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“I love it,” said Esslinger from Vienna, where he teaches “convergent industrial design” at the University of Applied Arts. “The iPad is the beginning of a new category — one that is hyper-convergent and humanistic.”

For a device to be compelling as a “casual computer” it has to have both the right user interface and the right “form factor,” designer lingo for a manageable and easy-to-use industrial design.

“The iPad is merging humanistic innovation with a culture of design and interaction that reaches the levels of high art,” says Esslinger. “In a digital world mostly deprived of any truly inspired product and experience culture, Apple stands out even more. The nearly forgotten American Dream of excellence and success is alive thanks to Steve Jobs!”