No dazzle in Apple's latest iPad launch

Wednesday's launch of the "New iPad" wasn't the major event the tech world was hoping for. The problem was simple, and it had nothing to do with the Cupertino-based company's ability to innovate. Much of the criticism surrounding the new tablet stemmed from Apple's inability, or refusal to, manage expectations. Despite it's upgrades to the third-generation iPad, it just didn't dazzle. But that was what everyone expected, and it comes from years of watching Steve Jobs up on stage setting new standards in consumer electronics. However, the reality is, this is a post-Jobs Apple and nothing less than a revolutionary new iPad would have convinced the world that the company was still capable of innovating like it had when he was still at the helm. Apple doesn't seem to have adjusted to a world without him, either. Criticism was inevitable. Is that unfair? Totally. Even when Jobs was alive the company faced the occasional criticism for products not living up to expectations. The iPhone 3S comes to mind, but Apple's track record set the bar impossibly high both for itself and its competitors. It was a completely enviable position to be in when Jobs was chief, but not so much when you're a company in transition. Second guessing, too, was inevitable. he media fallout on Thursday morning ran from stories that ridiculed new CEO Tim Cook's rumbled look to stories that said Apple's glory days were behind it. Whether or not Apple can continue to push the envelope remains to be seen, but the new iPad does show signs that the company is beginning to miss the mark. However, it is not making Jobs spin in his grave either as some claimed. The new iPad is simply a souped-up version of the iPad 2. It's faster, has a better screen and costs no more than the previous iPads. That's a good thing and no reason to suspect that sales will decline. The tablet will continue to fly off the shelf, if not for the technology behind it than for the media ecosystem it supports. But there are cracks in the Apple veneer. The company for years has set the standard in design. They made a name for themselves in making devices, including everything from the MacBook Air to the iPod, smaller and sleeker with each generation. Given that, it's hard to swallow that they would now come up with a iPad that is heavier and fatter than the previous model. And here's where second guessing begins. Would Steve have let that fly? Could Steve have found the room for an 10MB camera with flash that can also record in full 1080 HD? Maybe he would have opted for a better camera instead of a 4G connection, which given the state of telcos today, will only help you eat through your data plan even faster? Could they have waited on the new screen until a better battery, one that would last longer and be thinner, was designed. Or maybe Steve would have done things exactly like we saw on Wednesday. Jobs was never one to try to pander to the masses. What made him such a visionary was his ability to keep his devices on the cutting edge. Consider optical drives, which Apple seems to be slowly phasing out of its computer. Some people hated the idea when it was first introduced, but Apple foresaw a world when software and media will all be downloaded and stored online. There is nothing that Apple can do now to stop to the second guessing except to continue to make gadgets that lead that way into the future and continue to host high profile launches for its products. If we stop expecting that, then the company really is in trouble. From gulfnews