Apple’s recent iPad release, in conjunction with hopes that Microsoft will soon provide Word for iPad, have caused many a faithful laptop user to cry, “If Microsoft gives the iPad Word, I am so getting it.” Over the past few weeks on campuses across the Southeast, similar comments have been made time and again. Today, I insinuated myself into the conversation about free macbook laptops versus iPads, and below is a summary of what the co-eds and recent grads discussed.
Within a group of young and aspiring young writers, two in the group have committed to purchasing an iPad if Word is available. The young man and young woman are recent graduates of a private liberal arts college in the South. DQ commented that the iPad is “so cool” it just “begs to be touched.” His “bestie” rebutted with, “But what about typing on the iPad, it just seems like a laptop would hold up better.” A third writer stated that she has a desktop and is not in the market at this point for anything new—except a job.
A tech-oriented professor joined the conversation when he heard us discussing the iPad, and like a professor, opined. From the professor’s perspective, the laptop and the iPad serve very different functions and appeal to completely different market segments; therefore, Microsoft would seem incredulous to not provide Word for the iPad. “Can you imagine how many iPad’s they would sell to folks on the go?”
This author’s questions centered more on Cloud Computing, and assumed since so many consumers have already purchased laptops, are not the purchase of an iPad not more of a status and fun-ction oriented decision than the decision to invest in a laptop? Hmmm…This author needs to replace a laptop, and the thought of an iPad purchase never even occurred.
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