APLawrence.com -  Resources for Unix and Linux Systems, Bloggers and the self-employed
RSS Feeds RSS Feeds











(OLDER) <- More Stuff -> (NEWER) (NEWEST)
Printer Friendly Version
->
-> The future is in the essence of the iPad


The future is in the essence of the iPad



A few days back, I said this at Google Plus:

If we had the iPad ten years ago, there would be no such thing as a "Personal Computer" today. Businesses would still have expensive servers, of course, but business desktops would be dumb terminals - or iPads. There would be no "Home Computer" - only tablets.

Of course someone brought up Apple's Newton, but that was no iPad. It had no Internet access, no games, no army of independent developers who churned out hundreds of thousands of applications.

Was all that even possible ten years ago? Perhaps, though it would have been prohibitively expensive and probably failure prone. That wasn't my point, though.

What is the essence of iPad?

The iPad actually is the first computing device for the masses. It really is what Apple promised so many years ago: "The Computer for the rest of us".

The important attributes are that it is self contained, untethered, has cloud access and a long battery life. Everything else is details.

Of course that means that Apple's specific embodiment of these attributes in their iPad is also a detail. They may or may not have a better device, they may or may not have locked up patents that will keep them on top for years, but for my purposes here, those are just details too. Here I'm looking at the essence, not any specific instance. The essence of the iPad meets the needs and desires of computer users far better than any computer ever has.

But you can't..

I know, I know. You can't do this, it doesn't have that, it won't, it needs, it..

Correct. But that's all details and subject to change. You are looking at a Model T Ford and thinking about how much better your horse and carriage is. You are sneering at the microwave because you can't cook a turkey dinner in it. You are missing the essence.

(Article continues after the break)












The future is in that essence

This recent article speculates that Apple and Microsoft will each merge their mobile and desktop operating systems. Rather than Windows 8 and Windows Mobile, there will be one "Windows" OS. Apple will do the same, merging Mac OS X and IOS.

I'm sure they will. I'm equally sure that's completely unimportant.

To see why, you only need to ask yourself a few simple questions.

What is the major problem with desktop computers?

They aren't portable.

What are the major problems with smart phones?

Small screens and lack of full computing power.

What are the major problems with tablets?

You can't fit them in your pocket and you also lack full computing power..

So all you need is..

More power and a way to solve the size issue.

The first is easy. Technology advances will solve that: you'll have supercomputer power available at USB stick prices soon enough. You'll have all your apps, all your capabilities. You'll want for nothing.

The second is harder, and I have no idea what the final solution will be. Will it be virtual screens and virtual keyboards that are projected onto any convenient surface? Will it all be driven from a heads-up display? Will you be able to unfold a pocket sized device into something full sized? I don't know, and it doesn't matter: that issue WILL be resolved and whoever does it best - Apple, Microsoft or someone currently invisible - will reap profits that will dwarf Apple's record breaking iPad success.

The future is in the essence of the iPad. How long? Probably sooner than any of us think. A decade or perhaps even less. Personal computers, at least as we think of them now, are dead on the vine.

See Microsoft disregards Linux as threat. Big mistake., which talks about the end of the pc era.




If this page was useful to you, please help others find it:  





5 comments




More Articles by - Find me on Google+



Click here to add your comments
- no registration needed!




Thu Aug 4 13:54:37 2011: 9666   TonyLawrence

gravatar


Over at Google Plus, Brett Legree pointed out this link:

http://gizmodo.com/5827515/projector-lenses-the-size-of-pencil-lead-are-big-news-for-smartphones

That's exactly the kind of thing that may be part of the ultimate device.



Fri Aug 5 14:08:29 2011: 9670   Sledge

gravatar


Add a projector to this, connect the whole thing to "The Cloud"
http://www.virtual-laser-devices.com/
The future is now



Fri Aug 5 14:15:09 2011: 9671   TonyLawrence

gravatar


Ayup. Pricey and a bit too large now, but shrink the price and the size (so that it can all be part of one pocket sized device) and we are almost there.. now.



Sat Aug 6 00:41:24 2011: 9672   TonyLawrence

gravatar


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110801142559.htm

This sort of flexible electronics could be part of future products, especially if it could evolve to something foldable. This looks like it is still some time away, though.



Wed Aug 10 01:38:56 2011: 9682   AndrewSmallshaw

gravatar


Actually, with the exception of the number of apps (mere thousands as opposed to hundreds of thousands) you _could_ do all those things on the Newt. Sorry, I couldn't resist... the Newton was and in some respect still is a very impressive bit of kit.

As for form factors, I think it unlikely there is going to be a single solution. Not a tablet, not a palmtop, not a PC. In fixed location a desktop PC (or at least something with a similar interface - it could be a thin client) is always going to be the preferred solution. Even laptops are poor alternatives in comparison if portability simply isn't an issue. Of course, they're no good if you do need portability. If you are going somewhere specifically to work, yes a tablet of a laptop fit the bill. For more casual accesses you have a smartphone, so if you need to check your email (or even do some urgent remote maintenance) in the pub you are not left stranded.

That is of course the present but I don't see it not also being the future. Computing has got so PC centric over the last few decades it is tempting to assume that there must inevitably be a single solution since that has largely been the case in the past. But as you point out, you have differing and contradictory requirements in different circumstances. It seems natural to me that we are always going to have different devices to cater to them.

Don't miss responses! Subscribe to Comments by RSS or by Email

Click here to add your comments


If you want a picture to show with your comment, go get a Gravatar

Kerio Samepage


Have you tried Searching this site?

Unix/Linux/Mac OS X support by phone, email or on-site: Support Rates

This is a Unix/Linux resource website. It contains technical articles about Unix, Linux and general computing related subjects, opinion, news, help files, how-to's, tutorials and more. We appreciate comments and article submissions.

Publishing your articles here

Jump to Comments



Many of the products and books I review are things I purchased for my own use. Some were given to me specifically for the purpose of reviewing them. I resell or can earn commissions from the sale of some of these items. Links within these pages may be affiliate links that pay me for referring you to them. That's mostly insignificant amounts of money; whenever it is not I have made my relationship plain. I also may own stock in companies mentioned here. If you have any question, please do feel free to contact me.

I am a Kerio reseller. Articles here related to Kerio products reflect my honest opinion, but I do have an obvious interest in selling those products also.

Specific links that take you to pages that allow you to purchase the item I reviewed are very likely to pay me a commission. Many of the books I review were given to me by the publishers specifically for the purpose of writing a review. These gifts and referral fees do not affect my opinions; I often give bad reviews anyway.

We use Google third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.

pavatar.jpg

This post tagged:

       - MacOSX
       - Opinion
       - iPad















My Troubleshooting E-Book will show you how to solve tough problems on Linux and Unix systems!


book graphic unix and linux troubleshooting guide



Buy Kerio from a dealer
who knows tech:
I sell and support

Kerio Connect Mail server, Control, Workspace and Operator licenses and subscription renewals



Click and enter your name and phone number to call me about Kerio® products right now (Flash required)