Switched On: Mined the gap
By Ross Rubin 
posted February 6th 2010 11:55AM
posted February 6th 2010 11:55AM
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
At the introduction of the iPad, Steve Jobs showed a simple slide illustrating one of the burning questions in the industry for many years. On the left was a smartphone. On the right was a laptop. And in the middle was a gap. Apple, like many companies in the PC industry, was seeking to create a product that filled this gap. Indeed, the iPad itself reflects elements of the Apple devices that flank it. Its enclosure resembles the silver metallic enclosure of a MacBook Pro, but inside, it has the ARM processor architecture and operating system of the iPhone.
But the iPad is but the latest in a long line of products and would-be general-purpose devices that seeks to fill this gap, most of them short-lived. Some of the more recent ones include the aborted Palm Foleo, the Sony Mylo, Nokia Internet Tablets, UMPCs, and MIDs. Why are so many companies convinced there is opportunity in these products?
Let's turn back the clock to 2002, the year Handspring launched its first smartphone, the monochrome 160 x 160-pixel Treo 180. It was the year that Verizon Wireless launched the first 3G network in the U.S. and the year MobileStar declared bankruptcy after deploying public Wi-Fi throughout many Starbucks locations in 2001. In 2002, PC World awarded its World Class Award for ultralight notebooks to the Fujitsu LifeBook P-2000. It was less than three pounds and had a 10.6-inch screen, but was 1.6-inches thick and had a starting price of $1,499. And it couldn't access Facebook, Hulu, YouTube or Engadget -- because they didn't exist.
Although the larger problems back then stemmed from slower, more limited wireless networks and less compelling web content, it was pretty clear that there was a significant gap between the smartphone and the laptop in terms of price and capabilities.
But the past three years have seen two fundamental changes across the smartphone-laptop continuum. First, the iPhone introduced a Web browser that could faithfully render most Web pages -- or, at least those that don't depend on Flash. The WebKit rendering engine for mobile Safari is also used by Android and Palm devices, while Microsoft and RIM have also taken steps to improving their mobile browsing experiences. Second, while the Asus Eee PC may have been closer to a computing appliance or companion than a PC, the deluge of netbooks from large PC companies such as HP, Acer and Dell that have followed have overwhelmingly run Windows and have been embraced by consumers as small and cheap, if underpowered, laptops.
As a result of smartphones getting smarter, ultraportables getting more portable, and both becoming more affordable, many aspects of the traditional gap between smartphones and laptops have simply disappeared. In terms of size, few devices that can fit in a pocket offer a more capable, elegant experience than the leading smartphones,. And there are few carrying cases larger than a pocket -- including backpacks, briefcases and even some larger handbags -- into which a netbook won't fit. Tablets offer little over netbooks in terms of enhanced portability.
iPad advocates will argue that it isn't so much what the device does but the "intimate" way in which consumers use it that matters. While smartphones are designed to be used on-the-go and netbooks need to be set down on a surface, tablets fall somewhere in between. They can be used while standing, but are less likely to be carried everywhere because of their size. Interaction sessions on these devices will likely also be longer than they are for smartphones, meaning that in practice they will most likely be used while somewhat immersed and seated. However, their freedom from a large base may make them a better fit for use in settings such as cars, buses, trains and beds -- really anywhere where there's no stabilizing surface. E-reader usage is certainly ideal for these settings.
What emerges then, is a picture of not a broad functional gap, but of fragmented and perhaps even niche opportunities primarily for media consumption. Anyone who has gone for a ride on London's Underground is familiar with the trademark warning to "mind the gap." But in the case of filling a gap between smartphone and laptop that has been largely bridged, the train may have already left the station.
Ross Rubin is executive director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.
But the iPad is but the latest in a long line of products and would-be general-purpose devices that seeks to fill this gap, most of them short-lived. Some of the more recent ones include the aborted Palm Foleo, the Sony Mylo, Nokia Internet Tablets, UMPCs, and MIDs. Why are so many companies convinced there is opportunity in these products?
