pros:
1. fills the gap
there is an obvious tech gap between the macbooks and iphone, and the ipad fills much of the awkward void that so many have tried to squeeze into the two said products. with web browsing capabilities, app usage, mail client, syndication of iWork, iTunes, and iBooks, it provides a more comfortable platform to use all of these features
2. user interface
the layout of all of this is a nice blend of the UI's we are familiar with from our experience with the macbooks, iPhones, and even iPods. some UI's i was impressed with include iTunes, iCal, the App Store and the iBooks.
3. eReading
the eReading features on the iPad are what stood out the most to me. as mentioned above, the layout is very revolutionary, while sticking it to the traditional looks. scrolling seems very fluent and natural. the NYT demo made me feel like i had the times right in front of me. in my opinion, if they were smart they'd allow free app downloads for front page news and charge a monthly subscription fee for additional sections and NYT magazine on weekends.
the iBookstore and iBooks seem to trump the nook, kindle, and all other preceding eReaders. five major publishers are in on this, so there seems to be little limitations on what users can read. this is only the beginning, i think it will open so many more opportunities within publishing that it could lead into the rebirth of dying media, something i'd love to see!
5. graphics card
6. battery
10 hour battery is great. no product has juice like this which will make it better for traveling than the macbook. if i want to go back to london one day, i can watch a movie, read a book, go through a playlist and not have to charge it once.
cons:
1. name
srsly? wtf! apple's PR consultant should be fired ASAP. iPad is way too similar to iPod, and many will often get the names confused. furthermore, there are way too many perverse jokes that will soon surface the internets, mark my words*. speculatory names such as iSlate, iTab, iGuide, and even the Newtown would have been much more fitting, appropriate, and straight up better than iPad. ugh.
2. lack of notifications/zoom/multitasking
why not apple? push notifications were a huge hit when you released the iPhone. no calls is understandable, especially when we can get 3G coverage. but no zoom and no multitasking? tsk tsk, huge fallback.
3. no camera(s)
by now this feature should be standard on most apple products. shame on you steve jobs, i was hoping another redeeming quality to this would be the potential video conferencing/live streaming opps this could have opened, but expectations were never met. imagine the possibilities of an iPad with front and back cameras and the awesome new ustream app? there was so much potential there, and i think you were blinded by new features that you overlooked the old ones.
4. price
hate the netbooks, but they are cheaper and dare i say it, more worth it?
5. no cd/dvd/blu ray slot
what? it's .5 inches thick, that leaves plenty of room for my DVD's! don't try to force me to watch all my movies through iTunes, because that's incredibly communistic.
6. 1.0 = room for improvement
walk before you run. as much as i love apple, they always release a better version soon after their product's pilot release. i think i'll wait for that 2.0
7. i don't care how many gigs are on that, you look like an idiot.
daily finance said it best "You do not need to buy a new gadget every time Steve Jobs tells you to...you might as well wear a sign that says 'rob me'" boy were they right. for every person i see on the train, plane, or automobile on their iPad, i will simply shake my head and smile at their impatience and willingness to spend excessive amounts of money.
*side note, 20 mins after the press conference and #itampon, #iperiod and imaxipad are already trending topics, ew.
mixed feelings:
1. third party apps
the potential for new apps on the iPad is huge right now, particularly for gaming and eReading, as i said earlier. but, the apps that were originally developed for the iPhone will look awkward. since most devs have created apps for a 2" wide screen, their adaptations to a 9" one will look strained. will apple have to create a separate app store for each platform or will devs have to create different apps for each product? i guess we'll find out.
2. email display:
yea, it looks cool, and it is probably more efficient too. but, it's nothing we can't get on our iPhones or macbooks content-wise. i think most critics will be drawn into this feature for the wrong reasons. its really nothing special.
3. iWork
looks awesome, but this kind of thing belongs on the macbook, not on this glorified iPhone. i think you wasted a lot of your time trying to make this work on the iPad when it clearly was not meant to be.
4. specs
1.5 lbs, 1/2 inch thick, 9.7 inch display, multi-touch screen. do these specs make it more mobile or easier to break? you decide.
5. data plans
well, they did offer options -which is unusual with apple- for different size (16, 32, and 64 GB) and different data plans (with or without 3G capabilities). still too expensive for me though.
overall: the only reason i'd buy it is for the awesome eReading capabilities, but everything else i can find on my iPhone/macbook. overpriced, overrated, but still innovative. maybe i'll give it second thoughts with the 2.0. thanks to engadget for the feed and the images!
