The iPad
« Monsanto to Release Roundup Ready Trait | Home | McDonald’s Support Livestock Traceability »
Image: PACMan3000, Flickr.com
Over the winter, when the outdoor workload is lessened for farmers, can be an ideal time to start upgrading systems, catching up on the latest in tech news, and making sure your operations are cutting edge. If you’re a bit of a tech geek, maybe you’re interested in upgrading your personal operations as well. If that’s you, then chances are you’ve already started thinking about the new Apple iPad. And according to many a tech-head, you might want to think twice before investing in this product.
Public reception of this new device has been pretty mixed. While most people are keenly interested in this newest offering from Apple – the company that’s currently dominating the personal computer market – it seems like everyone is joking about the weak choice of product name and the fact that it looks like an unwieldy iPod Touch (one that is even too big to go in your pockets, it must be noted).
The pricing, as well, is getting a big thumbs-down from consumers who say that at a price range of between $500 and $900, it’s cheaper than an Apple laptop, sure, but it also lacks much of the functionality of a laptop.
The device also runs on an operating system similar to the one in iPhone, which means its processing capabilities are more in line with a PDA than a computer. The new, Apple 1 GHz A4 processor is an updated version of the StrongARM RISC chips that are found in iPhones, so while the processor will have some improved functionality, the iPad has limited, if any, multitasking capabilities.
The market may seem primed for tablet computing at the moment, with the release of netbook computers and Amazon’s Kindle reader, both of these devices are cheaper than the iPad and fulfill more specialized functions. Historically, consumers have rejected tablet-style computing software, opting instead for stable forms like laptops and, of course, hand-held, pocket-sized, devices.
If it seems like Apple bats a hundred every time, remember that this is a company that has taken a lot of risks while developing its popular software. Remember the Cube? No?
It also has a history of overpricing its products. The first 8GB iPhone to hit the market cost nearly $600. It wasn’t until the prices dropped with the second generation model (between $199 and $299) that sales skyrocketed.
Perhaps after a couple of generations-worth of modification, the iPad will be as popular as the iPhone or the iPod. Or perhaps it will simply go the way of the Cube.
