Apple taking iPad hyperbole to new heights
Summary: OK, we now that ad copy if full of hype and dramatization, but Apple's web copy for the iPad takes this to new extremes.
OK, we now that ad copy if full of hype and dramatization, but Apple's web copy for the iPad takes this to new extremes.
Take a look at this:
One sentence manages to squeeze in the words "advanced," "magical," "revolutionary" and "unbelievable." Maybe there is actually a little unicorn in each one.
Unbelievable.
Ouch, my head hurts!
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Talkback
All the companies do it
The big difference that I've witnessed is that the
Apple faithful truly believe that Apple products
are magical, revolutionary, and innovative. The
RDF prevents them from sorting out what the rest
of us know is marketing speak from the reality of
the situation.
Your comments are logical and accurate ... but from my perspective ...
... from a humble TV remote control to the kitchen top telephone
handset.
Yes, I know, those gadgets are not very high tech but consider this ...
working with senior citizens that just didn't have the good fortune of
living during the "computer era" and would never touch a keyboard or
use a mouse or trackpad (considering all that hardware and software
just too confusing) have expressed genuine interest over the device
after I exposed them to the some of the videos now available to the
general public and my iPod Touch.
Building a device that can perform all the functions that the iPad can
do and making it so easy and uncomplicated that anyone ... ANYONE
... can instinctively use it after only the most brief introduction ... is
magical by any definition of the word.
No one else has built a device like this before.
Now ... I don't think that the iPad is revolutionary although a tablet
concept based on the Apple model might revolutionize how school
text books are used and class subject material presented in the future
... such that a laptop would become unnecessary ... might qualify for
that lofty praise ... but only time will tell.
Just think ... picture the future school room where only a desk with a
docking station (perhaps with keyboard attached via the Apple model)
is needed for the student. And the only item required by the student
would be a tablet computer. No books to carry ... no pens ... no
paper. And a tablet device ... by its very nature ... is a mobile device
... so that field trips could become a fantastic learning experience.
Yes ... I know that the above is "pie-in-the-sky" concept but that's
just the point. Apple products inspire a person to dream ... dream
what can be. They inspire a passion to embrace new technology
rather than a consecrative "wait and see" attitude.
Be honest ... did the unveiling of the PC tablet concept at CES by
Microsoft and its hardware partners invoke as much passion ... either
for or against ... as the Apple iPad did? Be honest.
Well ... there you have it in a nutshell ... Some call it "Hype". Some call
it "drinking the cool aid". Some call it "Hyperbole".
But the spirit that drives a person to buy an Apple product is so
beyond a "reality distortion field" effect.
By the way ... I wish Microsoft would produce a product that instill
such passion ... it would be good for America and the world.
Be honest
It's magical...
No ... not a unicorn ...
crazy little guys in the locker (Men in Black 2) as a more likely possibility.
"working with senior citizens" ....
Hmmmm. Did you also expose them to the fact that every damn thing they download to the device is going to cost them part of that hard earned retirement or SS check they get every month? Get them a notebook with a 17" Screen and all the free content they can handle via the rest home's WIFI. Mac or PC, doesn't matter, just not this waste of money.
Some details were omitted, I admit.
No, I didn't tell them the cost involved. Well, actually the post
ownership cost of any optional downloaded software or informational
content that you cited in your post. The persons I spoke with knew
and understood the projected initial cost of the iPad. But your points
are good and well taken.
And I understand your concern for fiscal responsibility. But I also
understand the most human need for excitement or to experience
"something new". And I understand the look I saw in their faces as
they were shown the videos of the iPad and as they used my iPod
Touch.
Enough said.
"human need for excitement or to experience "something new"
However, last night while watching the NBC news she saw the short story they did on the product launch and decided then and there she WANTED one, it was COOL. So I understand the excitement this thing has caused around the world.
I will, however, wait for USB/SD interfaces and a camera before I invest in one.
