KKSNetwork™

Note: For opinion on another point of view on this matter, please check out this article.

Apple, recently announced their tablet device on Wednesday this week. They named it iPad, as everyone probably already know. Steve Jobs is quoted saying that this is better than a phone, and better than a laptop.

Since everyone probably already know WTF the iPad is all about, I’m just going to express my feelings towards this gadget.

This is the way Apple enters the netbook market. Some might object to this statement. Now, would you care to explain what’s between a phone and a laptop? What device that goes on the net and does a little bit of word processing is priced at $499? What gadget has a 9.7” screen? What system has a 1.0 GHz processor (or around there) that’s not a phone?

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Now, why would Apple make a “tablet” instead of a standard netbook?

1. Steve Jobs hates buttons.
2. Apple doesn’t want to contradict their statement saying that they will not make a netbook.
3. Apple wants control over the device.
4. Apple wants to make more money with the device.

Netbooks have a very tiny margin, not very Apple-friendly. So, Apple can either release a “netbook” that costs $899, or they can release a device that’s lower powered than a netbook (1.0GHz processor, 16GB flash instead of 1.6GHz processor, 160GB HDD) and control the App Store, where they make huge profits.

Now, who would buy this piece of garbage?

Apple is trying to capture a market that doesn’t exist yet. Think about where the iPad would fit in your daily life? Would it be your computer in the subway? No, you already have your smart phone for that, and you probably will get mugged. Would it be your primary computer at home? No, you already have  your desktop/laptop for that. Would it be your travel computer? No, you have your laptop for that. This is that luxurious kitchen device that you use when you are cooking dinner. This could also be that luxurious device for which you watch movies in bed. However, at $499, it’s just not going to happen, and even if I had $499 to spare, I can buy myself a good old NVIDIA Ion netbook that can play a few games and does more than just going on the net, if I want it to. I could also buy myself a kindle to read my paper and books. Now, if anyone ask me whether I want the device or not. I would say no. I have so little use for it that I don’t even wants to want it.

Moreover, the tablet has some serious usability error. First off, the iPad doesn’t support Flash, as it is based on the iPhone OS. I would also suspect that the iPad doesn’t support background processing. The keyboard is going to be a pain to type on for anyone who knows how to properly type (For anyone who are going to say that they offer a keyboard, that compromises the point of the device, and it will make you spend more money). The iPad also sounds too much like the iPod. Actually, come to think about it, the iPad is an enlarged iPod Touch.

So what do you think about the iPad? Drop me a line below!

Update: Please don’t ask me explain this.