Slang Editorial :: Never Underestimate The Value Of A Holla'

Thursday, January 28, 2010
On New Technological Concerns

"Empty Store In Brockton, MA" -- Dec. 2009

I spent about 4-5 hours today reading and thinking about the newly launched Apple iPad device. Please allow me to just say briefly:

The reflexive, immediate and always dichotic LOVE!/HATE! for apple products is always so insane.

It kills me that few people are saying: "For $489 you can get the black and white screen Amazon Kindle DX to read e-books. For $499 instead you can get a similarly sized beautifully full-color, e-book reader that is also an instant-on wifi-enabled computer that plays movies, music, games and, of course, surfs the web (incredibly well).

Given the nuanced development of their identity as savior/antichrist of the tech world (slash Future Of Life), it makes sense that the releases of their products would lead to such fervent and crazed responses from fans and haters alike, but it still blows me away nonetheless that most people either see this device as an inexplicable orgasm of humanity or a predictably colossal failure of overhyped garbage.

The iPad may not be The One Device The Will Rule Them All, but that isn't the point--it represents the continuing growth and innovation of American society toward its never-ending goal of cerebral self-domination. And on that level, it looks to me to be just about right.

Labels: quickthoughts, technology

posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 1/28/2010 12:54:00 AM 5 comments

5 Comments:

KJ said...: I agree with your sentiment mostly, but I think the Kindle comparison is apples and oranges--I like having a dedicated device just for books, personally, and what you're paying for there is the eInk technology (which the iPad doesn't have).; 1/28/2010 09:41:00 AM
No Name said...: I agreed at first, but reading later on that the ipad doesn't have simultaneous multi-functionality was disappointing. What the kindle has going for it, is an easy to read screen that doesn't tire the eyes after reading for awhile. I could get behind ipad if I could listen to music on it or surf the net in between pages but since it doesn't look like I can, the tradeoff of straining my eyes doesn't seem that great.

Also what's up with no flash capability?; 1/28/2010 11:55:00 AM
snp said...: Apple's been out to destroy Adobe for a long time now. With this iPad thing, makes me think Flash doesn't have more than another couple years left before it becomes totally obsolete. Which is for the best, I think, but makes for a frustrating transition for us users.; 1/28/2010 12:35:00 PM
Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything said...: Yeah i hear y'all dudes. On the e-ink matter though, frankly i don't find reading on a regular screen problematic at all. must be my generation but i stare at computer screens all day long without problem--and this isn't like reading off a tiny iPhone screen. Given that the backlit LCD screen allows for reading without another light source, I see this as trumping e-ink for sure.

On the Flash point, I agree--i've heard that there's expectations that HTML 5 will run Flash out soon.

And again, while it's a bummer that you can't stream Flash on the iPad, i still think that this isn't a make or break--not for the price point to get everything else.; 1/28/2010 12:40:00 PM
Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything said...: Yeah i hear y'all dudes. On the e-ink matter though, frankly i don't find reading on a regular screen problematic at all. must be my generation but i stare at computer screens all day long without problem--and this isn't like reading off a tiny iPhone screen. Given that the backlit LCD screen allows for reading without another light source, I see this as trumping e-ink for sure.

On the Flash point, I agree--i've heard that there's expectations that HTML 5 will run Flash out soon.

And again, while it's a bummer that you can't stream Flash on the iPad, i still think that this isn't a make or break--not for the price point to get everything else.; 1/28/2010 12:40:00 PM