4 ms·

Apple does have a history of entering markets ripe for explosion and then facilitating that explosion. It seems a bit different this time. In the past it seems

Apple does have a history of entering markets ripe for explosion and then facilitating that explosion. It seems a bit different this time. In the past it seems the Apple was answering consumers' demands rather than publishers' demands. Portable music sold one at a time came to the delight of consumers and the detriment of the music industry. The iPhone's internet connected apps encourage using more and more bandwidth is to the detriment of cell phone carriers. Consumers outside of tech geeks and Apple fans seem to care less about tablets. It is the publishers who pine for a new platform to sell the wares on that seem to be the most vocal about how revolutionary the iPad is. Even friends that have pre-ordered it do not exactly know what they will be doing with it yet, only that the iPad is somehow revolutionary. Time will tell if the iPad will be a success but I personally hope a more open platform will win out.

swombat 17y ago
There's "no demand" for a simple, easy to use tablet-sized internet/app device that doesn't crash, just like there was "no demand" for a simple, easy to use, pocket-sized music device 10 years ago. There's plenty of demand for it. Most people just don't know they want one yet. As I argued in my article after the iPad launch, people who don't actually want a computer will be buying this in droves (instead of wasting money on ugly, powerless netbooks - which are priced in the same region!).
- megaman821 17y ago
  There was demand for a pocket-sized music device over 20 years ago. The Sony Walkman was a success which was followed by the proprietary Sony MiniDisc format which flopped. Then iRiver and Phillips had crappy mp3 players. The iPod was the first portable music player since the Walkman that was a success. I am not prescient, the iPad may be a huge success, but there currently not a large market for tablets. There were large markets for portable music players and smart phones when Apple entered those fields.

swombat 17y ago

There's "no demand" for a simple, easy to use tablet-sized internet/app device that doesn't crash, just like there was "no demand" for a simple, easy to use, pocket-sized music device 10 years ago. There's plenty of demand for it. Most people just don't know they want one yet. As I argued in my article after the iPad launch, people who don't actually want a computer will be buying this in droves (instead of wasting money on ugly, powerless netbooks - which are priced in the same region!).

megaman821 17y ago
There was demand for a pocket-sized music device over 20 years ago. The Sony Walkman was a success which was followed by the proprietary Sony MiniDisc format which flopped. Then iRiver and Phillips had crappy mp3 players. The iPod was the first portable music player since the Walkman that was a success. I am not prescient, the iPad may be a huge success, but there currently not a large market for tablets. There were large markets for portable music players and smart phones when Apple entered those fields.