March 8, 2012

New iPad, New iOS, New Reality.

Apple have released a new iPad, intriguingly called the “new iPad.” It looks like a good incremental update, with slight improvements and a new specification for mobile data. But, it doesn’t tempt me. Perhaps the most interesting iOS development is something Apple quietly released a few months ago – the mobile version of their AirPort […]

Perhaps the most interesting iOS development is something Apple quietly released a few months ago – the mobile version of their AirPort Utility app. This is a groundbreaking development.

First Apple made it possible for iOS devices to update themselves without connecting to a host Mac. Now we can configure a Wi-Fi network without a Mac. It doesn’t take a genius to see where this is heading – a home or office network that doesn’t need a Mac – notebook or desktop – in order to fulfil most people’s computing needs.

So, what comes next? Well Apple incrementally updated the Apple TV (with higher resolution 1080p output) and are making it more central to both the iOS and OSX experience. It seems inevitable than Apple will include AppleTV features in some kind of display. The only question is whether Apple will enter the large screen market. Their largest display was 30 inches but the premium market is now in 55 & 60 inch televisions.

It is also likely that we will see more options rolled out in the “Documents and Data” space of iCloud. That will bring more robust backup (perhaps with Time Machine like features) for iOS users.

That said, the revolution is already with us. A full Apple computing ecology, in the home or the office, without the need for a desktop, or notebook machine. This is our new reality.

Tagged Apple, Creativity, iOS, iPad, Music Technology, OSX, Reviews, Trends

Alex 12 years ago

I do like this convergence model of computing, I waited for the iPhone 3G so I could have convergence of mobile / music / mobile-web in one device.
Maybe an ideal next step would be a portable projector device, then no need for any screen, just a flat wall.
If apple made a projector with gesture/voice control / siri / iPad / iPhone app control that had all the same functionality of the Apple TV Now I’m getting interesting.
But then I rather liked the ‘Minority Report’ universe!

Mike Mahoney 12 years ago

Where I see the shortcoming – at this point – is in creating content versus consuming it. The tablet form factor (whether it’s an iPad, Android tab or anything else) is still lagging far behind a real workstation or notebook for creative tasks. I’d rather write and edit photos or videos on my laptop at this point, even though the tab does all of these things.

Whatever your ecosystem, however, there is a dramatic paradigm shift upon us. I agree mobile and traditional are blending in ways that are difficult to predict. Many tech writers predicted that the 5 inch form factor was a non-starter: too big as a phone and too small as a tablet. In fact, sales have shown the opposite to be true. Consumers are willing to make compromises for the sake of convenience and a single experience.

That last bit, I think, will throw the doors open. Canonical is already working to find partners to bring the Ubuntu experience cross-platform; desktop, mobile, TV. Microsoft and Apple are looking at similar things. Imagine no iOS and OSX, replaced by a single operating system that works seamlessly across all platforms. One OS to rule them all.

And Alex, mobile hi-def projectors have been around for a bit. There are both Windows and Android smartphones with built in projectors that work surprisingly well. And I just saw one last week that clipped onto an iPhone 4 that projected (in the store) a brilliant 4 ft display on the ceiling, easily visible even in the bright fluorescent lights of the local Brookstone.

Fernando Gros 12 years ago

Alex – display is the big frontier. I’ve actually seen people try to swipe their notebook and desktop displays!

Mike – great comment. I firmly believe that Steve Jobs “vision” was that one day with drop the “i” and “X” and just have OS.

As an aside though, have you seen Snapseed on an iPad? I ask because for developing photos I think we are very close to having a better experience on the tablet than the desktop. The missing ingredient is the power and memory to handle RAW files.

I love the idea, which is coming to fruition, of being able to edit the photo on a tablet while simultaneously looking at it on a big screen. Right now I use a Wacom tablet to draw (or a mouse), but I would rather be able to look straight onto the image I’m drawing.

And, in terms of a shoot, it would work that the camera is tethered to a big screen and while shooting I can pick up a tablet and make quick edits to show the subject how the final image will work, with neither of us leaving our spots or walk over to a computer.

Fern,

That would be amazing. My tablet has an HDMI output, and can feed to my LCD tv or a projector as a clone display in HD. Using, for example, Google Earth, which is amazing with multi-touch, and displaying it on a big screen – that’s some serious eye-candy there.

What the tablets have going for them is the incredible resolution and brightness of the displays. Once they can kick up the processing power, now you’re talking!

New iPad, New iOS, New Reality.

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