Guest

If computers were cars, Apple’s iPad would be something very fancy, with ridiculous seats and a giant spoiler on the back.

There’s no denying that the iPad is a good-looking piece of kit, and it’s futuristic style of “all-screen, no keyboard” is going to define what computing will be in the future. Amazon’s Kindle device looks similar, but is more focused around reading (and buying) any book, anywhere. These two devices are a glimpse of what computers are going to look like from now on: small, flat, and pocketable.

But there’s one problem with the iPad and the Kindle: if they were cars, they’d only be available in left hand drive. You can’t walk into a shop and buy an iPad in the UK yet, but you can order a Kindle online – the only snag being that you’ll have to pay for it in dollars. And, as iPhone users know, there are plenty of apps that don’t work on this side of the pond, which will be just as true on the iPad.

In a few years time, tablet computers like the iPad and the Kindle will be easy to get. Right now, the Americans have them all, but give them a few months and they’ll have upgraded the spelling to deal with tricky words like ‘colour’.

by Pete Hindle

Pete is a guest contributor of New Media Monthly. He’s a North East based researcher/artist/thinker/designer/programmer. Read more about Pete in his blog