TO PAD OR NOT TO PAD?/

So it's no surprise if you know me, that I'm a little obsessed with Apple products, so much that I own practically everything they make, I love the simplicity, the design aesthetic, the way the products are elegant, far more advanced than anything out there, and the way they just work. I'm not one of those peoples that think their products are over-priced, they are indeed expensive, but they are worth every cent, well almost all of them, all of them except the iPad. To pad or not to pad? I've been since the very beginning of the iPad craze wondering this question.

I'll never forget the day the iPad was announced simply because I, along with many others thought that for sure Apple would have a touch screen mac, what the real product was though was a mixture of shock, awe, admiration, and at the very core a feeling of deja vu, it seemed so simple and yet so different, yet it seemed like the biggest hoax of the century, yet it seemed almost too perfect. Should I dare take a bite out of this sour apple?

I can't say I own an iPad, although I can say I really do want to own one, yet again why now? Why not just wait for the iPad 2? Indeed right now the iPad is a truly magical product, once you use it, it just feels right, it feels perfect on the hand, although typing could be improved I can't imagine truly writing much on it, it still feels stunning. The display is stunning the graphics are stunning, the idea is so simple yet effective and perfect. It's what you'd except from Apple, but at the same time it's the thing I don't want to ever say I own. I want the second generation to come out, why?

Let's be realistic now, Facetime launched with the iPhone / iPod Touch, it's big and it's revolutionizing the way people use video calls, never before were they so mainstream, while it's still a niche market, video calls are becoming less of a novelty and more of a way of the future and Apple seems to really be leading this movement with Facetime. For the iPad 2 to not include Facetime compatible front facing and back facing camera would be short to say a real deal breaker here. For flash on the tablet, to be honest I don't imagine that would pop up simply because most people aren't using a ten inch tablet to take professional images, it would be a nice addition, but it totally doesn't sound necessary for the product.

The Retina Display, one of the most gorgeous displays I've ever used, and for a phone the most beautiful, has also launched on the iPhone and iPod Touch, this is expected, why not take advantage of the amazing ten inch screen by packing with the display, this could launch a more HD type of content on the iPad and make it truly stand out even more, if a rumored seven inch version of the iPad came out I can truly imagine the display being absolutely breathtaking, having the stunning resolution condensed a bit more, breathtaking.

I really have wondered and wondered, where are the widgets? Calculator? Weather? Stocks? I know there are other apps and indeed much more useful apps for these purposes on the iPad but what use are they when you just want a nice simple Apple designed widget? I think having these widgets back on the iPad, in an enhanced iPad UI would be absolutely a plus for included software.

As for the design of the iPad, while I love the design of the iPad as it is, and while I think it's amazing to hold and comfortable, it's still such an enigma, how should I hold this? It's a bit odd at first trying to hold it, it's not necessarily like a book, and not like a laptop, but it's just in your hands waiting to be used, it's a consumption device yet I feel that to consume more media I should have the ability to hold it more comfortably or at least less akwardly, I truly do wish there would be a slight redesign to the iPad. Perhaps more iPhone inspired.

This is another thing that I mentioned, it's a consumption device, but I as a designer love creation as I do consumption, and the iPad is not quite the best device for creation. I would love to see more programs like an iPad version of Photoshop, not the basic one adobe has available, but one that really lives up to all that Photoshop is, another app i'd love to see is a Final Cut app for the iPad, we've seen how iMovie works on the iPhone, given that the new iPad would have more speed, I think having a more powerful video editing app would be something a lot of creators would appreciate. And while I'm at it, I'd love to mention that one little thing that bugs me about the iPad is it's lack of any ports, ahem- USB ports to be exact, I'd love to really see them applied to the design, the iPad feels like it has potential for more, yet it has to be light and travel savvy, much like another aging Apple product that got a lot of attention a few years ago as the ultimate in ultra portability, and the ultimate in business portability, the manila envelope original, the MacBook Air.

It has been a year since the last update of the MacBook Air, that was a slight update, it's due for an update, and this is where it could fill in the hole. There is the iPhone, the smartphone, the business and consumption standard in the current market, there is the MacBooks and MacBookPros the true ultra high performance true computers for everyday bigger projects and business projects, this is where the iPad fills in the middle, it connects both and lets you have something in the middle. I don't want to carry around my MacBook everywhere, I don't think my iPhone or iPod would ever do all I wanted it to do in terms of computing, the iPad is the perfect midpoint, but it's somewhat odd considering, it's taking the spot of the MacBookAir, where ultra portability was the rage and made for the ultimate in light.

Could this be intentional? Could apple be rebranding the MacBookAir as the iPadPro? Or something of the likes, the MacBookAir contains only minimal ports, no physical drive and a standard design compared to all the apple products being released lately, it's not so much of a consumption product anymore as the iPad has taken that role away it's more of a ultra portable creation machine, but it has yet to be updated. Could it be that the MacBookAir is going to get a big touch screen makeover and loos the MacOS and laptop form and become the iPadPro, or perhaps a big flip version of the iPad in the shape of an ultra thin laptop? All is possible especially if the iPad 2 develops ports and cameras around, and let's face it the back design of both products are a bit similar...

If the MacBookAir became an iPadPro, a true pro tablet device, it would revolutionize the game once again, it could also make the iPad 7 inches for consumption and the iPadPro 10 inches for consumption and creation, thus beginning the tablet takeover into mainstream computing. It's what apple wants, no? Having the iPadPro would significantly change computing for the future on up. If this device truly happened, the iPad wouldn't be the nifty toy or this amazing or "magical" game changer, it would be the future, it wouldn't feel awkward, it wouldn't leave me wondering whether the apple is ripe or sour, it would just feel complete and true. It would really convince me to finally take the plunge and buy one of these magical devices.