Posts Tagged: apple tablet

advertising / apple / apple news / iPad / observatory / steve jobs / tablets — 10 Comments
3
Mar 11

iPad 2: what a difference a year makes

It’s easy to forget what happened a year ago when Apple unveiled iPad.

The most anticipated launch in the company’s history turned out, in many ways, to be a dud. I’m not talking about the device. I’m talking about the launch.

The naysayers went to work within seconds: the name is embarrassing, there are no surprises, it’s just a bigger iPod touch, Apple’s string of successes is finally snapped — it was unrelenting. iPad became a joke for late-night comics. If Apple stock were based on popular opinion, it would have plummeted at least 50%.

Only when people got their hands on iPad two months later did things turn around. You know the rest — it became the most successful new product in Apple history.

So it was with great interest that I read the day-after reviews this morning. Not a lot of overt gushing, but generally positive. Quite a few are in the “met expectations” camp. Which, in some cases, is simply a backhanded compliment from someone who had their heart set on drawing blood.

Personally, I was a satisfied customer. My test is simple: if I look at the old and new models side by side, and I can’t imagine myself using the old one, I feel like Apple has done its job. There are too many things “wrong” with the old one now, or just missing, for me to be interested. A ton of current owners will want to upgrade, and a ton of people who were waiting for a better iPad will eagerly jump in. It more than holds up against the imitators who can’t offer the ecosystem surrounding Apple products.

Here are my reactions to yesterday’s launch event, in no meaningful order.

Hello, Steve. Well, wasn’t that a nice surprise. Good to see Steve back in the saddle. I think it’s significant, because it quashes some of the darker theories out there.

“Don’t expect more than a speed bump.” As most know, a leak one day prior to the event from an “Apple staffer” warned us not to get too excited about iPad 2. It’s just a speed bump. The real fun comes with iPad 3, later in the year. Uh huh. This story was re-blogged over 500 times. Not that we need further proof, but this only demonstrates the uncontrollable drive that many feel to spew any and all details about an upcoming Apple product. You’d hope that by now, people wouldn’t be so eager to go on record spreading false rumors.

The Smart Cover. Damn, it’s cute. Probably one of the best examples of sexy simplicity Apple has come up with in a while. (And kudos to the Apple writer who came up with the line on the website: One great idea on top of another. Good one.)

The chip. Love it. Not only does the dual-core A5 chip deliver that snappy performance, it allows Apple to remain super-competitive in price. The other guys have to pay someone else for a processor, and those little buggers ain’t cheap.

The name A5. Does anyone know the real origin of the naming scheme? What happened to A1, A2 and A3? Just curious.

The iPad 2 video. After every launch, I say the same thing. The video is fine, high quality, hit all the big points, etc. It just looks and sounds like every other video Apple has done in the last few years — right down to the superlative overload. My ideal Apple is never formulaic. This is a formula.

The Smart Cover video. Totally cool. Beautifully done. A great example of how a spot that trumpets only a relatively insignificant feature can give you such a positive feeling about the overall product (and the company that made it). Hope it runs as a commercial.

White. Yippee! But I like black.

The competition. Back at CES in January, over 100 tablets stood up to compete with iPad. Unfortunately, they were competing with the wrong iPad. Like Apple has done since the second iPod, they’ve unveiled a new version just as the other guys are able to say “we got one too.” If you’re a competitor, there’s only one known defense: make an original, revolutionary product yourself. And you know how often that happens.

“2011: The year of iPad 2.” As a theme line for the event … thanks, but no thanks. It’s a bit too self-congratulatory for my taste. I’m used to Apple saying things like “the year of HD” and “the year of wireless.” Not “the year of iMovie HD” and “the year of AirPort.” However, I do agree with the sentiment. Barring any economic disaster, with businesses, schools and consumers lining up to buy, 2011 is going to be all iPad, all the time.

naming / strategy / technology — 29 Comments
28
Jan 10

iPad: the day after

First the Jesus phone, now this?

Some stream-of-consciousness thoughts about yesterday’s launch of iPad:

Understatement of the day. CNN included this statement in their pre-event coverage: Apple CEO Steve Jobs is said to have taken an active role in the development of the company’s rumored tablet device.

The name iPad. It had been growing on me prior to launch. Back-rationalizing aside (or is that back-pedaling?), there’s a lot of logic to it. My idealized version of Apple just isn’t quite so logical. The good news is: the name is short, heavily branded and looks damn good on the device. Remember, names are only scrutinized at the beginning. After that, they’re just names. (Google? Get out.) And yes, this does give our little friend i a new lease on life.

