Back in Dec 2008 I laid out the specifications for an iPod Plus. It was where I thought Apple would go next. I got the device size completely wrong; 5 inch is nothing like 9.7 inch but at least I predicted correctly that they wouldn’t be silly enough to bring out a netbook.
Apart from the from the sizing error though, I got most of the rest of it spot-on including the entry-level pricing, the ebook capability, the data-only 3G, the storage and most of the software elements. I also predicted that Apple could divert 5-10% of netbook sales and sell 1 million devices per year. We’ll see about that next year!
Unfortunately, Apple left out a few of the things I was expecting.
Hardware (can not be fixed until next model is released)
- Web cam
- Digital video out
- FM transmitter and receiver
Personally I can live without all of those but I’m still surprised they weren’t included.
Software
- Turn-by-turn navigation included.
- Multitasking
- Live widgets on home page
- Video/Voice over IP s/w.
Multitasking is the big personal disappointment.
I think Apple could still push out a 5-7 inch version of the iPad (iPad Mini) and include the missing elements (just like the 2nd-gen iPhone did) and of course, most of those missing software elements can be enabled through software updates.
That’s enough of me though, how about you? What were you expecting and what are you wishing for on the iPad?
Multitasking! Jezze apple, even my wife does facebook and rfill her mp3 at the same time!
Ports – I buy an ipad and I can’t plug my iphone in? What’s that all about?
Pen Input – I know I’m in a minority here but I like choosing on my TX.
I still have to tip my hat to superior marketing, and a business jugernought that succeeds in areas where others have fought for years to be number one. No wish list will ever make its way onto Job’s desk. No matter how much I want ultimate hackability, I’m just not going to get it, but eventualy, I will get IT.
It will be nice, and I’ll enjoy it, but I’ll never love it. Oh well, at least its cheap!
How about a player that can play 720p .mkv with soft subtitles. I know the iPhone can’t do that. The Mac OS X can’t do it well on my MBP using 3rd party software.
I often wonder about MKV. It’s clearly a format used for HQ video /mulit-audio/subtitle copies (in most cases) and that puts it in the ‘hacker’ audience for me. The iPad is not aimed at that audience.
The Archos 5,7 however, is a different matter!
I’m pretty sure people who watch .mkv videos would also pick up a tablet device. For example, there are a lot of fans of Asian dramas and cartoons which are often distributed in the .mkv container by groups who translate and subtitle them (fansubs).
The people who watch them range from kids to adults (I know women in their 50s who watch a lot of Asian drama shows). A fair amount of these people wouldn’t be considered a hacker or let alone tech savvy which is probably Apples main target audience. They just want to download that Korean drama, double click it and expect it to play smoothly with subtitles.
I am pretty sure, Steeve would love to sell this type of content to soap-opera lovers via iTunes store. The whole aim of the iPod/iPhone/iPad marketing is for you not to have to dance around a fire pit, loading codecs and copying video files one it, but click and purchase content, this whole thing about iStuff is being a nice modern cyber-shefl at the Steeve’s marketplace. If your opera-loving housewifes are advanced enough to download mkv videos and sort codecs, why on earth they need Apple stuff? Apple is a manic shoppers’ choice. Digital supermarket addicts. In a nice frame.
Whose to say that these housewives are the ones who actually set everything up. Pretty good chance they just click the play button and go bug someone when things don’t work.
how about an iTampon stylus accessory?
nothing missing – it’s already a bigger and better iPod Touch, WITH the ability to connect a bluetooth keyboard. Many people that will buy this already have an iPhone, so it doesn’t need a camera. Presumably you will be able to transfer pics from your iPhone using WiFI.
Lack of Skype with web camera !!!!!!
People who focus on the lack of multitasking on the iPad are missing the point that the iPhone and iPad try to transform computers as we know it into a new type of device. Focused, intuitive, task oriented rather than file oriented / unfocused / complex / multitasking.
(And the whole android platform seems to miss that point too… future will tell if android is going to be ugly and instable or if they can ‘repair’ the wrong design choices later on….. or maybe the future will tell us that Apple’s design stays misunderstood by many people and we fall back into devices with multitasking and a lot of complexity and instability).
This is a very good article about this subject that the iPad is a really different computing paradigm:
http://stevenf.tumblr.com/post/359224392/i-need-to-talk-to-you-about-computers-ive-been
I do think that the iPad could use a better notification system (for push notifications and that kind of stuff…). But it certainly does not need multitasking (right now). The issue of mulitasking is this: you can only run apps in the background once you are 100% sure they are not going to cause memory leaks and other sorts of nasty instability.
