iPad 2 — More of the Same?
Let's face it. The iPad 2 isn't revolutionary. It doesn't "change the game" of the tablet market. And with an incredible amount of competition rising against the de facto mobile device manufacturer, you'd expect more than a few cameras, a sleeker design, and a faster processor.
In the coming weeks, I'll be taking a look at the Motorola Xoom, a recently released competitor to the iPad. It comes complete with a larger, higher resolution screen, faster processor, better cameras, and a slew of other nice features including the much envied on-board HDMI out. In almost every technical specification, the iPad 2 is inferior compared to the Xoom.
Similarly, plenty of other tablet devices have come into fruition including the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Dell Streak 7, and the Blackberry Playbook. All of which sport similar, if not better pedigrees than the iPad. So why isn't apple shaking in their boots?
The reason is simple. Apple's sheer dominance and definition of the tablet industry doesn't come from it's hardware, nor their incredible ability to market products successfully. It comes from their incredibly intuitive and saturated software platform.
Who hasn't used an iPod before? Or played around with an iPod Touch? From the very first use, the device seems intuitive and inviting. As you dive deeper, you fully realize the true ease of use of the device. No other software is at the same level of simplicity or usability yet. As an aside, Android Honeycomb is making leaps and bounds towards a more usable interface. I'm intrigued to get to test it out and run it through its paces against the iPad.
But yet, Honeycomb's major downfall is Apple's greatest strength (for the time being) — the App Store. While Android tablets are limited to a mere few hundred native applications, the iPad thrives with tens of thousands of available applications. And to be entirely honest, the applications on the iPad are of a generally higher quality than those on other marketplaces. Apple's dominance in the application marketplace is unrivaled.
So should Apple be worried? No. Competitors have a great deal of ground to make up before they're within reach of the iPad. And we all know Jobs has something up his sleeve for next year already. The upgrade from iPad to iPad 2 is enough to keep the technology relevant, and keep Apple's rivals on their toes.
While there are many areas in which the iPad could improve, the overall experience is unrivaled. Hence, more of the same is exactly what Apple needs, an uninterrupted excellent experience. Let the software speak for itself, and let the hardware elegantly update to match the software.
Needless to say, I'm excited for what we will see in the coming year from Apple.
Permanent Link · Published on March 9th, 2011