iPad 很重要The iPad is imPortant
或许这一代产品还做不到——还记得第一代 iPod 吗？但这个概念非常、非常重要，原因有二：
– 它是第一台在现实世界中具备社交属性的计算设备。iPhone 一次只能一个人用。笔记本电脑的屏幕朝向你自己——两个人同时使用会很别扭。iPad 这类设备则可以在现实世界中共享——想象一下把它平放在桌上，面对面一起玩多人游戏，或者一起看电影，甚至给别人展示一个网页——这比任何其他设备都要容易得多。
– 它运行的是 iPhone 操作系统。用户为什么需要知道什么是文件系统？为什么需要把一块移动的塑料方块（鼠标）的交互映射到屏幕上？为什么需要操心内存管理？为什么需要处理多级回收站删除？为什么需要理解多个挂载卷的概念？为什么需要关心你连接的是哪个网络？
说到底，iPad（a）能让其余 55 亿人也能使用，而且（b）能增强真实世界里人与人之间的互动。仅凭这两点，它就足以成为 iPod 和 iPhone 的合格继任者。史蒂夫还没打算开始填补小众市场。他依然放眼要统治世界。
Perhaps not in this incarnation – remember the first iPod? But the concept is very, very important for two reasons:
– It’s the first computing device that’s social in the real world. The iPhone is something that one person uses at a time. The Laptop screen faces you – two people using it at one time is awkward. iPad style devices can be shared in the real world – imagine laying it flat and playing multiplayer games facing each other, or watching a movie together, or even showing someone a web page – far easier than on any other device.
– It runs the iPhone OS. Why do users need to know what a file system is? Or map the interactions of a moving block of plastic onto a screen (mice)? Or worry about memory management? Or multiple levels of trash-delete? Or the concept of multiple, mounted volumes? Or which network you’re connected to?
Basically, the iPad is (a) usable by the other 5.5 Billion humans, and (b) it can enhance real, physical human interactions. These two facts alone make it a worthy successor to the iPod and iPhone. Steve isn’t ready to start filling niche markets just yet. He’s still looking to rule the world.