Yesterday was a monumental day for tech news. I eagerly awaited Steve Job's keynote presentation about Apple's revolutionary new tablet device: the iPad. Later that night I found myself relentlessly searching for perspectives from the tech community. Here's a summary of the blog posts I found most interesting.
The Uncomputer
Daniel Tenner's post "iPad: and Apple for Mom" explains why the iPad may be exactly what the masses have been waiting for. He argues that "most people don't need a proper computer at all."
Marketing
Rory Marinich's amusing post "This is why it's worth learning about advertising" discusses Apple's sales pitch: Our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price. He describes the iPad as: "simply put, a magical screen that can do anything you ever want it to, no matter what that is."
Inspiration
Miguel de Icaza's post "iPad - Inspirational Hardware" talks about his excitement for building applications on a touch-based computer. He wants to build apps using his favorite language, C# (which I use at my job).
Regret
Alex Payne's post "On the iPad" expresses his concern that the closed nature of the device may be detrimental to the next generation. He states "if I had an iPad rather than a real computer as a kid, I’d never be a programmer today."
My Personal Take
I'd love to use the iPad as an information consuming device. Often times I read news in bed and other non-desk locations. The iPhone has provided me with lots of innovative apps that help me find exactly the information I'm after. Although I don't have $500 burning a hole in my pocket, I can certainly see the allure and this new book/blog/news reading gadget. Am I too caught up in all the hype?