Good post.
generation model or going with the new. That goes for any
generation 1 tech product. (I remember all too well the enormous
difference between the gen 1 and gen2 iPhone products ... gen 2 was
SO much better! In fact, I bought the gen 2 iPod Touch product myself
and skipped the gen 1 version. Still don't have the iPhone or any
smartphone for that matter. My trusty Razor still works fine.)
However, I sort of want to get into the SDK experience so I might just
purchase the "el cheap o" version of the gen 1 iPad. And when the gen
2 version arrives in 12 months, give the gen 1 model to my sister's 12
year old princess ... she really is adorable ... and get the newer version
for myself ... but this uncle digresses.
USB/SD . . .
Apple doesn't want them, so they don't exist. Even as third party devices . . .
Then I will never buy one, simple as that. (nt)
A lot of others have already done it...
Apple's designers are behind the times idiots when it comes to technology, while their advertising group are geniuses, selling their crap to the unsuspecting morons out their who fall for the hype.
And a couple of years from now
Classroom? No...
school child. I would want something more
pointed. Kids are already easily distracted;
can you imagine them playing games or surfing
the web while they're supposed to be following
along in a text? As boring as you may consider
it, I would think the Kindle DX or similarly
pointed reader would be more beneficial. They
can read their text (or their books) to their
heart's content - and that's IT.
The classic "Build to the lowest common denominator" argument.
But before I comment on that, let me state that I would not
particularly care (as a parent footing the bills) to have a pre-middle
school child entrusted with such a tablet device.
First ... I doubt the iPad or its like would last too long in the hands of
most children under the age of ten on a daily basis. (Note: I don't
expect any school system to supply a computer or tablet device to
every student ... they don't do that now! I would expect that the cost
of a tablet device to be incurred by the parents or the student
themselves.)
Second ... I must agree with your "kids will be kids" observation.
Although I have never taught elementary or middle school children, I
did volunteer to teach a one hour "Junior Achievement" business
awareness class (lasting 12 weeks or so) to several classes of middle
school 12 year olds. Even exposed to that environment for such a
brief time, I gained an enormous respect for our teachers. Just their
skill at maintaining a ordered learning environment is impressive. I'm
not saying the "little darlings" were "hyper" all of the time ... far from
that worst case scenario ... but I can see where the necessary adult
skills to maintain focus were "somewhat" lacking or undeveloped.
Still ... from middle school on, I would trust the students ... under a
carefully controlled academic environment ... to use a tablet and gain
a much richer learning experience.
For children ten or under, a rugged Kindle type ebook reader might
be a far better choice than a full fledged iPad tablet design. (Although
a multi touch interface that the iPad uses would be so intuitive for
younger children.)
However .. don't underestimate our children's abilities. I know my
sister's two kids were very computer literate by the time they were
eight years old ... they are and they belong to an amazing generation
that should be given the tools and freedom to fully develop their
capabilities.
No one else has built a device like this before?
I stand by my observation.
track ball, a track pad, a mouse or a physical keyboard to access all the
information that the iPad can. A do that on a 10" color display and have
a battery life of 10 hours.
You're dreaming and misguided
BUT what is there to say it'll be any use for students, or any sector? It's an internet toy at the moment as far as I can see. How would it fair with Word, Excel, Photoshop and the Apple/opensource equivalents for 'real' useability. I'd need to see it in a normal environment to even consider your rose tinted vision.
Fujitsu, HP, and others have had far more versatile tablets for years that failed to catch on in the business world.. this will catch on for the browsing in the lounge but I can't see it offering anything for business users, or replacing home PCs/MAcs etc. It might even help my home AV by offering web control of my gadgets but that would be one hell of a priced remote control.
The jury is out in this household.
Dreaming? Definitely. Misguided? ... I don't think so.
how we interact with information. And I'm not the only person who
believes this ... heck, just look at the opinions from most of the
professional Bloggers just on ZDNet to note a similar viewpoint.
I agree with you that the second, third or fourth generation of this
device will be vastly improved. But that's just the point ... that you
and I can actually envision a future second and possible a third and
fourth generation iPad product. I don't believe the tablet form for a
personal computer will now "go away" after this. Or fail to become a
mainstream product platform. If anything, the rest of the Industry will
try to emulate Apple's design in much the same way Google and even
BlackBerry have tried to emulate the iPhone.
