science & technologyDoes the iPad <strong>to</strong>uch all the rightbut<strong>to</strong>ns for the iFamily?By Nicola ByrneSo lets get the jokes out of the way. TheiPad sounds like a feminine hygiene product.Yes, you can wear white jeans whileusing the iPad, and yes, you need some kind of analternative tablet if you want <strong>to</strong> go swimming.It’s the first thing that popped in<strong>to</strong> most peoples’thoughts as soon as Apple CEO, Steve Jobs,muttered the word. T<strong>here</strong>fore, it’s beyond me howthis name was let pass. Presumably, a bunch ofobliviously-mature male executives all came <strong>to</strong> amutual decision in the board-room of masculinityand sincerity.It’s rumoured that ‘iSlate’ was the first choice ofname for the new Apple tablet, which was unveiledby Steve Jobs last month. However, iSlate wasalready registered, spawning endless parodies andjokes at the expense of the alternative; ‘iPad’. ButJobs isn’t bot<strong>here</strong>d, stating that “they made fun ofiPod name when it came out. What matters is theproduct and what it means <strong>to</strong> consumers.”In response, one particularly witty headlineread; ‘Apple’s iPad absorbs web’s wisecracks.’Quips aside, the iPad is essentially a large andinconvenient iPhone, physically speaking. A surewinner <strong>to</strong> be the most frequently damaged objectin recent his<strong>to</strong>ry. At least with a lap<strong>to</strong>p or PC youjust scream and slam the screen in helpless frustrationwhen something goes wrong. The iPadenables you <strong>to</strong> put your aggravation in<strong>to</strong> action bychucking the thing through a wall with minimumeffort.A lot like life, we struggle <strong>to</strong> find meaning inthe iPad. The pecking order is the PC, then lap<strong>to</strong>p,net-book, smart phone, mobile phone and er, electronicorganisers. But how do we begin <strong>to</strong> fill thegaps between these?Steve Jobs has the answer. During a press conferencein San Francisco, Jobs presented the 9.7-inch tablet computer, complete with multi-<strong>to</strong>uchdisplay, 1-GHz speed and up <strong>to</strong> 64GB of memory.It weighs a mere 1.5 pounds and is only 0.5 inchesthick. The iPad will only run software purchasedthrough Apple’s App S<strong>to</strong>re just like the iPhone andiTouch before it, but will also come with Safari, a46 Fusion Magazine
science & technologyThis could be the gamechanger; iBooks. Couldwe be witnessing theiTune-ification of thepublishing industry?Perhaps. The iBooks<strong>to</strong>rewill be the latestdomestic app for theiFamily.new mail system, pho<strong>to</strong>s, video,App S<strong>to</strong>re, YouTube, iPod, iTunes,maps, calendar and other productivity<strong>to</strong>ols.I say video, presuming youare all aware that as of yet, theIrish iTunes s<strong>to</strong>re only has audiodownloads and music videos. Nomovies or television series areavailable in the Irish s<strong>to</strong>re due <strong>to</strong>licensing rights for content. Strikeone, within the Irish market. Itwill be interesting <strong>to</strong> see how it ismarketed <strong>to</strong> the Irish consumers,considering Apple are claiming <strong>to</strong>‘revolutionise’ how we consumevisual media.But this could be the game changer; iBooks.Could we be witnessing the iTune-ification of thepublishing industry? Perhaps. The iBooks<strong>to</strong>rewill be the latest domestic app for the iFamily. Atlaunch, five book publishers will have publicationson iBooks, including Penguin, Simon and Schuster,HarperCollins, Macmillian and Hachette.So? Whatever. I have my Kindle. Unlike theKindle, iPad users can download books in fullcolour (no more rancid gray) and read them onrealistic ‘e-paper’ pages that are easily navigatedand manipulated. The font-face and size can bechanged <strong>to</strong> your preference and the pages can beturned with a simple drag on the screen.The iBooks interface is even a rustic book-shelf,so you won’t feel as though your literary experienceis anything less than