The killer iPad
Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 06:32AM It's been almost a year since I bought my MacBook Air. At the time, I was concerned that I would regret trading an Ethernet port, CD/DVD drive, a massive mechanical harddrive and multiple USB ports for light weight.
I am happy to report that my little Air is the best computer I have every purchased and I've not missed one feature from bigger, clunkier machines.
I thought of this lack of a sense of loss when reading a very interesting blog post, "iPad, the destroyer: 19 things it wll kill" at Roughly Drafted Magazine. (Thanks to The Committed Sardine for the link.) How Apple kills other technologies is the theme.
Apple has been credited for the extinction of slot and cards, both the 5 1/4 and 3.5 inch floppy drives, the serial port, firewire and the command line (as well as Sony Walkmans). But what makes this article interesting are the predictions of what is now on the endangered species list because of the iPad. Among the more intriguing ...
- DVDs Streaming video is too cool
- eReaders (Kindle, Nook, etc.). "e-ink screens pleased pundits and the cat ladies who sit around reading novel after novel, but it was a remarkably limited technology"
- Stacks of papers in office meetings. This one I doubt, at least in education...
- Textbooks
- Netbooks
- Portable gaming devices (PSP)
- Brochures!
- Microsoft Office
- Idle moments I thought those were already gone.
- Inflight entertainment systems
Read the rest of the list. You may agree or disagree, but it will make you think. And it is entertaining writing.
On balance, I believe I tend to overestimate how much I will miss things and underestimate how much I will miss people. And I don't see much on this little Apple hit list I anticipate missing at all.
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Oh, I am having some problems getting blog comments delivered to my email. Sorry if I don't respond.
Reader Comments (4)
After playing with my brand new iPad for the past 24 hours, I can understand where Dilger is coming from. Streaming Netflix movies and Hulu has cut down on my purchasing of DVD movies and TV episodes. Document sharing could be as simple as turning pages into HTML files and posting on a personal website. That's for those of us who are the ed tech pioneers. :) I think the only problems moving people to accept digital books in place of print is pricing of the digitsl version and getting them to give up the idea of reselling a used book or lending one to a friend for an extended period of time.
Interesting list. And, yes, the idea of no longer sharing a good read gives me pause--though I'm definitely buying an iPad before going to Mongolia. Just the saving in shipping costs in not having to take my usual box or two of books will pay for it. It does have huge potential to replace textbooks, but publishers need to get on the ball and revamp/upgrade their current digital options, which are pretty lame, on the whole.
On another note, and FYI, Doug:
http://bib20.blogspot.com/2010/05/living-on-edge-with-doug-johnson.html
Dumb question, but doesn't the iPad require a sturdy cover to protect the screen if one wants to carry it around? We all put covers on iPhones, iPods and Kindles, it seems like. I can't imagine an iPad in a backpack without a substantial cover if we hope to use it or something like it as a replacement for textbooks. It seems like you might as well be back to a netbook or your MacBook Air. Have you read any comments about this? Just some random thoughts.
Hi Rick,
Yes, I found watching video one of the really fun things to do with the iPad whether Netflix or YouTube.
My sense is that there are licensing and pricing issues that will still be big hurdles to overcome for the wide dissemination of e-books. But who knows. The iPad community seems to be aglow with e-reading apps!
Doug
Hi Jeri,
Well, I broke down and ordered a 3g iPad and some accessories. Kathy Schrock and others have posted some very positive things and another fellow just showed me an app that allows the iPad to play with GoogleDocs. Hey, I never really wanted to save for retirement anyway!
I really appreciate the review and I did a short post that I hope will direct people to your blog. Thanks - you are too kind!
Remember my offer to be your sherpa for Mongolia. I envy you the adventure. Keep your blog up-to-date about your experiences!
Will you be at ISTE in Denver this summer?
Thanks again,
Doug
Hi Janet,
I think the big difference here is the use of the screen as an input instead of a separate screen and keyboard. It just seems handier - even with the cover. I've never put my iPod Touch in a case and it has lived to tell about it.
All the best,
Doug