The Apple iPad Factor – Continued

I received some mail about last week’s column on the Apple iPad announcement and I have also seen other comments on the web regarding the Apple iPad that I think are worth commenting on. Then, it’s just a matter of waiting to see how the market accepts the iPad once it starts shipping in Q2 of this year.

Ruggedness (or lack thereof)

Something that I intended to mention in my last column, but somehow escaped me at the time, was the subject of ruggedness. The iPad is not a rugged design. It’s a typical consumer electronic design that can only take a certain amount of punishment until it tanks. That’s quite different than a rugged notebook computer (tablet or otherwise) on the market today made by companies such as the Xplore Technologies, Panasonic, etc. I agree it’s an issue, but I’m not sure it is a major issue. I’m positive that a company or three will design a ruggedized case for the iPad. It may not make it waterproof, but it will keep it alive in the elements. We’ve seen this with HP calculators and PDAs over the years. Some companies like Otterbox have an entire business based on producing outdoor cases for indoor consumer electronics. Due to the iPad’s relatively low cost (compared to a rugged tablet/notebook computer), there’s $$ room for a ruggedized case for the iPad and you’d still have a reasonably rugged solution for under $1,000.

No compelling reason to choose an iPad over a rugged tablet computer?

One comment I read (relative to using the iPad in the geospatial industry) is that there is no compelling reason for someone to use an iPad rather than a rugged tablet computer that are available today.

Yes there is….price. Actually, if it weren’t for the low price, I wouldn’t be spending much time thinking about the iPad.

Price: US$4,500+                                                 Price: US$500-600

Have you priced a ruggedized tablet computer lately? They are at least 4x the price of an iPad and some are 10x the price of an iPad. That’s a huge difference. Granted, with a rugged tablet computer, you get a true desktop-capable computer (Windows OS, etc.), but does the user really need that much capability in the field? I’ve got a semi-rugged tablet in my office that I use occasionally for field data collection, but it never fit into my day-to-day workflow as a desktop replacement because it just doesn’t have the horsepower I like in a desktop to run resource-hungry software like AutoCAD, ArcGIS, etc. Also, I’m really not comfortable carrying all the data I use on my desktop (e-mail, project files, etc.) into the field on a tablet computer. So, to pay a premium for that capability is not worth it for me. I’m interested in a dedicated field device.

However, please don’t be confused. I’m not defending the iPad. It has its share of short-comings, the major one being the proprietary software development environment. It won’t run Microsoft Windows-based software so any GIS software for it will have to be created from scratch.

With respect to the geospatial market, the big question still remains: Will the iPad succeed in the consumer electronics market? If it enjoys even 50 percent of the success of its little brother, the iTouch, then the proprietary software development issue will go away because GIS software companies will gamble on it and there will be plenty of GIS software available for it.

The Steve Jobs Factor

In my PDA vs. Tablet column last month, I stated that 2010 will be the year of tablet computers. Certainly, the iPad will be only one of many. However, the importance of the iPad announcement should not be underestimated. It has set the price/performance standard for others to follow. There will be tons of Google Android-based products and Microsoft Windows-based products introduced this year. Most will be smartphones because there is an instant market for those types of products. There will also be a handful (or three) of iPad-like products using Android or Windows Mobile that are not targeted at the smartphone market (even though they may have a smartphone radio built-in) looking for the next hot market niche that Steve Jobs has a reputation of uncovering.

I contend that the iPad has the best chance of any consumer tablet due to its leverage with the iPod, iTouch and iPhone. I see (and others do too) Jobs doing the same thing with books (think ebooks) as he has done with iTunes. Some of his competitors aren’t even going to try to compete with Jobs.

Acer, who reportedly shipped 31 million notebook computers in 2009, won’t develop a competitive product to the iPad.

Taiwan-based DigiTimes published an online article with a statement from Acer President Scott Lin saying that Acer will not develop an iPad-like product because they don’t have the ability to carve a niche like Apple does.

An eBook Reader

Any new product introduced needs to have a killer application for it to serve. That’s not so clear with the iPad. It’s a multi-function device. Some say that its value as an eBook reader will help boost its acceptance in addition to leveraging off of the iPod/iTouch/iPhone.

Here is an interesting article on eBook reader predictions for 2010. But others says the iPad version 1 isn’t a serious eBook contender due to its bright LED backlit screen…too bright to stare at for long periods of time.

So, I’ll leave it right here. There’s not much more to write about the iPad until the product is introduced and we see what kind of momentum builds.

GPS/GIS Webinar

On another note, I’ll be conducting a 60-minute webinar next week (Thursday, February 18) titled “GPS for GIS — 101.” It’s an introduction to the basic concepts of using GPS for GIS mapping. I’ve in
vited Craig Greenwald to be a guest commentator, so the banter between he and I should be entertaining and informative. I’ve known Craig (and even worked with him at one point) for many years. Craig worked on the ESRI ArcPad team for several years and has a practical background in GPS mapping. He’s spent time on a four-wheeler so he’s done his time in the dirt. The webinar is free. You can sign up by clicking here.

Thanks and have a great week.

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