The release of Apple’s iPad disappointed me more than the fact that Chick-fil-a is closed on Sundays. I mean, seriously, the keynote and the rumors leading up to the iPad’s announcement were a huge tease. Apple built all of this excitement and hype and they did not deliver; to make matters worse, they came up with a name that people will continuously mock.
As I was watching the live feed of photos and descriptions online, I couldn’t help but wonder when the “Aha!” moment about the iPad would happen. What would make this product so special that people couldn’t live without it? Why would a designer like me have to buy this, when a laptop and iPhone could more than suffice? Well, there wasn’t that moment. So far, all I can decipher is that it’s a cooler version of the Kindle.
However, blogger Mike Rundle makes a valid point that the “iPad is For Everyone But Us”— us being “power users.” Rundle goes on to explain that power users are those that use computers to do their job and pretty much anything else (designers, developers, etc). Many power users misunderstand the intended audience of the iPad. For example, let’s say your roommate is the intended audience; your roommate is the person that only uses their computer to upload their photos from last night, chat on Facebook and glance at their work e-mail. So now, the iPad looks like a great tool for the people who use a computer for these tasks and may want to switch from a PC to an Apple. Aha! The light bulb just clicked — talk about cheaper, smaller, and more convenient overall.
So now my parents, who are technically challenged, can have a mobile computer at their fingertips. Also, since Apple has revolutionized such an “easy to use” interface, they won’t be calling me non-stop for help, and that is always nice.
In addition, I was talking with a friend of mine, who is a developer, who had some thoughts from a business standpoint. He thinks that iPad is a great new platform to build more full-featured applications for the public. Also, he thinks for someone like him the iPad will be a great “toy” — it’s something casual and sleek that he can use to browse the Web at home or in the airport lobby without the hassle of finding a place for his laptop. Aha!
So I’m curious as to what Apple will do in the coming months. How will this platform keep changing and what are the first quarter sales going to be like?
To put another bug in your ear, Apple is considered a “lovemark,” meaning people, no matter how upset they are about the iPad, are still loyal to the brand and still love everything Apple. These consumers have a strong relationship with the Apple brand and will continue to do so — even if they are disappointed with the iPad.
For those that are still pouting, remember, in the words of Rundle “The iPad is not made for you, it’s made for everyone else.” Right now, I’d rather watch Bill and Ted tell me how “Caesar is some salad dressing dude,” because that seems to be better than listening to news and commentary about the iPad.
01/29/2010 at 3:20 PM zagimc
X.Y.Zag 
A strange turn of events for Apple
As I was watching the live feed of photos and descriptions online, I couldn’t help but wonder when the “Aha!” moment about the iPad would happen. What would make this product so special that people couldn’t live without it? Why would a designer like me have to buy this, when a laptop and iPhone could more than suffice? Well, there wasn’t that moment. So far, all I can decipher is that it’s a cooler version of the Kindle.
However, blogger Mike Rundle makes a valid point that the “iPad is For Everyone But Us”— us being “power users.” Rundle goes on to explain that power users are those that use computers to do their job and pretty much anything else (designers, developers, etc). Many power users misunderstand the intended audience of the iPad. For example, let’s say your roommate is the intended audience; your roommate is the person that only uses their computer to upload their photos from last night, chat on Facebook and glance at their work e-mail. So now, the iPad looks like a great tool for the people who use a computer for these tasks and may want to switch from a PC to an Apple. Aha! The light bulb just clicked — talk about cheaper, smaller, and more convenient overall.
So now my parents, who are technically challenged, can have a mobile computer at their fingertips. Also, since Apple has revolutionized such an “easy to use” interface, they won’t be calling me non-stop for help, and that is always nice.
In addition, I was talking with a friend of mine, who is a developer, who had some thoughts from a business standpoint. He thinks that iPad is a great new platform to build more full-featured applications for the public. Also, he thinks for someone like him the iPad will be a great “toy” — it’s something casual and sleek that he can use to browse the Web at home or in the airport lobby without the hassle of finding a place for his laptop. Aha!
So I’m curious as to what Apple will do in the coming months. How will this platform keep changing and what are the first quarter sales going to be like?
To put another bug in your ear, Apple is considered a “lovemark,” meaning people, no matter how upset they are about the iPad, are still loyal to the brand and still love everything Apple. These consumers have a strong relationship with the Apple brand and will continue to do so — even if they are disappointed with the iPad.
For those that are still pouting, remember, in the words of Rundle “The iPad is not made for you, it’s made for everyone else.” Right now, I’d rather watch Bill and Ted tell me how “Caesar is some salad dressing dude,” because that seems to be better than listening to news and commentary about the iPad.
01/29/2010 at 3:20 PM zagimc Leave a comment