This Old Mac

By Ryan Vetter

Let’s face it, the iPad, Apple’s latest device, is nothing like the Apple Newton. While the Newton was a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) meant for vertical markets, the iPad is a media tablet with full computer functionality. Forget everything you knew about a stylus.

I won’t bore you with dogmatic categories, a top ten list on why this will be successful, etc. Let me just say publicly that this device will be a success. Eventually, everybody is going to be using “media pads”. Beautiful design + multi-touch interface + software is the ticket for this. Apple has done what no other competitor has done yet. From the custom A4 chip to the custom multi-touch OS, it screams to be used.

With technologies now like Bluetooth, virtual keyboards with predictive text, and speech recognition, the need for a stylus for inputting information is all but over. The only downside to not having a stylus is for graphic design.

With long battery life, the iBooks store, multi-touch iWork, custom calendar, iPhoto, and iCal… everybody is going to want one of these. And it’s perfect for vertical markets. Finally, the medical industry has a tablet that they can use. Apple has just delivered Star Trek. After all the dust has settled, the validity of the tablet, of Apple’s tablet, will be self-evident.

Go iPad.