The iPad

This post was adapted from something that I had previously written.

The Touchpad was one of many devices that was finally expected to provide competition for the iPad. Of course, that's not too shocking considering they say the same thing about pretty much every tablet. That's because the iPad was designed as a smartphone with a larger screen. Other tablets are designed a little more to be tablets. When you look at the iPad's limitations, it is clearly a bottom tier product.

When the iPad was first released, Apple plastered their name over their entry into an existing but unfamiliar market. The usual Apple fanatics immediately drooled all over it, even though they had no reason to buy one. In all fairness, I have never touched an iPad. I also haven’t touched an iPod or an iPhone. I can do my research and find out what products work best for me. I don’t want my money going to buy a logo on a product.

What we are experiencing is essentially the same thing as the iPod and iPhone. Apple sees an emerging market and tries to attach its brand. They make a hard push that distracts people from the reality that the product is already available with better deals from competitors.

The iPod was introduced after digital music players were becoming popular. MP3 players were more affordable than the Apple-branded iPod. Apple added a controlled marketplace. The focus shifted from music that could be used over a wide variety of players including computers and CD players to music meant to be played on a single device. The songs available for the iPod were available elsewhere as DRM-free MP3s, which could be played pretty much anywhere, but iPod owners spent the same price on the music with fewer options.

The iPhone was introduced after smartphones were already commonplace. The Apple branding convinced casual users that they had to waste hundreds of dollars so that they could be locked into a single provider. They promoted their app store, but there were already more advanced programs available for more affordable alternatives.

The iPad brought life to the already existent tablet market. Microsoft has been trying to establish the tablet market for the last decade and increased their push for tablets in Windows 7. Tablets running Windows 7 appear to have comparable prices to the iPad. Once again, people are passing on the better product just so they can buy Apple.

Among the praise I have heard regarding the iPad is the innovation. Like I said, this is not a new product. This is just Apple making a hard push for a product that Microsoft hasn’t succeeded at promoting. The weird part about this is that the people praising Apple for their innovation are criticizing Microsoft for their lack of innovation. They even insist that Microsoft is copying the idea of tablet computers from Apple.

While comparing Apple to Microsoft, I should mention that it is easier to market a single product than a variety. This is advantageous to Apple. Microsoft’s push for tablets extends to numerous manufacturers and doesn’t limit manufacturers to strict requirements. Like all Windows computers, the platform is wide open to custom solutions. While Apple is producing a handful of iPad products, Microsoft is supporting a significant variety of tablets. If you are not just like everybody else, you are more likely to find a product that works for you if you go with something running Windows.

I should be fair. Microsoft has the drawback of a more demanding platform. I probably wouldn't buy one of their tablets due to poor battery life. Other businesses, however, have jumped on board and have already surpassed the iPad in terms of quality. As I mentioned earlier, webOS was a solid and seemingly superior alternative. Personally, I would be more interested in the PlayBook. That tablet looks more like it was designed as a tablet than a big screen smartphone or an ultra-mobile PC. Since the PlayBook lacks the USB port that I would love to have if I bought a tablet, I wouldn't rule out an Android-based model (but only Honeycomb for now).

This brings up another problem. Ever since Apple entered the market, tablets have been limited in terms of functionality. Apple avoided memory card slots and even USB ports.Since they are selling more than everyone else combined, other companies are turning to Apple for inspiration. They are manufacturing crippled tablets because that is what Apple has established as the best approach to tablet development.

Apple is never the first. They’re never the best. They always seem to be the most expensive. Instead of making quality products, they use marketing and brand recognition to convince people that their products are the best. For those of us who don’t automatically believe whatever we are told, this is ineffective. As for those who are stupid enough to fall for Apple’s hype and spin, you are Apple’s target consumer.