Communications of the ACM
You Don't Need an Ipad
Slate
But once you try one, you won't be able to resist.
I picked up my iPad at a San Francisco Apple Store early on Saturday morning, and I spent the rest of the weekend putting Apple's new touch-screen computer through its paces. Here are my first impressions:
You don't need an iPad; it's an indulgence. Over the last couple of months, I've received countless comments from readers puzzled over my early exuberance for Apple's tablet computer. The iPad, they argued, was the Paris Hilton of PCs, undeniably glitzy but of no discernible utility. It appeared to fill no obvious role in life—if you've already got a computer and a phone, why do you need one of these things?
The simple answer is: You don't. So far I've done almost nothing with the iPad that I couldn't have done on either my computer or phone. If I were to run into a kind-hearted mugger tomorrow who forced me to give up only one of my gadgets, I'd throw him the iPad without hesitation. I need my phone and my computer to get things done, but I don't really need a tablet computer. The iPad is a luxury—like Steve Jobs' Mercedes roadster, it's the sort of thing you buy if you've got extra money and you want a fun, stylish gewgaw.
So, why would you pay at least $500 for a machine that merely replicates your other gadgets' functions?
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