Elegant Technology

So Apple launched their iPad this week. Almost two years ago it was the Macbook Air.

When the Air launched opinion was devided; Many praised the refreshing lightweight design. Others complained about the lack of features (many argue that these features are never, if hardly, used – including myself).

I purchased the Macbook Air at launch and have used it at home ever since. At the time I reasoned that my main usage was internet browsing and email and this has been the case ever since. I have fired up Front Row a couple of times and used iWork occaisionally. Of course I store my pictures and music on the Air and sync to the iPhone and iPod units I own.

I often think of how Apple products can be improved, “what can they possibly do to improve this or make it more desirable?”

A year ago I wrote “The Air is so pure – so esential that everything else seems excessive” and yet I consider the iPad  to be the next evolutionary step for the Air.

Apple have minimised the Air hardware further to the point where the physical keyboard has gone along with the USB port, and the video out port. In terms of aesthetics the iPad represents an improvement over the Air being effectively the screen and enclosure with minimal switches and ports.

For the things I do with my Macbook Air the iPad would meet 80% of my needs. The only reason I cannot get rid of the Air is that I need to be able to sync the iPad with something. If I could backup the iPad to, say, a time capsule I could just get by with that. Once sync’d I could download music directly and transfer photos directly to it.

In it’s current spec the iPad will be a companion device. Perhaps in the future via the cloud or some other storage solution I could use the iPad as my only computer with a sync system over the air to my iPod etc..