I fell head over heels in love with each of my children from the moment they were born.
They were beautiful because they were mine.
But other people’s babies have never really done it for me. Babies per se are not beautiful.
I can empathise with the cocktail of emotions experienced by new parents, and share in their joy, but I have no desire to cradle or coo over their baby. Sorry.
That was until I saw Jon Mountjoy‘s baby at the Edinburgh Social Media Coffee Morning (EdCM) at Centotre on Friday morning.
I cradled.
I cooed.
I coveted.
The iPad is gorgeous.
Jon let me a have a brief play with a couple of applications. And, even without wifi connection, I was smitten by the sumptuous attention to detail that has gone into every aspect of the user experience.
It is not just a bigger iPhone.
Actually, no, it is a bigger iPhone.
From a technical point of view anyway.
But there’s no “just’ about it.
The iPad is a bigger iPhone in the same way that a 60 second TV commercial is a longer 30 second commercial. Or that a 48 sheet poster is a bigger 6 sheet.
Whilst factually correct these statements completely ignore the enhanced creative and storytelling potential of the larger formats.
A 60 second commercial is 100% longer than a 30 second spot. But it’s storytelling potential is off the scale by comparison.
And it is bespoke applications that realise this interactive potential that will set the iPad apart from the iPhone and other devices.
For me, now, it’s a matter of when not if.
Jon’s baby has made me iBroody.
As a witness to the event, I can confirm that Phil did indeed cradle, coo and covet. He also had a huge smile, and there was a gleam in his eyes – I suspect he sees a future in this device and others like it.