Apple events have become like the Academy Awards -- the best part is watching at home and mocking all the self-importance. And today's announcement of the Apple iPad tablet computer is no different.
And nobody is better at mocking the self-importance of Apple CEO Steve Jobs than Dan Lyons, the writer behind The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs. His live blog is written from the perspective of Jobs himself, who doesn't seem to be happy about how his neuro-linguistic programming techniques aren't lulling the audience into a cult-like fervor of wild euphoria.
Seriously, Apple products are attractive and well-designed, but it's Jobs' sense of showmanship that really sells the myth. Gizmodo compiled a series of clips from major announcement over the years, from the iPod and iPhone to the various generations of iMac. Watch as the incredible shrinking Jobs downgrades his outfits from natty suits to ratty jeans.
The contrarians at The Awl have decided to knowingly forgo Apple coverage, instead liveblogging the latest episode of telenovela La Tormenta on Univision. Let's see that show offered for sale in iTunes!
Closer to home, SFist slyly uses an illustration photo to make the joke that we'll all be making tomorrow. And while not intentionally funny, a plurality of Mashable readers voted the for the iSlate as the name of the new product -- though maybe they also figured Apple wouldn't set themselves up for the obvious sanitary napkin joke. MadTV thought of the joke long ago, creating an iPad spoof four years before the product even existed:
Also on an unintentionally funny note, a blogger from the New York Times (which participated in the announcement) posted an Apple announcement bingo game -- and suggested you print it out to play along. Wouldn't that kind of thing be better suited to, say, a tablet device with a multi-touch interface than dead-tree media?
On a more serious note, sage technology pundit Anil Dash wonders if we couldn't use all this hype for good:
What leaves me at a loss, though, is how many otherwise sane and sensible people give their time and energy freely to help support a company like Apple that, despite its elegant designs and generally excellent products (I use many of them), certainly doesn't need free PR from some of the most talented people on the web.
Though Apple is a reasonably progressive company, they explicitly don't give a sh** about poor people. (Let's pretend I found a nicer way to say that.)
Too serious? How about a complete non-sequitur.
Your move, Daily Show.
Jackson West can't wait to make fun of the people waiting overnight in line at the Apple Store to buy one.
