Today was the big day. The reveal of the Apple Tablet, called the iPad. There had been rumors for months. There were a lot of ridiculous rumors and a lot of true rumors. I'm not reiterating the facts - if you want to know about it, go to apple.com.
While the tablet is cool and has so many features, I see it as the beginning of the future, but not the game-changer we were hoping for. As big the iPad is, Apple needed to knock this one out of the park. I don't think it did. The interface seems like a minor upgrade based off of the highly-successful iPhone/iTouch Operating System. I'm sure Apple used the "if it's not broken don't fix it" mantra, but I wanted something more. Something original. Not a copycat of what we already know. Maybe a smaller OS X system. Literally make the thing a touch computer. Maybe I don't need EVERYTHING that my MacBook Pro gives me on a tablet, but something between my MBP and my iTouch. I suppose that technologically is impossible to accomplish at a cheap price and with the hardware that would be needed.
The 10 hours of battery life sounds great, but I'm sure that is under very low-light and low-everything. If it really is 10 hours under maximum usage then props to them. People always don't tell the real stats about battery life though. Those bastards.
The biggest thing that I think is a blunder is the way the data will be transmitted. $15 for 250MB - if you download a movie, you're gonna have to pay $30 a month and then pay $15 for the movie itself. Not sure it is worth it. Do we really need more monthly fees? Amazon's Kindle has 3G capability through Nextel for free - the service is factored into the price of the product. However the iPad does so much more than the Kindle can, but once someone offers a cheaper medium, there's a hope that everyone else will follow. 3G isn't be-all end-all mainly because Wi-Fi is most places these days. Another blunder by Verizon in not securing this deal, but Apple & AT&T have a history. I'm also glad that the subscription isn't based on a contract - that's huge. If you know one month you'll be traveling more than another, it could come in handy.
I see the Tablet as something that be applicable for more lifestyle/home use. There's some things you just can't get rid of. Keyboards, Mice, Built-in Cameras, and DVDs being some of them - especially in the office. Apple is trying it's hardest to get rid of all accessories, make it all data over-the-internet oriented. It's the future, but I think Apple's pushing it too hard. The iPad isn't set up to replace computers - just replace browsing on the Internet and doing simpler tasks - which is what most people do anyway. Same situation as netbooks.
On a side note isn't it ridiculous how much buzz Apple has over any product announcement? The buzz over this thing is nuts - I myself got caught up in it (hence this post.) Every is jacked up - and imagine how it will get in 60 days when the first batches are released. It's going to be just as insane as the iPhone release. Then 30 days later for the 3G. I'm also excited to see what the other companies have in store for tablets - specifically from Google. They're the big bad "not evil" monster who I think really threaten Apple.
In conclusion - I want an iPad, but I think I want to wait until the second generation comes out. With Apple, the minute a new product comes out, they are always working on a new one. A new iPad will probably be out after a year. Cool stuff, but I do not think it is going to change the tablet-industry the way the iPod and iPhone did. Not yet anyway.
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