I could be wrong, but it looks like they’re enabling home WiFi streaming via Home Sharing in iOS 4.3 and iTunes. This is something I’m definitely excited about.

Watching some of the Engadget videos I must say the new device looks fast as hell. I didn’t think they could make iPad 1 look slow, but watching those videos I get the feeling that my iPad lacks some of the power and speed of the new ones, particularly in regards to real-time media editing in the Photo Booth application.

Speaking of movie editing, it looks like they’re really targeting home media production with this new device. Those new movie/audio apps, the HDMI out, and AirPlay turn iPad into a powerhouse for media generation.

I appreciate and agree with Steve’s comment near the end. “Our competitors are looking at this like it’s the next PC market. That is not the right approach to this. These are post-PC devices that need to be easier to use than a PC, more intuitive.” An important distinction in mentality I think. The PC market was for reasonably tech-savvy people, or people with reasonably tech-savvy relatives. The tablet/post-PC market is a new generation, one where anyone can pick one up and being computing. There’s no fear of technology, just something that stimulates curiosity.

Those are my thoughts for now. I won’t buy one now as the only benefit I get is the new form factor and Facetime communication. The speed is not something I need at this point since I don’t produce home movies or audio. However, while it’s not a jaw-dropping new product, it is definitely a quality upgrade to the product line.

Regarding Foxconn Suicides:
Steve: It’s a factory — but my gosh, they have restaurants and movie theaters… but it’s a factory. But they’ve had some suicides and attempted suicides — and they have 400,000 people there. The rate is under what the US rate is, but it’s still troubling.
Steve: We had this in my hometown of Palo Alto, copy cat suicides.

Regarding Search:
Walt: So last year we had a company called Siri, a search company…
Steve: They’re not a search company. They’re an AI company. We have no plans to go into the search business. We don’t care about it — other people do it well.

Regarding Press:
Steve: Well I think the foundation of a free society is a free press. And we’ve seen what’s happening to papers in the US right now. I think they’re really important. I don’t want to see us descend into a nation of bloggers. I think we need editors now more than ever.
Steve: I can tell you as one of the largest sellers of content on the internet to date — price it aggressively and go for volume. That has worked for us. I’m trying to get the press to do the same thing. They need to do it differently than they do it for print.
Steve: I think people are willing to pay for content. I believe it for music and video, and I believe it for the media.

Regarding Interaction with Computing Devices:
Steve: People laugh at me when I say it’s magical… but something has been stripped away and removed between you and the computer…

Regarding Pulitzer-winning Cartoon Censorship:
Steve: Yes… and political cartoons got caught in that. We didn’t think of that. So this guy submits his app and he gets rejected. We didn’t see that coming. So we changed the rule, but this guy never resubmitted… then he wins a Pulitzer Prize, and he says we rejected him. So, we are guilty of making mistakes. We’re doing the best we can, we’re learning as fast as we can — but we thought this rule made sense.
Steve: We’re doing the best we can, we’re fixing mistakes. But what happens is — people lie. And then they run to the press and tell people about this oppression, and they get their 15 minutes of fame. We don’t run to the press and say “this guy is a son of a bitch liar!” — we don’t do that.
Steve: 95% (of app submissions) are approved within 7 days…

Regarding Gizmodo:
Steve: Well a guy… who can say if he’s a journalist.
Steve: The person who took the phone plugged it into his roommates computer. And this guy was trying to destroy evidence… and his roommate called the police. So this is a story that’s amazing — it’s got theft, it’s got buying stolen property, it’s got extortion, I’m sure there’s some sex in there (huge laughs)… the whole thing is very colorful. The DA is looking into it, and to my knowledge they have someone making sure they only see stuff that relates to this case. I don’t know how it will end up.
Steve: You know, when this whole thing with Gizmodo happened, I got advice from people who said ‘you gotta just let it slide, you shouldn’t go after a journalist just because they bought stolen property and tried to extort you.’ And I thought deeply about this, and I concluded the worst thing that could happen is if we change our core values and let it slide. I can’t do that. I’d rather quit.

Regarding TOS Change for Analytics:
Q: You changed your TOS on analytics — do you want to own that for developer’s data?
A: Well we learned this really interesting thing. Some company called Flurry had data on devices that we were using on our campus — new devices. They were getting this info by getting developers to put software in their apps that sent info back to this company! So we went through the roof. It’s violating our privacy policies, and it’s pissing us off! So we said we’re only going to allow analytics that don’t give our device info — only for the purpose of advertising. But you can’t get info off of our devices and turn around and sell it. That you can’t do… is that clear?
Q: It is, but there is vital info there that could make apps better…
A: That’s true… but there’s no excuse for them not asking customers if it’s okay to send that data. We’re willing to talk to some of these people when we calm down… but it’s not today.

Regarding DRM-ed Content:
Q: I bought the movie Up on DVD, it had a digital download. I put it on my iPad. I hooked up my VGA adapter and tried to play it… but I couldn’t because of HDCP. Can you tell me how you’re helping with this?
A: We didn’t invent this stuff…
Q: But you did deploy it…
A: Well the content creators are trying to protect this stuff, and they’re grabbing at straws. Sometimes they grab the right ones, and sometimes they don’t. If we want access to this stuff, we have to play by some of their rules. I feel your pain.

