Steve Jobs, the great man he was, did it again. In one fell swoop on January 27, 2010, we were all introduced to a new way to read, research, and be entertained. That’s right. I’m obviously talking about the iPad. This weird and funky hybrid between a laptop and these new-fangled things called iPhones just hit the market three years earlier. Who else but Steve? In all seriousness, the iPad was kind of a no-brainer. The world just needed some tech guru to actualize it for us. It just makes sense. Yes, I should be able to control this device with just my hands. Who needs a keyboard? Why have an old clunky mouse? It was genius. Reveal of the first iPad
In reality, the idea for this kooky new device actually goes all the way back to 1993.
17 years before the world got a look at the new Frankenstein creation, Apple was already brainstorming what a “tablet” was. A “Newton Message Pad” PDA is what we’re talking about here. Did you know what that was? Good, me either since I’m only 21. Now, this was a sort of tablet in its own unique way just more primitive than its kin from the future. This brick with a screen had built-in early versions of apps, a black-and-white display with no backlighting, and could only be used with a stylus. Overly functional? Not really. Revolutionary for the time definitely! However, Steve knew they could go bigger in time.
Nine years later in 2004 Apple designer John Ive and his team had finally cracked what a smart tablet should be and thus the iPad was born. Originally meant to ship before the iPhone but the company saw a greater need to roll out a phone that could do it all instead so the iPad was shelved and perfected until the iPhone got off the ground. I believe this was a smart choice on Apple’s behalf and makes more sense. Although, no matter what came first they were guaranteed to make money.
In 2010 the iPad dropped and sold like hotcakes instantly revolutionizing the tech landscape. Selling over a million units worldwide within its first three months, this monster was a huge success. Hardware-wise most other creations like the iPad couldn’t keep up as this machine was using hardware that most companies didn’t even think to utilize. People being able to have a small flat laptop in their hands really threw the world into a frenzy. This was especially bad for Amazon as the iPad effectively killed off sales for the Kindle, a reading tablet.
The only real drawback to the iPad was its life expectancy. Apple predicted a two-year life span for the device just like the iPhone but to their surprise, the iPad actually rounds out at about four years much like the Mac computers do. So, in a weird way, Apple loses a good portion of money because their product lasts so long…who would’ve thought.
It’s been 12 years since the iPad hit and they’re still going strong. With this being the last unveiling by Steve Jobs this device definitely has a special place amongst the best creations of the last decade.
Source: https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/04/03/a-brief-history-of-the-ipad-apples-once-and-future-tablet
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