Home-grown processor. A double big deal. Those who played with iPad after the show reported that it’s wicked fast. Even better, Apple makes the A4 processor themselves. That’s a ton cheaper than buying it from Intel, and clearly the main reason it’s as affordable as it is. Good name, too. I can just imagine the conversation. “It’s Apple’s first processor, so let’s call it A1.” “Nah, doesn’t sound very advanced. A4 is three generations faster.”

Leaks hurt. When product details leaked in advance of past Macworld shows, the event never seemed quite as exciting. Yesterday felt a bit like that — because so much about iPad had been rumored or predicted with fair accuracy. iPhone looked nothing like the rumors had it.

Professional jealousy. I know from experience that all this fanfare and anticipation often grates on other technology companies. “5% of the market share, 95% of the PR,” they moan. Hey, nothing’s stopping Dell from holding a major press event to announce their newest Inspiron.

User switching. iPad feels like the perfect device to keep on the coffee table for the whole family to use. So how does email work when you pass the device to another user? Log off/log on? Fast user switching? Just curious.

Category overload. Steve took special care to present iPad as a third category of product, positioned between iPhone and MacBook. He even concluded the show by asking “do we have what it takes to establish a third category of products?” I get that. Not to be a stickler, but Steve did introduce iPhone three years ago as Apple’s third category of products. Those are the product tabs currently on apple.com (Mac, iPod, iPhone). So how many categories of product does Apple now sell? Three or four? Will the tabs on the website change, or does iPad join forces with iPhone? (Even though it is actually more similar to iPod touch.)

Multitasking. Missing in action. Big problem. Especially when even Droid is out there multitasking its little heart out. iPad runs zillions of apps — but only one at a time. Fix, please.

No camera. Big problem #2. How can you have offer such a natural, trend-setting, socially-minded device without the ability to video chat? Probably some physical reason why, but Apple has bent the laws of physics before.

Where’s iLife ’10? Okay, so I was wrong about this prediction. But now that I am humbled, I do remember how Mac OS X was once delayed for six months because Apple’s software resources were focused on developing iPhone. We have to remember that Apple isn’t Microsoft. (Like that’s tough to remember.) They don’t have thousands of programmers. When they have a major challenge, it’s all-hands-on-deck time. Maybe we’ll get a new iLife by spring? I will continue to predict until I get it right.

Apple logo. Is that big Apple logo on the back facing the right way? It’s correct in portrait position, but it’s sideways in landscape position. The images on apple.com seem to be a 50-50 mix of vertical and horizontal orientation, so there is no right or wrong here. I think it’s time for the world’s first accelerometer-based swiveling logo.

Questionable icon. My eyes, my eyes. What’s with the iBooks icon? Click the right arrow on the iPad Gallery page to see the icon lineup. They’re all colorful and beautifully designed — until you get to iBooks. It’s Zune brown, and feels a few decades behind. Can we send that one back?

Overall: iPad has a lot to love, but nirvana is still up the road apiece. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing — Apple’s starting point is light years beyond the other guys’ ending point.

naming / strategy / technology — 13 Comments
26
Jan 10

’Twas the night before tablet…

Almost showtime

Only a few hours till T-Day. I’ll be damned if I’m going to be left out when they count all the blogs that hyped the tablet today. Just a few miscellaneous observations:

Steve. Everyone is so focused on the tablet, nobody’s even mentioned Steve’s health lately. But the Steve-watch will be back in the news, for sure. Expect many reports to start with “A healthier-looking Steve Jobs took the stage today to announce…” At least I hope they do.

Ressurection. For those who think Apple might recycle the Newton or iBook names — forget it. Impossible to imagine Apple naming a thoroughly new device after a thoroughly dead device. Remember also, there are still lots of iBooks out there. How confusing would that be? I’m crossing my fingers for something more imaginative, but the Vegas oddsmakers are heavy on iSlate. iPad is making a late surge around the home stretch.

To i or not to i. Keep an eye on that pesky little letter — for the future starts here. Should the tablet escape without an i, it will be a good indication of where things are going. If the i sucks the tablet into its orbit, assume we’ll be living with it for the rest of our natural lives.

Collateral damage. Black-and-white e-readers, anyone? I’m sure you’ll see some great deals real soon.

The warm-up act. I believe we’ll see more than the tablet tomorrow. We’ll need a major iTunes Store update to present all the new media that will be available there. It’s time for the annual iLife update too. After Steve shows us how magazines will reinvent themselves on the tablet, imagine if he shows us a fantastic new way to share our lives. Use the new features in iLife to create your own “magazine” with words, pictures and videos. It may even call for a new iLife app. iMag? iPub? iNews?

