themosse.net/blog

I used to be an Apple fanboy. A Machead. I would faithfully sit in awe, looking at all the keynotes, almost applauding at the screen in unison with the audience. Whatever Apple delivered, I wanted. I didn’t understand why anybody of sane mind would want any other kind of computer than a Mac. At some point that changed. I still have a Mac, and I kind of like it, but I would never again have it as my only computer. I see the marketing-BS behind the words of the Steve, and sometimes it almost makes me nauseous.

It started about the time the Steve referred to the iPhone (a device I initially craved, but now wouldn’t be caught dead buying…) as “three devices in one – a phone, an iPod and an internet device” I saw red flares before my eyes. That’s like saying my car is “a transportation enabler, a mobile music device and a diesel storage unit“. Now was again the time for Apple to change the game. The Steve descended with his might tablets – behold, the iPad.

Yeah, “iPad“. Isn’t a name like that just asking for confused customers and mixups? The name is both phonetically and visually ridiculously similar to “iPod“. But my problems with this device (no, I think “gadget” is more suitable, as “device” would demand it had an actual purpose) don’t stop there. “The best way to experience the web, email, photos and video. Hands down.” (From the Apple website) Better than doing it on a phone – even a smartphone? Probably. Better than on a full screen desktop, or even laptop? I find that hard to swallow. Better video experience than a Full HD-TV? That’s laying it on pretty thick, even for marketing-BS! Better web, without being capable of showing Flash? How would that even be possible?

Saying it’s going to “save the printing industry” is believing you’re a whole lot more than you are. Mainly – I don’t think that industry actually needs saving. It’s going through a change, yes, and some players are having problems reinventing themselves, but as an industry I don’t think it needs saving. I find the size of it a bit awkward. It’s too big to carry in your pocket, even if you had big pockets. If you need to carry a bag anyway – why not take a whole laptop, then?

Will it sell? Probably. Especially the way the (mainstream) media reports about it. Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet calls it a “supergadget” praising that it has “a browser, e-mail, music, video, audiobooks and podcasts“. Right.. Exactly what almost all mobile phones over a hundred bucks have, and have had for years? Is it a good device? At least not any worse than the competitors. Is it revolutionary? A game changer? The bees knees? The dogs bollocks? Hardly…

The biggest problem, however, is that I can’t see any situation when I would need/want this enough for the price (even if it’s about half the price of what was speculated beforehand). A situation when a laptop/netbook (that Nokia Booklet 3G sure looks sweet!) would be too big and a smartphone (itching for that Google Nexus One at the moment…) too small or limited.

We’ll see how this gadget will do on the real market. Will others than Mac fanboys buy it? Will Mac fanboys buy it? This ex-fanboy won’t. I’m not even sure I think it’s beautiful, which is the one thing you so far have been able to say about all Apple products. It just looks like a stretched iPhone, without the capabilities of the phone. Not even the hands-on video from Engadget got me to want it, even a little.