The Tablet, Unfettered Data and Verizon
While there has been a lot of speculation about the feature set for The Tablet, I am not that caught up in it. Honestly, whatever the feature set is, I’m sure it’s going to be awesome. There will be a quibble or two, but I’m certain it will be the “reconception of personal computing” that Gruber prophesizes.
However, I think it’s all for nought if it doesn’t come with the option for true unrestricted mobile broadband. iPhone data usage and app uptake owe a large debt to the fact that the end user is not thinking about bytes when they’re tweeting or listening to Pandora. A new type of mobile device needs to live in a world where it’s owner isn’t worrying about when the meter runs out of quarters. There will be huge non-enterprise, consumer adoption if there is an option to surf without abandon. Media usage will skyrocket. It will be a boon for audio, video, and the printed word. There will be as many people riding down the highway reading the New York Times as watching last night’s Jersey Shore (how great/awful is this show?).
Sure, they will still sell a ton of them without the unlimited data option. On the other hand, it will be an paradigm shift in our relationship with the internet if we can use the pipe to our heart’s content, from wherever we are.
Verizon also seems like the likely choice for the data provider. Those AT&T commercials touting the fact that their 3G network allows you to talk and use the data connection at the same time are fine when you’re selling a phone. Verizon has also not been silent lately about being able to handle iPhone-like traffic. The Tablet won’t be a victim of any voice compromises that are characteristic of their network.
This is all pure speculation, but I hope I’m right. If I am, sign me up for two.