Let's turn back the clock to 2002, the year Handspring launched its first smartphone, the monochrome 160 x 160-pixel Treo 180. It was the year that Verizon Wireless launched the first 3G network in the U.S. and the year MobileStar declared bankruptcy after deploying public Wi-Fi throughout many Starbucks locations in 2001. In 2002, PC World awarded its World Class Award for ultralight notebooks to the Fujitsu LifeBook P-2000. It was less than three pounds and had a 10.6-inch screen, but was 1.6-inches thick and had a starting price of $1,499. And it couldn't access Facebook, Hulu, YouTube or Engadget -- because they didn't exist.
Although the larger problems back then stemmed from slower, more limited wireless networks and less compelling web content, it was pretty clear that there was a significant gap between the smartphone and the laptop in terms of price and capabilities.
But the past three years have seen two fundamental changes across the smartphone-laptop continuum. First, the iPhone introduced a Web browser that could faithfully render most Web pages -- or, at least those that don't depend on Flash. The WebKit rendering engine for mobile Safari is also used by Android and Palm devices, while Microsoft and RIM have also taken steps to improving their mobile browsing experiences. Second, while the Asus Eee PC may have been closer to a computing appliance or companion than a PC, the deluge of netbooks from large PC companies such as HP, Acer and Dell that have followed have overwhelmingly run Windows and have been embraced by consumers as small and cheap, if underpowered, laptops.
As a result of smartphones getting smarter, ultraportables getting more portable, and both becoming more affordable, many aspects of the traditional gap between smartphones and laptops have simply disappeared. |
As a result of smartphones getting smarter, ultraportables getting more portable, and both becoming more affordable, many aspects of the traditional gap between smartphones and laptops have simply disappeared. In terms of size, few devices that can fit in a pocket offer a more capable, elegant experience than the leading smartphones,. And there are few carrying cases larger than a pocket -- including backpacks, briefcases and even some larger handbags -- into which a netbook won't fit. Tablets offer little over netbooks in terms of enhanced portability.
iPad advocates will argue that it isn't so much what the device does but the "intimate" way in which consumers use it that matters. While smartphones are designed to be used on-the-go and netbooks need to be set down on a surface, tablets fall somewhere in between. They can be used while standing, but are less likely to be carried everywhere because of their size. Interaction sessions on these devices will likely also be longer than they are for smartphones, meaning that in practice they will most likely be used while somewhat immersed and seated. However, their freedom from a large base may make them a better fit for use in settings such as cars, buses, trains and beds -- really anywhere where there's no stabilizing surface. E-reader usage is certainly ideal for these settings.
What emerges then, is a picture of not a broad functional gap, but of fragmented and perhaps even niche opportunities primarily for media consumption. Anyone who has gone for a ride on London's Underground is familiar with the trademark warning to "mind the gap." But in the case of filling a gap between smartphone and laptop that has been largely bridged, the train may have already left the station.
Ross Rubin is executive director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.
@BootsMcGavin The OS X on the iPad *is* a dumbed down version of Mac OS X. I can't figure out why people want a bunch of Mac OS X apps that aren't designed for touch, on a touch tablet.
My Macbook pro is almost 4 times heavier and much more bulky than the iPad. I would also cry more if my Macbook pro got stolen/dropped/crushed/otherwise went missing from carrying it everywhere- which i wouldn't do with a Macbook Pro anyway- but I would do that with something the size of a small hard cover book.
Macbook or MBP $1000 +, Iphone ($3400 for 2 years), at $499 base, and $900 loaded 3G, this really is an interesting value. As for the processor, lets just hope that Apple stuffs the A4 action on the 4G touch... I agree with some that Smartphone's and Laptops already overlap in so many ways that the GAP that iTablet was meant for is really more of a grey area than a blank spot. At $500 bills, this device is a solid value (hardware per $), but many many netbooks offer a similar value and likewise they also fit somewhere between a notebook and a smartphone. So again this is not a laptop, or tablet with the function of a laptop, and the price speaks volumes about this. As for the limited storage (and no SD slot), sigh.... they could have put a small disk from the Classic in a case this size; or stopped being so greedy with the NVRAM chips. The $400 3G touch has had 64GB for a long time now. The iTablet will be much cooler when apple steps it up a notch in the later iterations.
