[NTLK] OT: Mossberg gives thumbs up to iPad

[Forrest Buffenmyer]

>We'll see if Apple has guessed right on this one or not.  I have to wonder if the Microsoft Courier will benefit from the iPad going to market first and showing what ideas do/don't work (à la the Newton and Palm) or if Apple will dominate the market simply by being the first to make their device available. [muses thoughtfully]


I think Apple has benefited greatly for being the "standard-bearer" of cool, as in devices are released as innovations that pretty much immediately set the bar and are perceived as being cool, must-have devices. This happened first with the iPod and then the iPhone...despite Microsoft's throwing gobs of money at their own Zune, it was never really received as a device that would seriously threaten the iPod. Nearly every phone that you see advertised is either some sort of take-off on the iPhone (even the BlackBerry Storm and Storm II with touch screens), or an Android-type which itself is based on popular features of the iPhone. And yet, it controls an estimated 25% of the market. 25% in three years---that's pretty impressive.

Better and more full-featured tablet-style computers will likely be introduced, but I'm betting they won't be able to achieve the perceived cool of the iPad...which admittedly has yet to be defined. But, past history--redefining the portable music player with the iPod...the cellphone with the iPhone....

Thanks,
--Forrest