Eric Grevstad’s article for PCMag.com from last November is the best piece I’ve read yet in terms of consolidating the different points of view for and against if the iPad should be considered a PC or not.
The 4 points of view Eric Grevstad lists are:
- Yes, the iPad is a PC
- No it’s not because it lacks a keyboard
- No it’s not because it lacks expandability ports
- Yes it is, but if you say iPads and tablets are PCs then you have to say the same of smartphones
Nearly everything I’ve read regarding this discussion lands in one of the above four camps. I’m in camp number 1 — yes, the iPad is a PC.
Grevstad’s conclusion is nearly (but not fully) identical to what I’ve been thinking regarding this discussion. That is: iPads will be considered PCs when consumers begin to use them as such en masse.
It’s only a matter of time until consumers begin buying and using iPads (and other tablets) as their primary computers. Why wait until then to call the iPad a PC? The iPad is a PC today.