The long-awaited Apple tablet was announced today, and the name — iPad — is apparently causing much snickering for perfectly predictable reasons. Hell, I snickered myself when I glanced at the live-bloggery surrounding what appeared to be an iPod Touch on growth hormone.
“That’s fuckin’ stupid,” I thought. “Who wants one of those?”
Later in the day I took a look at David Pogue’s first impressions and visited Apple’s iPad site, and I thought again.
It’s actually a pretty nifty idea.
As Pogue notes, the iPad seems aimed more toward consumption than creation, which means it’s not intended for the likes of me. When I go somewhere I need a full-featured laptop, with Photoshop, Office and other bells and whistles (like an actual keyboard). I’m driving, not flying, so I’m not interested in watching movies, streaming video or reading an e-book. What I want to be able to do on the road is pretty much what I do at home — write, edit, take photos, wrestle with race results (which show up in everything from Excel to PDF to Cretan Linear B), download really filthy porn and hack into the FBI database to see what they’ve got on me this week.
But for the gadget geek who simply must stay wired on the go, it’s a pretty damn’ smart little piece of whiz-bang — and dirt cheap for an Apple product at $499 for the basic model.
Aftermarket add-ons include a smart, foldable carrying case, which both protects the iPad and lets you angle it for more convenient movie-watching or typing on the virtual keyboard, and an actual keyboard-slash-dock that charges the iPad and lets you add a camera connection kit and output audio to a stereo or powered speakers. So nobody is gonna get away with paying half a hundy for this thing. The add-ons will add up.
And once enough hipsters break out their iPads at the local java stop, people will forget the risible connection to sanitary napkins and the snickering will cease. It will be replaced, as per usual, by drooling.
• Late update: One of the Twitterati says that “MaxiPod” would be a better name. I can’t imagine how I missed that one. I must not be drinking enough.
Mad Blog Media 
Wonder what the Super Bowl commercial will look like. Cross-marketing with The Who during halftime? Pete smashes a couple then frisbees another dozen or so into the audience.
Kindle is already dead meat, especially when Apple starts selling books and newspapers through the iTunes store. I’ll consider one after the initial on rush has subsided.
It’s the iPhone media system for us guys with trifocals.
If I still did the amount of travel as back in my consulting days I’d prefer the MacBook Air. though for referencing wiring diagrams of specs or doing customer support in the middle of a store or library the format has some possibilities.
Love Apple
the name…why not the iTab?
oh well
the basic version can be known as the Min
and the expensive 3G should be the Max
sorry, couldn’t resist
As one in search of a newer Apple ‘puter-type product, I was hoping that they would announce that their $1G laptop was dropping in price. What I don’t want is an overblown iPhone/Kindle-wannabe. I won’t use AT&T for anything but the basic wire in the wall (as they have issues even with that!), and the thought of spending $500+ for a book is just wrong. I am interested in the “idea’ of the iPad (mini, maxi or God Lawd NO! size), but for being just another Apple product on ‘roids it is not on my shopping list.
Did I read correctly somewhere that the battery charge lasts up to 10 hours and stand-by mode is 28 days? It just seems that with that technology they could put it into a laptop, lower the price and compete with netbooks. Heck, they might even blown them out of the water.
It’s the netbook slayer. Same price, but instead of a shittier, smaller PC laptop, you get a hopped up iPod Touch. Genius.
Intresting peice on “Marketplace” last night about the splintering of the internet. With applications not being compatible between the Iphone, Blackberry, Google Droid, et al, the “universiality” of the internet is being compomised. Used ton be able to write on website for everyone, now you have to choose your market/user. Take a pick, Beta or VHS; Blueray or HD VHS, Iphone or Droid or Blackberry? But choose wisely, ask owners of the original Betamax how that worked out for them.
Patrick, you nailed it. It’s for consumers, not creators. Wonder how durable they are? Seems like a great fit for a college student. 95% of textbooks are available digitally now, and I heard they’re going to offer a rent or lease option instead of buy — just rent that obscure text you’ll never need again for the semester, instead of paying full price. Come term paper time, you just hook up the real keyboard.
But, throw it in a backpack and then crash your bike, you might be in a world of hurt.
Folks like you who need full-up Photoshop are few and far between. This was written ages ago and is still so true — using a PC for word processing is like flying the Space Shuttle from New York to Boston to catch a Celtics game.
Click to access scholar1.pdf