Magical
When Steve Jobs called the original iPad "magical", there was some collective eye-rolling and amusement in the technology community (even among some of the TiPb staff.) Now Steve Jobs is far from a silly man and Apple has one of the savviest marketing teams in the industry, so why did it feel like there was such a disconnect between the word "magic" and the iPad?
Probably the same reason the original iPad's success caught so many by surprise. No one, not analysts, not journalist, and I'm guessing not even Apple saw 15 million sold in 9 months, or lineups on launch day that skewed so far from the typical early geek adopter demo.
As many have said before, Apple knew they had something but they weren't quite sure what they had yet. iPad 2 made things a bit clearer. Some decried it as an incremental improvement, much as they decried the original iPad as a "just a big iPhone". Those are both true statements as far as they go but they miss the point because being a better iPad and being a bigger iPhone are the point.
In a recent interview, The Daily Mail and Apple Senior VP of design, Jony Ive discuss this:
the iPad reminds me of Arthur C Clarke's remark that 'any technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic'. I mentioned this to Jony and he told me they were thinking exactly that when the iPad was going through the studio.
It's why Apple doesn't disclose RAM and GPU of a dozen other technical details about their mainstream, mobile devices, and why they focus so much on experience (rather than raw specs or content). It's why Steve Jobs can't help but smile through every iPad demo -- he's having fun. Using the iPad is fun. The experience is fun.
That's why iPad 2 is thinner, lighter, and faster. Not because those are good technical bullet points, but because it makes the experience better. When the scrolling is smooth, when the frame rate is fluid, when web pages don't need to constantly reload, when any of a million little things that could pull you out of the browser or app -- that remind you you are using a device -- are gone, the experience is better. The experience is more fun.
My mother and sister both bought iPads last week (my sister upgraded from last year's.) The next day my mother's newspaper was later (as usual). Normally that would cue a polite but firm phone call. That day, however, my sister found my mother happily sitting and reading the app version of the paper on her brand new iPad 2. Today my sister called me to tell me about the baby shower she filmed and edited on her iPad 2. Both are, for lack of a more delicate term, not computer savvy. Both require frequent tech support, even after switching from PC to Mac. They don't for iPad. (One of the most amazing acts of modern computing I've seen recently was a 2 year old showing his grandmother how to use his family's iPad.)
At no point did any of them, mother, sister, grandchild, grandmother ask anyone about RAM or CPU or OS or any of that. They didn't care (or cared only that they didn't have to care.) They didn't even ask about the aluminum and glass because it was effectively invisible to them. They didn't have to manage. They only had to use it, and while "advanced" can be argued, it was more than sufficient.
For many people, people who aren't tech savvy, who look at multi-componant PCs from Big Box retailers with a mix of horror and humiliation, who struggle with the discomfort of being bound to a desk, the disconnection of keyboards and mice, and the daunting complexity of legacy computing concepts, it's liberating. It's empowering. It's magical.
Go ahead, roll your eyes, be amused, mock if you have to but then consider this -- what better design goal for iPad could Apple have possibly had?
UPDATE: Apple has just said exactly this in their first iPad 2 commercial, We Believe.
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My 3 year-old is using my iPad every day. I think that is absolutely amazing. She switches it on, navigates to the apps she wants and happily plays away until I come along and wipe away the sticky finger smears that are all across the screen
I think magical description was about right. (Funnily enough, she still calls it the 'big telephone'!)
I'm starting to notice more and more the restraints of only 512 megs of ram, I don't know how people get by with 256 megs on the first. I play smurfs alot, 2 app switches, sometimes 1 and it has to reload....Very annoying.
For me 512mb is a lot on iPad 2. Real Racing 2, Reckless Racing 2 and Infinity Blade all keep in memory simultaneously.
It's likely that the Smurf game is simply badly coded.
Fyi in the bad old days 512 megs is pretty huge for a desktop computer so go figure.
Rene, this is an awesome piece, thank you.
+1
Well written, Rene. I am mulling upgrading to the ipad 2. Today I was in Verizon and gave up playing with one because there were two kids planted in front of them for more than an hour. The lightness of the second iteration, plus increased speed and cameras are compelling reasons to upgrade.
Very well written article, Rene. I totally agree with you and I love how the new iPad 2 commercial goes right along with what you're saying. It's not just about the hardware but about the experience and the ecosystem Apple has worked so hard to develop.
