iPad – the computing (r)evolution?

This time, I did not stay awake to follow the keynote live. In the morning, I was glad. The rumours of the Apple tablet had resulted in a flurry of tablet launches from various companies. I had summarily dismissed all of them being ‘just’ another tablet.

On the face of things, the iPad seems like just another tablet. Well, a closed, flash-less, camera-less, non-multitasking, keyboard-less, non-widescreen tablet. But it’s easy to be dismissive and disappointed.

When the iPhone was launched, Steve Jobs said that it is 5 years ahead of any other similar device in the market. He was wrong. I think no other phone manufacturer in the world has the balls to put just a single button on the main screen. Think about it for a moment. How hard it would have been for Apple to decide to have just ONE button? It’s easy to make concessions and compromise – but it takes an amazing amount of confidence and courage to keep things simple.

I had drooled over the iPhone when it was announced, but decided not to jump for it when it was launched. I had just got myself a new Sony Ericsson W810i (which I think is the last good phone they made) and the initial reviews of the iPhone were not extremely encouraging.

But when I held one in my hands a few weeks after its launch and saw a YouTube video on it for the first time, I decided to get one. It was something special, something that felt so right. It was the first Apple product I bought. Needless to say, I didn’t stop there.

I’m pretty anal when it comes to user experience and Apple’s got me spoilt. When an Apple VP talks about the “coefficient of friction” on the trackpad, I completely understand – and am eternally grateful that they take the trouble.

So, until I experience one for myself, I shall withhold judgment. If it’s anything like the iPhone, the human race of the future will be as tall as monkeys.

Image credit – Pritesh Rane