I don’t own an iPad.
The international release was pushed back, so most Canadians are forced to wait for Apple’s newest revolutionary product. However, some sneaky members of the new media community (Simon and Adam, among others) have managed to get their hands on some. And I have to admit, it’s pretty awesome.
Even with the few apps that they’ve been able to access, you can already see why the iPad is a big deal (despite some initial criticism). Some will be quick to judge and say that it doesn’t boast the same power as a laptop. Well, thats not what it’s meant for. I would suggest that it is even more interactive than a laptop, especially dealing with one key feature. Video.
Online content has become a huge part of the media we digest on a daily basis. We watch online news stories, share videos with our friends, and watch our favourite shows. It makes me wonder if I kept track of how many videos I randomly checked out because of my Facebook News Feed, how many I would see in a day. 10-15 I would guess. That wouldn’t have been the norm a short time ago, but online video sites have enabled quick and easy sharing and brought online video to the masses.
Laptops and iPads have brought these videos right to our fingertips, and made it accessible at any time. Viewers want content and they want it now. Clear crisp video will be the standard for the iPad, and networks will have to start posting content that will look as good as it does on television. Gone are the days of chuggy streaming, pixelated video. And if they can’t figure it out, users will go elsewhere for their content.
The promising thing is that many major sites have developed iPad specific sites which will be displaying HTML5, not Flash. This is going to provide an amazing viewing experience for all of your video watching. For a full list of sites that will be iPad optimized, visit this link!
Another option for iPad users is to skip the browser all together and opt to view video through applications. Many US networks have already launched their iPad specific apps, but because we are in Canada we cannot see this content yet. I’m guessing that when these apps are launch, they’ve probably already nailed the video compression and are putting up shows that people will be able to view anywhere, at any time. Portable media that is easy to share in the real and online worlds. It’s a beautiful thing.
P.S Look, I’m sharing a video with you right now! How post modern. I just love “Will It Blend”. I would have gladly given that iPad a good home. At least now we know its blends.
