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What is the most important human trait? What is the most important human gift? At a very early age, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos learned that it’s harder to be kind than clever.
Something I should reflect upon every day: Will I be clever at the expense of others, or will I be kind?
The open source philosophy enables developers from all over the world to collaborate and create great software products like Linux, Apache, and Ruby. What happens when open source ideas are applied to hardware?
When open source meets hardware, you no longer need to be a big manufacturer to create great products. For example, if your idea requires a custom electric motor, go to Alibaba.com. The site will not only have the motor you’re looking for, but you’ll have your choice of makers. If you need a digital controller, check out the Arduino project. And so on.
An article in the Feb2010 issue of Wired goes into greater depth.
The open source hardware movement gives us another opportunity for global collaboration. Working together, doing constructive things, will certainly yield benefits beyond anything we can imagine right now.
Yesterday’s post offered a crash course of the features in Apple’s new iPad tablet computer. Many Apple enthusiasts have long speculated that this would be the company’s most important product to date. Yet, many are asking: How does the iPad fit alongside smartphones and notebooks? Isn’t this just a big iPod touch? No, not at all.
Apple describes iPad as a third-category of devices that falls between an iPhone and a MacBook. Like most pundits and those on Twitter, I also initially assumed this was just a big iPod touch that doesn’t have a place in the market. But I think we’re all missing something.
Wednesday’s announcement was most eagerly watched by technology geeks like myself. While most of this crowd will probably buy an iPad, I think iPad’s biggest market is for individuals who would hardly describe themselves as computer experts. I’m talking about those who frequently require the help of a neighbor or nephew whenever something goes wrong with their computer. The iPad makes a perfect “Mom PC.”
The large majority of computer users just want something simple and easy-to-use for browsing the web, writing email, using Facebook or Twitter, editing & organizing photos, and perhaps for writing a document or working on a spreadsheet. Still, most people spend hundreds of dollars on unnatural, complex computers that are difficult to use and maintain. Apple’s iPad cost about the same as a low-end computer you’ll find at Best Buy or Wal-Mart. Despite the iPad being far more advanced, it’s so much easier to use than a traditional computer.
As an interaction designer, it frustrates me to no end when I see someone struggling with a user interface, whether it be at a computer or a self-checkout machine at the grocery store. Too many people blame themselves for not being “smart enough.” Yet the flaw is not in the user, but rather the result of a design failure. While the computer industry has made great strides in making products easy-to-use, spending just a few minutes watching a not-so-tech-savvy individual at a computer reveals that we haven’t gotten far enough.
I feel that the iPad is the first computer that’s truly easy to use. There’s no operating system overhead to manage. You don’t have to worry about a file system. The size and touch-based interface is so natural that you’ll forget you’re even using a computer. For once, the computer gets out of the way.
Overtime, I think fewer people will require a full-blown Mac or Windows PC and instead will find that the iPad does everything they need. Industry expert John Gruber made a great analogy. In the old days, all cars had manual transmissions. To drive a car, you needed to operate a clutch pedal and gear shifter and manually change gears as you accelerated and decelerated. Today, with automatic cars, the transmission is entirely abstracted away. While cars with manual transmissions still exist, they’ve been relegated to the realm of true enthusiasts and experts. The same is about to happen with computers. I envision two tiers of computing where it’s only enthusiasts and developers who opt to purchase computers with traditional desktop operating systems. Most people will only require devices like the iPad.
Another major area of excitement for me regarding the iPad is the opportunities for app developers. Even the best third-party apps on the iPhone only scratch the surface of what will be possible on the iPad. It’s large, nearly 10-inch multitouch display is going to allow for some amazing apps that are far more powerful and intuitive than anything we’ve ever seen before.
The consensus of the lucky few who had the opportunity to try the iPad at Apple’s event is that you don’t realize how amazing this device is until you actually use it. I can’t wait to try it out and I’m looking forward to seeing where this all goes. We’re witnessing the beginning of a new round of innovation in personal computing. What we’ve seen on the iPhone was just the beginning.
Yesterday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the company’s long-rumored tablet device. Called iPad, it features a 9.7-inch screen in a half-inch thick enclosure weighing about 1.5 pounds. It runs the same operating system as the iPhone and iPod touch, with apps receiving a new interface optimized for the larger, multitouch display. Apple claims a 10-hour battery life, with up to a month of standby time. Pricing for the iPad came in lower than what many speculated. The low end model with WiFi-only and 16 GB of storage comes in at $499. The highest end model with Wi-Fi and 3G wireless access along with 64 GB of storage costs $829, still lower than the rumored $999 price point. Wi-Fi models of iPad will be available in late march, with 3G models arriving in April.
The user interface for iPad is very similar to the iPhone. Anyone’s who used an iPod touch or iPhone should have no problem adapting to the iPad. Like the iPhone, the iPad’s home screen can display several pages of applications. A stationary dock at the bottom of the screen holds up to four frequently-used apps.