Regarding TV:
Q: Hi, I’m from Hillcrest Labs… do you think it’s time to throw out the interface for TV? When will Apple do something there?
A: The problem with innovation in the TV industry is the go to market strategy. The TV industry has a subsidized model that gives everyone a set top box for free. So no one wants to buy a box. Ask TiVo, ask Roku, ask us… ask Google in a few months. So all you can do is ADD a box to the TV. You just end up with a table full of remotes, a cluster of boxes… and that’s what we have today. The only way that’s going to change is if you tear up the set top box, give it a new UI, and get it in front of consumers in a way they’re going to want it. The TV is going to lose in our eyes until there is a better go to market strategy… otherwise you’re just making another TiVo.
Q: In the phone area you were able to partner with a carrier… would you do that with TV?
A: Well then there’s a problem, providers are local… it’s a Tower of Babel problem…

I refused to write a review on the iPad in the first week. In my mind, the iPad is a paradigm shifting technology. Until I’d used the iPad for a few weeks, I did not feel I could provide the perspective I feel is important to my readers. Reviewing a new device is like a relationship. All fuzzy feelings for the first little while, then reality hits. I wanted to write a review that was not affected by initial emotions or excitement.

So, without further ado, let me tell you my experience with the iPad.

Battery life. This thing is phenomenal. I have never had another electronic device that did not make me nervous toward the end of a day of use. Even my iPhone 3GS does not provide me with the same sense of security that the device will not die by the end of a day of use. I can even charge the iPad Friday morning, take it up north (always careful with how I use it when away from a charger), and still have 40% battery left. I completely trust the iPad to be charged when I need it.

Convenience. Portability. The iPad has changed the frequency with which I take my computer with me. I rarely take my MacBook Pro from home anymore. I take the iPad everywhere. It’s like carrying a notebook with me, weight-wise. I pick it up off the desk and carry it in my hand. I don’t need a backpack to take my computer with me. This has changed my perspective on using my personal commuting device. It has become a permanent companion, rather than a tool to be utilized when needed. Similar to my iPhone.

I have begun to reevaluate my need for the MacBook Pro. All my data is stored on my Ubuntu mediaserver (hosted on VMware ESXi along with my Windows VM’s). I now utilize the iMac for managing my virtual servers and ESXi. I have Air Video Server installed for streaming movies from the media server to the iPad, and FileBrowser installed for browsing the network files from the iPad. The only real need that I have for the laptop is for import of my photos from my Nikon D40. I’ve begun to question whether I really need the laptop solely for immediate import of my photos. My Aperture 3 library is synced across my backup server, iMac, and laptop. I’ve begun to think that as long as I can wait to import my photos from a weekend out of the city till I get back home, I have no justifiable need for my laptop. I will be continuing to evaluate this over the next month or so, but I’m afraid that the laptop will be going. Never thought I’d say this.

I can extoll the various features of the iPad. However, I feel enough other reviews have done that. This piece is about how the iPad has changed the way I’m using technology. The next posts that I write will likely be shaped from an iPad user’s experience.

The article makes a number of interesting observations, particularly about hardware manufacturers and suppliers. It also makes mention of a number of upcoming hardware designs and the features they will bring. I’d recommend reading the piece, even if just for the factual knowledge it contains.

I’m afraid however, that I have to disagree with the author. In my opinion, I don’t believe that 2010 is the year of the Linux tablet. As a matter of fact, I don’t think that any Linux device will ever out-iPad the iPad. Linux aficionados have been proclaiming the ‘year of Linux’ on desktops for as far back as I can remember. Every year, every distribution, Linux fans rejoice and proclaim that the end is nigh for Microsoft and Apple domination, and that Linux is going to take over the world. Why? Because they believe that ‘free’ will triumph over commercial.

The author summarizes my perspective exactly (though completely unintended) in a later paragraph, where he says ‘In my opinion, Linux won’t offer this kind of magic. To bring magic like Apple does, Linux and the companies bringing Linux have to act like Apple. That means secrecy, a closed development model, a one-size-fits-all solution and one and only one manufacturer / organization which oversees hardware, software, marketing and the developer community. Not going to happen for free software and Linux!’ If we break down this statement meaningfully, we see that that in order to bring an almost perfect user experience, one needs to have a closed development model, and a single manufacturer designing both the hardware AND software. He continually pushes Android, an flavor of Linux being driven by a company (Google) with a lot of money behind it, and a development structure (management) that is not available in a community driven environment.

The author highlights another perspective I share (again, unintentionally I’m sure), when he states that ‘Android is much more popular, and the magic comes from Google, Google marketing Android at big device manufacturers and the platform being ‘pretty open’. Also, in contrary to my limited view, Google understood the issue about marketing and education. That’s why, in advent of the ballot screen, they ran huge adds outside on busstops, along highways and buildings at least in NL and UK and they even bought their own front page add on free newspapers read by millions of Dutch readers.’ It’s funny how advertising is so important even for something free. He realizes that the idealistic nature of Linux (free) is not merely enough to make people want it. Money (and lots of it) must be spent in order for something to be adopted. Nothing in life is free, and unfortunately, the majority of the Linux community seem to miss that fact.

