I Pad, therefore I Am

So the pad is taking a real beating from tech pundits and the media in general, but is it really as underwhelming as they are making it out to be?

To put things into perspective, we need to first compare apples to apples (no pun intended.)

Unfairly, most in the media are comparing the iPad to a netbook. But it isn't meant to replace your netbook. Not exactly.

Let's start by comparing it to what I believe it was meant to compete with first and foremost: the Amazon Kindle DX. Don't take my word for it. Read the news about the battles now ensuing between publishers and Amazon due to Apple's entry into the game.

From a technology perspective, in my opinion there's really no comparison between the DX and the iPad. Yes the Kindle has always available included (free) Internet, but what use is that Internet access if the browsing experience on the device itself is horrible? And yes it has the great E-ink screen that makes reading in sunlight phenomenal, but what about the tradeoff? Everything else except the printed word looks terrible. Last, agreed the battery power of the Kindle is impressive, but the majority of us are used to charging a device daily and it isn't that big of a deal. So for starters, at the same price point I believe the iPad beats the Kindle hands down as an ebook / enews reader plus type of device.

Now, imagine a Kindle on steroids. The browsing experience on the pad is smooth, quick, and everything it should be with multi-touch. True, it lacks Flash support but with HTML5 becoming more standard daily, Flash is becoming less important by the day not least because of the fact that it is a resource hog. Witness the new YouTube beta site that uses no Flash whatsoever.

Anyone who's used an iPhone or iPod Touch can't help but enjoy it.
It's a smooth experience from one of the best ui systems ever made. It also runs quick, stable (3gs) and simply works. True, it lacks some very important features like multi-tasking (available if you jailbreak) but these features are surely forthcoming in an OS update.

If you're an iPhone or iPod touch user you have an even bigger impetus to purchase: Apple has announced that any purchased apps will be available for your iPad for free.

But what about productivity, and office applications? So, it's hard for me to comment yet, as I haven't used an iPad and don't know how it will deal with it. I can't imagine working with a spreadsheet being difficult on the iPad. But for those that are worried, there are a few very important apps to assuage your fears. First, Logmein Ignition for the iPhone is just great, as well as the various VNC apps, like Mocha VNC. Citrix has also announced new software to bring Windows 7 to the iPad (using virtualization.) So, when you absolutely must have certain desktop functionality, as long as you're connected to the cloud, you will be able to make do. And let's face it: 90% of the time you're going to be spending on the iPad will be out of the office, when the majority of that time is spent browsing, replying to emails, watching video, etc. all of which the iPad excels in.

Let me conclude with the example I posed to a friend. Imagine you heard nothing about the iPad - no hype, no anticipation, no nothing. You're walking down the aisle at Best Buy when you happen upon an iPad on display. Curious, you pick it up and start playing. Wow! Fun, and practical! How much would you spend for such a toy productivity device? Well, the price is actually less than what you'd spend on an iPhone without contract - and only $150 more than an iPod Touch 64. Are you telling me you'd walk right by without a second thought? I didn't think so.