iPad, hidden threat?
If God had installed Angry Birds on the 10 commandments, he’d have tablets that could compete with the iPad. But, as Apple strides past its competitors, it appears that not even divine intervention could slow down this juggernaut.
Among the iPad’s many attributes, people have dichotomously hailed it as both the future and the end of traditional print media. Surely anything with such power over the media is a concern? Is purchasing an iPad is allowing a mini Trojan horse into our house?
I believe that having one device on the market which delivers ALL of our print media is dangerous. Traditionally media companies have given the public what they’ve written directly. What they print is what you receive on your doorstep. Yes, entering the business is prohibitively expensive, but there are laws in place to ensure that no one person or company can have control over all the media outlets.
What the iPad does is place an extra (and unprecedented) roadblock in the delivery system. News is now funnelled through a new, increasingly powerful, corporation.
Yes, there are a few things that will have to happen before this becomes a serious issue. Major newspapers will have to stop physically printing papers, tablets will need to become a popular way to get news and finally, the iPad will have to get the majority of the market share. Personally, I don’t think any of those hurdles are hard to overcome.
I’m not trying to be doomsday-ish, nor am I predicting the beginning of an ‘Apple State’. However, one does have to recognise that being the primary delivery tool for print news is an incredible power. And impressively, Apple hasn’t had to fight for it, we’ve GIVEN it to them. That’s what makes it so dangerous.