The author concludes with a short(sighted) paragraph, stating that ‘Android on the tablet will be what Windows was on the desktop. But it will be easier for other Linux to co-exist with Android than with Windows, so for those who like to tinker the feature is pretty bright.’ But I thought that Linux by its very nature was supposed to be open, so that it can coexist easily with everything? Therefore, it shouldn’t be easier to code for Linux rather than Windows. Unfortunately, developers tend to code more for the platforms that make them money (but hey, everything in life should be free right? ), and the majority of developers will tend to code for the Windows desktop OS. Also, I think it is very short-sighted to conclude that Microsoft will not be targeting the tablet market as well.

This post may come across a little bit harsh toward Linux. However, the fact remains that without proper guidance/direction in the development of a Linux tablet OS, and proper marketing, Linux will never succeed. For this ‘free’ operating system to succeed, money, and lots of it, must be spent. The only problem is that it is not the general Linux community who will pay for it. Rather, it will be (is) big corporations (see Google) who fork out tons of money. It just seems that the Linux community does not get this fact, or, if they do, do not care about freeloading the money to support their dream of a ‘free’ OS.

Microsoft obviously is not going to take the iPad challenge lying down, and will be touting Windows 7 as a more complete experience (Flash anyone?) than the iPad OS. Unfortunately however, I don’t see Windows 7, good as it may be, to be a worthwhile competitor to the iPad, due to the reason outlined above. So what should Microsoft do?

I firmly believe that if Microsoft wants to take on the iPad, it needs to build a tablet from the ground up. They’ve got some great software and hardware engineers¹, and should leverage that talent to build a complete Microsoft tablet experience. Integrate it with Zune and Xbox. They’ve got the Zune app store and Xbox download on demand. Utilize the existing frameworks and build a custom, performance tuned device that can compete with the iPad. Microsoft has proven it has both the hardware and software talent… now they need to be combined.

While some may view the lack of multi-tasking on the iPad to be a drawback, I for one view it as a plus. Since I will be using it primarily as a means of reading content (whether web, eBook, or eMagazine), I do not want distractions from other apps. Everytime I get a Growl notification on my MacBook Pro, I switch focus. No multi-tasking = less distraction.

I am disappointed by the lack of security measures on the iPad. I tend to lean toward paranoia when it comes to electronic security (one of the pluses of working in the government/health/financial sector), and do not want my data being accessible to someone else at the mere swipe of a finger. I will not be using this for any work purposes until there is a better authentication mechanism.

I’m also disappointed with the lack of a webcam. A webcam would truly complete the home user experience of this device. However, Apple has seen fit to save that for another revision, so we must suffer sans video for the time being.

Overall I’m very pleased with the device. I love the way Steve Jobs positioned it as a market all to itself. It’s not intended to replace the PCs/Macs, and it’s not designed to replace the iPhone/iPod Touch. It is truly an intermediate device, one which may become the primary computing mechanism for neophytes. As someone else pointed out, non-technical people will pick this device up and not even realize that what they are doing is considered computing.

I don’t suspect we’ll see any remotely capable competition for quite sometime, at which point Apple will have improved the device again. As John Gruber pointed out, the custom designed chip has enabled Apple to put the performance of the device far ahead of any competing silicon. And since the chip is Apple’s, competitors will have to wait for Intel or another manufacturer to produce a truly competitive CPU. I’d guess Intel is none too happy with Apple at this point.

Surprisingly enough, the most interesting change was the change to the iMac lineup, not the Magic Mouse. The shift to a 16×9 aspect resolution instead of the past 16×10 aspect signals that Apple is targeting the livingroom. (16×9 is the standard aspect for movies. Typically you see two black bars above and below the movie playing.) To date, I believe there is only one 16×9 dedicated TV display, a Philips. If these take off and do well, I’d guess that Apple will bring the change over to their cinema displays. They could then concievably bundle an Apple TV into the display, providing the ultimate home entertainment unit. TV manufacturers would do well to keep an eye on Apple.

The Magic Mouse. Yes, another notable change. While notable from a tech/design point of view, it is not as drastic a shift as the new iMacs. It does however, signal one of the first steps of multitouch coming to our other devices. In a number of years, you might be running your hands over other smooth, sensuously designed bodies with no buttons, controlling and manipulating them or devices they control. Very SciFi-ish. But cool nonetheless.

New Airport Extreme/Time Capsules. There was a very interesting detail on the product page for the AE. ‘Guest Networking’. For the uninitiated, this allows you to setup a ‘separate’ wireless network for guests. So when you have guests over, you can give them access to your Internet pipe without giving them access to your networked computers. They won’t be able to see your shared computers/devices, and you won’t be able to see theirs. All done with a few clicks of a mouse. A very nice innovation.

There were a few other updates, such as an updated MacBook and a new Aluminum Remote. These were minor, insignificant upgrades, but nice to have. It seems Wednesday was an all-out assault for Apple on the PC market before Windows 7 and the holiday season.