Who wants a tablet?
Oddly, quite a few people do, even if it's still vapor right now. The big question is who WILL want it. There are plenty of people asking where this fits in Apple's lineup. I would be willing to bet that this will be great for content creators, business people, students, and everyone who doesn't really need all of the extraneous pieces of the operating system which comes with a "computer". I'm not talking about raw computing performance or processor speed, but how well this device does what it is intended to do (from the user perspective). As a musician (Apple has always been a friend to them). Imagine being able to slap on some headphones and tap out a drum loop and then plug in your guitar, or other instrument of choice, and lay down a song track by track using the new Garageband Touch interface. If DJing and mixing is more your thing, can you imagine the possibilities? Not to mention your mini recording studio or at least a way to turn that tablet into an I/O interface for your computer (more on that later) Many people might dismiss anything Apple as something shiny for sales people to use for presentations and graphic designers to drool over, but these tools are just like any others: they are most useful in the hands of people who can use them to help get the job done more efficiently. Apps will allow various workers examine data in a more interactive way to help analyze trends and do something with all of that data. Designers can use it as a surface to draw or edit images on. Salespeople can demo products and give presentations, using the surface as a way to point out key points and to play with graph and charts. IT admins can monitor the health of all of the computers on the network no matter where they might be. Diagnostics could be displayed on the tablet; rather than operating it as a standalone computer, it would display information about a computer (or computers) in a graphical way, also allowing adjustment of resources on something like a server (or servers).
Why now?
Oddly, quite a few people do, even if it's still vapor right now. The big question is who WILL want it. There are plenty of people asking where this fits in Apple's lineup. I would be willing to bet that this will be great for content creators, business people, students, and everyone who doesn't really need all of the extraneous pieces of the operating system which comes with a "computer". I'm not talking about raw computing performance or processor speed, but how well this device does what it is intended to do (from the user perspective). As a musician (Apple has always been a friend to them). Imagine being able to slap on some headphones and tap out a drum loop and then plug in your guitar, or other instrument of choice, and lay down a song track by track using the new Garageband Touch interface. If DJing and mixing is more your thing, can you imagine the possibilities? Not to mention your mini recording studio or at least a way to turn that tablet into an I/O interface for your computer (more on that later) Many people might dismiss anything Apple as something shiny for sales people to use for presentations and graphic designers to drool over, but these tools are just like any others: they are most useful in the hands of people who can use them to help get the job done more efficiently. Apps will allow various workers examine data in a more interactive way to help analyze trends and do something with all of that data. Designers can use it as a surface to draw or edit images on. Salespeople can demo products and give presentations, using the surface as a way to point out key points and to play with graph and charts. IT admins can monitor the health of all of the computers on the network no matter where they might be. Diagnostics could be displayed on the tablet; rather than operating it as a standalone computer, it would display information about a computer (or computers) in a graphical way, also allowing adjustment of resources on something like a server (or servers).
Students and educators will likely see the most immediate benefit as many publishers have said they are on board (probably ruffling some Apple feathers in the process). We're not just talking "e-books" here... They will essentially reinvent what we have come to think of as the things you need for class. This will be a textbook with interactive data sets, homework which you do on the device itself and then send off to your teacher. The teacher will then be able to have something like math checked by the software (at least parts of it) and then allow the teacher to review what corrections the computer made and make any necessary adjustments. Here's another scenario: teacher announces a test next week. Rather than trying to sync up schedules and a meeting place, students could share their information and videos with each other and use this device not only as a whiteboard (why do people think whiteboards are so awesome?) but also as a means for showing others exactly what they are talking about. When test day comes around, teachers are able to send a link to the test (which also disables anything that might give someone an advantage). This would also help avoid the "sick day" test delay that some students try to employ. The test could have time limits and be adjusted/customized for anyone with a learning disability. The questions would not be limited by text, but could also include audio, video, animations, interactive charts and graphs, etc to better display the question.
While much of this is conjecture, be sure that Apple will have a clear and unified message for whatever appears from beneath the black velvet todayWhy make one?
Everyone at Apple KNOWS that they are working on the future of computing. While this at times can make them seem snobbish ("Who needs a Optical Drive? That's so 2005!"), it also speaks to the company culture and that they are constantly moving forward and thinking about what the future should and will bring. Every encounter I've had with Apple employees shows me that they really do want to make a difference in the world with great products and they believe that this is within reach. This tablet is what it's all about.
Why now?
Apple has been working towards something like this for quite a while. Steve Jobs notoriously hates input devices, whether that's a mouse, keyboard, or stylus. It's more organic for someone to use their hands for computing... it's just a natural progression to Apple and it shows in their products. They acknowledged that this would not be a flip of the switch kind of moment. That's why they've been slowly introducing us to these technologies through the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the multi touch track pad, letting us know that the grass is greener on this side of interfaces. I've seen so many people in the last few years walk up to an iMac and try to touch the screen, not knowing that it is not touch based. People are waiting for it and Apple is going to give it to them.
In summary
This device will likely upend the ways we think about media and the ways we interact with computers in general and the media on them (whatever it may be). Content creators will have to shift as well, not because Apple tells them to, but because the possibilities on this device will allow them to do so. Apple will say "If not now, when? If not us, then who?". People will love the device and think to themselves "How did I live without this?"
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