This post just in from Flowing Data, one of my favourite data visualization blogs. A diagram of where the iPad fits in compared to available technologies.
ipad competition
This is an interesting analysis. I had not considered it as a gaming console. Probably because I don’t play computer games. Not sure if any of the games available allow for multi-player functionality.
As an e-Reader, yes I think that’s a fair comparison as I mentioned in my original post. The iPad doesn’t use e ink but it makes up for this by displaying in colour IMHO.
As a computer, no, I don’t think it is in the same ballpark. You can’t multi-task with an iPad. No comparison there.
As a “catch-up” I don’t think that is a fair either. None of those products have been around long enough nor are they in use enough to merit comparison.
I think the graphic is bang on when it outlines planned uses by percentage (Internet surfing = 68%, email = 44%, e-books = 37%, reading newspapers = 28%, watching video 24%). A lot of consumption and little collaboration.
BTW, those categories don’t add up to one hundred percent. I wonder how the question to collect that information was worded?
None of these, with the exception of email, are really all that collaborative (depending on what one does while surfing, of course) in nature. No specific mention of “social networking” as a category What happened to email being dead and Facebook and Twitter now rule? I guess the authors’ of this survey didn’t see that post!
Warning – too much consumption instead collaboration may lead to isolation and a diminished awareness of “what all the cool kids” are doing.
