Author: Michael Evans
There are worse places in the world to get stranded than Switzerland, the land of cowbells and roesti potatoes. The great Ash Cloud descended as I was flying from Athens to London yesterday and I found myself grounded in Geneva, normally a delightful spot. But thanks to Iceland's revenge on Europe, the airport looked more like the trenches on the Somme, with frustrated passengers sleeping all over the floor. I have now given up all hope of reaching England until next week and have rented a little car to take me to the alps, where all is peace and quiet (apart from the cowbells). I've even got myself an hotel with free internet, so I can blog away to my heart's content.
I thought this enforced interlude would give me a break from iMania (which I confess to fuelling) but it was not to be. Opening the local daily, NZZ, I discovered a whole page devoted to the new pad(R) and it was, for a change, not overflowing with praise for Herr Jobs. The headline: "The reality beyond the I-Magic" was followed by "Is it another instance of insane hype? Or is it ground zero of a new generation of devices?"
No, author Walter Hagenbuechle started off in fine fettle: "An iPod in XXL format" and "is it simply a 24x19x1,3 cm fat iPhone?" Then came the usual caveats, such as no USB, no printing, no camera but, grudgingly, I felt, acknowledgement that the new 1GHz processor was blitz fast.
I get the impression that Herr Hagenbuechle is less than impressed by Steve's hype. But, meanwhile, Apple stock forges ahead and worldwide shortages of pads fuel insane prices on eBay. Altogether, this blast from the alps is an injection of penicillion for the iFection from Cupertino. Good on you, Walter.
Nice post, I like it. Good to see that you have risen above the problems of Iceland’s contribution to the joys of air travel, and made the good decision to weather it out in a pleasant place.
It sounds as if the Swiss Deutsch have lived up to their reputation for being calm and collected in all circumstances and managed to keep their heads even in the hurricane of the iPad launch. Impressive folk they are.
As I have remarked elsewhere, we will only be able to truly evaluate the iPad, and gauge its importance in the development of computing once all is calm about it, and we can make a thoughtful and reasoned assessment of it.As is being increasingly stated on the web, a lot of people are assuming that the 3G iPad (amazing how these terms appear) will be the one to buy, as the various shortcomings of the 1G iPad (Ha!)will have been addressed and it will then be a fully mature and truly useful device to own and work with.
In the mean time, do as I have, and buy yourself a rubber keyboard that will fit in your pocket and go forth and use the 1G iPad with happiness and joy.