consider buying one when it arrives.
Why It Won't Be Successful (and why you should save your money...)
Perhaps the primary reason the iPad may not be a success is that the public is not really at the point where this type of media device is going to be accepted on a wide spread basis. Essentially the iPad is a netbook computer, but with lots of Apple visual bling to make it more attractive. The reported contracts that Apple has made with news and media outlets are impressive, but similar programs are already available on netbooks, Kindles, and even on cell phones. Many potential buyers will not see the value in investing in something that really has very limited potential beyond as an electronic media device.
Another downside to the iPad is size and in my opinion, design. It is too big to fit in your pocket, and without a lid of some kind to protect the screen I envision thousands of broken iPad LCD screens due to users dropping items on them as they lay hidden under a magazine. The lack of a built in physical keyboard is another potential downside (although Apple has an add-on physical keyboard/dock in the works as well).
Regardless of whether you think the iPad will be a boon or a bust, it is almost certain to get a lot of attention over the coming months. The idea is very futuristic, but perhaps too futuristic for most consumers. Still, if anyone can make it work Apple can, and only time will tell if the iPad is their biggest success story or their first monumental failure.
