James,
I, for one, got what you mean in your ?Game over? comment. That is, for the foreseeable future. All Apple really did this time around is release what it needed to remain competitive. Like you, I?ve been using mobile tech since lugging around a 25 lb block back in the very early 90?s. I?m writing this message on my HP 2740p and have been using tablet PC?s as my primary work PC since ?05. I?ve been using handheld?s since my first Palm device in ?97. I have followed the market closely the entire time.
But in your comment about price, you really only touch a part of the equation. It?s not simply price of the hardware, but cost of ownership. Apple not only has a product that doesn?t require a carrier data plan at an additional cost, that plan is available on an ad hoc contract. I only have to pay for data if/when I needed it. That is very compelling. Also one must consider the cost of software. When I finally retired my Palm device and switched to a Touch, not only were most of my mission-critical applications ported to iOS, but many had either low- or no-cost upgrades. It wasn?t too heavy a cost burden to get all my beloved Palm apps on my Touch. That also meant that there was very little learning curve ? which for me, also translates into a cost. Actually, adding an iPad would not add anything to my cost of software, since I am allowed to have dual installs.
That?s not to say the Apple products are perfect. Far from it. Even at 64 GB, external storage would be useful for me. Digital ink capture would be a very important addition. Admittedly, I?m quite spoiled by being able to use both my finger and a Wacom pen on my tablet PC. And why, oh why, hasn?t MindManager been ported to iOS??? iTunes has an effect on me similar to my wife?s ?Antonio?s Red Eared Chili? recipe, named after my son. Still, the iPad does satisfy the 80/20 rule for requirements in project management.
In the last 6 months, my need for mobility/portability has dramatically increased. As powerful as my 2740 is, I?m finding there are too many times that I simply need other types of ultraportable capability that could be met with these types of tablets; particularly weight and battery life combined with cross-platform compatibility. I?ve been holding off, because the iPad just hasn?t been very compelling for me yet. However, the need has continued to increase. As much as I love to ?geek around,? I need something that will work out of the box. I need it to be highly cost effective. I need it available now. I have held off as long as possible to see what was coming from the competition, but that luxury is rapidly slipping away.
Android machines continue to be intriguing, but I?m spoiled by PalmOS, iOS, and yes, even Win7?s tablet capabilities. It?s intriguing, but not compelling. Certainly not compelling enough to re-invest the cost for applications. Besides, I trust Google even less than Apple. Lenovo, Asus and HP have some interesting devices, but all are crippled with Atom processors. HP?s Slate fits most criteria I require, but it simply lacks the horsepower and it?s availability is limited.
I had a lot of hope for HP?s WebOS device, but their announcement left me underwhelmed. Excellent piece of hardware, but no real idea of availability or pricing. Most important, HP didn?t address what they were doing to woo developers. Personally, my thermometer for the success of WebOS is whether or not they can get DataViz back in the fold. If they can convince them it?s worth it to produce Docs2Go for WebOS, then I think they have a real chance. iPad 3? Well rumors of that started before iPad 2 was even official. Sorry, I just don?t have the time to wait for it.
At the end of the day, the iPad 2 will satisfy at least 80% of my needs in a very cost effective manner. The competition cannot do this. Apple will win my business for this generation of hardware.
Frankly ? perhaps ironically ? the last time I saw this kind of platform domination was the Palm devices in the late 90?s through about 2004. Solid hardware, good software options, and an user experience that solved problems and made me more productive. Will Apple domination last? Of course not. As with all technologies I?ve seen in the 30 years of my professional experience, competition will gradually chip away. It will reach a critical point and then the lead will crumble quickly. How long that will take is anybody?s guess, but it?s a safe bet that it will be at least two hardware generations. For today, however, and quite a few today?s coming, we seem to be stuck with Apple.
Later,
Raul
