My take on the iPad

“Your computer has too much computer in it, and not enough typewriter” –Strong Bad I’ve been trying to think of a way to frame how I think about the iPad, and the above quote from Strong Bad sums it up nicely. If memory serves, the scene was that Strong Bad’s simple DOS-based computer had broken, so he went to use The Cheat’s, which was a Mac. Naturally, he was all confused with all the windows and menus and stuff all over the place. He just wanted to type an email. 

When Steve Jobs started shepherding the Mac to being a product, he kept going on about comparing it to a toaster. Simple, easy, portable, convenient, obvious. While the first 128k Mac certainly had its issues, it achieved many of these goals. However, I believe it was ahead of its time. The world wasn’t ready for a technology appliance - technology wasn’t yet mainstream enough. The people who bought these things were interested in technology for technology’s sake. We bought them because we enjoyed well-executed technology. Now, 25 years later, the current system, MacOS X, is a wonderful computing environment. Through the years, this little, unassuming toaster computer has evolved into a remarkably flexible, resilient and simply pleasant operating system. Just before Steve Jobs came back to Apple, someone (Steven Levy?) asked him what he would do if he was in charge of Apple. He answered: “Milk the Mac for all it’s worth, and get busy on the next big thing”.

Steve Jobs is a patient man. He’s able to see the long, long view. I’m not suggesting that the iPad was fully (or even partially formed) in his mind back when he returned to Apple, but I believe that the concept of a technology appliance has never left him. He’s just been slowly, slowly leading up to it. He’s executing his vision, yet again. This is the “next big thing”. The huge majority of the reviews and discussion that’s been happening around the iPad has been from geeks, who evaluate it in much the same way as they would a computer or a smart phone. It’s actually kind of a confusing device for your average geek, because it fits neither in the category of “computer” nor “smart phone”. Traditionally, netbooks have taken up that middle ground, and they’ve done it (as Steve Jobs pointed out) rather poorly. So who is this thing for?

I don’t think the iPad is aimed at people who enjoy using technology. It’s not for geeks. Against my advice, my father-in-law was talked into buying a Windows laptop. As those things go, it’s not bad really. Good specifications, nice big screen. A bit bulky perhaps, and very plasticky. It feels cheap. And it was - about $700. He’s not a dumb guy, but this thing has him completely flummoxed. All he really wants to do it look at web pages and read email. That’s it. He’s got this device that keeps nagging him about viruses, opening and closing windows, worrying about where files are - or even *what* they are, all these little nonsensical pictures all over the screen, and layer upon layer of navigation thingies that the manufacturer decided they should add to the mix, because Windows is too difficult for the average consumer.

Things shouldn’t be added, things should be taken away. Computers, these days, have too much computer in them, and not enough web browser. The iPad is a computer, no doubt about it. So is the iPhone. After I used one for a while, I started describing it not as a phone, but as a really great pocket-sized computer that could also make okay phone calls. It’s just not obviously a computer, because it’s sold and marketed as a phone. Sneaky.

Apple’s problem this time, is there’s nothing out there that explains what this thing is, or even what it does. They can’t pull the iPhone trick and say “it’s a phone … surprise! It’s a computer!”. There’s nothing out there like it. It’s a brand-new thing. And it’s very scalable: There’s already a small version of it sitting on the desk next to me - but I can see big versions eventually sitting in the place where most people keep their televisions. And the best part? There’s so very little “computer” in it, that the computer itself has disappeared. The user doesn’t have to worry about files, folders, viruses - it’s the toaster, the technology appliance. Geeks hate that, but oddly enough, that’s exactly what the other 95% of the population want: This is not a device for technology enthusiasts (although we’ll probably buy lots of them). It’s a device for my father-in-law, and Strong Bad.