Sometimes I feel as though people try to repeat trends to be popular. The iPad brought a backlash from people on Twitter and respected news outlets, claiming the name was similar to a feminine hygiene product, although it is meant to represent a notepad, or a pad for consuming information on. Initial reaction surrounded around the device being a large iPod touch or a device meant for “old people” who may like to read or compose email messages. Others claimed that Apple would quickly “die” after having this product hit the market, and products such as the Mac or the iPod lineup are just fads.

The same reaction came when the first iPod was released, as well as the first iPhone. These two products revolutionized the two industries that they entered, and although there were other devices that allowed one to listen to music and answer phone calls, they were different, tying the software, hardware, and interface together. We’re at the point in Apple’s history where this same reaction is occurring again, and application developers: get ready!

Why I Will Repeat Myself

I try to offer both sides of the discussion and debate surrounding the new product from Apple. While it isn’t being sold at the moment, there have been outrage over the name, the features (or the lack thereof), and the ultimate question of “why should I buy an iPad?”Just a few hundred people have held the device, and the consensus from them has been remarkably positive, ranging from “stunning screen,” to “a generation faster than the iPhone 3GS,” to “the iBooks eBook reading application is fast and clean and feels a real advance on the Kindle’s monochrome.”

There is a circle of followers who insist that the iPad is nothing much than a bigger iPod or iPhone, yet many of these are the same that claim the Zune would overtake the iPod in sales. Recent sales figures of the Zune (after between two and three years on the market) at the February 2009 time frame put sales at 3.2 million. The original iPod was released in late October 2001, the Zune in mid-November 2006.

There were a whole lot less MP3 players in the market in 2001, but there was still a lot of interest in the market when the Zune arrived. All iPods were still hard drive-based, and the iPhone was just a rumor. During the first two years of the iPod, Apple sold 1.313 million devices, and 5.729 in the first three years. Considering Microsoft has had at least 92% of the OS market during this three-year period, and Apple introduced the original iPod as Mac-only, sales of the Zune dwarf in comparison to what Apple was able to achieve.

The iPad is no different, and won’t be a flop until this time next year, when sales figures come in. If analysts’ projections of the device were extremely high, then we know that there really isn’t a market for a “large iPod touch/iPhone,” but instead that it is a niche market. Again, this isn’t like Apple is introducing a revised iPod. It’s as though they’re testing the waters for a whole new market – the market that includes tablet computers, netbooks, eBook readers, as well as portable media players, photo frames, and to an extent, iPods (some would consider the iPad rather than an iPod touch or an iPhone).

Onto the Kindle, a device that entered a relatively non-existent market. People were reading digital books, but has now proven to be a successful market. More digital books are being sold than print, and the market for newspaper and magazine content sold in the traditional paper format will continue to dive. Estimates of sales of the three main Kindle products—Kindle, Kindle 2, and Kindle DX—range from 1.5 to 3 million, taking place in the 2.5 year period since release. The Kindle is a dedicated device for reading books and other forms of print content. Browsing the web is essentially non-existent on the device, as Amazon wants you to stay on their site for purchasing books and magazine subscriptions. Pricing for the original Kindle (6″ display) was $359, a price many criticized the company for setting, as profit margin was later revealed to be very high.

The Kindle and Zune are two devices released in the last four years, both of which have seen a mild level of success and each helped define what can be accomplished by multi-billion dollar companies. One is the leader in the category, while the other isn’t. Hint: the leader in the Mp3/entertainment industry isn’t Microsoft.

The Size Comparison

Toting around a netbook instead of a large-scale 13-17″ notebook has become common for many on-th-go computer and web surfers over the past few years. The screen sizes, cramped keyboards, and “light” size have made these devices great for people who want to browse the web and open up an occasional text document. The only reason they sell is due to their price – they are quite a bit cheaper, but they offer a level of performance similar to the price – cheap.

