The iPad has Landed

Ignore the nattering nabobs... -- Picture courtesy of Wikipedia

by blogSpotter
Today’s blog is timely “fluff” until I finish some research on another article I’m working on. But of course it’s worth reading like all of my great blog entries. ;-)

After much hype and rumors galore, Steve Jobs finally introduced the iPad to an anxious, Apple-worshipping public. The device is much as trade papers had described -- a magazine-sized flat-panel device that runs Apple software and lets you read “print” media from the comfort of a couch. No need for a level desk surface, or even a steady seat.

The device has been greeted with ferocious criticism from the technoratti and here are just a few of the things found lacking in iPad:

Camera
Flash compatibility
GPS
USB Port
HDMI
Multitasking
Etc (the list goes on).

As if that’s not enough, some feminists are upset by the name “iPad” because they think it calls to mind feminine hygiene products. Give me a break on that – Stridex Pads have been around forever and have nothing to do with women’s monthly matters.

As to the technical complaints, I think a lot of people were expecting a tablet-style MacBook with all the bells and whistles of a Mac. I disagree with a lot of that anti-iPad negativity and here are three major features to recommend iPad:

1) Instant-On – Since it’s using the iPhone OS, I’m figuring it will be instant-on. Every time you turn it on, this should give you back two minutes of your life that would normally be spent watching a white apple emblem on a gray backdrop. I use my iPod touch to do quick checks on mail, weather and even crossword clues. It beats waiting on a computer to boot any day of the week.

2) $499 – Does everybody remember the MacBook Air from two years ago? The price was something like $2K. Early adaptors and tinkerers were immediately discouraged by the grandiose price. iPad (the 16GB wi-fi only version) is priced competitively with netbooks. $499 is pretty doable.

3) 9.7” bright screen display – I’m an Apple fan to be sure; I have a first generation iPhone and also an iTouch. I love them both – I like the Accelerometer and the Multi-touch feature. BUT I have middle aged eyes (see my previous blu-ray blog entry). Even using all the cool stretch and magnify features it can be very annoying to read a USA today article -- even with reading glasses. I’ll welcome a quick easy device where I don’t have to stretch the text – the text is already the right size.

I do have a couple of predictions about iPad – one good and one that will probably make Apple stand watch…

• iPod Touch sales will be cannibalized – I’ll probably ditch the iPod Touch since iPad does everything as well, only bigger and splashier. My iPod Touch never leaves the house – portability isn’t that big a deal. The iPad costs a little bit more and has more accessory options (as well as AT&T 3GS licensing fees later on) so maybe Apple doesn’t mind a little bit of cannibalism there.

• American business can probably make ample use of an iPad form factor – There are myriad tablet-style applications right now that use small monochrome displays w/ limited I/O capacity. (Think Palm handheld). I can pretty easily see iPads being adapted to dental offices and other places where fast boot-up and compact display matter a lot.

In sum – iPad has a lot of potential. Technoratti snobs and N.O.W. will also come around to it once they give it a try. After all, no good deed goes unpunished or unaccompanied by negative reviews.

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