However, the one thing that struck me as odd was Apple’s redesign of the iTunes icon. To be blunt, it’s simplistic, unlike Apple’s typically beautiful iconography, and it sticks out like a sore thumb in my dock.

Apple’s reasoning for changing their icon is valid. The previous icon with the blue eighth notes and CD is a little outmoded as CD’s are on the way out (as per S. Jobs). However, is this the best replacement Cupertino’s world-renown design team was able to conjure? In stark contrast to other Mac icons (Apple’s own and 3rd party), the new iTunes stamp looks simplistic and plastic-y. Most of Apple’s icons have a semi-photorealistic look to them.

One of these things is not like the other...

It makes a person wonder whether there’s something bigger behind the redesign. Is this the first breeze in the wind of change? Will Apple be changing the look of more application icons? After all, this icon almost has a MobileMe-esque feel to it (some may remember that the MobileMe icon was scrutinized for its cartoonish looks).

In the past, Apple has used iTunes to test out new interface ideas. iTunes was one of the first apps to drop the brushed metal and aqua blue, so Apple may be testing the waters here, both in terms of icon design and interface design.

Time will tell, I suppose.

Update:

Apparently I’m not the only one who isn’t fond of the new iTunes 10 logo. In fact, someone went so far as to email Steve Jobs to let him know. Click for whole story.

However, there are still a few things that I would like to say about the iPad.

Why did I buy it?

Ultimately, people will buy or not buy the iPad for their own reasons. For me, the iPad is essentially a laptop replacement. Granted, it doesn’t do everything that a laptop does so it wouldn’t be a good replacement for everyone (e.g., businessman on the road). At home, I still have an iMac. I personally prefer desktops to laptops. For the foreseeable future, I’ll continue to do all the heavy lifting on my desktop. The only reason that I would possibly need a laptop is for mobile browsing, email, and the odd bit of application-based work. For me, the iPad can do all those things almost as well as a desktop.

Furthermore, the iPad is extremely inconspicuous. I don’t have to drag any cords around. It tucks under my arm so that it’s not immediately apparent that I’m toting a piece of technology. It’s lighter than most laptops. The battery lasts all day, and it takes just an instant to turn it on and have it working.

I’m in the midst of a grand experiment to see whether the iPad can be functional and beneficial in a work environment. I’m facing a lot of resistance (read brick wall) from my IT department at work. I’ve been told that it’s a liability and security issue…bla bla bla, so I’m not currently able to access my email or calendar using the built-in applications. I do use it to take notes during meetings. It’s a start, I guess.

Lastly, it’s an Apple product, and Lord knows I need more of those.

Why it’s a giant iPod Touch

Invariably, people want to look at and hold the iPad. Upon playing with the device for 3.7 seconds, the most common comment I receive is, “It’s exactly like a big iPod Touch.” Ultimately, I can’t dispute that fact. It looks like one and it runs on the same operating system. If you know how to operate an iPod Touch or iPhone, there will be nothing difficult about transitioning to an iPad.

When the iPad was nothing more than a rumour, some analysts speculated that Apple’s “tablet” device would come with Mac OS X installed. IMHO, that would have been a fatal error. Spend any amount of time working with a touch-screen PC at your local Best Buy, and you’ll soon realize that the interface was not tailored for multi-touch input. Desktop operating systems (e.g., OS X Snow Leopard, Windows 7) are best suited for a mouse and keyboard. The iPhone operating system is best suited for fingers and therefore, the best option for the iPad.

Why it’s different

The size of the iPad is exactly what sets it apart from an iPhone or iPod. The increased screen real estate brings with it a whole new realm of possibilities. With the increase in screen size, app developers are not as constrained. In iPhone apps, one is constantly sliding from screen to screen. There is often too little space to display content and a menu, so the entire screen has to swipe away to make room. On the iPad, there’s usually enough space to show more than one thing.

Not only that, but apps look quite a lot different. For example, take a look at these contrasting screenshots:

Summary

In their promotional material, Apple pays the iPad every compliment imaginable. They only barely stop short of saying that the iPad cures cancer (they’re probably reserving that feature for 2011). They say that the iPad is magical and revolutionary. So, is it? It certainly is well-designed. It is very useful to many people. Is it revolutionary, though? Yes and no. The iPad builds upon the very solid foundations of the iPod and the iPhone. In that regard, there’s nothing new. The iPad isn’t even the first tablet computing device. However, it is revolutionary in that I predict that one day we will look back and realize that the iPad marked the first time that people gave a crap about a tablet computer.

If you agree or disagree or just want to say something, leave me a comment below.

On January 27, 2010 Apple held a press event to announce the hotly anticipated and much-romoured Apple iPad. For weeks, months, and even years leading up to the event, rumors and speculation ran wild concerning an Apple “tablet.” After finishing work on the 27th, I rushed home, made myself a plate of perogies, and settled in to watch the keynote.

