THE TEMASEK REVIEW

By Amanda Lian

After much thought and nerve-wreaking ideas, I come to think of the newest addition to the Apple family as the 7 commandments to a happy relationship. Why 7 you may ask? Because… And a huge because Apple said that it is an in-between product of the iPhone and MacBook which does 7 wonderful essential things better. What are these things? They are the Internet, Email, Video, Music, Games and eBooks. How do you feel about this issue? We want to know. But before that, I will tell you my experiences.

Well now, Apple has gotten everyone talking and the industry abuzz with the announcement of its new iPad. Some dubbed it just another product larger than an iPhone, while others are seeing it as something which they might actually be inclined to use. Whichever the case, I am privy to some conversations I’ve had with a techy person, another who uses his notebook only reluctantly as required for work and one more, a close family member who is a self-proclaimed Luddite. Maybe, we will talk about my friend’s mother too, if we ever get to it.

It is just so surreal when everyone else is excited about computing except the geeks and the nerds.

Techy person

I went home on the day that Apple was going to announce the iPad. As most of my friends were based in Singapore, it was almost 2am over there when they heard the news. Most of them stayed up in anticipation or for work, but this friend came to me the following morning saying “I was so disappointed. The hype was too overrated!”

Me: Well, don’t you like the iPad? Or the idea in that sense?

Techy person: No! If it is for eBooks, then I would get e-ink as it is better for the eyes in long periods of reading. If it is for other things, my notebook is able to do those things better and more efficiently. I guess the only thing that I’m excited about would be the A4 chip.

Being a geek myself, I can understand why most people will think this way. I mean, yes, the iPad looks pretty and such but what it does, do not meet the needs and demands of the technically inclined niche.

Technophobe

My friend is an engineer and uses a notebook only if there is a necessary need for it. If she is able to shy away from technology altogether, that would be the greatest day of her life. Unfortunately, reality is harsh and she has to use it for work purposes daily.

While she shuns away from the iPhone, when the iPad was announced, she called me immediately. Sounding superbly excited and thrilled, she said, “…iPad is so beautiful and do you think I could get used to it? I haven’t really played with the iPhone yet but I feel that it is really easy to use. Is the iPad similar? Would you recommend me to buy it when it comes out in Singapore?”

Being bombarded with so many questions at a time, I began to realize that the iPad has indeed created a stir. She do not normally go gaga over technology and this is the first time in the 20 plus years that I’ve known her, that she actually reacted so enthusiastically over a new Apple product.

Luddite

For the sake of some people, a Luddite is someone who denies technology altogether. Do not be alarmed, there are definitely individuals still like that in good, old Singapore. And it happens to be one of my friends. Be it choice or circumstance, this friend of mine has never used a notebook before. Even his mobile is the really basic one which you can purchase easily from any 7-eleven stores in Singapore. So when he took the initiative to ask me about the iPad, I was kind of shocked.

He actually thought the iPad would work for him. In his words, he said “looks good on the outside, easy to use on the inside.” And for him to fork out that amount of cash is not a problem. This is not a usual phenomena, it is a sensation. Sadly, I do not feel the same.

And there we go again…

The iPad is indeed of paramount importance to everyone, EXCEPT us. Somehow, someday, until we see a MacBook Air cut in half (which in our impression is the new tablet and the one we always wanted), we will wait and see. We would urge you not to purchase it just yet, if you really, really wanted a set as Apple had spoken of the prices staying nimble, which means good news for us, the consumers. If the sale of the first generation is not ideal, Apple WILL cut the price to sell more, just like the iPhone where it was reduced by $200 within the first few months of sale.

Afterthoughts

Watching the industry react, the voices of the people, and the overall atmosphere, this is going to be a blast for me – just seeing it unfold before my very existence.

As for my friend’s mother, she kept saying she was too old to learn how to use a computer. Till this day, she only knows how to push the power button on the CPU. But after the entry of Apple’s iPad, she was motivated to learn how to use the email and the internet! Wow! For now, we will await the landing of Apple’s iPad on Singapore’s sandy, sunny shores.

Specifications:

·        Height: 9.56 inches (242.8 mm)

·        Width: 7.47 inches (189.7 mm)

·        Depth: 0.5 inch (13.4 mm)

·        Weight: 1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) Wi-Fi model; 1.6 pounds (0.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model

·        9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology

·        1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip

·        Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music

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