Also, in the sentence "Now Steve Jobs is far from a silly man and Apple has one of the savviest marketing teams in the industry, so why did it feel like there was such a disconnect between the word “magic” and the iPad?" you might want to put a comma after the word "now". With out it, the sentence is implying that he was a silly man and no longer is. Unless that was your intention... LOL!
I am amazed that some people still deny the "magic" of iPad. Their reality-denying force is truly magical.
What exactly is the magic of the ipad?
Sales.
It's one of those things you'll never understand unless you own one.
Superb article. The part re: 2 year old and grandmother = priceless + magical ...
One of my favorite things about iOS devices is you can take it out of the box, turn it on and it tells you how to set it up. Once the device has been synced, you literally pick it up and your good to go from the moment you turn it on. The buttons are easy enough to figure out that I knew what every single one did as soon as I got my first iPod Touch (I even figured out the double tap function for the home button)
It's odd that turning the device on and being told that you can't use it until you hook it up to a real computer, with ithe latest version of iTunes, is a virtue of the experience. For me, it was a giant let-down.
It has a graphic that neither grandma nor the two-year-old is likely robe able to decipher. They will need familial "tech support" for that.
With regard to their not needing tech support being initial set-up, that suggests that they're not doing very advanced things on the iPad. These things would be similarly simple on a pc and would not require any/much input from the family tech.
Have them start putting pictures and songs and videos and documents on the iPad. That's when the calls start coming in - when they have to add things to the pc to add them to iTunes to add them to the iPad.
There's something inaccurate or disingenuous about calling a device "magical" (as compared to pc's) when it's very setup and even mildly advanced features REQUIRE the use of that big, scary pc.
You are right. I really like the iPad and the whole user experience and I think that the article sums it up pretty well. But as long as you need a PC or Mac to be able to use your iPad you cannot really recommend this as an alternative to novices. I know lots of people who simply don't like computers and always ask me for help. The iPad would serve them well. No installations, no registry, no need for anti-virus, nothing complex. All they want to do is browse the web, check e-mails, look at photos and videos, listen to music. So can you recommend the iPad to someone like that? I am not entirely sure about that.
I know lots of people who would be satisfied with only having an iPad. They would love to dump their PCs, they already take away too much room in their flat. Can they just throw their big and ugly PCs away and go with the simple, thin and lightweight iPad? No. They need to keep their PCs as it's the only way to activate and update the iPad, it's the only way to import and sync contacts, photos, etc. And no, the iPad isn't that simple to use as many say. I have seen people who own an ipad for months and didn't know about the fast-app-switching feature by pressing the home buttons twice. They didn't know that they had to doubleclick the button. I understood them. It's not explained anywhere. I have been asked why you cannot delete photos after you synced them with iTunes. They didn't understand the meaning of "syncing". It's even more confusing that there is a delete button, but its ghosted and does not work. Also, they would like to create new albums and manually rearrange their photos. That is not possible, either. Lots of stuff is still irritating. There are many issues that have to be addressed before the iPad is really as simple to use as they say in the new commercial before you can recommend it to someone who wants to get rid of their old, dusty and bulky PC. But I think they are heading in the right direction.
Outstanding article, very outstanding. This is something people need to realize once in a while. It's not about CPU and RAM. A Droid Incredible can have an 8 megapixel camera, and the photo quality may be not be the best people expect. An iPhone 4 can have 5 megapixels in a sensor and people are delighted with the quality!
Specs are nice, but learning that it actually WORKS, is something other.
Here's a New iPad 2 TV Ad.http://www.apple.com/ipad/#ad
Still a stupid, pretentious tagline
This is also where the "Post PC" bit comes from. It doesn't refer to hardware (for those who kvetch about having to sync with a cable, etc.) so much as the useability and overall experience. Apple knows others can compete on specs, but they are miles ahead in the "magic" factor.
Tablet is still a PC. Do you mean post desktop?
No, the accepted and pretty commonly used term is "Post-PC". It's kinda been used by...everybody?
Very well written. Apple haters are obviously seething about this (see comment above mine). Simply awesome to see people hate on a company for no good reason, many missing out on this magical device...
I loved my iPhone before the iPad came out, but was still stuck to my PC. The iPad opened up a whole world of Apple... and I was a hater just 3 years ago (I guess we all mature at different rates)
Best yet, I'm in charge of standards at a Fortune 500 company and in the last year we've made great progress to get Macs and Apple products like iPads in and innovating like we've never done before.
Its magic at home, its magic at work... magic magic magic magic.. yea, haters, suck it.
