The iPad

Well, I know so many of you are wondering what I think of this new product that Apple will begin shipping next month. Many of you consider me to be an Apple fanboy based on my strong recommendations of their products to date - although the majority of you don't understand even in the slightest my in-depth technical reasonings for those recommendations. But there are some out there that do have the full knowledge of what Unix is, what UI stands for, what the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit is, what html 5 is (or is going to be), what synergy of hardware and software possibly means for overall product durability, etc and so on. Well...maybe there's just one or two of you who read this that may know what that stuff means - for the rest of you, I know you just think I'm a fanatic....and that's ok.

Anyways, there has been a ton of build up to Steve Jobs Keynote last week....and since the keynote, there has been a TON of vomited opinions from every camp on every side of the device. And yes, I've read almost all of it. Not fully because I have so much interest, but more so because I find the passion that people argue their viewpoints (like it's the only one that matters) incredibly humorous. However, reading all the junk that's out there has allowed me to glean some key points - the main one being that the positive vs. negative responses generally attach themselves to a specific type of person. Those who have had positive reactions tend to be 'common people' or 'users'. Those who have had negative reactions tend to be 'geeks', 'nerds', 'techies', etc and so on. I was going to link to a few of these reviews in their respective categories that I just created....but then I realized that again, the majority of people reading this fall into the 'users' category, and therefore don't care to read all that nonsense. Basically, those that just want a portable device to check their email and go on the internet...this device is incredible, and 'users' are going to buy them up like hotcakes. But 'techies' find flaws in things such as the lack of support for Flash (an older programming language that, while very prevalent on the internet, has many newer and better language options...sorry, my opinion leaked in there). Anyways - this is what it comes down to for me.

Things I'm disappointed about in regards to the iPad:

1. No USB or SD port.

2. No DVD drive. (it'd be nice to stick a dvd in and watch, or be able to burn CD's from itunes) However, I understand the size factor....a DVD drive would probably effect the overall design - it may not have been possible to fit such a component.

3. The price jump for the 3G versions...the 3g chips are under $10, so it's baffling that we have to pay $130 for them. (there must be some sort of subsidy involved)

4. The name....pretty lame. I was hoping for the resurrection of 'iBook' - would have been MUCH better.

Things I like about the iPad

1. Size, form factor, beautiful screen.

2. Battery life is pretty good (10 hours of continuous use)

3. Connectivity to external keyboard (bluetooth or dock)

4. The iWork suite - it looks pretty amazing, and the ability to run projected presentation off of this small device is exciting.

5. Obviously it will be the best ebook reader available

6. The price is hundreds of dollars less than anticipated

Overall - here are my thoughts. I'm definitely bummed about the lack of USB/SD ports - hands down without a doubt this device SHOULD have them. And the dumb little adapters they offer to provide that functionality is a joke. Almost a slap in the face. However, as someone who's considering going back to school - I see this device as a real game changer for the classroom. Especially (and I'm really really hoping for this) if I can have all my textbooks in ebook format on the iPad. I can see myself having no need for pen, paper, laptop, books, etc. How amazing would it be in the classroom to have everything like that at your fingertips (literally) in one very compact and small device. So, while I currently see no reason for me to be running out and placing my order for one (I have an iphone, I'm set right now) - I can definitely see myself enrolling in school and purchasing one of these strictly for educational purposes. (And we're already hearing how the healthcare industry is excited for the iPad as well)

So that's me....I'm not getting caught up in all the disputes about it, and you shouldn't either. With any product out there you just have to ask yourself, 'Do I need something like this?'. If you do...get one. If you don't, don't.