Much has been made about the iPad's diminish sales over the last year. There is no denying that once of the last major products Steve Jobs introduced is not performing as well as most analysts and pundits believe it was to be. Perhaps, there are even some at Apple that cannot see why the iPad isn't lighting the tablet market on fire or at least growing slowly. It's the PC market that has shown life even as Mac sales continue to outperform.
The problem for the iPad, and tablets in general, isn't that there is not a market for it. Problem with a majority of users and in the media is the preception of what a tablet is for. Instead of a multipurpose device with the potential as a laptop replacement, it's being looked upon as a device for media consumption - for business, education, and entertainment. Consumption. Not production of content. If you wanna do that, you still need PCs for the most part.
The uses of tablets in my family and people around me is very evident. As a mobile enthusiast, I use my iPad for product when possible. There are limits for me and most people. I am not an artist, so I find myself not producing art. And even for artists and designers, there are better PC tools. I write on it but I can do that easier on my Macbook when I'm not near my BT keyboard for the iPad. I listen to music and podcasts but I don't write music or produce podcasts on the iPad.
The young ones around me might do a bit more. They play games on their iPads as much as I do - waging war against enemy clans, keeping Homer and the Snoopy gang busy, and whatever games fancy them that week. There are some educational apps but the kids really seem them as games that also happened to teach them a thing or two useless. Oh, and they do draw.
The older folks? Reading. Lots of reading. Videos on Youtube. They send each other pictures of their grandchildren. Recently, I've trained my aunt to become very proficient at copying and sending links to her iMessage chat group.
That tablets are not being used to its fullest potential is largely Apple's fault. Clearly, Apple has not done a good enough job to advocate the iPad as a possible device for one to integrate into a process. While Apple has done a good job highlight the iPad with a few videos that were filmed and produced on an iPad, there is certainly more that the iPad is capable of. Apple needs to showcase how the iPad is benefiting productivity and enriching people's lives.
The problem for the iPad, and tablets in general, isn't that there is not a market for it. Problem with a majority of users and in the media is the preception of what a tablet is for. Instead of a multipurpose device with the potential as a laptop replacement, it's being looked upon as a device for media consumption - for business, education, and entertainment. Consumption. Not production of content. If you wanna do that, you still need PCs for the most part.
The uses of tablets in my family and people around me is very evident. As a mobile enthusiast, I use my iPad for product when possible. There are limits for me and most people. I am not an artist, so I find myself not producing art. And even for artists and designers, there are better PC tools. I write on it but I can do that easier on my Macbook when I'm not near my BT keyboard for the iPad. I listen to music and podcasts but I don't write music or produce podcasts on the iPad.
The young ones around me might do a bit more. They play games on their iPads as much as I do - waging war against enemy clans, keeping Homer and the Snoopy gang busy, and whatever games fancy them that week. There are some educational apps but the kids really seem them as games that also happened to teach them a thing or two useless. Oh, and they do draw.
The older folks? Reading. Lots of reading. Videos on Youtube. They send each other pictures of their grandchildren. Recently, I've trained my aunt to become very proficient at copying and sending links to her iMessage chat group.
That tablets are not being used to its fullest potential is largely Apple's fault. Clearly, Apple has not done a good enough job to advocate the iPad as a possible device for one to integrate into a process. While Apple has done a good job highlight the iPad with a few videos that were filmed and produced on an iPad, there is certainly more that the iPad is capable of. Apple needs to showcase how the iPad is benefiting productivity and enriching people's lives.
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