Very good article Rene, iPad 2 on order!
Haters will always hate but no one can deny the numbers.
Yup numbers dont lie.. so in a few years or less we can expect the majority of people to be on android tablets just like it did to phones.. experience vs specs is a joke.. sure i could go play my old atari, but id rather play the ps3.. better specs lead to better experiences.. while apple is holding up iOS 5, devs have more tools to work with to make newer/improved experiences on honeycomb/android.. you cant just stop in the middle of the race and expect to still come out in first place..
Not to be facetious but iPad launched with 5000 tablet-specific apps, including many by some of the best mobile developers on the planet (and Apple's iWork suit), and now has ~70,000 tablet specific apps. Honeycomb launched with under 20 and haven't had much growth since.
Big content companies, sadly, go where the DRM is and big developers go where the unified market is. Tablets aren't phones; there is no "I can't get iPhone on Verizon so I'll get XYZ" in the tablet space.
Android could become ubiquitous everywhere, but it's uncertain what that means and to whom. (Since they've chosen a more computer-like UI to iPad, it might be more popular with power users rather than mainstream, we'll see.)
See, the thing I don't understand about power tablets buying Android tablets is why buy a tablet that's basically a computer when you could get a laptop that does more than a tablet for a lower price?
I haven't purchased any tablets yet, and I don't plan on changing that. iPad so far has been the thing I would want to buy if I do get a tablet, because it has more of what I'm looking for. Battery life to me is a main draw, as I've heard some horror stories about the Xoom. Another big issue is form factor. The iPad not only has the number of apps Rene was talking about, it has every app made for the iPhone available as well. The Xoom and Galaxy just don't compare when it comes to available content.
*Power users buying Android Tablets
Is that why the weaker Wii outsold the PS3 worldwide by 37 million?
It didn't hurt that the Wii was about half the price. Imagine parents looking at Xbox 360 - PS3 - Wii. If they can buy the cheapest, and the kid is happy with it, then why not?
Ah, the good old days when this argument was used to bash the Mac and defend Windows....
There is no denying the magic of the iPad or the joy in not having to take a call every 5 minutes for tech support from family members. I still prefer Android for my phone and have hope for the xoom and honeycomb, but currently my xoom sits watching my iPad first gen get all the love
The Clarke corollary is exactly why the term "magical" as a marketing blurb for the iPad rubs so many people, particularly techies, the wrong way.
Matches to a neanderthal. Refrigeration to an 11th century noble. Air travel to a renaissance man. The Internet to a Victorian gentleman. These are sciences "indistinguishable from magic" -- techniques so advanced that they are, at best, dimly imagined concepts by the brightest members of that era's humanity. For a technology to be "magical" in the Clarke sense is an exceedingly high bar, and for all its grace, elegance, and power, the iPad falls short by several dozen orders of magnitude. It is beyond marketing hyperbole; it is pure hubris to imply the iPad belongs in that class -- almost an insult to the people who are trying to push those boundaries for us in the 21st century. That is why the word "magical" sticks in the craw, even among those of us who are big fans of the technology and the product.
And yes, I am writing this from my iPad.
Can't agree more and I own an iPhone , iPad , and iPod touch !! iPad is amazing but "magical" is pushing it . Internet was magical , electricity was magical, car was magical , helll maybe even throw in the iPhone in there if you want but iPad is just awesome , NOT magical
Blah Blah Blah. Lots of words that say nothing.
Thanks for the wisdom, Copy.
@copyofdev. Very long winded comments with little substance. You would be a millionaire if you got paid by the word. Bad for you, you don't.
Think about it. At this time last year, what tablet computer were you using? What tablet computer were millions of people using? NOTHING........Apple re-defined a category that was left for dead.......and don't go there with the HP Slate angle. Bottom line is, iPad redefined computing as it is today. Sure, you wish the devise was better. So do I. However, you now have hundreds of companies trying to cash in on the tablet market Apple has been working on for years.
If you are so dissatisfied with your iPad as being "magical", be a magician and make it disappear by selling it on eBay.
LOL...did you even read his comment? Go read it again and then tell me how your comment applies to his.
Thanks for missing my point and proving it.
"Apple re-defined a category"
Yes, they did, and deserve all the kudos and riches that come with that. But the simple fact that the iPad redefined a category disqualifies it from being "magical" in the Clarke sense, because it means others had a grip on similar technology, even if they screwed up its execution. The iPad is an unquestioned significant advancement in the state of the art, just not a Clarke level "magical" one.
