It seems funny how Apple and other tech companies evolve over time. A few years ago it was a race to see who could combine lots of media into one succinct product. The desktop computer was bulky and unable to be carried around, so the laptop was introduced for convenience and portability. The phone was not smart and hard to use, it was just an addition to your newspaper, radio, and television… then the iPhone was introduced changing the way we communicate. These two mediums allowed us to pack more into less.
Looking at the iPad, personally, I feel that we are starting to pack less into more. Meaning, that the iPad serves as a great benefit; consequently, I’m still tied to use my laptop and cell phone for other media. Instead of creating a product that would marry the phone and computer into one easy and handy to use device, eliminating the use of two products, Apple created a third device that enhanced our lives but still kept the laptop and the phone in the picture. If I need to print I need to use my laptop, if I need to call or text I need to use my phone and if I want to conveniently read a book, newspaper or magazine I use my iPad.
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| Before I had my iPad |
Even with the hindrance in these Apple products, the iPad has truly impacted my life in an excellent manner. I’ve become more of an avid reader than what I used to be. Catching up on USA Today or browsing through the NPR news headlines have been just some of the many eReader apps that I now use. Before the iPad I wouldn’t even check the news because I was always on-the-go. The only remedy was my iPhone or laptop. My iPhone’s screen was too small so I would become frustrated and my using my laptop was a hassle because if there was no internet connection I wouldn’t be able to go online. The newspaper was a hassle because I wanted international news, not just local, so ordering the Boston Globe or The Hartford Courant wasn’t much help.
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| After I had my iPad... perfect |
You've done a good job reviewing these most recent technologies from a consumer's perspective. The cartoon you attached in the beginning is very thoughtprovoking and funny as well.
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand your media artifact is more than one--but the evolutionary process of a series of media technologies, I would like to see you focus more on the metamorphsis of these technology from one to another--in what way do you think this is evolving but not degenerating (like the cartoon suggested)? Sometimes, distancing yourself from a consumer's perspective for a while, and think of you as a media historian, what would you have said instead?
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