How the iPad Became Apple’s Most Gloriously Successful Failure
Just how important — or irrelevant — has the iPad been to the evolution of mobile technology?
10 years ago, the internet was abuzz with speculation that Apple was about to unveil a new tablet computer. And I, for one, was super excited about it. I couldn’t just sit back and wait for its arrival. I spent many hours reading people’s hopes and predictions regarding what the new device might be like. And when the iPad finally arrived, I wasn’t disappointed.
Mobile computing before the iPad was basically crap. Laptops couldn’t be used away from a wall socket for very long, as you’d be lucky to get two hours of use out of the battery — even when it was brand new. And, despite the name, you couldn’t really use a laptop on your lap for more than a few minutes. It would literally burn your legs.
But then came the iPad. And that wasn’t crap at all.
Utilizing a highly-efficient ARM processor, a power-sipping display, and a non-Windows operating system, the iPad offered a genuine 10 hours of battery life, even though it weighed only a fraction as much as a typical laptop. And unlike laptops, it ran silently and vibration-free, because it had no need for either a fan or a hard drive.
