Who needs an iPad anyway?

I was in a meeting with some thought leaders a week or two ago, and the discussion was centred on what customers really wanted. A very reasonable suggestion was made -

"Why don't we do a market survey, asking our customers what they want?"

Sounded reasonable to me. If we ask people what they want and we give it to them, then they must surely be satisfied and buy a lot of it. The response was thought provoking.

"Do you know that one of the most successful businesses in our era never does market surveys. I mean, who needs an iPad anyway?"

One cannot deny that Apple is very successful. I went on their website a few days ago to take look at the iPad and there is still a restriction of two per order, two months after its release. That means that Apple can't make them fast enough to meet the demand. Amazing!

Don't get me wrong. I am a Mac convert. Six or seven years ago my Windows laptop blue screened on me in the middle of a crucial visit to a client in Switzerland, and I was stranded with no laptop for the rest of the week until I could get my flight home. My client was not impressed! That weekend I rebuilt my laptop with Linux, and I was happy. For two years I used Linux, but after a while I found I was spending too much time writing scripts to maintain my laptop, and then at a conference I stumbled into dozens of geeks who were all using MacBooks. At every opportunity I interviewed a geek, and I was convinced. A few weeks later I had my MacBook.

I'll be honest, the first week was a nightmare. I had to sit myself down and convince myself that this was worth the effort. After three weeks I was hooked, never to return to Windows. I've overheard people, Windows users of course, scoff at the enthusiasm with which Mac users speak about their gear.

Now, you tell me! How has Microsoft been able to convince the world that it is acceptable to use an operating system that requires fixing every month. Think about it. What else do you use in your daily life, or any other part of our life, that every month you have to go and get it fixed?

When I reminisce about my first car, I recall having to service it every 3,000 miles. Religiously, I would go and buy my spare parts, and would spend a Saturday morning changing the plugs, points and oil. I developed a real relationship with the guys in the parts shop. Now, many years later, I own a late 2009 high-end sedan. After driving it for almost 2 years I realised it had not been serviced. I called the dealer to ask them why they had not called me to book the servicing of the car. I mean, what type of company is this, treating their valuable customers like this? 

The gentleman asked me, "Is the car giving any trouble?"
"No."
"Was the inboard computer telling me that the car needs servicing?"
"No."
"Did I check the service manual to see if the car needed servicing?"
"Ah hmm ... Let me call you back."

The car has done almost 30,000 miles, and it has been serviced a grand total of once. One service in almost 3 years! Compare that to my once every three months servicing of my first car. I have never met the people in the parts shop, in fact, I don't even know where the parts shop is!

So how is it that we accept once a month servicing from Microsoft?

Anyway, I digress. What was I saying again? Oh yes ... Well, I bought an iPad3 a few weeks ago. Sorry, my mistake. The "New iPad". Hey, at least I forced myself to wait for the 3rd edition before buying one.

Why?

I like gadgets as much as the next guy, but that wasn't reason enough. It's a useful tool, although ...

• It is much heavier than the Kindle, and therefore not as convenient for reading books. 
• It can't play videos on some web pages. 
• Typing on the screen takes some getting used to. I bought a keyboard, but found that it defeated the purpose of having a small compact device. So I haven't used the keyboard in anger yet. 
• Transferring stuff from the iPad to my MacBook Pro is not a cake walk, and I still haven't fully worked out how to use iCloud effectively for that yet. When I get some time. 

So it is not perfect. But it has transformed how and where I interact with my computing device, making that interaction more pervasive and convenient where it was not so before. By inference, I then have the opportunity to be more productive. It has also transformed my relationship with my personal technology. Providing a bridge between my iPhone and my MacBook, by being more available than my MacBook, and as easy to interact with as my iPhone.

By the way, I have figured out how to use the iCloud to transfer stuff between the iPhone and iPad effectively. The net effect has therefore been positive.

So who needs an iPad?

I guess I do, and I didn't even know it until I got it.

Peace and Love.