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The Return of the iPad

Apple strikes again with the launch of the iPad2

It is easy to fall for Apple’s charm. Some might claim that this is largely due to its publicity stunts. The ‘cool factor’ often associated with the electronics manufacturer is certainly the result of clever and successful marketing. Yet the company’s smart campaigns are backed by customer satisfaction and extremely strong brand loyalty, attributable to the superior quality of its products. The combination of high-quality manufacturing, sleek design and superb branding strategies have brought Apple creations to the forefront. Nonetheless, the Cupertino-based company may still be overstating its importance and that of the iPad.

Over the past ten years Apple has established a firm leading position with regard to what are sometimes referred to as ‘post-PC products.’ Unlike the computer universe, Apple faces only limited competition in the mp3 player and tablet market, where its products are seen as both unique and superior. The company's relative advantage in the market for post-PC products has not gone unnoticed, nor is its success coincidental.

In an unexpected appearance last week at the iPad2 presentation, legendary CEO Steve Jobs explained that at this point the company makes most of its profits from the sale of products other than computers. He also lauded his company's foresight in this field, stressing the special role played by the iPad. The gadget, Jobs explained should be seen as a revolutionary instrument that is changing the market as well as day-to-day activities. In a typically inflammatory style, the mind behind Mac computers labelled PC tablets as copycats and hailed the iPad as magical.

While such statements should be taken with a grain of salt, they do hold some truth. Despite the somewhat skewed interpretation of data and the typical PC bashing that characterises Apple’s presentations, it is undeniable that the iPad has created and shaped the tablet market. Competition is limited and other companies lag behind both in software and hardware development. The latest Android operating system, Android 3.0 Honeycomb, while holding great potential, has been reported to contain many bugs. This has in turn raised speculations on whether its release date was not determined by the need to compete with the newest edition of the iPad. If this is the case, Google may have taken too big of a gamble.

It may still be too early to tell, but the recent release of the Motorola Xoom may also turn out to be disappointing to those hoping for more choice on the tablet market. The Xoom was expected to be a viable competitor to the iPad. Its high-quality camera and memory card-slot offer more options and freedom to users, yet the high price may prevent it from gaining popularity, defeating it before it even takes off. The lack of a reliable OS and of a simple and efficient app store, such as the iTunes App Store, may also contribute to pushing more customers towards Apple.

Apple's glorifying videos introducing the newest version of its tablet and celebrating 2010 as the Year of the iPad hold some truth with regard to its position relative to its competitors. Whether the iPad can be defined as a ‘blockbuster post-PC product’ is a separate issue. Whatever the commercial success of the tablet may be, its applications still remain limited. Furthermore, while the iPad2 is lighter and faster, thanks to the dual core A5 chip, it is a stretch to present it as an entirely new product. Despite the praise, the attempt to stress the new product’s potential through promotional videos falsely state just thats.

“I can’t think of a product that has defined an entire category and has then been completely re-designed in such a short period of time,” said amazed Senior Vice President of Design for Apple, Jony Ive, in the promotional video for the iPad.

Numerous consumer reports have raised the question of whether users will really want to use the iPad for video conferences, the reason behind Apple’s installation of two cameras on the newest version of the tablet. Adding to the threat to its success, e-readers such as the Kindle have an advantage due to the use of true ink technology that prevents glare and creates paper-like opaqueness that improves the reading experience, even outdoors. Even with the announcement that Random House will release hundreds of new titles in the iTunes store to boost the iPad’s potential as an e-reader, it may still not be book worms’ first choice.

The iPad may have been a relative success, but whether or not it is transforming people's lives remains to be seen. The role of smartphones and connectivity is undoubtedly revolutionary, but thus far tablets do not seem to have carved a unique space in history. This may very well be the iPad2’s year, but Apple still needs to prove how relevant that is.

by Ilaria Mazzocco