On the iPad

Happy Saturday, friends. Amazing day here in Miami- enjoying the sunshine
and the pool and a few libations with my beloved. But I can't help but get
slightly swept up in the iPad madness- how can you not as a devotee of the
now and next as well as a chick who has owned a Mac since prepuberty? I am
loving the handheld, intimate nature of this new kid on the block. But can
the love affair last? And where is it headed?

Here's the deal- I'm feeling a major 90s throwback moment right now. I can
remember super clearly going to a Red Herring party lonnggggg ago- with
fountains and dancing girls and endless alcohol and wondering how long the
hype would last- how it was possible for 23 year olds to manage multimillion
dollar companies even though they were Mensa worthy? I was one of those
people at the time in terms of age, but my work career was on a different
path- I worked and was mentored by people that were way seasoned, way smart,
and way way around the block. I respected them and they beat the shit out of
me- but in a good way. I owe them a lot. I know technology is moving faster
than anyone can shake a light saber at, but gah...lately I have come in
contact with some of the smartest people under 30 I have ever met, but
hoping the tech bottom does not fall out again as it did when I was young,
leaving them to search for new careers in this climate. (Does anyone
remember the genius of urbanfetch and kozmo? What happened there???)

Back to the issue at hand- the iPad. This thing is super cool- there's no
doubt. But this pay model for content is one that is flawed, for now. I
remember sites like Salon that tried the subscriber model and failed. It's
pretty hard to pay for content when it's all out there for free. How is that
going to work? I am all for saving my beloved mags and newspapers, but that
seems quite a task, no?

I will say it could be amazing for visual artists like photographers and
illustrators, who produce still imagery and art. These sites are all going
to rely very heavily on imagery, so there will most likely be a huge
opportunity for those sort of wondering whether their careers are over. I
say it's the contrary- now is a great time to think about how that usage
will affect not only the editorial world, but the commercial one as well.
Not to mention what this little number will do for gaming...

I have to remember that all of this technology is merely a new way to engage
the public and inevitably tell a story- I do feel the iPad will excel at a 
 renewed interest in magazine and news media. I love that. Should
be interesting to see...all I know is I'm not buying one until 2.0 arrives.
I know better...oh and can't wait to see what this does for online shopping.
Going to be big. And spendy.