The press event was filled with Pixar references, software demos, and self-indulgent exclamations of awe from Apple execs, including Steve Jobs himself. Apparently Steve is really excited about the product and is quite certain that we’re all going to love it. My initial response was rather tepid. In terms of design, I didn’t have any major qualms, but it didn’t really get my juices flowing (which is usually the response when Apple releases a marquee product).

When they first announced the name, my jaw dropped to the floor. iPad?!? The name had, of course, been one of the rumoured names, but never would I have guessed that the near-infallible marketing team at Apple would pick this travesty. Time will tell whether the device can rise above the ridiculous connotations the name bears. Despite my lingering distaste for the name, basing my verdict on something this immaterial would be foolish.

Many have criticized the device for being little more than an oversized iPod Touch. At first blush, one can hardly help but agree. It looks the same. It has the same operating system. It has the same limitations (e.g., lack of camera, inability to multi-task). Even all the apps they boast are available for the device are actually just stretched iPod/iPhone applications.

So what is it about the iPad that is so special that it warranted a dedicated press event? Perhaps I’m putting too much faith in His Holiness, Steve Jobs, but I’m hard pressed to believe that he would launch a product that merely duplicated a pre-existing one.

It’s all about the software

At the end of the day, it’s not about the hardware. The success of the product will not be determined by its attractiveness. Taking a page out of the Microsoft book of business, Apple is pushing the iPad as a platform and not as another one-trick-pony gadget. Ultimately, it’s the software that will make the iPad so special.

Take a look at Apple iPhones commercials. When the device came out, Apple created one commercial that touted the physical design of the unit. After that, it spent all its time hawking the wares of 3rd party developers. At the end of the day, people care less that the iPod has a sleek, refined one-button design. People care more about the fact that they can use the iPhone to browse the web, read their emails, calculate a tip, check Facebook, edit a spreadsheet, play poker, send Twitters, review restaurants, and maintain a shopping list.

The benefit of the iPad’s screen size will become clear when people begin using applications that are specifically designed for the iPad. The increased real estate makes so many more things possible. Apple demonstrated their new iWork apps. Those would not have been feasible on the iPhone’s screen. If you think it’s fun to finger pain on an iPhone, think of how much better it will be on an iPad. Think of how the following applications might look and behave differently on a larger screen: Photoshop, Epicurious, Evernote, solitaire, VNC, Wikipedia, Convertbot. The list goes on. One might be hard-pressed to find an application that wouldn’t benefit from a less cramped screen.

It’s off to work I go

Despite my initial lukewarm response, my desire to own Apple’s latest offering has grown.The problem is that I still have to be able to justify the purchase in my mind. I already own a 1st generation iPod touch. Despite no longer being the fastest or sleekest model on the market, it plays music and performs most basic tasks without a hitch. The improved speed and sex appeal of the iPad is not enough to sway me.

While at work, I’ve begun to actively search out ways I could use my iPad as a work tool. With a little assistance from the IT department, I’m confident that I should be able to find plenty ways to utilize an iPad.

Email & Contacts. Like most companies, we use Microsoft’s Exchange email server. Now, with Apple’s built-in support for exchange technologies, my hope is that the IT department at my workplace will be benevolent enough to give a Mac fan-boy like me the permissions necessary to hook up my iPad to the Exchange server. Once that’s in place, the benefits will be obvious. I’ll be able to respond to my email and check my calendar even when I’m away from my desk. If that’s not immediately possible, I suppose I may be forced to use Outlook’s web access via Safari.

Spreadsheets. My daily tasks require me to access and edit spreadsheets on a regular basis. The ability to manage certain aspects of my inventory and edit reports should be invaluable. Microsoft has hinted that they may be creating a pared down version of their office suite for the iPad. That, dear reader, would be grand.

Evernote. I’ve only just begun to use Evernote, and already I can see the huge potential this application has on the iPad. I look forward to a day where I won’t have to carry a scattered notebook filled with cryptic scribblings. Rather, Evernote should provide me the ability to access meeting notes, to-do lists, and random scribblings from home, my iPad, and my workstation. Physical notebooks serve their purpose, but short of flipping through the pages manually, they offer no indexing and searching capability. Furthermore, a spiral notebook can only be in one place at a time. In contrast, information synchronized with Evernote is essentially accessible anywhere.

The benefits of an iPad in the workplace can only be speculated until they actually begin to ship. However, it will be exciting to see how the ecosystem of applications available for the iPad develops. As I mentioned before, it’s not the hardware that will prove the iPad’s worth, it’s the software.

UPDATE: Tried to have an intelligent conversation with a leader of the IT department. I was enlightened to the fact that they are not quite as forward-thinking as I had initially hoped. Looks like Microsoft Outlook’s web access will be the name of the game until key decision-makers realize the benefits of thinking outside the beige box. *Sigh*