iPad: iDon't know about all that

On Jan. 27, millions of Americans eagerly awaited a speech to be given by one of the most influential and important men in the world. Talking heads prognosticated while the world was transfixed on how the United States could change the course of history itself. No, I speak not of President Barack Obama's first State of the Union but of Steve Jobs' address in San Francisco.

 

To thunderous applause, Apple's chief executive made one of the company's most anticipated introductions: a tablet computer called the "iPad." 

 

Tablet computers — keyboard-less mobile computers — are not a new concept, and various forms have existed since the 1990s. But despite predictions from Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates in 2001 that tablets would one day be the most popular form of PC sold in America, the product never truly penetrated the market. It had been the hope of many — tech executives and gadget hounds alike — that a well-designed tablet at the right price would not only change the way the public accesses the Internet and various forms of media but transform or even save industries, such as print media.

 

After revolutionizing portable music players with the iPod in 2001 and breaking new ground with the iPhone in 2007, does Apple have another game-changer on its hands with the iPad?

 

Despite a name that harkens to women's personal care, at first glance the iPad seems like a quality product. Weighing in at 1.5 pounds, the iPad has a stunning 9.7" touchscreen and boasts a battery life of 10 hours. Operating the iPad will be eerily similar for iPhone and iPod touch owners but will come with the added benefit of access to the thousands of applications in the App Store. Breaking with tradition, Apple has also priced the tablet within reach of most consumers starting at $499.Watching Stephen Colbert surprisingly pull an iPad out to present the Song of the Year at the Grammys allowed one to envision the cult-driven hordes that will descend on Apple retailers to get their hands on one.

 

But it is hard not to feel disappointed. A decade of hushed rumors and high expectations resulted in dashed hopes as Apple delivered a product that frankly looks like a super-sized iPod touch and offers nothing substantially new.  Apple's strategy is seemingly dastardly: It is purposefully restricting the choices and freedom of consumers. Apple will control all content — music, books, movies or TV shows —  all software sold through the App Store and has precluded any form of expansion. 

 

Apple seeks to create a brand new market between laptops and smartphones, and it is unlikely the iPad in its current form will accomplish that. Users are afforded fewer capabilities than their phones or their computers and will have no incentive to purchase a tertiary device to accomplish tasks already dependably done. 

 

The problem with the iPad, however, may be deeper than Apple's inexplicable ability to tempt consumers with flashy pieces of technology. The problem is the assumption that advances in technology will simply solve societal and economical ills. The failure of Apple to deliver the "Jesus tablet" only reinforces that fallacy.

 

The iPad may indeed one day change the way we educate children, watch TV or read newspapers, but that day hasn't come yet. The tablet dream lives on.

 

Matt Verghese is a graduate student in public policy. He can be reached at verghese at umdbk dot com.