The third party software written nowadays is not ready yet for that level of stability. So I think it is a very great idea to keep the platform single tasking and high performant.
i’ve been reading alot of stuff about the iPad and one thing becomes clear to me is that they do need an upgrade path. why stuff everything into the first one and then have nowhere to go?
iPad 2.0 will have a webcam and some ports or something, but it will be an upgrade from the original. too when they release the iphone 4.0 there will be multi tasking. and thats when july, aug maybe? thats usually when we get a new iPhone some thing or other AND conveniently not too long after the iPad launches.
i’m going to adopt a wait and see attitude as there are plenty of MID’s etc coming over the next months. it’s going to be very interesting few months in my opinion
Chippy where is the upgrade path if your hardware requests were included?
Only a PC company would throw everything but the kitchen sink in iteration 1!
That’s why I buy PCs. I get everything that’s available TODAY. Then when new technology comes out I’ll get another PC so I can get everything available then.
I don’t want something that lacks features I want then get slapped in the face when iteration 2 has the features I wanted the year before.
You know being behind in technology isn’t a good thing.
Exactly, like have a USB 2.0 port and then add USB 3.0 when it becomes more wide spread. Maybe have an SDHC slot then upgrade it to SDXC. Apple could upgrade to technology similar to Pixel Qi or Qualcomm Mirasol so their eReader claim would actually have some merit. It could have HDMI now then later upgrade to a newer HDMI version or its eventual replacement.
Technology changes fast so there will always be something to upgrade to. I don’t like intentionly crippling a device so it could be “upgraded” later (ie. iPhone 2G to 3G).
that upgrade path argument is just nonsense.
Again you fellas are thinking like a PC user, and Apple just wants to sell to a simpler “consumer” mindset. A customer who just buys a product for what it does… they don’t tinker so much they just use its basic features… like eBook readers… or a few games, and other basic apps… you guys might desperately WANT the iPad to be a PC but… Apple doesn’t.
I don’t know, someone paying $500 won’t just want basic features. Besides, simple consumer minds would think that looking at your photos on your big HDTV is a pretty basic functionality and would probably be surprised they have to BUY some accessory to do it. Or how about transfer their photos onto the iPad from their camera without yet another extra accessory. eBook readers probably want to read for hours without eye strain but you can’t do that on the iPad’s LCD screen. So ya, for $500 it better do more than my iPod Touch.
Tai-Pan, agree with you completely. Apple sells its ideology of iConsumer generation. Which should be fine by most people. How much people think about joining rally or circuit racing when buying a family wagon? Some do, upgrading and tuning their cars, sure, but generally people are buying cars for very basic “Home-Work-Store” functions. Same with PCs. Why on earth someone is buying Apple PC when they lack many programs Windows PC have? My wife has a MacBook, but she never uses anything else except web browser even for email. I believe this is typical. I do write this from iMac but I have a Windows 7 running on it :) So maybe more hardcore users should look for Android ports to iPad :)
The list what mentioned above, regarding software and hardware. is the exact match, what i had in my mind, when i first saw ipad.
I like it to be my gps, radio, video/photo cam, cellphone, laptop.
If it misses any of these, its waste to buy it.
I do expect it to have atleast a optical drive, may not be be blueray, but it should read a dvd
Not only that, i am more kind of listeneer then reader, i like apple to come up with more audio book content.
And they should even introduce the paper ink in that.
If apple come with all the above set, what i mentioned, then paying few bugs more no big issue.
I think of it NOT as a laptop replacement, or a large iPhone/iPod touch, but rather a niche device that needs to establish unique usage. Include easy-to-use features that are too complex to manage on other existing devices, such as:
-Sheet music page-turner with easy searchable cataloging (optional automated or sync’ed page turning for multiple performers)
-Hand-held scanning and organization software attachment for students in libraries, traveling business people, etc…
-Easy event sign-in applications for taking RSVPS & accurate hand-writing recognition
-Lecture-hall or conference software for audience members to take notes, receive digitally offered content, and to answer poll questions or submit questions
one word. Ink. I understand the value of a device like this. And yes who wouldn’t want one? :-)
But for it to be valuable to me it would need multitasking and have inking abilities just to be able to research on the Web and take notes. It pretty much has everything else I need.
hi Many thanks for a fascinating article. Bookmarked and visit again very soon. ttul
i always download movies from rapidshare, bittorrent and sometimes on video sharing sites.~`*
thats a great article!
keep doing this great job!
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