The only thing is, regular consumers don't care about the Clarke Corollary. They want a tablet that has a great experience, and the iPad provides that for them. For many of those people, the iPad is magical. It allows them to do things they never even imagined. It's not about if it fits some scientific model or theory. All it comes down to is how people use it, and it's being used in a lot of magical ways.
Sigh...
Did I say these "regular people" care? No. I said this was a reason that a lot of technically minded folks are bothered.
I think it is wonderful my 67 year old mother and I play Words with Friends all the time now. That is wonderful for her (and me), and I give Apple full marks in engineering and design, but it ain't magic.
I am sorry if my comment was not sufficently positive for you.
Excellent article Rene!
Great article Rene. I can't wait for the next Apple commercial. Each one just gets better and better. Steve Jobs is right, this is the post PC era. If I could only breathe the same air as him. How does Microsoft stay in business? I'm sure they'll be closing there doors any day now. Apple-Akbar.
Jobs' "apples" seem to be clogging your air, one quick cough should fix that. To assume MSFT is not still a very powerful comoany is crazy. two different business models.
*company
Microsoft is, in fact a very powerful company. However, their recent trend on not embracing a shift to mobile computing may hurt them in the long run. I do not wish the demise of Microsoft. As long as there is competition for Apple, it motivates innovation and success. I truly do hope that Microsoft embraces mobile computing quickly, so we may have a wide field of exciting and new products from all companies. Yes, I know they have Windows Phone 7, but it has yet to gain the traction that it needs to compete with iOS and Android. Microsoft NEEDS to embrace tablets, or they will suffer.
The old fanboy dichotomy. Apple can be great, but Microsoft must be bankrupt and humiliated. The hatred is so blatant that sometimes I feel that the average fanboy would not mind Apple failing and going bankrupt, mas long as Microsoft did it a day earlier.
Why can we not just be happy with Apple´s success and stop wishing for other companies demise? Let Microsoft build it´s Kinect thing and be on the Guiness Book, who cares?
I have a iPad and a iPad 2 my daughter loves it so does every one else in my house .. It's an amazing product but calling it magical is a stretch.
Correction Rene:
Critics didn't decry the original iPad as being "just a Big iPhone" because it doesn't have any cellular radios in it; they actually derided as being "just a Big iPod Touch"!
Yeah, I'm sure that the iPad 3G does not have cellular radio. /s
Yes, but its for data not for actual phone voice calls.
Correction to your correction: Both "iPad is like a big iPhone" as well as "iPad is like a big iPod touch* were used. I can't believe I just wrote that.
3G or not, you can make both the iPod touch and the iPad into a quasi phone by way of VoIP. Line2 (Toktumi's award winning app is what I use) and then there is a little app called Google Voice.
Can you guys please go back and listen to the original iPhone keynote. Steve jobs called the iPhone 1 a magical device too, in 2007. I don't remember ANYONE giving apple hell over the iPhone being "magical", yet everyone seems to love to focus on it from the iPad keynote.
yes, but it's the iFad that is being actively marketted as being 'magical' just watch the adverts.
It all still boils down to irrational consumerism.
"-Honey I bought a thing today!
-Really? I am so happy for you!"
What really bothers me is the enforced obsoletism of today's things. This is unsustainable in the long run and the only actual magic there is: the better chunk of good hard working people being duped into this spoiling never ending cycle.
Calling it magical is euphemism for behind-the-scenes-marketing science by those who viciously exploit peoples non-needs.
I own a 3G btw. I bought it because I needed a new phone not because I wanted to talk about it.
Mr. Philosopher, you please my mind. Tell me more!
To me the things that people consider magic, like the automobile, electricity, internet, etc. Is only because we are lokking at the end and not the means. For instsnce, flying in airplanes could be magical except for tose that witnessed all the crashes before they got it right. Cars..maybe except to those who got passed by horse and buggy just trying to get started by hand! Electricity is lightning so Ben Franklin only learned to control it, but not magical to all those who learned the hard price for a mistake with THAT ! Magic is the end result of what the audience sees after eons of hard work put in by the magician. Even to him its not magic, only to us. So 20 years from now the iPad will be magic to those who dont see the evolution.
Yes the ipad overall is the best available tablet without a doubt but that doesn't make it magical. The device is great and easy to use for kids but a lot of kids these days are good with all sorts of technology. Sales figures also don't make it magical. I hated when Apple called it that when they announced it and still do.
disagree with it being the best tablet overall.
