Oscars 2010: Best Support in an Advert goes to the iPad knees

happygeek 0 459 Views

The Oscars 2010 had something new to add to the usual media frenzy, glamorous dresses and A-list celebrities: an iPad advert. Yep, Apple opted to get the mainstream iPad marketing campaign well and truly off the ground by debuting the iPad TV advert during the 82nd Academy Awards. If there were an Oscar for Best Support in an Advert then the 'iPad knees' would surely have won it. Watching this advert you are struck by two things: one is just how great the iPad interface looks and how much you want one (I may have changed my mind on this one), the other is how awkward it looks to use, making much use of knees for support.

Steve Jobs will have missed it though, as he wasn't at home in front of the box to see the Oscars ceremony or the iPad advert. Not that I suspect he will care too much as he was at the Oscars instead, watching the movie Up collect no less than two Oscars. The cartoon won both Best Animated Feature Film and another for Music (Original Score). Jobs, of course, has a special interest in the Disney/Pixar movie as following the sale of Pixar to Disney he is actually the biggest Disney individual shareholder.

You can see the advert in full on YouTube but you'll have to wait until April 3rd if you want to introduce your knees, if not your business, to an iPad up close and personal yourself.

Dani AI

Generated

nailed the funny visual, and it also points to a real usability question: how do you use a tablet comfortably when you dont have a desk? The shot with knees makes sense as theatre, but it highlights three practical issues most people run into with larger tablets — balance, angle, and posture — and those are easy to fix with small changes.

A few practical tips that actually help:

  • Use a case with an adjustable stand or a simple lap desk/wedge. Raising the screen a few inches reduces neck flex and makes touch input steadier.
  • For any extended typing, pair the tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard or move it to a table. On-screen typing is fine for short notes, not long drafts.
  • Keep the tablet on firm support (not a soft blanket) so it wont tilt or overheat. A non-slip pad or a strap-style case helps when holding it on your thighs.
  • Change position every 20–30 minutes: sit upright with back support, or switch to a reclined reading posture to relieve neck and shoulder strain.
  • If you do a lot of one-handed navigation, use a case with a hand loop or a textured back to reduce slips.

Quick lap-use workflow you can try right now:

  1. unfold the case to a low angle (browsing), 2) sit with feet flat and back supported, 3) rest device on top of thighs (knees together) so it wont slide, 4) switch to an external keyboard or table for longer typing sessions.

The advert made the posture look awkward on purpose, but with the right case and a couple of habits you can avoid the “knees” routine and use a tablet on your lap comfortably and safely.

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