On the occasion of the launch of the second generation of Apple’s iPad tablet, CEO Steve Jobs essentially declared the end of the two-decade PC era.
“These are post-PC devices that need to be even easier to use than the PC, and even more intuitive,” Jobs said at the end of Wednesday’s iPad 2 launch event in San Francisco, using the phrase “post-PC” a dozen or so times in reflecting on the year since Apple (NSDQ:AAPL - News) once again put the PC and consumer electronics industries on notice with the launch of the original iPad. Just like the iPhone in 2007, the iPad is quickly showing that people are finally ready for a more intimate computing experience than the one provided by their laptops but now, they want it in an easier to read and use package than a smartphone.
Apple shipped 15 million iPads in the 9 months following its March shipping date through the close of the year. That’s “more than every Tablet PC ever sold,” Jobs cracked, referring to Microsoft’s failed attempt to drive a similar idea into the computer industry a decade ago with its Tablet PC software. Ten years ago the hardware simply wasn’t capable of providing a lightweight computing experience, and Microsoft’s pen-based user interface wasn’t all that popular outside the hardcore geek crowd.
But now all the planets are aligning around lightweight 9-inch-or-so screens that can go all day on a single battery charge and fit comfortably in a purse or backpack. These devices are also allowing software developers and designers to break free their reliance on the keyboard (based on the 19-century typewriter) and mouse input devices to a more natural series of buttons, gestures, and even voice commands. Jobs talked about the dawn of this “post-PC era” last year at the D: All Things Digital conference, but offered numbers and evidence Wednesday that suggests we’re already there.
There’s nothing particularly notable about the iPad 2 as compared to the original. Sure, it’s thinner, faster, and more capable than the original, but it’s basically the same device in terms of what it allows the user to accomplish (modest exceptions such as iMovie and GarageBand aside).
But what it does do is cement Apple’s reputation as the catalyst for this “post-PC” era.
Apple's Jobs Says iPad 2 Makes It Official: PC Era is Done
