Dork Lessons

While we ate lunch and followed the announcement, David asked me: but if you have an iPhone and a MacBook Pro, why would you need an iPad? It’s a good question. Perhaps if you don’t have a laptop it’s a great way to own a second, more mobile computer that’s more powerful than the iPhone. Maybe it’s great for my mom as she just uses it to surf the web, facebook and pay bills. But is there really a need for a third, in-between semi-mobile computer?

I’m trying to imagine the situations: at home, in the office, I have my MBP hooked up to the 24? LED Display and various hard drives so to all intents and purposes it’s a desktop, but I can take it with me when I’m travelling (which I do a lot) and that’s why I love having the flexibility of a laptop. But would I use an iPad when I’m at work? No, I’d use my MBP. What about that other common situation, where I’m sitting in front of the TV at night — casually replying to emails or surfing the web (as I am now)? Would I use an iPad then? No, probably not. Apart from the very small inconvenience of having to disconnect the drives and display before going home, I’m pretty sure I’d continue to use the laptop on almost all occasions. Ok, so what about on very small journeys where it’s between home and work without getting out the laptop? In those circumstances I usually use the iPhone to reply to emails and I guess that would be an instance where it’d be preferable to do it on an iPad. But is that it?!?

I hate to say this, but I’m honestly struggling to think of situations where using an iPad would be more appropriate / useful / fun than using either my MBP or iPhone. So again I’m forced to ask the question: is there really a need for a third, in-between semi-mobile computer?

However I do see scenarios for the iPad: My mom for example. I just bought her first computer and the cheapest Mac I got her was a white MB for $999 (God knows how much time I would have spent doing tech support if I had bought her a cheap PC). All she does is surf the web, pays her bills online, facebook, transfers some photos, emails me spam and that’s about it. This would have been perfect for her and at half the price. She would even save money in the long run with the unlimited $30 a month of AT&T’s 3G as opposed to Comcast’s $50 for hi-speed cable. Another use would be for a student who uses iWork/Office for schoolwork except this doubles as a gaming device and iPod as well. So I do see potential.

The Big But

I’m disappointed that the iPad isn’t a device that can dock with another Mac. I feel a little let-down that’s not being quite as ground-breaking as I’d hoped. And I’m concerned that there may not be an actual need for it (I guess only time will tell). But has Apple created another gorgeous device? Yes. Have they pushed yet more UI design boundaries? Yes. And have they come through and delivered it all at a reasonable price? Amazingly, yes. So I’m still pretty excited.

I’m prepared to admit that — as a self-confessed Apple fanboy and a designer with a soft spot for all things pretty — the device’s beauty is possibly overpowering my logical reasoning, but the iPad really does look like an amazing piece of kit and it’s one I can’t wait to try out, as that’s the only way these concerns might be confirmed or quashed. Is it actually worth buying? It’s simply too soon to tell but I’ll make sure I have one and be the one to judge.