Unfathomably moronic. Rob Enderle says the venue for the announcement indicates that Apple wants to “distance itself from this offering,” as if it’s “a product the company isn’t that sure of.” I had no idea human beings were even capable of such dribble.

Macworld who? Just a year ago we were sobbing over Apple’s rejection of Macworld. We’re better now. Way better. Didn’t exactly seem to hurt the buzz factor, did it?

That’s it. No more tablet talk till we see the whites of its eyes. Enjoy the show.

naming / observatory / strategy / technology — 24 Comments
21
Jan 10

A monumental naming opportunity

In the naming biz, this is a dream job

What a difference a few billion eyeballs can  make.

While some new products lead a pauper’s life when it comes to advertising and PR, Apple’s new tablet will be born into obscene riches. It will become a TV star, a global headline, grace the cover of hundreds of magazines and be analyzed in thousands of blogs. Whatever name Apple gives it — that word will echo across the land.

Naming experts will tell you that even silly names are accepted quickly, as soon as they become familiar. (See Verizon, Virgin and Google.) Clearly the tablet’s name will become familiar with breathtaking speed.

This gives Apple license to be incredibly brave. They can make the name as creative as the product itself. But how brave will they be? If you try to go by Apple history, it will only confuse you. Here, you’ll find two totally opposite examples: iPod and iPhone.

iPod is a classic name for the ages. No one could have predicted it, since it said nothing about the product other than vaguely describe its form factor. It had as little to do with music as the name Macintosh did with computers. But by creating such a magnificent user experience, Apple would soon make the name iPod synonymous with music — and one of the most powerful brand names on earth.

iPhone took a completely different path. The product was hotly anticipated for months, and the prognosticators had already dubbed it the iPhone. The familiar “i” made it an Apple product, and the device would be … a phone. Not Apple’s most imaginative moment.

With iPhone, the category named the product. With iPod, the product named the category.

My hope is that the tablet’s naming will be more in the creative tradition of iPod and less in the obvious tradition of iPhone. Granted, slate describes the shape of the product just as pod did before. The difference here is that the industry is already overflowing with tablets and slates. It was a feisty and original Apple that shook up the music business with the word iPod. It would be great to see that same Apple show up on Wednesday.

The only real argument for iSlate is that it eliminates the need to educate customers. But with all the world’s attention already so intensely focused, I don’t see the need to educate — only the need to amaze.

We’ll soon see which side of the brain won the debate.

strategy / technology — 10 Comments
6
Oct 09

Revolutionizing the revolution

Who knows what the Apple iTablet will look like. But change things it will.

Who knows what the iTablet will look like. But change things it will.

Apple has gotten pretty good at the revolution business. When they enter a category, it is assumed that there will be a world-changing result. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it gets tons of free PR (which preloads the cannon for the next product). Coming soon: iTablet.

Apple does what they do so well, they get credited with inventing a new category — even though, technically speaking, they’re taking over an existing one. They’re revolutionizing someone else’s revolution. You might even argue that, other than the original Apple I computer, Apple has yet to create a single revolution from scratch. They simply identify an existing category and create something better. Vastly, exceedingly, wonderfully better.

The Mac debuted in a world of PCs. MP3 players were the hot device before the first iPod was unveiled. Smartphones were a huge market before iPhone appeared. Now iTablet will revolutionize a category populated by Kindle and its imitators, and all those netbooks. Following the Apple playbook, they will take this idea and turn it into something so fundamentally game-changing that all these other guys will be left scratching their heads and wondering why they didn’t think of that.

Kindle is cool, but shallow. It’s a convenient way to consume print’s black-and-white past. It’s a hint of revolution — but it’s a revolution about to be hijacked.

Just as iPod changed music and iPhone changed communications, iTablet will change the way we consume media. We’ll all say “of course” when we see a simple and elegant way to enjoy newspapers, magazines, books, music, movies and all of the Internet in one painfully cool device. We’ll marvel at the new vision of “the daily paper,” combining print with video and gorgeous graphics that bring stories to life (never mind that it’s all out there on the web already). And we’ll wonder how civilized people could ever have allowed all those trees to be slaughtered, only to be mashed into mega-tons of newsprint that get tossed at the end of the day.

The scope of this revolution requires Apple to recruit partners. Big ones. They’re lining up the major media companies, who will announce new forms of content designed to meet the new iTablet standard, just as they seduced the record companies and movie studios before. Newspapers and magazines, now a dying breed, will re-emerge with new vitality as an integral part of our mobile lives.

It’s not that others couldn’t see this coming. It’s that they didn’t have the will, the ingenuity and the leadership to make it happen. This is a revolution that needed a good hijacking.