What The iPad 2 Really Got Right.

While I'm not fond of Apple's business practices these days (they are the de facto new Microsoft, which isn't really a compliment), I've seen a few iPads. Despite extremely good marketing, I've resisted purchasing the iPad and the iPad 2. I know the times are changing and that the new platform is the tablet - but I'm waiting for the market to become competitive.

So far, despite lots of money being spent by would be competitors, the iPad remains unchallenged. And where there's anything like a challenge, Apple has no problem litigating for marketshare. I mean - seriously - Android running on a tablet should be enough to make it different. But I'm not a German magistrate nor do I play one on the Internet. And still, I have to write... Apple has the better product. And after two paragraphs, I will now tell you why:

Elderly people get it. And if elderly people 'get it', understand how it works and... are excited about it, Apple did something better than stealing borrowing a Mouse idea from Xerox PARC. They have distilled the essence of what people want to do and made it so simple that grandparents will bore their grandchildren when showing off an iPad 2. Sure, the Macs have always been more intuitive - but the iPad and iPad 2 are a quantum leap.

Imagine me being bored when talking to an elderly friend over dinner and all he wanted to show me was what his iPad 2 could do. I know what they can do. He knew I know what they can do. But he wasn't showing off the iPad 2.

He was showing off what he could now do without having a computer literacy course.

And that, you see, is what Apple's competition has to 'get'.