And ... after a career using just about every major personal computing
platform available, I don't believe I view things completely through
rose tinted spectacles. (I really do miss my Commodore Amiga era.
Although I couldn't afford it at the time, the Amiga - NewTek video
Toaster combo can still do things that Apple and Microsoft presently
only dream of doing. For video multimedia work, I chose Scala ... but I
digress.)
To prove the above point, any device that fails to run Flash based
internet content (for whatever political reason) reduces the user
experience considerably. For that reason ... and that reason only ...
the iPad would not be a viable option for a personal computing device
regardless of how good it might be.
As for compatibility with the Microsoft Office Suite of applications
(which I have as well ... one has to love virtualization software), Steve
Jobs has gone on record as stating that the iPad office suite will
import and export to the Microsoft Office Suite format.
From personal experience, the only Excel spreadsheets that have
failed to be imported correctly into an Apple's "Numbers" spreadsheet
program were sophisticated Excel spreadsheets utilizing visual basic
sub routines (among other things ... I am a retired corporate
automotive engineer and yes ... I do know "some" Microsoft Visual
Basic and .Net programming skills). As for Word and PowerPoint
presentations, I have not experienced any cross platform migration
problems. Believe it or not, PowerPoint Presentations run easier under
Keynote than they do under PowerPoint ... go figure. Not better, mind
you ... both programs produce the same end result ... just easier to
work with and present.
As for Photoshop ... hey ... that's what a laptop or desktop will be
used for. However, an artist drawing program demoed during the iPad
unveiling did show some promise. Since the iPad can display graphics
rather well, I don't foresee a technical problem preventing Adobe from
porting this program to the iPad platform. (I do see several practical
and some political reasons why Adobe would choose not to. At any
rate, I'm sure there will be several apps created to handle and
manipulate photoshop files on the iPad platform in the future.) And,
for a few extra dollars, there are vendors able to supply a stylus input
device that will work on the iPad ... just as their stylus products
currently work on the iPhone/iPod Touch platform.
By the way...the demoed iPad calendar, email and appointment apps
look really slick. I wish I would have had an iPad type tablet during
my Corporate days ... my Franklin Day planner was getting a little
"long in the tooth" ... and heavy ... to log around with on a daily basis
let alone lugging a laptop with me on top of that.
Your views on its home use as an AV optional gadget are correct.
However, you did fail to mention its potential to stream TV and video
content. (There is an app designed to integrate Slingbox and the
iphone/iPod Touch. I have recently read that EyeTV and another
similar app can accomplish the same feat of streaming video content
to Apple products.)
Which, of course, brings us to the topic of "Apps". The ace in the hole.
With third party Apps, the iPad becomes a very good customized user
device. A person doesn't need to download thousands of available
apps ... there is not time in any person's lifetime to use or experience
the whole "App Universe" ... just the ones that benefit him.
For that reason only, the iPad becomes an instant legitimized
computing platform.
Now ... for the bottom line ... I won't back down on my assessment of
its future impact on our educational system. It may take longer than I
think but it will happen.
Will the iPad (or its future PC / Linux "brothers") become a common
device? I think it will be as common as MP3 devices. Its only going to
be a question on "Who" produces them. And, as of today, Apple
seems to be the front runner.
By the way ... I enjoyed your post and viewpoints. It made for a good
debate.
Oh ... one final minor point. The iPad will work with an external
bluetooth enabled keyboard. (I personally use Microsoft's BlueTooth
Mobile Keyboard 6000. I like it better than the Apple product and the
MS Keyboard comes with a detached numeric keypad unit-for me, a
"deal maker".) I sort of figure, if a person needs to type more words
than even this post has, an external keyboard is required. For all
other uses ... such as internet search inquires, email usage or minor
note taking, the Apple virtual keyboard should prove more than
adequate.
But they are magical!
appear! If that's not magic, I don't know what is!
Don't be so hard on yourself