Apple iPad 2: why tablets are the future of computing

By Shane Richmond, Head of Technology (Editorial)
Apple didn’t invent the tablet computer, such devices have been commercially available since the 1980s, but they didn’t invent the MP3 player or the mobile phone either. Instead, they did what they always do: refine the product for their market, make the design as slick and simple as possible and the market it brilliantly. Without the iPad, it’s unthinkable that so many tablets would be appearing in shops today.

Announcing the iPad 2 last night, Steve Jobs talked about it as a "post-PC" device. It's clear Apple considers theses devices to be the future and it's a theme that Jobs has spoken about before. At a conference in June last year, Jobs said: "I’m trying to think of a good analogy. When we were an agrarian nation, all cars were trucks. But as people moved more towards urban centers, people started to get into cars. I think PCs are going to be like trucks. Less people will need them.

"And this transformation is going to make some people uneasy… because the PC has taken us a long way. They were amazing. But it changes. Vested interests are going to change. And, I think we’ve embarked on that change. Is it the iPad? Who knows? Will it be next year or five years? … We like to talk about the post-PC era, but when it really starts to happen, it’s uncomfortable."

Far from being a ‘big iPod touch’, tablet devices are changing the way many people use computers and changing the perception of computers for others. Earlier this week, JP Rangaswami, chief scientist at cloud computing firm Salesforce, told me that he realised the extent of the tablet revolution when he heard about how archaeologists were using them. With fewer holes for dust to get in, no keyboard with moving parts and no need for power or cabling, tablets were perfect for archaeologists in the field. Add in the battery life of an iPad and the fact that it’s easy to use at the strangest of angles - something that’s tricky even with a netbook - and you have an ideal device.

Apple made a similar point in their iPad 2 announcement, showing a video of the original iPad being used in schools and in doctor's surgeries. The message is that this takes computers into an environment where they weren't previously comfortable. Your GP probably has an enormous old PC on his desk but has he ever used it to explain something to you?

Source: telegraph