If there’s one thing that Apple seems to manage, it’s the user experience of a device or application.
You only have to look at the success of the iPod to show that they know how to make a device usable and how to make it desirable. You could also point at the Mac whose market share was lost due to marketing as opposed to capability. Apple is currently taking the mobile phone market by storm with their new iPhone.
Which brings me to the title: Apple and tablets.
As most will remember, Apple had a dalliance for half a decade with the Newton and evolved it to a very competent PDA (a term they coined) and then seemed to throw it away. Comments from developers show that while everyone seemed to love the Newton, it was an empire built upon sand and was probably better retired rather than trying to make it next generation.
So why should Apple make a tablet.
The simplest reason is this:
This brick cannot be permitted to be the latest next generation tablet computer. Don’t see what’s wrong with it?
Look at the decals in the middle of the keyboard. Or the split space bar. Or the mouse control pad on the right hand side (god forbid you should be a southpaw). Or if that doesn’t illustrate it enough:
It’s a thickbrick.
[All Photos from Mobile01]