I assume I was one thousands Apple fans waiting in front of their computers to pre-order the iPad. I imagine a computer deep in the marketing department at Cupertino, with Apple execs standing around, watching a counter whiring ever-faster.
The iPhone had people standing in line. I can’t think of many products that generated such interest and demand. A few gaming boxes but they didn’t have the broad appeal of these Apple devices.
iPads will begin shipping April 3rd.
I love books. I love to read but I also love books, the physical object. Hardback or paperback, I love the way they feel in my hands… the way they smell. I like scrawling notes in the margin and highlighting passages. Reading is a very tactile experience for me (and probably for most).
In a couple of days, I will join millions of others in pre-ordering the Apple iPad. I’m looking forward to using all of features and apps (current and future). I can’t imaging giving up my beloved books for a digital experience but I’m trying to keep an open mind. It is possible I will enjoy reading on the iPad.
With that in mind, I’ve been making a mental list of titles I plan to put on my virtual bookshelf.
Some of these are books that I have read several times (or expect to). I assume I will be able to highlight, annotate and search passages of my digital books. It might also be fun to link from the text of the book to a website. I haven’t heard or read anything about such a feature. We’ll see.
British wit and tech daddy-o, Stephen Fry, on the iPad (just a couple of snippits from lengthy but excellent review):
“Newspapers, magazines, literature, academic text books, brochures, fliers and pamphlets are going to be transformed (poor Kindle). Specific dedicated apps and enhancements will amaze us. You will see characters in movies use the iPad. Jack Bauer will want to return for another season of 24 just so he can download schematics and track vehicles on it. Bond will have one. Jason Bourne will have one. Some character, in a Tron like way, might even be trapped in one.”
“How much easier it is to distrust, to doubt, to fold the arms and say “Not impressed”. I’m not advocating dumb gullibility, but it is has always amused me that those who instinctively dislike Apple for being apparently cool, trendy, design fixated and so on are the ones who are actually so damned cool and so damned sensitive to stylistic nuance that they can’t bear to celebrate or recognise obvious class, beauty and desire. The fact is that Apple users like me are the uncoolest people on earth: we salivate, dribble, coo, sigh, grin and bubble with delight.”
Ahem. I confess to all but the dribble. I try not to dribble.
More at PaidContent.org. This could sell the bejeezus out of the first cool tablet.