Five Ways Apple Can Fix the iPad
The iPad, Apple claims, is revolutionary and even magical.
No it's not.
"The bar's pretty high. In order to really create a new category of devices. Those devices are going to have to be far better at doing some key tasks. They're going to have to be far better at doing some really important things. Better than the laptop, better than the smartphone." -- Steve Jobs.
It's got so many teething problems. Even the product name, in one day, has become the butt of jokes on the interweb.
I've had the opportunity to sit down and talk to several analysts and industry professionals about their thoughts on the iPad. Views seem to be split, but everyone appears to think the same: the iPad could have been so much more.
Some people say that perspective needs to be had: the iPad isn't supposed to be a full computing device, it's supposed to be an iPod Touch on stereoids. Um... no. Even Steve Jobs himself compared it to a laptop, and said that it's supposed to be better than a laptop at doing several key things, and is supposed to be better than an iPod Touch at doing everything.
So why then does the iPad fail miserably at doing some very fundamental things that even a cheap laptop, like a netbook, can do? I mentioned a few of those points in my previous iPad post, so let's get straight to what Apple can do to make the iPad what it should have been--and could be:
1. Enable multitasking
The iPad needs to have multitasking. It's practically begging for it. It's understandable that on a screen/device size like the iPhone and iPod Touch that they can only run one application at a time, but even competing devices like Android phones can multitask. A device like an iPad, with a screen size of 10-inches, should not be doing less than an Android phone. Period. Apple needs to enable this. There's no sense in not being able to have an IM application running while browsing webpages or reading an ebook.
The iPad has enough horsepower to support multitasking, so I'm sure that the limitation is merely in software. iPhone OS 4.0 is supposed to bring multitasking, and so this should be fixed by the time the iPad is actually available for purchase.
2. Open the OS / Make an iPad specific OS
Again, Steve Jobs compared the iPad to a smartphone and a laptop in his presentation. But developers are tied into the App store. If Apple wants to keep its app-ecosystem closed for the iPod Touch and iPhone to maintain "quality," then fine. But let's not gimp the iPad, eh? With Android devices on the rise, making an iPad specific OS that's open to developers will be seen as a competitive advantage. If it's going to be truly better than a netbook, then it's got to support development like a netbook. Users want to be able to install their own stuff, it's that simple.
Make the iPad support open software development, while still supporting the large number of App Store applications. What happens if you want to run Firefox or Chrome on your iPad? You can't.
But I fully understand why the iPad isn't going to support custom apps. Apple wants you to use their App store. It wants the App store to be the largest software distribution system in the world. It wants to take a cut of the money when you sell your iPad specific software too. It's a very succesful business model and I doubt this will change.
3. Enable the full web experience
Where's Flash support? Again, this is largely a software issue, and hopefully will be addressed down the line. Not everyone who uses a mobile computing device only cares about Flash for YouTube, and so many websites actually have Flash elements today. Perhaps HTML5 will change all that but that's yet to be seen. The funny thing? During Jobs's keynote where he demos viewing The New York Times website on the iPad, the areas with Flash showed an error box.
Jobs said that the iPad is the best web experience. It clearly is not. It doesn't even have tabbed browsing.
4. Enable HDMI output or DisplayPort
We have 2 full months before the iPad is supposed to be available for purchase. Apple needs to have some form of high resolution digital video output. Boasting how amazing the device is for video playback, it's criminal not to allow users to output video to their big screen TVs. Somehow we doubt this will get added before the iPad goes on sale.
5. Expandable memory
Why the iPad doesn't have an expansion slot for flash memory boggles my mind. It should at least have an SD card slot. The iPad supports high resolution video playback, is supposedly your ultimate tool for viewing photos with people. Yet, I can't stick in an SD card and see my photos.
Update: Users have commented that it should also have a built-in webcam. Apple just announced that it's allowing VOIP over 3G, and that makes Skype and other VOIP apps a must have for the iPad. Apple should have launched the iPad with a built-in webcam as well.
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You forgot the most important way: Change the name of the menstrual device.
They need to save those items for the version 2.0 of it. Or else they will not be able to make sure all users get 2
Tuan you better be careful, if Marcus Yam gets wind of this you know he'll be coming for you.
NOBODY CORRECTS APPLE'S MISTAKES...I MEAN FEATURES! NOBODY!
Haha yes, I agree with nukemaster. They're saving this stuff for gen 2/3. If they had all of this on release there wouldn't be much to expand to. and you missed two key things:
1. front facing camera
2. GPS
All of the points you made can easily be fixed from the software side, and you could just have a display port out added to the dock or as an accessory, and you can just wirelessly transfer data nowadays screw even wasting money on or even using a sd card.
you also forgot the web cam
A camera would be nice
so u can skype with people
Only some of them nuke. Dont forget version 3. And 3G. And 3GS...
and the front facing camera would be realllllly nice, although maybe a camera accessory can be made? Maybe GPS will work on the iPad I dont see why not, I mean you can get 3G and it has a compass
Id agree to all of the above... its basically a big ass iTouch, it even looks like one.
Tuan, I agree with most of your point. iPad can defintely be better .. and many of the problem can be addressed by some software modification.