Since iPad uses the iPhone operating system, all 140,000 applications from Apple’s App Store will run out of the box. You’ll be able to view the app at iPhone size, or zoom-in to allow it to full the screen. Apple also released an iPad software development kit (SDK), which will allow developers to update their existing iPhone app to include an optimized interface for the iPad.
Apple has retooled all of their iPhone apps for the iPad, including Safari, Mail, Photos and Maps. Apple also announced a version of iWork, Apple’s productivity suite, that is optimized for the iPad.
The most exciting aspect of the iPhone has proven to be third-party apps, and I think the same will be true with the iPad. Never before have developers had the opportunity to design a multitouch interface at this size. Apple’s own iPad apps look truly amazing and I can’t wait to see what third-party developers will come up with.
There are two classes of iPad models, one with W-iFi and another with 3G built-in for always-on wireless. Despite the overwhelmingly negative press regarding iPhone’s AT&T exclusivity, iPad is designed to work with AT&T’s 3G service in the United States. Pricing for 3G service starts at $14.99 for 250mb/month and $29.99 for unlimited access. There’s no contract and the device is unlocked. Despite being unlocked, the iPad, like the iPhone, is not compatible with Verizon’s EVDO network.
You might think that the 250 MB/month plan is useless, but I was surprised when I looked at my iPhone 3G usage data on AT&T’s site. Despite being a very heavy iPhone user, my monthly data usage over the past few months had averaged just 240 MB. That’s mostly due to the abundance of Wi-Fi access, available at home and in many places throughout the city. Like with the iPhone, AT&T will allow iPad users paying for their 3G service to access their thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots free of charge. For most people with Wi-Fi access regularly available, the entry-level $14.99/month plan should be just fine.
iPad will allow Apple to enter the eBook market, which Amazon.com has long sought after with their Kindle reading device. iPad includes an application for reading eBooks. Built into that application is a new online store for purchasing new material.
iPad has a major advantage over Amazon’s Kindle, thanks to its full-color, touch screen display. Yet the Kindle remains lighter and its grayscale e-ink display can be easier on the eyes than iPad’s bright LCD display. Although the iPad doesn’t offer all the advantages of the Kindle, its form factor alone makes the reading experience far more comfortable than on a desktop or notebook. While Amazon recently announced plans for third-party apps on the Kindle, its limited grayscale display with no touch screen controls remains a major limitation.
Apple will be offering a number of accessories for iPad. In addition to a standard dock, Apple will also offer a keyboard dock, presumably to address complaints that extended periods of typing with iPad’s on-screen keyboard would be too difficult. When the iPad is docked, you can optionally have it display a photo slideshow, essentially allowing the device to double as a digital photo frame when not in use.
Apple will also offer a case that will let you prop the iPad in various positions, along with connect kits that will allow input of a camera or SD card for importing photos and videos directly into the device.
No word on accessory pricing or availability just yet.
There are some features missing from the iPad. Like the iPhone, it doesn’t allow for multitasking and doesn’t support Adobe’s Flash technology. iPad also doesn’t offer a camera, missing the opportunity to create a potentially great video conferencing device.
Multitasking is perhaps the most requested feature for the iPhone. Many iPhone users, including myself, have been hoping that the next version of the iPhone operating system will finally allowing multitasking. Currently it’s impossible to do things like listen to Pandora’s music streaming app while browsing the web in Safari. While Apple did not detail iPhone operating system improvements yesterday, the iPad’s lack of multitasking isn’t very promising. I think that eventually Apple will allow multitasking on both the iPad and iPhone, but it will require an app switching interface similar to Palm’s Pre that makes it easy to manage multiple open applications.
Adobe’s Flash technology is another controversial feature that, like on the iPhone, is missing from the iPad. Flash is used by a good number of Web sites to display animation and video. While it is a oft-requested feature, many iPhone users like myself would rather not see Flash on the iPhone or iPad. On desktop computers, Flash is typically a major performance drain. Recently, Apple revealed that the number one cause of browser crashes in Safari is “plug-ins,” which is codename for Flash. With advances in open-source technologies like HTML5 and JavaScript for handling video and animation, I see no need for Adobe’s memory-hogging, proprietary Flash technology to find its way on the iPad or iPhone.
The iPad was perhaps one of the most hyped product releases in Apple’s history. While it doesn’t deliver on all of the rumors and speculation that surrounded it, the iPad looks to be a fairly solid device. What you may wonder is how the iPad fits alongside smartphones and notebooks. Tomorrow’s post will offer a perspective on that question. Stay tuned.
How does a conductor achieve musical greatness? According to Itay Talgam, great conductors work in partnership with the orchestra, building a roller coaster of sound. Talgam is a conductor who sees the symphony orchestra as a model for inspired leadership.