also known by many as the i-tampon
When i first heard of the ipad, i laughed, it looked like they had just made an iphone 4 times bigger with less functionality, and then i was shocked that people were pre-ordering this little device. but know that the news has settled in, i think apple have made a smart decision, they are doing what they have done with every single one of their product lines, and its worked well so far, so apples decision to move into e-readers isn't all that surprising, especially given the timing.
first, we need to see what apple do as a company, while many say they build computers, i think a different description is appropriate. apple obviously make computers and software, as do all computer manufacturing companies, its what the companies do individually that sets them apart, this is where apple have done something right. back when apple first released their imacs, they were popular, why? because they looked nicer compared to other computers, the fact that they ran mac os also meant less viruses than their windows running counterparts, meaning that businesses had at least a little extra security just by owning a mac.
and this is where apple formed their niche of sorts, they didn't drastically change the way computers worked or revolutionise the industry, they just made their imac nice, it didn't require a tower and it ran a different OS, in the hardware everything was the same, but how apple presented it, as something new, different, something that could be personalised by getting it in a colour that suited you, is what made it seem different. the illusion worked, and the imac sold.....
they did the same with the ipod, there were lots of mp3 players out there, and the ipod didn't bring many new things, and like the imac it didn't revolutionise the industry, but it looked nice, it had a good capacity for storing music while still being very portable, couple this with itunes and you have a winning combination.
arguably the same went for the iphone, the technology was there, touchscreen phones had been out for years, but the iphone looked nice, it was by apple, in peoples eyes it had to be good simply because apple made it. several smartphones had been on the market, but apple did it with arguably more style, which is why it became popular, it is a simple case of the 'ooooh shiny!' syndrome( something i made up just now, its when people buy one product over another because it looks nicer than the latter, even fro a slightly higher price and/or reduced functionality) apple is using the tendencies of consumers to its advantage, an almost diabolical strategy that, unsurprisingly works.
i don't even need to point it out to you anymore, apple make money and became famous because they don't revolutionise the industy, they just repackage what is already there in a pretty bow and market it in a way to convince people that its revolutionary when it isn't. arguably the only way apple has affected the industry is via itunes, something which turned them music indusrty on its head when it was first invented, ripping albums apart and allowing them to by them song by song. this is how apple makes money, its almost like their specialty.
I don't really care if the ipad does well or not, mainly because either way it isn't going to turn my life upside down, it will just be another commercial on tv, another thing to play with when i visit the apple store, another part of the technological industry apple will pretend to 'revolutionise', and more money for them, maybe it will be put to making a gaming mac, one can only dream....
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