However for your information, Apple does have an optional accessory that will allow us to read our SD card. "iPad Camera Connection Kit
The Camera Connection Kit gives you two ways to import photos and videos from a digital camera. The Camera Connector lets you import your photos and videos to iPad using the camera’s USB cable. Or you can use the SD Card Reader to import photos and videos directly from the camera’s SD card." (http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/)
I am pretty said that the video outpout of iPad is not even 720P.
Haha yes, I agree with nukemaster. They're saving this stuff for gen 2/3. If they had all of this on release there wouldn't be much to expand to. and you missed two key things:1. front facing camera2. GPS
It does have Assisted GPS like the iPhone. But you're right, a built in webcam would have been nice. I'll add that.
/ Tuan
and it needs a USB port
It does have Assisted GPS like the iPhone. But you're right, a built in webcam would have been nice. I'll add that./ Tuan
Only if you buy the 3G version. The basic WiFi model comes without GPS.
I wonder what's next.
ipants, ibras and iloos?
Can someone please tell me what this thing really does. Why would anyone pay 500 dollars for this toy?
Pharge, video output is 768p
But yeah, it's still a couple k of pixels away from 720.
I see soooo many problems with this device. At the same time, if I had a choice between a kindle DX and a 16Gb iPad, not hard to say which would win for the same price!
Can't wait for the iCar
You also forgot sync with car radio, BlueTooth capabilities for your phone. Come on, really. They already have the capability to do these things. How can they be omitted?
Yeah, USB would be a big fix. You can get adopters to deal with SD cards or potable HDs so you can transfer/view your media. Please change the god damn name. I wouldn't be caught dead with an ipad. I would be mocked by my peers (I would do it to them too) but really ipad... I could stand itablet or itouch-roid ED. but ipad no thanks. Apple has their work cut out for them to make this "revolutionary" because i don't see anything considered "revolutionary" besides its new underused CPU.
Flame me for this one, but I thought I'd politely mention "suppose" should be "supposed." I would let it go normally but it shows up sooo many times. Pointing out this single error will fix 10 things! How's that for doing more with less?
Imagine if Apple took the same approach with their new tampon.
it would be nice if they added a stylus writing feature like the old newton. it would be great to be able to take it into a class (or any device for that matter) and be able to wright out notes for class (or even office meetings). then "sync" it some how to a laptop or other computer. i just find that typing notes in a class room can get annoying when drawing graphs or images from teachers.
I will not buy the iPad until:
a) Flash memory is user upgradeable
b) Battery is user replaceable
-- steve
dude you're forgetting a very important point....ah an x86 license.
Pharge, video output is 768p But yeah, it's still a couple k of pixels away from 720.I see soooo many problems with this device. At the same time, if I had a choice between a kindle DX and a 16Gb iPad, not hard to say which would win for the same price!
Thanks for the correction... I miss read the spec... and I believe there were some typo of iPad Spec on www.apple.com this afternoon. Appearently they have been corrected. (I have noticed they mistype the "Component" to "Composite".. but it is now corrected)
In other words, what the ipad needs is Windows
Why fix anything? I was listening to Wisconsin Public Radio this evening and the marketing agent - er, I mean the "independent analyst" for Apple was touting how the iPad was going to totally revolutionize not only the tablet market, but put eReaders up on ends before completely wiping them out. It was fun to listen to him squirm about tablet pcs and laptop users, but he merely said that stuff was for business users and this was a commercial product.
In other words, Apple has fixed the one thing that was wrong with their company when they put out the Newton - they have a better image and control it through the app store. People buy their highly proprietary products and get locked into there system... which is like buying a car that only has OEM parts and no 3rd party after market stuff.
Myself, I find the PlasticLogic Que to be far more interesting and revolutionary product, but they chose to focus on business users... and I don't think they even got a mention on Tom's - the first eInk plastic screen I heard about and not a peep here. Yeah, they took a boot and smashed it down on their screen and no damage was done to it.
So I think I will pass on the oversized iTouch and stick with my tablet pc... a shame too many people will be clamouring to look "cool" with this and trap themselves into a horribly closed app system.
i don't see why they wouldn't support flash out of the box and multitasking
i thought tablet pc's were supposed to be an even more portable netbook
Stupid device, the best way you can fix it is drop it on the floor which I am sure will crack like an egg or pop like an m80. I knew it was just going to be and jumbo ipod. For the price f 64gig version I could buy an ebook, a laptop, an mp3 player, a gps, a camera and a 3g card and not worry about losing all of those things if I drop one of them.
... ION would be nice... webcam... SD card slot... and why is there a iPhone OS on it? It should be optimized SnowLeopard... i think, the iPad be so powerfull like MacBook AIR, but without a keybord... on the other hand... there was a demand to build a cheep Apple iThing... now there you have it... and there is one more thing...
when the rumors started, that Apple will do something like that, look how many wanted to be first... HP, lenovo... becouse the last time Apple putted out something, that waz a revolution... look how much iPhone like phones wee have from HTC, Samsung, LG, ect...
Apple is going to launch the iPatch next, for pirates.