Has everybody forgotten how amazing the pads were in Avatar? It's gotta start somewhere.
There was this article posted at Engadget once, regarding Sony's OLED touchscreen walkman and it's industrial design, and I very vividly remember one negative appreciation about it: The combination of a fully touch operated UI and physical controls on top, apparently evidenciated a lack of confidence in the product offered, as if they didn't trust we could operate the thing thoroughly by touch. Reading about Apple and how they refuse to give us flash support and multitasking, I can't help to wonder if similar reasons are behind these desitions.
It's not too often that we get an analytical, truly unbiased, post with substance. I like what I am seeing.
I really would like to use the iPad with LogMeIn to remote access my main computer at home via WiFi or 3G when I travel (in case I need to do some lite work for my clients). I am doing this now with my iPhone but the screen is too small to make the experience enjoyable. Imagine with the 10" screen...
I think that all these companies are just spinning their wheels with this stuff... And taking advantage of overeager consumers who want the next best thing. The simple fact is if you make it too small then it is inconvienent for most users to work with, and if you make it too big people don't want to take it with them, or hold the thing up to their ears. This is probably the best we can do until someone is insane enough to build some sort of ocular implant what allows for a scaled interface, and wireless / cellular capabilities in some sort of wearable PC. You can count me out when that tech becomes a reality. I don't want to have to go see my doctor when my monitor, speaker or microphone goes out! Very scary...
Why do they even need 'something in-between' smart-phones are smart enough and if you want more power get a laptop...
Even so, tablet PC's have been around for ages, just because Apple says they're making one doesn't mean they're the must have gadget,especially the ipad...
(although it seems engadget thinks it is...)
and anyway, if you want something with more power than a smart phone but less than a laptop get a net-book
@HoldenMccrotch No, i've had three netbooks, and i'll take the iPad, thanks. For what i want to use a netbook for, the iPad is much better- more targeted, and it's not one more full OS to maintain with patches and reboots to keep it safe to use. Plus, i can show things to people standing up like holding a clipboard, something really awkward on a netbook. And i actually *like* the touch interface over hunting and clicking with a tiny trackpad.
Did you really mean "Mined the Gap" as in planting explosive devices in the space?
The phrase is actually "Mind the Gap" commonly used on the London underground system to warn people to be aware of the gap between the platform and the train when entering and leaving the trains.
Perhaps you are implying that there's some kind of booby trap involved in trying to exploit this middle ground between smartphones and laptops?
Ok
Isn't Youtube a Flash based media player?
Isn't Youtube implemented on the Iphone?
What's up with this?
@aslankingfisher
H.264. Youtube made an app that runs H.264, just like any self respecting flash website has done, since they started getting complaints from users that their website is 'not working' on the iPhone.
You click the link and (ahem, adult websites do this too), it loads up the iPhone moves player. It's not Flash.
The real question is why haven't Flash addicted money makers like Zynga made real iPhone apps yet? After the iPad comes out they're only going to be more behind... (imitator Farmville games are already being previewd)
great article.... http://www.theapplegoogle.com
Take into account that today's technology allows us to create many devices which due to their increased functionality overlap each other. The fact of the matter is that one day an iPhone will be able to do more than our desktops/laptops today and will be much closer to tomorrow's computers in terms of performance. The only difference then will be the form factor, since all of them will pretty much be able to do everything. You'll just dock your iPhone, connect a big screen and keyboard/mouse and you've got a desktop ... wonder what kind of tech my grandchildren will experience.
The iPhone/iPod Touch has a specific OS
The Mac has an specific OS
The iPad has the iPhone OS = Failure for a new/innovated/3rd device from Apple.
