| Following the launch of the Apple iPad, here are some | | | | and Apple's best offerings are no different. |
| thoughts on what new technology like this really | | | | The Sony Walkman made music portable and the |
| means for consumers. | | | | iPod finished the job by boosting storage space so |
| Apple iPad - just another piece of brilliant technology? | | | | much that we could choose from our entire music |
| All across Silicon Valley and in labs and R&D | | | | collection. The Apple Mac offered a real alternative to |
| centres in the UK there are storerooms and hard | | | | Windows-based PCs and the aforementioned iPhone |
| drives full of brilliant technology. Yet most of it will | | | | provided all the benefits of a PDA and an iPod in one |
| never see the light of day. You'll find the inventors of | | | | device. But the question for the Apple iPad is: what |
| this wunderkind tech walking around the offices of | | | | does it really give us that we don't already have or |
| venture capital companies and investment firms | | | | need? |
| steadily being rejected time and time again. These | | | | The 'third category' |
| brilliant, yet hapless, souls are all being perplexed by | | | | Apple head honcho Steve Jobs is talking about a |
| one question: | | | | 'third category' into which the Apple iPad fits, |
| 'who's going to buy it and why?' | | | | between the laptop and mobile phone. The problem |
| It is a galling prospect for a scientist to entertain - | | | | here is that at the moment the 'third category' |
| they have created a beautiful piece of engineering | | | | doesn't really exist and there's no clear evidence that |
| but they can't find an ugly problem to solve with it. | | | | should or ever will. Possibly this is why Apple has |
| Today, with the launch of the Apple iPad, I find | | | | decided on such a low price point for the iPad. It |
| myself looking at something very beautiful and | | | | needs to shift some units fast and then hopefully the |
| clever, but which seems unlikely to make any | | | | public will decide what it is really for. |
| difference to my life. | | | | To be fair, the iPad has some scope. It comes with |
| Is there really a need for the iPad? | | | | 12 pre-loaded applications and Jobs hopes that it will |
| Don't get me wrong - I like Apple a lot, it is a great | | | | spawn a whole new generation of online invention. |
| company with some fantastically-designed products. I | | | | This is entirely possible but remains to be seen. Until |
| am a proud owner of an iPod and the next time I | | | | then the iPad might just fall between two stools, too |
| buy a new mobile, the iPhone will be a tempting | | | | big to be a phone without really making it to |
| prospect. However, all of the world's best products, | | | | computer level, either. |
| of whatever category, must address a real need, | | | | |