Will the iPad Be Totally Bogus?

The iPad, we’ve all seen the videos (and if you haven’t watched them, go here and come back, I’ll wait), but what place does it have in the technology market. Some people are taking the e-reader angle, comparing it to the Nook and Kindle. To which people complain that the iPad is too large by comparison. I am sure it is bulkier and heavier than these ever popular e-readers, which may be a turn off to those who view it as such. But why should we compare it to only an e-reader when it can do so much more. The iPad itself uses the iPod touch/iPhone OS, which so far has proven to be everything that people want in a portable device. So what we should be comparing it to is a netbook, because they both offer the ability to browse the internet with the loss of some processing power and storage.

Apple’s major selling point here is portability, whilst tapping into a current void which they initiated in the first place. In my opinion iPods and iPhones due to their small size are intimate objects that you put your songs and your apps on, for your own purposes. Apple shows that they understand that iPods and iPhones are personal, and thus have created a product that can be used to share. Saying “Hey, here’s a bigger screen that can be just as intimate and easier to enjoy together”. Never before could I have imagined bringing a sophisticated piece of technology to a romantic location and watching a movie on it. Yes, I know about portable dvd players and what not but they were never as sleek as this machine.

Comparing it to the netbooks out there may leave some purists feeling uneasy about the iPad. Take away their keyboards and they believe that chat, quick browsing, and writing emails will become far too bothersome of a task. I spoke to one colleague who said that he can only type so fast without looking because he can feel all the crevices between the keys. Which I totally believe is a legitimate reason, but I don’t believe I’ve ever had the opportunity to type on something so large with a touch screen which also had the display right on it. Think about it, when you use a keyboard you’re usually either looking at the keys or the screen because they’re in separate places. So when they’re in the same place how different is the experience? Anyway they’ve already announced a keyboard dock accessory for these typing purists but add-ons such as these take away from the magic of an all in one device.

Although I must admit it is easy to get lost in how pretty the iPad is, I still have some concerns about its durability. I worry that without a sufficient carrying case one could put it in their bag until expected it to be just fine, but due to some jostling and banging finding it broken upon arrival. Also, Apple is claiming that this is the best way to view the internet, but last I checked flash is part of the internet. I understand that flash is capable of passing some security levels that Apple does not want present in their iPhone/iPad OS but some people are definitely going to miss their flash.

All in all I am excited about the prospect of an Apple made tablet netbook device. I imagine that even though not all apps will translate as well as maybe people expect; mostly due to the difference in size. Let’s face it, it takes more effort to shake something the size of a large etch-a-sketch compared to something the size of a deck of cards. But the possibility that there can be something that size, and that portable to act like a sketchpad is something that I drool over. Not to mention that I imagine reading comics on that bad boy. I remain skeptical that the first generation of this device will be all that its cracked up to be, but it seems like it is something that was born out of my nerdly dreams.