Why a prediction? Eh, cause it’s fun and cause I think the Apple Tablet will have a large impact on consumer computing.
I think Apple will launch a tablet computer in January that will be aimed at saving TV and print journalism. On-demand video and on-demand print magazines and newspapers will be at the forefront. And because those industries want Digital Rights Management, the Tablet will run the iPhone OS so that only approved apps can be installed. It will be great, and the “App Store” concept will continue to rock the house.
In the meantime, Zittrain’s Future of the Internet will be one gigantic step closer, with consumer computing devices tightly controlled by one benevolent dictator. For most people, this will be a very good thing. For innovation, this will be a very bad thing. But it may take a while before people miss it. After all, did people miss Skype before they ever knew it was possible?
Happy 2010, and here’s to hoping we can come up with safe and generative software platforms.
Benlog 