Why the Applie IPad Reminds Me of the Barack Obama Administration

Like the Obama administration, the iPad is high on promises yet lacking in delivery of those promises. If you are only willing to "invest" more money, you can get what you (or rather they) want. In addition, the Obama persona is similar to the iPad in that both come with slick packaging and a very high "glitz" factor. That contributes to why "everyone" is so mesmerized by both the current leader of the U.S. and this fancy new device from Apple.

Everyone wants Change, but is it for the Better?

Both have ridden the wave of "change". Change from the previous Bush Administration and change away from conventional laptops to an enticing new tablet "PC". People have bought the Obama message and elected him President in 2008 and are seeing cracks in his image a year of his presidency as public opinion declines. People are buying the new iPad in droves (more than 300,000 on the first day), but will this new device meet their expectations or become a disappointment as well? Time will tell.

Before you make this important purchase, I would advise you to consider at least 25 shortcomings on the new iPad.

Disadvantage 1: The iPad is expensive

It costs more than a fully loaded laptop PC and has far less features than a comparably priced conventional laptop.

Disadvantage 2: The iPad does not support Adobe Flash

The conjecture out there is that Apple chose not to support Adobe Flash because they felt Flash is buggy, memory-intensive, and not a truly open standard. It has become a "standard" because it it available everywhere rather than something agreed upon by industry. This is ironic because Apple has been a firm believer in proprietary software (such as the MacOS) from the beginning. Unfortunately, by making the choice not support Flash, they limit iPad's capability to run watch video applications such as Hulu that rely on Adobe's ubiquitous technology.

Disadvantage 3: The iPad does not deliver much more than iPhone/iTouch and is bulkier

While the screen size is much bigger than the iPhone or iTouch, it is not as portable as the smaller devices and does not offer added size convenience over a laptop.

Disadvantage 4: The iPad does not come with GPS

A glaring disadvantage in the standard iPad available today, but promised to be delivered in the pricier iPad G3 promised in the near future.

Disadvantage 5: The iPad does not come with USB ports

You will have to acquire an adapter, at extra cost, if you want to plug USB devices into it.

Disadvantage 6: The iPad does not come with a built in camera

This limits its ability to do videoconferencing or use it as a webcam, a feature even the most rudimentary laptops support.

Disadvantage 7: The iPad's built-in keypad is awkward and hard to use

While the iPad offers a keypad on the touch screen, it is not as easy as a conventional keyboard to type the keys and hold hands in position for extended periods of time.

Disadvantage 8: The current iPad does not support G3
G3 is a cellular phone network that gives Internet connectivity without using a conventional wireless hotspot. While G3 support is offered in the near future, it will cost extra to get it.

Disadvantage 9: The iPad is does not multitask

In other words, it only supports doing one thing at a time. This is another glaring disadvantage that even the most basic laptops support.

Disadvantage 10: The iPad's video support is lacking

While the display comes with support for 720p, it does not support HDMI output to exploit the full capabilities of modern TVs.

Disadvantage 11: The iPad does not support a 16:9 aspect ratio
In other words, it does not support the widescreen format. This is surprising since the large screen is one of the big selling points of the iPad to begin with.

Disadvantage 12: The iPad does not support handwriting recognition

This one is a bit odd since the iPad resembles a writing tablet and it seems natural to want to input data via a stylus in one's own handwriting. The assumption is that handwriting support will be supported as an add-on, but most likely at an extra cost.

Disadvantage 13: The iPad does not currently support a periodical format
Presumably, the iPad strong suit is giving owners alternate ways of reading paperless literature, so it is surprising that reading of periodicals such as magazines and newspapers is not supported out of the box.

Disadvantage 14: The iPad is more for consumption than creation

The iPad seems more geared for passive consumption of data such as reading email, books, etc. and not so much in creating new content, so what makes in more compelling to buy than the less expensive iPhone and iTouch?

Disadvantage 15: The iPad does not come with a standard SD slot

Similar to the issue of it not having a USB port, the iPad does not come with a standard SD slot for transferring photos from a digital camera. The standard SD slot is promised in the soon to be offered pricier model, but again you have to pay more for it.

Disadvantage 16: The iPad does not directly support printing

This follows the philosophy that the iPad is more for consumption than creating and perhaps Apple is trying to discourage paper in favor of the "paperless office"? To print a document, it is necessary to email it to a another PC first which is inconvenient to say the least, especially if you are on the go and do not have access to another PC.

Disadvantage 17: The iPad does not have native phone or voice recording support
Apple is clearly segmenting this product from its iPhone offering, but why? Perhaps to save disk space or memory? This will force you to continue to carry an additional device for phone calls.

Disadvantage 18: The iPad could be easy to drop and break

The iPad is thin and there is not much to hold onto, unlike the smaller iPhone, iTouch, or conventional laptop. Since it has additional weight, it will be easier to accidentally break it than the other devices.

Disadvantage 19: The iPad surface could be prone to scratches
Since interaction with the iPad is by physically touching the "screen", scratching its surface is more likely. This could limit effective use of this device over time.

Disadvantage 20: Replacing the iPad battery is tedious and expensive

Apple has a curious program in place to replace iPad batteries if/when they fail. You have to send the whole device back and get a new one, so you better have a backup before failure or you are out of luck.

Disadvantage 21: The iPad G3 only connects to AT&T's G3 Network, known for performance issues

The new iPad G3 that is expected to be released at the end of April 2010 only supports MicroSIM cards. The only cellular provider that supports MicroSIM is AT&T, which has been highly criticized for performance issues by iPhone users.

Disadvantage 22: The iPad's audio output is potentially inadequate
The iPad is limited in generating sound loud enough to overcome a lot of background noise which could be a problem in some locations such as airports and subway stations.

Disadvantage 23: The iPad does not come with an E Ink capability

The Kindle uses a technology called E-ink to make it easier to read text on that device. Is it necessary on iPad? Not sure, but it is not available if you are expecting it.

Disadvantage 24: Stylus Input is not yet supported

It would be really nice to use a stylus instead of using (stubby?) fingers. A stylus can be more precise in selecting what you want without inadvertently selecting something you don't want.

Disadvantage 25: Adding a conventional keyboard to iPad costs extra

If you don't like the touchpad keys, you can add a conventional keyboard. But, I bet you can guess, it costs extra!

So, weigh you decision carefully. If you have money to burn, go ahead and buy this new toy. You can afford it. However, if you are like most of us, I would recommend waiting for the price to come down and some of these disadvantages to be worked out before buying.

Sources:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2358493,00.asp
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/hands-on-with-the-apple-ipad/all/1
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/ten-things-missing-from-the-ipad/
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/04/gps-ipad/
http://gizmodo.com/5458382/8-things-that-suck-about-the-ipad