From butts to technology, never let it be said my interests are narrow. So, let's talk about the iPad for a second.
The New York Times's David Pogue summarized it with the word "polarizing" -- dividing his thoughts into a "Review for Techies" & a "Review for Everyone Else." The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg called it a "game changer." Steve Jobs curiously and incisively (as is his way) used it as an opportunity to explain Apple's existence "at the intersection of the Liberal Arts and Technology." Hello, Steve Jobs -- businessman and the closest thing the tech industry has to a benevolent philosopher-king (with an Orwellian tinge).
I almost assuredly will not buy one for a few years. (I still don't have an iPhone.) But there is no question I am curious about its implications for media, for art, and for business. This talk between Charlie Rose, Mossberg and the Times' columnist David Carr sussed out a lot of them.
Listen for key phrases like "Mouse killer" -- "Goof proof computer for technophobes" -- "Not good for creating stuff, great for consuming stuff." We even get to hear Rose utter the words "What does it represent in a cosmic sense?" Trippy dude!
I could have used a fuller investigation of what the iPad represents for the virtual goods market. But that might be a topic too simultaneously heady & dry for journalists to suss out in the flesh. Instead there's great real time demos of the interface. For Charlie Rose & PBS that's the wow factor equivalent of CNN's (slightly embarrassing) hologram interview.
This segment will probably only be available for a limited time online. Check it out now.
PS - I will reluctantly accept an iPad as a gift. Hint, hint.
"i got an iPad yesterday, for reasons that i'm sure have something to do with technophilia but also other things, such as apple being really good about accessibility (i have bad vision) and also needing a small laptop (i do most of my work on a desktop) but not really needing the power of a netbook. also, despite all this talk about iPad emphasizing consuming rather than creativity, i wanted something i can write with in bed since i can't seem to write fiction on my desktop, and i hate the old pc laptop i'm currently using.
so early today, i tried writing on it using a wireless keyboard, with the iPad beside it. i have to say it makes a pretty amazing difference having a lot of variability in terms of the relationship of the screen to the keyboard. the fact that the screen wasn't standing meant that i could look around the room while i was writing, and didn't have to be reminded of my words facing me. because the screen was to one side of me, the words i was typing were more in the periphery of my vision, which i feel like is where they properly belong. i'm looking forward to maybe having the screen behind me, so that i can be writing and imagining words nudging me from the back. i don't know how well bluetooth works, but it might be fun to have the screen under my bed, only pulling it out when i feel ready to face my word demons.
now that both screen and keyboard are wireless and portable, i wonder how the further separation between the writing medium and the writing surface will change our writing practice. i plan to report back with my findings."