No iPad for me yet!

I have been getting a lot of questions recently about the iPad. For those who may be living under a rock, by circumstance or by choice, the iPad is a product from Apple that is part computer, part smart phone, part eReader, part photo album, part TV set, part music player and perhaps one of the finest products to hit the consumer electronics market ever. It is embraced by the “technoratti” and novice alike. You will find them in the hands of teenagers and their grandparents.

While I do not own one, several of my friends and colleagues do and I have had the opportunity to see first hand that the iPad is a fantastic device. The interface (that is geek-speak for the controls) is a thing of beauty and very intuitive as is the case with most all Apple products. Even someone who has never turned on a computer will find that they can easily use the iPad with little or no instruction.

So why don’t I have one? The short answer is that I am bull headed and refuse to give in to Steve Jobs and his quest to force the “Apple Way” on the world. For those who have been around a while you might remember that in 1998 it was Jobs that built a computer without a floppy disk drive. For sure he was ahead of many others at the time. Some would call that innovative. But not having a floppy forced anyone buying the computer to do things Steve’s way or go out and get a non Apple approved disk drive so they could easily save and share files until the rest of the world jettisoned the floppy technology.

Skip ahead 13 years. The iPad with all its fantastic features cannot play video in the Adobe Flash format. For those who may not know, Adobe Flash formatted video is perhaps the most universal format in the world. According to Jobs, the Flash format is old, uses too many bits and bytes and as such the iPad does not accommodate Flash video. So if you have an iPad you are disenfranchised watching millions of videos because Steve doesn’t like Adobe Flash.
I know some people who bought an iPad and have learned on the Internet to “jail break” the device. This allows programs and features not approved by Apple to run on the device. Unlike Google's Android app store, Apple's iTunes App Store is tightly controlled offering only "approved" applications. But for “jail breakers” there are more applications immediately available, allowing greater control and freedom over the hardware purchased and own. Of course by installing the software you will void the iPad warranty and support.
OK, I’ve vented. I am sure that it will not be too long until I go to the Apple Store and pledge my allegiance to Steve. I may even pick up an iPhone.