The arguments about whether the iPad is a worthwhile device miss the larger point that accompanies the launch of the device. By introducing their version of the tablet computer to the world Apple has once again pushed us into another era. They've done so by introducing a viable fourth screen into our lives. Apple has been here before since they introduced the iPhone which effectively became the third screen in our lives after the television and the computer. You could argue that earlier video iPods constituted the introduction of the third screen but they weren't the must have, connected device that the iPhone / iPod Touch combo have become. 

The iPhone finally introduced a portable device with acceptable quality video and good quality web browsing into our lives. Before the iPhone mobile video was low quality, with an ugly blockiness to it. The video on the iPhone was better than anything we'd ever seen on a mobile phone. Add on the iPod features plus heaps of apps introduced later on and our expectations of mobile phones have changed forever. More importantly the third screen stuck. We've since seen Blackberry, Palm, HTC and Google come out with their own touch screen, highly connected, video capable devices. The people have spoken and they want the third screen in their lives.

Independent content creators, especially those creating video (at one time they were called podcasters) really answered the call to create content for the third screen. And why not? They had a direct pipeline to the third screen via 60 million plus iTunes users. These vidcasters new that if they figured out the correct video format for the iPhone that they would be able to reach a brand new audience. No one had to scream at them to do it, the vidcasters realized it and made it happen. As a result independent video production has grown very nicely in the iPhone era because of vidcasters and the support of YouTube on the iPhone and other third screen devices. So there we all were in content nirvana on the third screen. But let's be honest. Even though the video on new mobile devices looks great compared to what it used to look like, it's still far from an optimal experience. Enter the iPad, which could very well be the fourth screen in our lives.

I think that the fourth screen is the one to watch for several reasons. First I think that there's a lot of room for growth there. Sure, an iPad and other tablet devices will set you back $550 and up with tax. That's expensive. The price, driven by competition and economies of scale, will come down considerably over the next few years. Tablet devices also have more flexibility that the devices they are competing with and I think they are competing with the first screen which is the television. Mind you, I don't think they're competing with the first television in the house as much as the second and third. Tablets with probably even compete with the casual computer in the house. Smaller TVs have gotten better and cheaper but they haven't gotten connected and they still can't be easily carried from room to room. And even though the tablets have smaller screens they will have a lot more versatility and thus will offer more bang for the buck than the second TV or the casual computer.

Video quality and connectivity are other reasons why the fourth screen is the one to watch. Better WiFi connections and 802.11n support on the iPad mean that streaming video can look very nice on a tablet. And while ten inches or so sounds small to most people it feels big when you're holding it six inches from your face. In short it's a much better experience than watching video on an iPhone. Expect to see some nifty tablet stands introduced in short order to stave off ergonomic issues. Because even though the iPad is light it feels heavy after holding it for a few minutes. I know because I got my paws on one at the local Apple store last weekend. My weak wrists aside the video on the ABC streaming app was very watchable. You may be thinking that there's no difference between the iPad and watching video on a laptop. There is a difference. Laptops have undersides that get hot, which makes the situation uncomfortable. Laptops have a much shorter battery life. Laptops have a bottom half that do nothing but get in the way when you're trying to watch something. 

Here's the best part. The content, tons if it, is already out there to be had. This is really the point of this post. While big media companies fight over whether or not to port Hulu to the iPad, independent producers of online video (vidcasters, podcasters, etc.) can make the switch at little or not cost. They are already used to producing video in multiple formats for the iPhone and the web. Keep in mind that there will be more competition for eyeballs with heavyweights like ABC and Netflix showing up in the iPad app store early in the game. The key for vidcasters is to jump in early with videos encoded at the right resolution to look good on the iPad. It's best for them to be in the iTunes podcast directory but even a regular website with YouTube embeds can work as well. In fact podcasters of all varieties would be smart to consider how their content will play on the iPad. The best way to make sure that people get satisfaction is to offer a prominently placed direct link to the audio or video file.

In conclusion here is my guidance. The fourth screen is going to be big. I believe that it is going to be bigger than the third screen. As such, vidcasters should not ignore the fourth screen. There's much more competition on the television for eyeballs. The iPad (slate, tablet, whatever) is going to be more casual but very personal. I believe that is the ground where indies can dominate big media in the future. Have fun and good luck!

I have quite a few thoughts about Apple's new iPad device that Steve Jobs recently showed off. Some of those thoughts are my personal feelings as a consumer and some are the thoughts of someone who observes (and sometimes participates) in the world of online media. I'll lead with my personal thoughts in this post and follow up with a post that considers the wider implications of the device.

The iPad is quite disappointing and not something I would buy. For all it can do you're still getting a device in the iPad that is very limiting. The max memory you can get is 64GB. That's a lot of memory for an iPhone but for a multimedia device like the iPad it's paltry. My personal music collection is over 20GB at this time so that even rules out the entry level. I'll also want to load the thing up with high res photos (several GB at least) and movies too. My movie library at present takes up over 100GB of space an it grows weekly as I burn DVDs from my collection. The space issue is also a convenience issue. It's a real hassle to deal with managing what I can or cannot have on the device to consume at any given time. I want to be able to access everything I have. That kind of access makes the iPad experience a carefree one.

