Is iPad an interim product?

iPad is selling like hot cake, and Apple seems to have difficulty keeping up with the extraordinary strong demand.

I must admit iPad is a product that change the way we interact with the Internet. However, I am still having doubt whether iPad is an interim product to be the industry leader and set the bar for competitors, instead of what it is supposed to be in the mind of Apple.

Let's take a look at the iPhone 4 alongside with iPad.

iPhone 4 is revolutionary as Steve claimed during the recent WWDC keynote that:

1. It is the thinnest smartphone;
2. Battery life lasts longer;
3. Excellent exterior which is essentially a piece of technology art;
4. This is by far the most important component in iPhone 4: the Retina Display.

You may argue that others will soon to catch up with Apple on high resolution screen. Yes, I do agree. But Retina Display is not just the high resolution LCD, it Is the combination of high resolution LCD + OS screen driver that makes a perfect presentation of what you find on iPhone 4.

Now back to iPad. It is kind of curious for Apple not to include the above on iPhone 4 onto iPad, especially the Retina Display and iOS 4. Isn't Apple positioned iPad as ebooks + entertainment + Internet, ie content consumption device?

What makes a good content consumption device? First and foremost: an extraordinarily good display!

Isn't Retina Display fits into this perfectly?

Let's look at other ebook readers and tablets in the market. Monochrome ebook readers like Amazon's Kindle and Sony's ereader both using e-ink technology for 2 main reasons:

1. Conserves battery life;
2. Reduces eye strain on long hour reading.

Of the above, Retina Display is closely rival e-ink in terms of pleasant reading/watching/consuming while battery life may still lagged behind e-ink technology.

But the plus point for Retina Display is color, and e-ink is not, and will not be, in the foreseeable future, that will have the ability to display in color.

So iPad with Retina Display, the same exterior design as iPhone 4, and iOS4, will certainly blown the competitors, even TV and netbooks away.

Then why Apple does not want the first version of iPad to have Retina Display?

It may be too risky a decision to
Make as no one know how well the costumer will response to iPad;

It may be kept for iPhone 4 since iPhone market is proven;

It may simply be a supply problem that Retina Display is not available in production quantity for iPad.

But I am almost certain that next generation of iPad will
Include all the cool features of iPhone 4, and more.

And I am expecting the next Gen iPad to be introduced next Feb, a year after its launch to ensure no strain in supply chain, and Apple to rip the year end holiday season with current generation of iPad with iOS4.

So I will wait for next year for an iPad.


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