To iPad or Not to iPad?
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, April 5, 2010 · 
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The much anticipated Apple iPad multimedia device was released this past Saturday and, according to the company, more than 300,000 people purchased the device during the first day of sales, about in line with industry expectations.
The iPad has received middle of the road reviews, with techies lamenting the fact that it does not offer multitasking functionality, support for Adobe Flash, camera or ichat capabilities, an HDMI port, and, unless you go with a pure WiFi model, it’s still dependent upon AT&T’s 3G network. Many analysts also questioned the need or use for the device.
Yesterday I trekked on down to the Apple store and took the gadget for a test run. Let’s start off with the host of positives. The tablet computer is sleek, with a 9.7-inch LED backlit display and touch screen. It features one power button and Apple’s intuitive user interface.
The standard/bundled apps add a surprising amount of value. Steve Jobs promised that this was “The best browsing experience you’ve ever had.” While I wouldn’t go quite that far, the iPad does offer an awesome Web experience. To quote Engadget, it’s smooth, fast and fluid, the screen displays easily in both landscape or portrait mode, and you can easily pinch to zoom any place on a web page without any hiccups. The presentation of the itunes/eBook/app store is beautifully displayed and easy to navigate, and the iWork suite opens up a whole host of new uses for the devices.
Of course there also are a variety of third-party apps which expand upon the initial capabilities. Netflix has released an app, Hulu’s application is in the wings, and ABC and CBS are rumored to be working on applications to stream video content. In regards to printed content, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times offer applications. And there are a variety of games available; the tween boy test-driving the iPad next to me at the Apple store was interested in the iPad for its potential gaming capabilities.
I only had a few complaints. The tablet is heavier than expected, about 1.5 pounds. And as an eReader, the screen leaves a little to be desired; it’s like reading a book on a computer screen – not such a great experience. My Amazon Kindle features eInk and it’s much easier on the eyes than the iPad. (In fact, I’ve become such a Kindle fan that it’s a highly unlikely that I will purchase a hard copy book again.)
The bottom line: it certainly won’t replace my traditional laptop or PC, or my iphone or kindle, but once I handled the iPad I became a convert. It’s a great in-between/third device that will enable me to sit on the couch and read the newspaper online, stream video content and surf the Web. Now if only that price tag was a little lower…
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