authentic. It’s hard <strong>to</strong>see how Amazon’s Kindle is going <strong>to</strong> retaliate andremain competitive.Steve Jobs says “The iBooks app is a great newway <strong>to</strong> read and buy books. Just download the appfor free from the App S<strong>to</strong>re, and you’ll be able <strong>to</strong>buy everything from classics <strong>to</strong> bestsellers fromthe built-in iBooks<strong>to</strong>re. Once you’ve bought abook, it’s displayed on your Bookshelf. To readit, all you have <strong>to</strong> do is tap on it and it opens up.The high-resolution, LED-backlit screen displayseverything in sharp, rich, colour, so it’s very easy<strong>to</strong> read, even in low light.”The iPad could also be huge in terms of collegetext books. Educational publishers such asMcGraw-Hill, Pearson and Kaplan have alreadystruck deals with iPhone <strong>to</strong>uch developers Scroll-Motion Inc. <strong>to</strong> build applications for the iPad. Appfeatures include bonus test preparation, studyguides and new types of classroom instructionalmaterials.Students with particularly book-heavy coursescould benefit greatly from investing in an iPad if itmeant lower prices and less weight <strong>to</strong> lug aroundcampus. Add colourful graphs, charts, audio, andeven interactive media demonstrations and t<strong>here</strong>’sno excuse for those August repeats at all.But what could this mean for journalism? Can itrevive this sickly sec<strong>to</strong>r? Maybe not <strong>to</strong>day, maybenot <strong>to</strong>morrow, but t<strong>here</strong>’s hope yet. The appeal isobvious. It’s small enough <strong>to</strong> be discreet, whilelarge enough <strong>to</strong> prevent straining your eyes <strong>to</strong> seeit. Colour pho<strong>to</strong>graphs and video playback all add<strong>to</strong> the appeal, truly meshing and embracing newmedia with the remnants of print. The iPad givesus a foundation <strong>to</strong> begin re-imagining the dailyperiodical for successful integration with newmedia.Martin Nisenholtz, SVP of Digital Operationsat the New York Times joined Jobs on stage for hisiPad introduction. Using the recently developedNew York Times app, Nisenholtz demonstratedthe device’s ability <strong>to</strong> realistically recreate the lookand feel of the newspaper as we know it. Links andvideos are effortlessly integrated in<strong>to</strong> newsprint,providing a multi-platform media experience.Nisenholtz stated that the display “captures theessence of a newspaper,” but enhances it for “thenext generation of digital journalism.”Many bloggers and tech-journalists have criticisedthe iPad for not having a camera, a USBport or the ability <strong>to</strong> multi-task. But despite thetechies voicing their dismay in unison, the chancesare that your average joe is not going <strong>to</strong> be <strong>to</strong>obot<strong>here</strong>d about what it can’t do; but embrace itfor what it can do. It also looks quite cool, that’salways a winner. Anyway, do we really need yetanother camera? Most potential iPad cus<strong>to</strong>merswill no doubt already own digital-cameras andmobile-phones with cameras. It seems that in thepast decade, when thinking of how <strong>to</strong> improvesomething, the ultimate conclusion seems <strong>to</strong> be“ah sure throw a camera on it t<strong>here</strong>.”But will the iPad work, or is the criticism just? Iwould be of the opinion that it will be a long timebefore digital publishing reaches sufficient capabilitiesin providing comfort and ‘physical copy’replica for readers. The iPad, however, seems <strong>to</strong>be an exciting start <strong>to</strong> the revitalisation of thepublishing and print media industries. And again,you’ll look cool.Prices for the iPad are set <strong>to</strong> range from $499<strong>to</strong> $829, with a U.S. release date in April. Plentyof time for them <strong>to</strong> test the waters for us before ithits Irish markets.Fusion Magazine 47
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