Would you purchase the all new iPad – perhaps. But let me ask you this, what purpose would you like it to serve apart from that ‘it looks good’?
People under the age of 40 are and would buy the iPad because it looks good rather than its technical capabilities. For all its supposed interactivity, the iPad is a surprisingly static machine, especially for reading. And for the moment, few other universities are showing signs of embracing it for student use. While it’s true that some electronic book platforms for the iPad allow highlighting (it also looks like you’ve just used a fat neon yellow, blue or orange high-lighter) allow you to type notes, they barely take advantage of being digital.
The iPad is and will be a work in progress. After using it for a while you will bump up against its limitations. When you do, you’ll find yourself missing the most utilitarian features of a laptop or PC—the mouse, the multitasking, the word processing. One thing though, the iPad has to be different enough from the company’s three other revenue streams—computers, iPods and iPhones—as not to compromise their sales.
So for now, the iPad is the ultimate consumer device and primarily meant to consume media and not produce it, hence the lack of printing applications, camera and USB ports.
To iPad or not to iPad?
