Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

iPad is just the beginning

Apple has made a fortune in recent years by being first to market with new types of technologies, leaving the rest of the tech world to play catch-up. The iPod is one example, the iPhone another.

Apple has made a fortune in recent years by being first to market with new types of technologies, leaving the rest of the tech world to play catch-up. The iPod is one example, the iPhone another. Computer companies are scrambling to build all-in-one desktop computers similar to the popular iMac. Music and media companies are trying (and failing) to create online media stores as good as the iTunes Music Store, and cell phone and gadget companies are working overtime to create app stores but are still being left in the dust.

When it comes to the Apple iPad, however, other companies are actually ahead of the game for once and may actually steal the lion's share of the market this time around. Whether it was years of speculation that Apple was going to release a tablet or just better recognition of where the gadget market was going, companies like HTC, Lenovo, Sony, Toshiba, Acer, Dell, Archos and countless others are pretty much ready to launch their own versions of the iPad. Finally, a real competition to own a piece of the market.

And Apple has a few strikes against it right off the top. For one thing the iPad is for a captive audience only, no third-party software will be available for it unless you go through the company's tortuous App approval process. For another, it runs a proprietary operating system (pretty much the same as the iPhone) that prevents things like multitasking or using the productivity software of your choice. There's no video conferencing or VOIP ability. You can't plug it into your phone to access the 3G network on the go, you have to buy your own iPad account. You can't use open source formats for movies, music or e-books and it doesn't do Flash, which means the overall web experience is lacking.

On the plus side they have Apple's superior design, a huge App store and core of enterprising App developers to draw on, a great reputation, huge amounts of industry buzz after introducing the iPad in January, great battery life and a pretty good price point that's going to be hard for other companies to beat.

Other companies, however, probably have an advantage when you look closely at the features. Many will be able to run a version of Windows 7 Lite and all the Windows-compatible software out there (including iTunes) or a choice of Google Chrome OS, Google Android, Linux, etc. Many have features like cameras for video conferencing, allow third party software and apps, allow Flash, allow you to swap out your own battery, come with USB ports and will play pretty much any file you choose.

Overall, it's not a technology that I can really see myself using right about now, but if there was one device I could have it would probably be the Microsoft Courier. Videos of this book/tablet device surfaced last week (search Google to get the preview at Engadget.com, there's nothing on Microsoft's website yet) and it looks amazing - two screens, stylus, Internet, a cool clipping and scrapbook/journal feature, built-in camera (not front facing unfortunately) and more. It will use the Windows Phone 7 operating system that is capable of running third-party software (assuming somebody bothers to make it) and should be compatible with productivity software like Microsoft World.

When the iPad hits the stores at the end of April feel free to rush out and buy one if you think it's the device for you - Apple products are seldom disappointing. But if you're actually planning to use your tablet for a specific purpose, such as a tool for work or school, then you might want to do a bit of research first and figure out what features you need the most. For once we have that choice.

 

The third way

For years I've struggled with the concept of music piracy. On one hand I understood that it hurt artists as well as all the record companies out there that are really too stupid and greedy to survive. On the other hand I hate CDs (prone to scratching and degrading) and I don't like the conditions or prices for most legal digital download services. In Canada we have a limited number of choices for digital music to begin with, basically iTunes and PureTracks unless you want to subscribe to a service like Microsoft Zune Store or Napster Canada. They all have drawbacks: iTunes only recently shed their restrictive DRM requirements and their files are a little too compressed for my tastes. PureTracks only deals in WMV tracks and is about the same price as iTunes. Microsoft and Napster do sell individual songs but as far as subscription services go I really don't need another monthly bill.

So I've decided, where possible, to cut out the middleman. Many bands are offering their music online themselves instead of redirecting you to iTunes or another service where the record company gets the highest royalties.

After seeing them during the Olympics I bought all three Wintersleep albums in digital form for $27, half of what it would cost to buy their music in a store. I'm not getting a physical CD and I'm not being charged for one. Buying their music song by song at iTunes would be about $33 and only a fraction of that would make its way back to the band.

The third way, as far as I'm concerned, is the future of music.