In the graphic above, you can compare a MacBook Pro with an ASUS Eee PC 10.1″ netbook, as well as the iPad. Some say that you should aim for having the most power in a small package, but with the above graphic, there is obviously something people are missing with netbooks: they are quite bulky, especially compared to the iPad or other eBook readers. Would you want to put a netbook in your pocket? No. The iPad was never meant to be placed in a pocket, nor will it ever be. It’s meant to replace (or complement) a full-size (13″ or above) laptop while you are on-the-go or consuming content.

Another question for those who claim the iPad is just an oversized iPhone or iPod touch: why do people demand larger computer displays, while they also promote smaller phone displays? The resolution of the iPad is at 1024×768, which is perfectly ideal for viewing most websites and working on the device. The same can’t be said for similar resolutions of 480×800 pixels, or 3.7″, found on “powerful,” “multi-tasking” phones. Try typing, let alone reading small text on a screen of that resolution without constantly trying to zoom in.

While traveling, weight is a bigger consideration than size. You’re more likely to simply carry an iPad with you that weights in at 1.5 pounds, rather than a netbook, which offers a far-worse experience (at least compared to many users’ experiences) weighing in at 2.9 pounds or more. Most 13″+ laptops are double that.

Now, the Kindle may be slightly slimmer, but only does one thing (but well), and that is reading books. When you need to browse the web and access applications while on the road, you won’t want to carry a Kindle, phone, and netbook with you, but an iPad alone, as it offers the ability to access 95% of what an iPhone or similar phone can do.

Multi-Tasking: Uh, Why?

There are people who can concentrate on multiple windows at once, work on multiple projects at once, then there are those who only want to read a book or answer a phone call, without being distracted or weighed down by background processes. The iPhone and iPad will be able to run the basic programs in the background on top of other applications. For example, while you are reading a book or browsing the web, you will be able to listen to music. On any screen of 10″ or smaller, there really isn’t a benefit to having multiple windows open and multi-tasking unless you have a processor that can handle this.

In Apple’s eyes, when you use the iPad (like the iPhone), you intend to only do one thing at a time. Even though they have excluded the ability to “multi-task,” this doesn’t mean they aren’t working on a way to solve the problem or waiting until they get their hands on faster processors. For all we know, iPhone OS 4.0 might include better management of application processes to conserve battery and function better. At this point in time, it doesn’t make sense to offer this ability, due to the experience trade-offs.

A similar stance can be taken with Adobe Flash, although I wont’ get into that discussion again. Apple follows an emerging trends, develops that trend, and then others follow in their footsteps.

Price Comparison

Apple shocked us with the price of $499. Pundits questioned why someone would pay this much for a large iPod touch, and Apple answered, yet no one listened. The iPad will be a great solution in the medial and design industries, as well as any market where “visuals” come into play. It will beat carrying around a 13″+ laptop, as it can also be used to create presentations, display them through projectors, and show latest reports. The App Store is what will continue to deliver the experience needed to convince millions it offers the highest-quality applications.

The eBook reader niche is continuing to be carved out, and the tablet/slate PC market is just starting to grow. How will other companies combine these markets, and if they do, how will they stack up against the iPad? HP is bringing to market a Slate product later this year, which, like many of the other products Steve Ballmer showcased at CES 2010, mimics a large-scale iPod touch. Nothing was impressive about the device, other than the fact that he positioned the device exactly where Steve Jobs did – in-between a phone and a laptop. Pricing details, specs, and is rather just a prototype at this point, offering nothing more than Windows 7 with touchscreen capability. What actually lies on devices like the HP Slate to differentiate it from the next eBook reader/hybrid tablet than the processor, memory, storage, etc.?

I expect many of the devices to be released in the $400-$800 price range, and if anything else, they will trend higher as time goes on. These devices could one day replace the netbooks, although it may be a number of years before the processors are powerful enough and users are comfortable enough with the experience they offer. For now, we only have a chart that has been compiled, which compares some of the latest eBook readers/slate computers into one convenient chart.

A link to the full-size image can be found here.

Conclusion

Share your thoughts on these topics in the comments area – will you be purchasing an iPad, and how do you think it will evolve?