Apple iPad

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Technically, the iPad contains the same types of components that you would find in a laptop, minus the keyboard. While it does share characteristics of a traditional computer, it is not a computer, at least no more so than a sophisticated remote control or an internet-aware television that runs widgets.

The iPad is a closed system. When you buy one, you agree to live within the iTunes universe. It is as much of a luxury resort as it is a prison. Think of it more as an appliance. It may be that the iPad is the entire computer experience you will ever need. More likely, it is your 2nd or 3rd system.

Apple demonstrated some of the target markets for the iPad with movie viewing, photo viewing, music consumption, eBook reading, e-mail, internet browsing, iWork, and games. The first two are probably its strongest suit. The iPad is in a class unto itself. I have never seen a better way to enjoy photos on a mobile device.

Reading a book on the iPad intrigues me. I was a voracious reader in my youth. Sadly, my reading time has drastically diminished to allow for only a couple of books per year. Buying a dedicated eReader like an Amazon Kindle does not make a lot of sense to me. Having that capability on a device I already own is very appealing. I may actually read more because there are times when I would read if I had a book with me. Having an iPad means you always have a library and if you need a new book you can connect to iBooks and buy one.

Internet browsing has its strengths and weaknesses. The screen is large enough that web pages will not look unnatural if using the iPad in the horizontal orientation. It appears to be like a great way to experience the web from a couch or anywhere else where a desk or table is not available. I have never found using a laptop on my lap a satisfactory experience. However, I cannot ignore the omission of Adobe Flash support. Like it or not, Flash is pervasive. The internet without Flash is simply broken. HTML 5 addresses some of those issues but that is an emerging standard. Flash is here today and it is everywhere. Adobe is "working on" a version of Flash that is compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and the iPad and it is in their best interest to do so. But it is not here yet. I hope it is done by the time the iPad is released but I have seen nothing to indicate it will be ready by March/April.

At first glance, the device does not look like much, and, as rumored, it basically resembles a large iPhone, complete with a home button and glass touch screen. True to the style that has come to define Apple products, the device looks simple and well-built, with a rigid glass display and a inch or so of bezel area around the display. The display is a full capacitive multitouch panel, as was expected, but is also an LED-backlit IPS (In-Plane Switching) display that has a great viewing angle. The back is aluminum, and there are various connectors on the sides for power, sleep, and volume controls.

When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, he promoted it as an all-in-one communications device for music, telecommunications, Web, and computing, and not just a phone that includes these other features. Given that the features of the iPad are similar to the iPhone's, Apple clearly intends for this device to be used in a variety of areas to offer an all-in-one package for connectivity, computing, gaming, and any other task you might think of.

The popularity of the iPhone has made it a raging success, and it, along with other "smart" devices, has shown Apple and other manufacturers that consumers are ready for a tablet. In order to create its tablet, Apple had to ride a wave of consumer-readiness and incorporated the technologies and approaches to computing that have come to define computing in the modern era.