The Tablet "Revolution"

Tablets had existed long before Apple began work on the iPad, but were resigned to a niche market of upper-class businessmen who already had a laptop/netbook and just wanted another toy of sorts. Jobs decided that, when combined with Apple's new multi-touch screen interface, the tablet could be "revolutionized" just like what was done with the iPhone. The reveal of Apple's iPad received a lot of speculation and backlash from the technological community at large, who argued that it just looks like "an extra large iPhone," but with less functionality, and that productivity could still be better achieved with a full-keyboard laptop (ironically, there is now a quite popular keyboard attachment for the iPad).

                                                      Congrats, you've invented the laptop?
                                                   
However, Apple's marketing team, under the severe watch of Jobs, pulled a miracle once again. Simple, elegant, and "different" commercials were aired that touted the usability and features of the new iPad. Simple and straightforward.Wozniak is quoted in Jobs's biography on the success of the device, saying that Jobs had an uncanny ability to "sell you a product that you don'e need, yet suddenly can't live without." Development of apps for the iPad became almost double that of the iPhone, now accounting for the larger screen space and utilizing the faster in-house processor bespoke to the machine. Thanks to these new developments and the ingenious marketing campaign, The first iPad became the most successful consumer electronic product according to units shipped.

The Correlation of Convenience and Satisfaction

Today, through the use of ever-present technologies in our lives like computers, smartphones, tablets, etc., we are able to get just about everything we could ever want by utilizing the internet. Want to read a book? Get it on your Kindle for a reduced price. Feel like catching up on a previous season of your favorite television series? It's just a few clicks away with a Netflix subscription. Hungry for a pizza? You can just order one of those online too; no need to pick up a phone, oh no, that's far too much effort! Living in a society that emphasizes convenience, it's easy to get caught up in the mantra. After all, easier is better, right?

Of course, I am by no means saying this to make some sort of "back in my day..." curmudgeonly statement about how these services are rotting our minds and turning us into socially-deprived screen junkies, I'm just trying to make a point and put this whole convenience-is-the-ultimate-goal thing into perspective.

I'll make a little anecdotal confession here: I have in the past acquired some software and games for myself through the means of filesharing. At one time, I'd amassed a collection that I was quite impressed with. However, I'd found an interesting correlation between my state of mind and all this "stuff" I had. I feel that the ease at which I acquired them was indirectly proportionate to the amount of interest I had in them, and my enjoyment I had with the ones I played. I had no investment with these intangible products; bits of data I had on my computer that I'd gotten by opening a torrent file. I didn't run to the store to spend my hard-earned money, waiting in line for a midnight release getting hyped with my friends. I didn't come home afterwards to tear my fingernails off trying to pry that damn adhesive strip off the case, pop in the disc and revel in the glory of my accomplishment. No, I just clicked on a link and got what I was after. Simple as that. No effort, instant "reward."

This question has been asked a million times before, but I feel it is completely relevant to the subject of our class. Is the getting of the reward really of the utmost importance? I say partially, but only when combined with a meaningful experience leading up to said reward does it become truly satisfying.