And Jobs created the iPad, and Ballmer was consumed with rage

One of the odder memes going around right now is that while the iPad is suitable only for consumption of media, Windows-based tablets are appropriate for creation. You see it quoted chapter and verse wherever there is a discussion of iPads as compared to other tablets, especially Windows tablets, generally as an article of faith and without qualification.

Now, what is all of this about, I wonder?

Its origins aren't particularly obscure; while often attributed to Steve Ballmer, it actually came from another Microsoft person present at a conference. It wasn't really qualified at all; there was no real idea given as to what it was meant to mean.

So what does it mean, then? Well, the whole thing is a bit strange. For a start it's unclear what creation means; does it signify any productive work, or only things like, say, writing, drawing and so forth? Does Microsoft really believe that the iPad is merely a glorified PMP? What can one create on a Windows tablet which cannot be created on an iPad?

I've tried and I've tried, but the only thing I can come up with is that programming on a Windows tablet would be more practical than on an iPad. More practical, but would one really want to do it, all the same? Somehow, I can't see it; it seems impractical.

Beyond that, it would appear to merely be a piece of propaganda, but one which for some reason people have picked up on in their droves. I suppose that, while essentially meaningless, it sounds very impressive, and possibly also subconsciously picks up on the popular idea that Macs are for creative types.

The strangest bit is, well, how much 'creation' does the average person actually do on their home computer, anyway? Computers are generally used by the average person either in work (with important exceptions, not a great arena for tablets of any stripe right now, and in any case Windows tablets in most cases wouldn't have a significant advantage) or for browsing the Internet, watching video, playing games and so forth. Even if the "iPad is for consumption, Windows tablet is for creation" thing was true, and I'm fairly sure it isn't, the iPad wouldn't seem to be at much of a marketing disadvantage anyway.

I am pretty sure, though, that the creation/consumption thing was not something thought up at the spur of the moment to answer a question. I'd say it was, well, created, perhaps even on a Windows tablet, by clever marketing types, who saw that, while not really meaning anything, it is superficially impressive and can thus be used as a stick to bash the iPad.

And this post was, for what it's worth, created on an iPad, with the help of a Bluetooth keyboard.