Apple has created a new kind of device – the coffee-table computer. This is not to say that it isn’t an incredibly valuable tool for day-to-day life, but some of the early apps which are appearing for the iPad are simply capitalising on the fact that it is just a beautiful medium for displaying content, in its full-screen, uncluttered simplicity.
The Elements is a perfect example (and yes, it does include Tom Lehrer’s song), as is the Guardian Eyewitness app which is a glorious showcase of the paper’s photographers’ work. They’re both examples of things that would previously have been attempted using large-format hardback books (which wouldn’t have included music and video).
I have no doubt that there will be many more to come…
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