Why the iPad will succeed

A lot has been written for 'industry pundits' and columnists about the new Apple iPad. Some slam it, many give it a lukewarm review, and few hailed it as the next big thing. But universally, most are circumspect about announcing it as a failure - or a huge success.

As a product, the iPad is not going after 'market share' as this is a whole new product maybe a whole new market even. But it will definitely eat in to the sales of netbooks, PCs laptops, even Macbooks, and iPod touches.

It just occured to me that it may well be a huge success in numbers for another reason. I'm not sure of the numbers, but Apple sells more iPhones and iPod touches than it sell any other computing device. And a very large percentage of these iPhone and iPod touch owners do not own a Mac laptop or desktop.

So, for these people who have a iPhone or iPod touch, but not a Mac, the Mac vs PC argument means little. Even the OS in their hand held device matters little. For such users - of which there are millions -  who also own many AppStore apps, the iPad represents a device which...

1. runs all their existing iPhone/iPod touch apps.
2. allows them to surf the web on a larger screen anywhere.
3. allows them to see movies on a larger screen anywhere.
4. make documents, spreadsheets, presentations with a 'touch'.
5. may one day allow them to buy and comfortably read books on a hand held device.
6. play a variety of games on the go.
7. listen to all their music.
6. costs less than their iPhone (in many countries).

Now that sounds like an attractive device.

That's how it will appear to a large percentage the 75 million or so iPhone or iPod users especially outside the US in countries where the iPhone sold even for about US$ 700-900 and was still lapped up.

For techies and media pros, there are additional uses...

1. browser for manuals

2. logging media

3. jotting down tech notes

4. viewing media on the go - maybe even dailies

5. making presentations

6. sketching layouts even circuit diagrams

7. vnc over wifi

8. writing continuity

9. emergency clap or slate

Canon to adopt MPEG-2 for forthcoming pro HD video camera

Canon announced yesterday that their forthcoming professional video camera would record to file. Possibly on flash memory like SD or CF cards, but using an MPEG-2 codec. This would be MPEG-2 full HD (MPEG-2 4:2:2P@HL), 1920x1080 full raster at 50 Mbps.

So Canon has decided to go with MPEG-2 as opposed to AVCHD. And this MPEG-2 is not your 4:2:0 HDV kind of sub-sampling but 4:2:2 just like Pro HD formats. And its full raster 1920x1080, not 1440x1080 as in HDV. This new format will compete directly with XDCamEx which is also full raster, but at 35 Mbps.

MPEG-2 4:2:2P@HL is similar to the one used by broadcasters on Betacam SX and IMX. So its a known quantity in post. And is gorgeous to look at.

The announcement also states that Canon is working closely with Avid, Apple, and Adobe, and Grass Valley. So, expect Media Composer, FCP, Premiere, and Edius to be able to edit Canon movies natively, and not via a log and transfer process. Or a CPU hungry decompression-on-the-fly.

The file format will be MXF based, so that's straight away SMPTE approved. 

This new camera is likely to be the same or similar to the mockup shown at InterBee some months ago. And covered by DVInfo.net. It looks like a replacement for the cult camera series - XL-1, XL-1s, XL-H1 and variants. It also signals the possible end of tape-based cameras from Canon.

Sony's XDCam HD camcorder PDW-F800 also uses the same compression scheme, but it records to Sony's encased Blu-ray disks. That camera costs upwards of US$ 45000 (over Rs 25 lakhs). I think Canon's MPEG-2HD camera series will come in the $4000 to $8000 range.

It will attract documentary, short film, and experimental film makers. It is a natural upgrade for XL series camera owners of which Canon knows it can cound on tens if not hundreds of thousands. Canon has tasted success with their DSLRs that do video - a market they practically created and which could touch 100,000 by this year end.

And for Canon, each camera sold is several lenses sold too. So maybe this new MPEG HD camera will have interchangeable lenses. Maybe even an APS-C sensor so existing DSLR lenses could be used.