A giant leap a bit further along

Thanks to Apple for the iPad2, announced today. It's truly awesome, it's truly wonderful, it's truly one more step along Apple's path to wearing the word 'truly' out.

Interesting to note that it's just a bunch of incremental improvements all round - weight, thickness, speed, graphics (actually graphics was a bit more than incremental at 9x original performance, which is actually awesome, truly).

But it seems they're also getting a handle on how people are using the damn things and also how people might use them - such as mirroring onto a monitor, which opens up a world of business and education uses. And cameras front and back too (Facetime highfive!).

Interesting also to note that Android tablets are only 'slated' to pull level in sales by  2015. Interesting for two reasons - one, the seeming inevitability of the Android bandwagon ultimately being able to draw alongside and second, that it might take them some time.

Interesting to hear observers note that the iPad OS is already showing 'age' issues when compared against Android's latest 'honeycomb' tablet operating system - given that just a short while ago, the Apple camp were gloating that Android's tablet offering was just a 'big phone OS'.  Now the tablets have been turned.

Interesting to hear that Apple has decided to squeeze margins on the iPad (the new version is as keenly priced as the original, with Apple's profit margin set well below their norm).  Apple are attempting to price out the Android crowd, witness that fact that the new Motorola Xoom costs 50% more for a similar spec.

What does this mean for us?  Well it's all good news - every heavy hitter on the planet, from Apple, to Dell, to Google, to Samsung is busting their balls to deliver awesome next generation kit and experience into our hands.  Some are making fortunes, but reinvesting it in market share (Apple).  Some have fortunes to spend (Google) and just keep spending.  Some have nowhere to go but fine margins and huge volume (Dell and Samsung).

And along the way, they all seem keenly aware (OK, Dell failed on this one) that user experience and convenience is paramount.  These guys really are trying to get this polished and then re-polished.  That's why Microsoft is nowhere to be seen - their 'FU' attitude to users has cost them the space.

Finally, it's also fascinating to acknowledge and understand the fundamental difference between the major players.  Apple says you can't do this well unless you control the whole space - from store and 'genius salesperson', to software, to hardware, to poisoned workers in China (sorry guys, but you have to sort that out).  

On the other hand, Google says open-source and means it.  Their followers (handset manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC) are beginning to realise that, against all their instincts, Google might be right.  Witness the way that Samsung have opened up a dialog with the ROM hacking community in the last few months.  And Sony Ericsson's lead developer has stated that 'rooting' is right.

These are not just big brands looking for our attention with compelling but similar products. These are radically different and competing philosophies. Even though the end result of their efforts is so close as to be almost indistinguishable, it's amazing given that they arrive by such different routes.

If i was an alien looking down on all this right now, I'd delay the invasion. I'd give these creatures another few years to work this bit out - it's just too interesting at this point to disturb. And for us mere humans, a moment has arrived.  We are now quite literally holding our future in our hands.