There's no simple answer to this. The best is probably that its incorrect to think of "technology" as a linear path that is measured in time and ultimately leads to the iPad.

What follows is anthropological theory an not technically history (in an academic sense). It is my preferred theoretical frame of reference called "human ecology."

Think of human beings as just another species of animal living and dying on planet earth. There are evolutionary pressures on all organisms to gain a competitive advantage within their ecosystem niche. Human beings have the (mostly) unique advantage of being able to adapt to their environment culturally, not just biologically. Technology is part of culture, and therefore part of human's adaptation to our environments which allows us to survive and thrive.

Evolution and adaptation, and therefore culture and technology do not have a goal in the sense of a projected end point. The only goal is continued survival of the population, and there are many, many ways to achieve that.

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/nativeamerican#wiki_civilizations_of_the_americas

You can find a bunch of threads that address this question here.