“No, it’s not because of Apple hype, fanboy delusion, media gullibility, dirty tricks or anything else,” Elgan writes. “Apple’s multi-touch user interfaces are appealing to use for reasons most users, reviewers, bloggers and journalists don’t fully understand.”
“Apple does understand,” Elgan writes. “The company knows how, why, when and where to combine multi-touch, physics and gestures and an enormous repertoire of user interface design elements into something simple and exhilarating to use. They know this because they’ve been working on the problem full-time for seven years, guided by some very clear design sensibilities.”
“Any ‘iPad Killer’ will have to at least approximate the interface sophistication of the iPad itself,” Elgan writes. “So far, nobody has come even close. Quite the contrary. Competitors thus far have demonstrated a conspicuous lack of emphasis on user interface design. And that’s why they fail.”
Elgan writes, “Apple has probably sold 2 million iPads already, and it hasn’t even starting selling it internationally. If somebody doesn’t do something quick, the iPad will become the new Microsoft Office — the standard we’ll never be able to get rid of… iPads will remain three times more expensive than rivals, and still win almost all the customers.”
MacDailyNews Take: Like iPods? Like Macs? Like iPhones? Neither of which are “three times more expensive than rivals,” Mike. Comparable rivals, not junk with stripped down features, shoddy build quality, horrible user interfaces, etc. Why would you want to “get rid of” something that’s elegant and works for people? Answer: You wouldn’t if you’re thinking clearly and/or didn’t irrationally hate Apple.
Elgan continues, “The future looks grim for real competition in the fast-growing touch tablet market. An iPad killer — or even a serious competitor — is possible. But it had better happen soon — before it’s too late.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Go for it.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Zane V.” for the heads up.]
The jump Apple has over every other competitor is 30+ years of vertical integration “the whole widget” experience. NOBODY does hardware and software together anymore. And in this business, 30 years’ worth of experience is nothing to sneeze at. They’ve got this thing down cold.
Everyone else can only wring their hands in desperation: “Where do I start from?” As can be evinced from all the attempts so far, which have all come desperately short, no dice.
Quickly, lets copy what Apple has and attempt to sell it for less. Good luck with that.
The fact of the matter is that the iPad already sent HP, Microsoft and who know back to the drawing board. They were all attempting to peddle there vaporware to the masses in a futile attempt to steal the thunder out of Apple’s announcement. It didn’t work, even thou I did hear of some schmucks disappointed when Microsoft pulled there design out of the market.
What everybody else does not get is that is not only the touch screen, but the subtle attention to detail that every little aspect gets from Apple that makes them grate. When I was listening to music on my iPhone for the first time, I got a call, the volume lowered slowly and the ring was not loud or annoying, very elegantly it let me know that I had a call.
Wow… paranoid much there, Mikey?
‘Pads will remain three times more expensive than rivals’
Strange he’s arguing there are no rivals and yet the rivals that apparently don’t exist are 3 times cheaper. That’s weird. Equally odder is that the proposed iPod competitors that we know of, for example HP Slate/ Courier have clearly failed to meet the capability/price compromise necessary to compete, so even the vapourware cant meet the imaginary 3 times cheaper threshold it seems. Oh well who needs honesty when you are a tech hack when a vivid if delusional imagination will suffice.
@ David F.,
“I am awaiting mine still, but we already see endless possibilities for more efficiency in government.”
You just used efficiency and government in the same sentence.
You win the Weekly Oxymoron Prize.
Yea!!!
Web OS, and android has potential, but needs years of refinement, is going to be an uphill battle, and to stay competive they will need to pretty much sell the devices at cost, ultimatly the features and price will push apple to add what we want
In business, you innovate to stay ahead of the competition. When you repeatedly react to your competition, you’re also-ran. No less. This is in Apple’s DNA. The others are simply copycats.
You have to do something different and parlay it into a sellable item or service to stay ahead of the curve.
Anything else, you’re an also-ran, with much thinner margins. The surprising thing is, they’re content with that, seeing as they can’t be anything else.
but do we really want a big powerful apple?
i liked it when we were rebels, the few,
now apple is going to be the gatekeeper to all information
how does this benefit us?
Sure, you can copy the iPad, tear it down.. throw something together in like… 6 months, then get sued into oblivion.
Good job buddy.
OMG somebody do something QUICK!!!
Sent from my iPad
Too late for what?
This guy thinks he is on to something. He is not…