There are a few of ways that Apple could address the space issue. First they could offer larger storage options. They may be technically limited with respect to the amount of memory supported on a flash chip. Perhaps Apple could add a second chip or work with memory makers to innovate and develop larger chips. Apple also has the option of adding an SD card slot. This seems like a no brainer feature that would allow the user more freedom and take away storage anxiety issues. Apple hasn't given access as of yet to the file system on the iPhone so perhaps that's why no SD card slot. This is a new device though and should (we would hope) be free from some of the more annoying limitations of the iPhone. Another possible remedy with the SD card would have iTunes be able to recognize media on the card and allow you to browse it on the device while the card in plugged in.

The iPad screen concerns me as well. You would think that a device meant to make a visual impact would support HD video content. But the screen only has a resolution of 1024x768 which is a fading standard at best. So how will those 1280x720 (or even 1680x1020) videos that YouTube now supports look on the iPad? Scrunched up I would imagine. Another issue with the screen is the orientation when docked. Since the iPhone is pretty useless when standing up in a dock then vertical orientation is no problem. But the iPad has a special keyboard dock which looks like an awesome accessory. But you're stuck with a vertical orientation. Sure I could live with that my preference is horizontal. Why not have two docking ports?

Then there's the multitasking issue. It's really unbelievable that a person can't run Pandora and view their photos or have a Twitter client open and work on a document. Yes, you can listen to your hearts content via iTunes while doing something else. And I think that's Apple's point. They want you using iTunes as much as possible. Which also explains no flash support for the iPad browser. No flash support in the browser means no Hulu or Netflix streaming which would be perfect for the device but also cut into the use of iTunes as a media player. Which brings me to a point about video.

Apple is very restrictive with respect to the video formats that they allow for playback on their devices. So unless you have an Apple TV or use iTunes as the place where you buy movies then it's unlikely that you'll have a wide array of content that will play on this device.This further locks the user into iTunes which in case you haven't noticed is very expensive to either buy or rent movies. I've thought about how great it would be for Hulu or Netflix to create an app for the iPad but it's not a given that Apple would approve it. The other option for Hulu and Netflix would be to encode videos into the correct (H.264 I believe) format for playback on the iPad. I gather that it would be an expensive endeavor to make that happen. So it's likely that Netflix and Hulu place their energies elsewhere.

Another question I have about the iPad is this. Where's the cloud? Seriously. This is a device that screams, CLOUD! Access to some sort of a media storage and delivery service (iTunes?) in the cloud would solve many of the storage problems and make the device infinitely more attractive. Imagine having access to your movies, music and photos anywhere you have an internet connection? That would be great and it would create a whole new business for Apple. Apple has already dipped their toe into the cloud with their MobileMe service which syncs email contacts and photos across devices. I have no doubt that adding music and movies to that mix would be tricky. The various studios and record companies have previously litigated against companies that let people upload music and movies for streaming, even for personal use. This is Apple we're talking about though. They already have a relationship with the entertainment industry, albeit a tenuous one.

Finally, I think the price of the iPad is too high. I know that $499 seams reasonable for a blown up iPod Touch given all the enhanced possibilities. That only gets you 16GB of storage though. And the accessories like the keyboard dock and the stand will cost you (no pricing on these yet) extra money. It's likely that the stand and keyboard will bump the cost up to $600. Add in the three iWork apps shown in the demo and then you're up to $630 before taxes which in New York would be about $50. So now you're closer to $700. Seems expensive to me given the limitations.

So what do I think the iPad is good for? It looks nicer as an e-book reader to me than the Amazon Kindle. That attractiveness may go away if the cost of the e-books (which is unknown at this time) ends up being more than $9.99. If it's as fast as people say it is then the iPad will be a great gaming device. The drawing features shown in the demo look nice too. I think that the use of touch is the most intuitive way to learn. My kids, both under 5, love my iPod Touch and immediately start interacting with the touch screen. I know that my wife would love to have her hands on this so she could surf the web while relaxing on the couch. E-books, web surfing, listening to music, gaming, fun and learning for the kids.

Those are some big pluses in favor of the iPad. But are they big enough to justify paying $550 (with tax and without accessories) for a device that has limited storage, no multitasking of apps and relies on iTunes for media playback? If I didn't already have two computers in the house, plus a netbook and an iPod Touch I'd say that price is right. Given all that I do have I say it's not a prudent expenditure. In the end discerning the value to me and the thus the right price point depends upon may assessment of where the iPad might fit into the digital lifestyle of my family. That's something I'll be pondering over the next few months.

In my next post I plan to touch on some of the opportunities that the iPad presents for app developers, media publishers and web community builders.