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By MITCH TRAPHAGEN
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It’s not possible to observe the Web without something upon which to do the observing. The Web doesn’t really exist in the physical sense. All of those hundreds of millions of Web sites, the family photos, the press releases, the annoying pop-up advertisements, the cool and the profane are merely just bits and bytes of magnetic impulses sitting on computers around the world. Except for your personal computer, there is nothing to see or touch on the Web (David Letterman licking his Apple iPad on air last week notwithstanding).
There are a lot of things out there for email and Web browsing — from desktops and laptops to netbooks to smart cellphones. In that strict sense, the iPad adds nothing new. The point of the 1.5 pound tablet is not what it does but rather how it does it. The presentation is stunning and the interface requires little in the way of a learning curve. Loading the New York Times application you’ll get what appears to be a traditional newspaper. In fact the USA Today application even has the jagged edge of regular newsprint. In either application, just touch a story to read it. There are bright, crisp photographs and even advertisements — just as you would expect from a printed newspaper. In reality, it is better than newsprint. The photos are clear and sharp in ways far beyond the capabilities of print. And, of course, there is no way to incorporate video into a print story — but there is on the iPad.
With a light touch of the finger, the iPad changes from a newspaper into a book. You can choose the book you want from a bookstore that had 60,000 volumes on the very first day in business. Again, the color and presentation is stunning. Hold the iPad upright and you get a single page of bright, crisp text. Hold it horizontally and you see two pages — just as if you were holding a real book. All it takes to turn the page is a quick swipe of the finger on the screen. It is a hefty competitor for other popular e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook. The much lighter Kindle wins out in some respects — the two-week battery life alone (versus a still-impressive 10 hours on the iPad), along with the easy-on-the-eyes e-ink technology make it compelling. But the iPad beats both the Kindle and the Nook hands down on presentation. The wooden bookshelf showing the full-color book covers and the easy to turn pages all make technology feel natural. On the iPad, books appear as books should.
The iPad was released less than a week ago — already there are more than a thousand applications specifically tailored for the large 9.7 inch screen. From newspapers to television shows to cooking (please forgive the cliche), yes, there is an app for that.
In the end, the iPad, or, perhaps, something like it from another company, will fundamentally change not only the Web but also how we as a society receive information. That change has already begun as companies large and small have started adapting their websites to the newer technology required by the iPad and Apple’s other highly successful products, the iPhone and the iPod Touch.
The iPad was released in the U.S. on April 3. Industry analysts estimate that more than 300,000 units were sold that day. While a relatively small population by Internet standards, that is a staggering number considering people gleefully and anxiously spent between $500 and $700 for a product they had never actually seen. While Apple offered free Saturday delivery for pre-orders, tens of thousands of people waited in lines outside Apple stores and Best Buy stores across the country for a first chance at getting their hands on the new tablet.
The currently available model connects to the Web via Wi-Fi only. Later this month, Apple will release a version that connects via both Wi-Fi and through AT&T’s 3G wireless network.
Tablet computers have been a dream and a struggle for the industry since the 1990s. To date, no company has found success in the market. Many industry watchers envision the iPad to lead the way. Analysts expect up to 4 million units will sell this year with another 8 million next year.
Much of the publishing industry is counting on the iPad to save them from extinction. Over the years subscribers and advertising revenue has declined significantly for daily newspapers and national magazines. Publishers are seeing the iPad as their salvation. The hope is the presentation and ease of use will lead to new electronic subscriptions. With the increased subscriptions, advertising rates and revenue will hopefully follow. The publisher of one national news magazine stated that the iPad could actually bring back long-form investigative journalism — the true backbone of journalism that has suffered due to declining revenues and deep budget cuts at corporate-owned media outlets.
Even the major television networks are hoping for a revival through the iPad. The traditional on-air networks have suffered due to heavy competition from cable networks. ABC Television already has an app for iPad users with recent shows available at no cost. Of course, those shows contain advertising. For the viewers that means they can watch a favorite show when and where they want to watch it without even having to remember to set a Tivo or DVR.
While community newspapers such as the Observer News have, in contrast, thrived as the large dailies have declined, this shift in technology will influence management decisions and drive innovation here as well. As people become accustomed to having a tablet computer as their source for news and entertainment, more emphasis will be placed on electronic publishing over print publishing. With its appearance of an actual newspaper — advertising and all — the iPad (or something like it in the future) will almost certainly create the financial means to afford shifting from print to pixels for even the smallest newspapers. Yes, that will be years in coming but the process is already in motion. Certainly at the Observer News, it has been in motion for years — we introduced our Web site in 2002 — and management is always focused on keeping up with technology.
It is not what the iPad does; it is how it does it. No longer is there a piece of hardware (a keyboard or mouse) between people and the Web. With a press or a swipe of the finger, the iPad can be whatever you want it to be. The beginning of a fundamental change began on April 3. Where it will lead, no one yet knows. But for now, the iPad is a heck of a lot of fun to use.
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