Ipad: Friend or Foe

The Ipad is set to make its big debut. The question is, is it Apple’s next big thing? Techies argue it out in an all weapons drawn flash battle. Like any of the Apple 1st generation products, it comes with two P’s: a problem and a price. It seems as if Apple has made the second version of the Ipad, supposedly equipped with 3G before the first version even hits the shelves.

Eweek identifies 10 major problems. Let’s talk about 3. The first problem is the lack of a camera. We all know why Apple continues to do this: technological obsolescence. This idea that we’ll leave out simple and basic things so you’ll buy the first version but just by adding a small component, you’ll ditch it for the new one and sadly the public obliges. This problem runs hand in hand with the second issue: 3G availability. Having the Ipad only run on WiFi means you are going to have to a. catch some sort of signal wherever you are going or b. you are going to be forced to buy a WiFi card, and in this case renders your Ipad another inconvenient expense. The rumor has it that if the Ipad is going to be equipped with 3G it’s going to be ran on At&t’s insufficient network at a high price.

The last major identifiable problem is the flash issue. Flash is definitely a crucial part of our Internet lives now. From gaming, shopping and email sites to University websites, flash is integrated in mainly every component of our Internet experience. Not having flash leaves many people out of the dust. I have a MyTouch ran on T-mobile 3G and I can’t go on the Gucci website, why? Gucci’s interface is flash and since my phone is entirely touch screen and I have no mouse, I have a very difficult time navigating the site. Put into simpler terms, it’s physically impossible. Daniel Dilger says there is no “magical” technology to make this work. Or is there?

The future of touch phones and flash compatibility lies in the hands of the developers. Daniel Dilger proposes a few solutions for the future of touch phones. He advocates programming for touch phones that simulate the gesture of the mouse over which requires some major rehaul in the programming of the sites.

img cred: Apple