Apple "filled the gap" with a preexisting OS (iPhone/iPod Touch) and placed it the iPad, revolutionary.
Physically, this is basically an iPod touch with a bigger screen... but...that's a huge deal. Because look at the Interface. With a touch-based interface, the iPod (or the big brother iPad) becomes any Appliance you want it to be.
That's the biggest deal here. All devices, which have physical components, are meant for single use. Even the most brilliant designs compromise when devices serve two masters (The oft-cited example being the TV/VCR combo).
But with software, you don't have to compromise. That was the amazing revolution of the Computer. Software. The iPad is PURE SOFTWARE. Even the PC asks you to interface with a Keyboard and Mouse. Clicking on physical keys and Mouse Clicking on Virtual Buttons. Only certain kind of gestures can be done with these two input devices in concert.
No one misses the mouse because POINTING with your finger duplicates that perfectly with less work (less layers).
As for the Keyboard, Apple knows you're already used to the Virtual iPhone Keyboard, and if you absolutely must write for long periods of time, a Keyboard dock is available. But lets forget about the really old-style computer uses (Pages, Numbers, etc).
What's really exciting about the iPad is that it will bring new kinds of software that we never had before because big screen touch devices never took off before.
OneNote? Take another look at your iPod touch. Apple already has a Notes program, and it took them about a weekend to throw together. The iPad version will allow for scribbling, etc, you name it, but for in-class notetaking, that or Pages will be great.
Of course, MS is so unorginial the only cool 'Tablet' software they can come up with is outclassed by a $2 pad of lined paper. Good job guys.
I'm not sure I agree with the premise that the iPad will be more useable on the go than a netbook - who says you need to set the netbook down on a surface to use it? Its perfectly useable supported in the palm of your hand as you move the touchpad or tap on the keyboard.
In fact if you look at the amount of limbs/digits required to operate an iPad, its the same as that required by a netbook when standing - Both arms!
Traditional tablet designs (having owned an HP TC4200) are indeed too weighty to be proper tablets, one major obstacle was that ideally the removal of the keyboard is seen both as an advantage (weight saving) and a curse (no easy way of entering large amounts of info).
Its true though that using a netbook stood up on a moving bus or train is impractical, but again, the iPad does not improve on this either, you're still going to be shoved left right and centre by the moving vehicle. And what is it you need to do to enter text at high speed? - only by sitting down at a desk or having it on your lap.
I'm not trying to bash the iPad here, I think hardware wise its wonderful - needs a little work on the software front maybe, but it'll happen.
I think until there are much better and very highly reliable data entry methods - i.e. voice recognition amongst noise and crowds (at >99.9999% accuracy) then the keyboard will always be needed for office work and long/complex emails ... and Engadget comments entering!
Next it'll be thought based text entry!
@Heliosphan Well for one, the iPad is half the weight of a lot of netbooks, which starts to make a difference if you're holding it on your hand for a long time.
At least to me it would be easier to touch a button on a touch screen with my right index finger while holding the iPad in my left hand, than to fiddle with a trackpad while "perching the netbook on the my hand" (granted, i have a netbook here now, but not an iPad :) Holding a thin tablet is in line with the standard way a person would hold a clipboard or a paper notebook when standing.
During this part of the presentation, i was waiting to hear wtf steve was going to say that made sense as to why his device fills the gap...and... he NEVER DID.
All he said was its the best internet experience on any device?
Please don't buy this, maybe they'll start just assuming people will buy their junk because they tell you do.
BOYCOTT!
I propose a boycott of the iPad until Apple allows Flash onto it and enables multitasking, which it seems to me are the most common & reasonable complaints that folks have been having about it. There lots of other changes that I'd like to see, but these could be done immediately and would sway me back to buying the machine.
If you agree, please help spread the word.
Did anyone notice that the iPhone in the picture was not the 3gs but a 3g? No-one? Ok... I think I will go look at the microsoft courier for a while...