If anyone doubted that Apple doesn't care about the geek market for the iPad, and is shooting direct for the mainstream, last night's Oscar ceremony confirms it. No, Apple didn't win a statuette for the iPad (although Steve Jobs was in the house for Pixar). The most important event came in the commercial break, when Apple showed its first iPad ad:
This ad makes it look damn exciting, and also makes it pretty clear how Apple is positioning the iPad: as a true laptop, made to be used when sitting on a couch or, as you see in the commercial, with your feet disrespectfully strewn across a table. Like the iPhone ads, which are all based on seeing the iPhone in the palm of a hand, we predict that all iPad ads will have this top down, point-of-view angle.
We don't really see anything new. Mostly the quick-cut sequence shows off the easy touch-control and the eye-candy of the photo and e-book applications, and we get a glimpse at the "liner-notes" for the Star Trek movie. Interestingly, there is a clip of Pages in action, showing the neat live-reflowing text, along with some typing and editing of emails.
The message is clear: this is a computer for people who don't want a computer, who just want to do the things you need a computer to do. As I Tweeted the day the iPad was announced, I predict the tech press will hate it, and Apple will sell a gazillion.
iPad Ad [Apple]
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