Max iPad
Apple unveiled the iPad today. Seriously, it's called 'iPad'. Before I read the specs, I thought it was a device that would warn the user of possible toxic shock syndrome by monitoring pH levels and sending an email to the user's iPhone, all the while allowing the user to enjoy the active lifestyle to which they have become accustomed. The big question in my mind was 'does it stay in place and does it have wings?'
HP Tablet PC
The iPad is a large iPod Touch that can run iPhone apps and custom iPad apps. It comes standard with wifi and can be purchased with 3G from AT&T. It runs a custom iPhone OS, has no physical keyboard, and employs multi-touch touchscreen for user interaction. Like the iPod Touch and the iPhone, the iPad does not support Flash, so despite the 1024 x 768 real estate, it won't give you a true web experience like you get on your computer. By not supporting Flash, Apple continues to exert its dictatorial control over every aspect of the technology experience. With the iPad, Apple wants to expand its dominance over content distribution as it did with the iPod and iPhone: first it was music, then proprietary applications, and now magazines, newspapers, and textbooks. It is more a competitor to Amazon's Kindle than a traditional Tablet PC since it is not a full computer. Microsoft and the OEMs invented Tablet computing back in 2001 with Windows XP Tablet edition, and they are still produced today with multitouch enabled Windows 7. These expensive computers never caught on with the general public and are mostly a niche product.
The iPad (I can't stop giggling over this ridiculous name) is a new category of portable electronic device, and Apple's first misstep in a long time. I'm sure it will initially sell in big numbers due to Apple's marketing genius and their enthusiastic customer base, but I can't imagine this device being a huge success. The iPad is too big to be carried as a smartphone, and if you're going to carry a device in a case then why not just buy a netbook or light laptop?
I think the iPad will be a flop in the long-term, but I could be wrong. Apple hasn't made many mistakes over the past few years. They have thrived in the Great Recession selling million of iPhones, gaining PC market share, and posting huge profits, so they must know what they're doing, right? Not this time. The iPad will be about as successful as Apple TV and the Mac Mini.
Overall, my impression of the iPad: "meh." It is not the revolutionary product that I have become accustomed to seeing from Apple. I think Lenovo is closer to being on the right track with the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid Notebook (kinda rolls off the tongue, doesn't it. Sheesh.) The U1 is a Windows 7 netbook with a removable 'slate' computer, but even this, while cool, still seems like a answer to a question that nobody asked.
