I think  the iPad is an amazing device, but, right now, there’s just not enough to convince me to buy it.  That could change, though, with a lower price and contributions from third- party developers.  In fact, with a few improvements to the iPad, I could see myself standing at the cash register.

As I see it (and as I said when the iPad was first announced), this sleek new tablet is really a “complementary” device, one that nicely complements smart phones and personal computers rather than replacing them.  Would I call the technology revolutionary or magical? No, but it does some things very well and really fills a gap in technology.

Before I get down to the review, I wanted to restate my desire for a tablet device that is tailored specifically to media consumption.  I read a lot of e-books, news sites and blogs. It’s a big part of how I learn and always will be.  Having a device that allows me to access and consume the information EASILY is KEY.  Right now, I use my phone and computer for these media needs, but they are hardly ideal.  Reading a media-rich article on my phone is impossible, and booting my netbook on the road is too much hassle if I plan to spend only 20-30 minutes reading.  If the iPad was priced about $100 lower for the 16gb model, I’d pick one up no question.  Its ease of use and accessibility are great for my media needs.

High points of the iPad:

• Simplicity – While some would call it “idiot proof,” that’s a good thing, not a put down.  For casual users, in particular, ease of use is vital, and the iPad does it beautifully.   I will go out on a limb and say that this kind of simplicity is necessary to sell such a product.
• Design- Solid and comfortable in my hands, it feels a lot more natural than using a handset.
• Battery Life- Everyone raves about it.  In my 30 minute test-drive, I didn’t get a chance to experience that myself.
• Media- Print, video or photo are easily handled with the iPad. From the applications I used to the blogs I checked out, it just felt “natural.” Think about retaining the feel of a magazine, without the physical copy.
• Screen- Just using the iPad for half an hour inspired me to utilize brighter colors in my own designs. The screen is brilliant, the colors pop out.

Low points of the iPad:

• Typing- I can’t stand the keyboard.  Okay, maybe I’m just clumsy but without any openness to modify the keyboard, I feel helpless. Of course, I could get a BT keyboard, but that’s another $70 on top of the original purchase.
• Browser- Again, probably a fluke, but the iPad wanted to load the mobile content on some websites I used, mainly blogs.  Hopefully, this was just an error in my ways.
• Openness- Apple’s closed, proprietary approach has been a HUGE flaw in their approach to the mobile world, as I see it.  With Windows and Android tablets around the corner, this limitation is another reason to balk at the purchase.
• Price- While $499 for the base seems fair, Jason Calacanis brings up the point that, when you’re all done, the initial cost of ownership can near $1,000 . The other $500 will likely be spent on accessories and applications.
• Docks- The iPad needs to make a small tweak here to help people like me who use a wide screen monitor.  (Actually quite a lot of us use those screens.)  If I buy a dock, I want it docked in landscape mode. Small detail, but important to me.
• Pairing- It doesn’t seem like the iPad wants to pair with other mobile devices (Nexus One) through Blue Tooth. Not necessary, but would definitely be a bother if I wanted to sync contacts and other information.

General Review:

Despite these limitations, I was really impressed with the iPad, from the ground up.  The new tablet seems like a great device to add to my gadget collection.  I really look forward to owning one, but  I just don’t see it happening until the price drops or I get a lot of new work.  Although I’m picky about several iPad features , most of them have little effect on my desired use.  That use, as I said in a previous post, is to consume and digest information.  The iPad is great for that.  It’s not so good, in my opinion, for creating new content.

When you strip away the marketing hype, the device is a really a colorful tablet reader with a touch screen.  It plays media smoothly, browses the internet smoothly, and handles my communication about as well as my current computer or smart phone, or perhaps a little worse.  I don’t foresee playing games or using the iPad for creating media, so those features are irrelevant to me, though they may be important to others.

Along the same lines, I don’t see the lack of multitasking a serious hindrance (though other users might).  The only time multitasking would really matter is if I were creating media and needed to cite references. The one software limitation I keep mentioning is that the system is completely shut down to modification.  I’m not talking about over clocking, or even lower level changes.   Nope.  I’m focused on not being able to make minor but helpful changes to improve my own user experience.

Bottom Line:

I really like the iPad, but I keep balking at the price. If it were $100 less, I’d own it. $150 less, I’d buy it as a gift for family. Whatever the price, I would be more receptive if the hardware and software were not so closed.  I would certainly appreciate the ability to install a 3rd party keyboard.  Still, the iPad is a wonderful new addition to the world of useful, high-tech gadgets.

Now that the early adopters have bought the latest, newest thing, it’s important for Apple to bring down the price for the rest of us.  $500 is not the sweet spot for an economy that hasn’t recovered fully.  Apple, you’re making 30% on applications. If I buy the device, I’m purchasing applications just like every other owner.  If I buy the device for less, I’d be a lot more eager to fill it up with applications.   I hope it won’t be too long until I can do that.

Writing an opinion about a product that hasn’t been released is a difficult thing. The most difficult task is determining what features would be the most useful, considering it’s a new type of product. It is this reason I wanted to wait until after the rush of opinions, whether I agreed with them or not they distracted me from forming my own thorough opinion.

First, the way I see it, the iPad is more then just a large iPod touch and significantly less then a laptop. Most people are comparing the iPad to these two products, but the greatest differences are found in the uses for the devices. While the device will run a modified iPod firmware, the developers have the room to make it a thousand times more useful. The with a larger screen, more processing power and a greater battery life the applications can be more demanding and usable. Without running a full operating system, the tablet won’t be utilized like a laptop or netbook. This is not a bad thing.

A lot of people have complained about Flash support and lack of multitasking. Looking beyond Hulu, I don’t have much of an interest in Flash support. Don’t get me wrong, I would love the concept, but as time goes on I am finding less and less of a need for it. To me, the iPad wouldn’t be another media device rather a tool I’d use for work. I am sure I’d watch the occasional movie on a long plane ride, but it’s primary application would be reading and business related tasks. This brings me to my next point, multitasking and the illusion of increased productivity.

As someone who is a self-proclaimed master multitasker, I will admit it gets in the way of productivity. I could see someone wanting to listen to Pandora while reading their favorite blog, but when it comes down to it you don’t need a Twitter application running while you are working.. especially when your phone is right next to you. The reason the iPad doesn’t multitask is the same as the iPhone, they want a seamless user experience without overloading the system. I think this works for the iPad, but not the iPhone because I think people are more likely to multitask on a phone then they are a tablet.

Over the last several days there has been thousands of blog posts and articles about Apple pulling Google Voice apps off the market. After the FCC involved itself, the opinions only grew in number and often claimed the “I told you AT&T (or Apple) was eVil!” The thing is that everyone loves to be rooting for the winning team, even when the battle isn’t over.

What happened:
Google has this service named Google Voice, formerly Grand Central, which allows someone to have a single number route to many phones. For simplicity’s sake let’s just call it a forwarding service, which provides you a number for free, for life. For many smart phone users there is a mobile application which allows the user to use the data service on their smart phone to manage the account. These applications for the iPhone were pulled and future project indefinitely rejected by Apple. Apple made this move in one swoop, without explanation.

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