The anti-social iPad?

Kristine compares the media environment around iPad subs with the theories of the last decade:

It made me wonder how customers feel about the prospect of being co-owned by Hearst and Apple.

I understand the  business sense behind that statement, but it made me wonder if anyone remembers stuff like Day of the Longtail and the empowerment of the people formerly known as the audience?

I guess that must all have been forgotten in the iPad-age… and the people who in 2001 were the media’s very own “cuddly coach-potatoes” preparing a revolt causing total disintermediation … well, they must’ve gone back to being cuddly coach potatoes again.

My gut reaction: tablets are in the same place that the web was in the mid- to late 90s: companies think that they can recreate the environment of the past, even as the tidal wave of change surfs towards them. While people were building brochure sites, the blogging revolution was getting underway. Look for the niche, techie, cool stuff happening on tablets, and you’ll see the real face of the future.