Given what I've said previously you may ask yourself, why on earth would I want an Apple iPad? A very valid question and one I have been asking myself repeatedly. The truth is, I want a tablet and the only thing out there that ticks all the boxes is the iPad.
Right now, the main focus of my creative life is writing. In particular, comic books, but other mediums as well. I've spent the last 15 years working high end graphics: mostly in the TV & film industry, with a couple of journeys into emerging new media trends and a large dose of architectural visualization. Pretty much all of that was due to technical expertise (I had the skills and that's where the money was) or with an aim to learn certain skills required for my life long mission: creating my own original content.
I've reached a point where I've learned most of what I need to know from a technical & production standpoint with regards to graphics. Now I need to focus on the meat and potatoes: storytelling.
Comics, aside from being a life long passion, is the perfect arena to hone those skills. Its one of the few visual storytelling mediums that can still be produced a very small team of people. It also allows complete freedom of expression. This is something I learned in Japan (no surprise there), a culture which not only embraces the comic-book, but encourages it.
Trouble with comics is, that they, like everything else, are heading down the digital road. Since its rise to stardom in the mid-90s, the industry has suffered from rising prices (at the consumer end), a reduction in distribution channels and, worst of all, closure of many, many comic-book retail outlets.
And then came the Internet & smart-phones. Savior of all?
The last few years have seen a rapidly growing trend in the comics industry to publish online. It started with web-comics. These are comic-strips that are written and produce directly for an online audience. They tend to be shorter (anything from 2 to 9 panels) and lean towards topical, often humerous, subject manner. They also tend to be 'published' at a high frequency. Similar you could say, to a newspaper comic strip.
Traditional print comics are finding a home online also, as consumers are starting to have mobile devices - laptops, smart-phones & tablets - which are small enough to use comfortably and have a visual display capable of doing the medium justice.
Alas, so far the digital comic experience has been a bit lacking. Partly because the major comics publishers have done little to embrace the digital medium and also because the devices were not quite right. Until now.
Does the iPad herald the way forward for the industry? It's about the right size, has a fantastic screen, is full colour and always connected to the internet. More importantly, several publishers (most notably marvel) have released applications specifically for the platform and are starting to make their back catalog of print comics available in digital form.
I've never been taken by the idea of digital comics, but as a comics creator, who is most likely going to self publish, I can't ignore the technology. I'd be foolish too. Furthermore, I'm hearing reports - from people I respect - that the iPad is a surprisingly good comic reader.
So I want to experience this semi-new medium directly. I'm tired of hearing everyone else talk about it, either positively or negatively. I want to form my own opinion.
I've also found, over the last few months, that people have been asking me about the future of tablets, mobile media consumption and the production and conversation of content at an increasing rate. They think I'm some kind of expert, probably because in other areas, I sort of am. So, again, I need to get with the program quickly, lest I risk losing one of the factors that gives me a career & employment advantage.
I want to know what is involved in creating these very cool interactive published items like the Sports illustrated demo or the Bonnier mag plus concept. And what about regular eBooks (or is that iBooks?) and other, simpler content. And most of all, how do I make a digital, zoom-able, finger-flippable comic? Can I do all this from regular DTP packages? Do I need an interactive authoring tool like dream weaver? Do I need to code? I don't want to rely on someone else to give me this information, because I'm supposed to be an expert in such things. And I can't figure it out without actually getting my hands wet can I?
Now, some people have suggested I wait. After all, I should know better than anyone the dangers of early adoption. What if the products a flop? What if the hardware is duff? What if...
It's clearly not going to be a flop. 300,000 sales in the first weekend, in just one country, means it's safely out the gate. As for the hardware, the technical reviews are glowing (from trustworthy sources) and Apple have proven to me time and time again that they make good, reliable hardware.
So why wait? If I'm going to buy one I may as well get it now. Yeah, its a safe bet that they'll bring out a better one in a year, but I don't want to wait a year from my tablet experience, so I may as well get it at the beginning of its product cycle, rather than at the end. Else I'll feel like an even bigger chump when I buy one and it's out of date a couple of months later.
But what about 8 years later? Will I get laughed out of the Apple store again when I'm looking for a new USB cable, whilst all the staff are floating around on their hover-macs and helping customers choose the right colour for their iContactlenses?
But the final and biggest reason I'm going to get an iPad is... my mum wants one. When I got back from Japan, she was extremely taken by my iPod Touch, but felt that it was a bit too small. I showed here the Bonnier concept demo and her response was 'That looks good. Why don't you get one of those instead?'. I feel it important to mention that she's just turned 70.
Having been raised an obedient son, I smiled and said 'Sure thing mum. As soon as they are available'.
NEXT: 03 - Trying to get one
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