By Sree Sreenivasan
DNAinfo Contributing Editor
Can a single tweet capture a day's worth of media insanity? Michael Learmonth's did. The AdAge reporter tweeted, "Steve Jobs turned whole web from hyperventilating pack of ifandom into giant 'meh' lab, in just a few hours."
So a billion tweets, Facebook posts, live TV segments and front-page stories later, what's left to say about the Apple iPad? Just these observations, all prefaced by the fact that I've not actually played with one yet.
ITS EFFECT ON NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, BOOKS: Too many media folks were putting their hopes in the iPad basket. Sure, it will bring on board many readers who have abandoned print and are attracted by its ability to render content in more interesting ways. But it isn't obvious to me that it will instantly solve many of the problems of the print world. One specific issue: just the fact that it doesn't render Flash means that the dynamic ads that run on media Web sites will not appear. That cannot be good for companies reliant on advertising revenue.
ITS EFFECT ON E-READERS: The arrival of the iPad makes the e-readers space more interesting. It will spur Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony and others to offer features they may not have had to until later.
PEOPLE LIKE SIMPLICITY & ELEGANCE: The iPod, iPhone, the MacBook have all succeeded even though they've had rivals that were cheaper/better/more feature-packed. Consumers love Apple's emphasis on simplicity and elegance.
ITS PRICES AND MODEL OPTIONS ARE NOT SIMPLE OR ELEGANT: The options of model sizes and prices are going to confuse consumers.
THE MEDIA'S PRIORITIES ARE PRETTY SCREWY: The saddest part about yesterday's frenzy is that there would have been less buzz if Apple had actually invented a tablet that cures cancer or prevents AIDS.
IT WILL GET BETTER: Even as the criticism piles on, I can guarantee that the next iterations of the iPad will address its shortcomings and that it will get better in the years ahead. What I'd add first: a camera.
PEOPLE HAVE UNDERESTIMATED STEVE JOBS BEFORE: Apple doesn't make moves of this magnitude without having a pretty good idea that consumers are likely to come around to its way of thinking. Betting against Jobs and his team isn't smart.
Every Monday, DNAinfo contributing editor Sree Sreenivasan shares his observations on the intersection of media and technology.
