Image : http://www.flickr.com
Mobility in music production is truly a gift that we should be thankful for. For those of us with very long commutes to work every day, it is a real hassle to need to wait until we return home to create the music that goes through our head every moment. When netbooks hit the scene, producers immediately saw the potential in these mini computers. So with the iPad, how will notebooks be affected? Let's look at a few ways that the iPad will be better than the netbooks available now, as well as a few details that could plague Apple's offering and create problems for music makers.
Netbooks run on standard operating systems like Windows XP and Vista. Some of the modified ones can even sport a fully functional Mac OS like Leopard and Snow Leopard. The iPad will have a less functional OS, meaning less functionality in the end. However, these limitations are supposedly giving developers like Propellerheads a stronger motivation to work within the box and make something that is even more simple than its current full-OS offering, Reason 4.0.
So where does this actually leave software developers? Well, the iPad can utilise any 'apps' already developed for the iPhone and iPod Touch platforms, so any modification is unnecessary for existing programs. To make new apps for the latest device, the Software Development Kit (SDK) has supposedly not changed much. In fact, it has already been released to a certain few manufacturers for testing, so as soon as Apple's latest product is released there will be a slew of iPad-ready programs. Some of these will also include beat makers which have been improved from the ones released on the iPhone.
Screen size is similar for these two choices. Some netbooks, though, have a very large screen size, and they can indeed go up to twelve inches, as long as the device remains under a certain weight. Yes, they are still considered netbooks and not laptops at this size, as long as the weight remains in check! The iPad's screen remains a mystery as few have seen it in action. A few months after release, we will know how sturdy it is and now safe it is from constant finger manipulation, especially the kind that might be involved in music production: constant tapping to program drums and so on.
Virtual keyboards are set to become usable on Apple's new device due to its screen size. This is big news for those of us who require musical input. The battle between these devices is set to be waged over 2010 and early 2011. We'll see how netbook manufacturers respond!
No comments:
Post a Comment