Thoughts on the iPad
Posted by Andrew | Filed under Apple
Today, Apple finally ended the endless speculation about the magical super tablet computer device by introducing a very big iPhone. Okay, so it’s not really just a big iPhone. It’s more of a shrunken MacBook with a more simple version of OS X. Remember, the software running the iPhone is OS X.
I still don’t think that this is a device with mass appeal. It is a really specialized device which I think is perfect for people who do a lot of traveling who want a small device with a big screen to watch movies and read books with in the airport and on the plane and in the bus. I also can see that there is a lot of potential in the medical field. However, if you think that college students like me are going to be carrying these things around with their textbooks on them, well, there’s a problem.
It’s too expensive for the people living on my budget. I mean, digital versions of textbooks are cheaper than there physical counterparts, but they are still pretty expensive. But instantly, without buying a single textbook, you’ve spent at least $500, and let’s be honest, you will have spent closer to 6 or 700 for the better versions. Then, lets say you are going to be saving around $150 a semester on books, so you have to be in school at least 2 years before it actually pays itself off. And that’s all depending on if the textbooks are actually available on the iBook Store or somewhere else.
Oh, and by the time it pays it’s self off, you will want to buy a new one. Because the new one will have a camera, and 4G wireless, and will cost $200 less.
That being said, I want one. I have to just give it up, I am a wanna-be Apple fanboy I would buy anything that Steve Jobs tells me too if only I had the money. I think that this is a great device and would love to just have one to carry around to use to surf the net and to take notes and all of that. I am quite tired of carrying my 15 inch MacBook Pro around, it’s pretty heavy after you’ve been out on campus for a whole day.
Some may say, why not just buy a smaller, less heavy netbook like the Dell Mini or an ASUS Eee PC. It would be cheaper and offer all the functionality you need for a day in class. Well, it’s really hard to use a clamshell laptop when you’re legs are crossed. A tablet solves this promise. And the netbooks aren’t that inexpensive, I mean, do you really want to deal with Linux or Windows 7 Starter?
