后PC时代
乔布斯不仅凭借苹果二代颠覆了个人计算机领域，在推出iPad（由平滑的玻璃板和铝制成）之后，他开启了所谓的“后PC”时代。2010年之前，平板电脑的理念虽得到认可，但该款产品一直因糟糕的执行而难有突破。微软（Microsoft）与其合作伙伴曾经推出平板-笔记本电脑混合产品，但这次尝试却并未得到消费者的认可。苹果公司本身也经历过多次失败。早在上世纪90年代初，苹果公司曾推出名为牛顿（Newton）的PDA，最终却以失败收场。
现在看来，有了iPad，乔布斯与苹果公司似乎让一切又重回正轨：令人艳羡的便携外形、与iPhone类似的易操作系统，以及合理的价格。2010年，iPad销量达到1,470万台，仅上个季度，这款平板电脑的销量便激增183%，证明人们更加渴望尺寸合适、易于随身携带的移动设备。 |
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The Post-PC Era
Just as Jobs helped revolutionize personal computing with the Apple II, he also ushered what many now dub the "post-PC" era thanks to a slick slab of glass and aluminum called the iPad. Until last year, tablet computing was a nice idea stalled by bad execution. Users shunned early attempts by Microsoft and its partners to make tablet-laptop hybrids. Even Apple itself tried and failed to innovate with the Newton back in the early-1990s.
With the iPad, Jobs and Apple seemed to get everything right: an enviable portable form factor, an accessible operating system similar to the iPhone's and a reasonable price. The iPad sold nearly 14.7 million units in 2010, and just last quarter, sales exploded 183%, proving that many people want a sizable yet portable device they can take anywhere. |