No camera, no flash, can't do a damn thing with it unless you use the pit of hell that is itunes.
iFad has it's shortcomings, don;t lose sight of them!
My 18 month old would grab the iPhone, type in my unlock code (didn't know numbers, but knew the pattern). Droopy diaper at 5:30am and it wa great. Then came the big telephone(ipad)... And he again was a natural. When an 18 month old can access apps, surf YouTube, etc.., that's magical.
I also took a flight with 3 and 5 year old boys from hong kong to canada (14 hours)... With the in flight entertainment system broken. Ipad saves the day.
Plus Vietnam blocks facebook website, but not the app.
Magical, not sure, but definitely freaken cool
Apple really found something with the iPad even beyond their iphone. Every aspect of what you do on it is easy, smooth and nice to watch. What they've done is create a barrier between the user and the programmer of such a magnitude that no one has ever seen before and marketed it as a device to save the general public from the dreaded technology and software world they fear because its unknown to them. Despite all its limitations, it remains so successful.
Let me also say that I will never buy any mac computers /iphones/ipods/ipads etc... I don't agree when people say that the ipad is the best tablet to get. They buy the iPad because it is the easiest for them to use and they have the best experience with it.
It goes to show most people would sacrifice technical features for the predictability and simplicity of the iPad. This is why kids can pick it up so easily. Any more complexity and they become confused and the learning experience is not enjoyable. In most people, the iPad qualifies as the best product. And I would put money down that it is.
I believe Apple has a great product. However, the millions of the technologically savvy who refuse to buy Apple and sometimes criticize it for its limitations don't buy into a product with Apple's values. There are those who enjoy and thrive in the nitty gritty details of devices, their software platforms and the stimulating experience of dispelling the "magic" of technology for ourselves everyday.
Some of us enjoy magic shows, others try to figure out the tricks. Its as simple as that.
To all the haters out there bashing the other camps product, try to see the bigger picture and the appeal of not only the iPad (which is great) but the other tablets too!
As a corporate Apple Employee, I can confirm, this is truly what is believed within the company.
+1 (as is standard with Rene, thank you for another beautifully written article.)
I love Apple's products. I don't own an iPad yet but I'm sure there's one in my future. However, I don't understand why so many people waste their time arguing about the use of the word 'magical'. As the saying goes: "much ado about nothing". I have no problem with it's use. If this much time was spent arguing the use of a word everytime we don't like it, there would be no time left to develop the next great device or science break through. Get over it and just enjoy you iPad or whatever makes you happy and stop beating a dead horse.
It's all about perception. To some, the iPad is just "amazing". You could argue that because of your subjective (but at the same time totally fair and valid reason(s), you may disagree with the assertion by those who put the device in the "amazing" category.
Maybe to you, it is only a neat-o product, but far from what "amazing" means to you. And the meaning of a word is another variable that is relative and therefore will vary from person to person.
To summarize, the standard of "magical" is either met or unmet as well as to varying degrees) by each and every one of us. Anyway, I say it's magical and everyone who disagrees is just wrong. :D
Omg omg omg am I really reading this. I have too much to comment but it will get deleted. Ohhhh I can't stand it, I'm not gonna sleep tonight knowing there is ppl like you around. It creeps me out.
I'm sorry, but when a tech product is described as being 'Majical' then somewhere along the line the plot has been lost.
Fine, the ipad may be a great device to consume media on, and there are plenty of competetive products that do a similar job, some better some worse.
What next, claiming it's assembled by pixies and welded shut by unicorns? sorry, not buying the marketing BS here.
Apple seem so far up their own A$$ recently that it is truely sickening.
Personally, I prefer android because i get a greater choice of device configurations, and I don't want to be force-married to itunes for the rest of my life.
There are plenty of technophobes out there that are happy to be led by the way apple dictate their products are used, and are happy to pay a premium for the 'priviledge'. What I find really distasteful is the way that apple seem to consider that their customers only rent their hardware rather than own it, and if they want to do more with it, then Jailbreakers (see - JAIL! jail bad) should be on a level with criminals.
LOL. If you are a teen still working at McD's I can see your point. If not, its probably time for a new job.
The majority of that which you call management contains so that it is hard for people to acquire work done.
The meek shall inherit the Earth, however, not its mineral rights.
I've never felt like I was inside cookie business. I've always been inside a feel good feeling business. My job is to sell joy. My job is always to sell happiness. My job is to sell an event.