One small iPad for a man, one giant leap for mankind

Yesterday, Apple got all of the geeks glued to their screens waiting for the “Jesus Tablet,” iPad. An hour later, they were twittering that it did not come. Or maybe it just wasn’t their Jesus?

My idea is that even if the iPad might not be the next step in the computer technology, it’s bringing in a new usage pattern that is already around the corner, and may be hugely successful.

Before you start throwing tomatoes, I have to tell you that I was completely disappointed when I saw the keynote yesterday. While I understand that media partnerships can come later and transform the way the device can be used, I didn’t appreciate Apple’s laziness and lack of imagination when it came to interface and functionality.

Same iPhone OS, and not even a major tweak for 10 inches? An empty lock screen, no multitasking, no video chat? They can keep the giant iPod Touch they didn’t even bother to think of a decent name for, unless they put Android on it and sell for $400, that is.

Still, an hour later, I got a call from my mom, who, among other things asked me, if I’ve heard about the new cute portable computer Apple announced. Of course I did, I answered. Moreover, the iPhone app we developed will work on it, and we plan to support it. “Wow,” she said, “this is great.” And that’s when something clicked for me about the iPad.

First, my mother is by no means a computer addict, and can barely use her Mac. Second, just like my dad, she makes heavy use of her iPhone as a standalone device – to search the web, watch YouTube, take photos and videos without ever transferring them to the computer.

Now what does she find so exciting about this device and us having our app on it, while she never got as excited about iPhone or OS X apps?

That’s where the second billion comes in. Hundreds of thousand of newbie users of all ages harness the power of web, email, and online video every day. And their usage is very different from yours. They don’t need to surf while chatting on IRC, they don’t know that it’s so good to stream Pandora in background.

What they do is consume the media, search for information and communicate in a very basic way. They are happy to quickly find the right Wikipedia entry, because “the internet answered their question,” consult a dictionary using the iPhone, or watch a YouTube video.

For these users, an iPad-like device, easy to use and fast to perform their tasks, is sure to catch on. And they are many.

Now, I don’t know when exactly the large-screen internet device will jump off your desk onto your couch, and what it will look like, and whether or not Apple or someone else will have put more effort into their product to make it happen.

But I’m absolutely sure that we’re moving towards easier to use and more suitable for everyday life computers, and that Pandora radio is going to make it’s way into your bathroom and YouTube on your kitchen table really soon now.

And, after all, that’s what we, developers, want to happen.