Apple's Marketing - is the iPad really that great?

Apple's iPad is not the first tablet PC. It doesn't do anything that other devices wouldn't do - and other devices generally even do it better: The iPad does not have a USB connection, nor does it have a keyboard or a mouse. The iPad doesn't do multiple things at the same time. However, you can hold it with one hand, put it on your lap or pass it to someone else. Typing on the device feels as if you were typing with frozen fingers, it doesn't even have a camera, but it has a nice design. The only browser that the iPad has is Safari and it doesn't have a system for storing data. However, it has one of the world's best multitouch technology displays. The iPad doesn't have a lot of features (not even Flash!), but it has great batteries that will allow you to surf the Internet for 10 hours with charging them once.

Apple's products are simple. The iPod wasn't the first MP3 player, but it makes it easy to listen to music. With the iMac it became simple to use the Internet. With the iPhone it became easy to carry the Internet, phone, films, and music with you. The products speak to the masses rather than thechies. This can be seen in the fact that Apple is more concerened with TV commercials than social media marketing, which would tent to attract techies.

Apple does not organize focus groups, it doesn't ask what consumers want. Instead, Apple dictates what customers want.

Apple creates new niches and dominates them from the start. Whereas rival Microsoft penetrates and takes over established markets in a brutal way. Apple's products consist of a mixture of different niche products. Also the iPad is a little bit of everything: some MP3 player, some netbook, a little bit of tablet PC and a some e-book reader. In fact, the iPad can't be compared to anything, because there is nothing comparable.

And anyone who ever bought an Apple product will have a hard time to escape from the brand. After all, those who switch to another will lose everything previously purchased or will have to pay a lot of money.

But which organization is actually able to get customers to stand in a line for a product that they have never before held in their hands, nor seen or used?!

The iPad is not a revolution - bbut certainly different than a regular laptop. It is well suited to consume content, but not for creating content. Apple shifts the focus from content creation to pure absorption of content and thus transforms users to pure consumers.