The Apple iPad

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/03/apple-ipad-review/

"The Apple iPad. The name is a killing word -- more than a product -- it's a statement, an idea, and potentially a prime mover in the world of consumer electronics. Before iPad it was called the Apple Tablet, the Slate, Canvas, and a handful of other guesses -- but what was little more than rumor and speculation for nearly ten years is now very much a reality. Announced on January 27th to a middling response, Apple has been readying itself for what could be the most significant product launch in its history; the making (or breaking) of an entirely new class of computer for the company. The iPad is something in between its monumental iPhone and wildly successful MacBook line -- a usurper to the netbook throne, and possibly a sign of things to come for the entire personal computer market... if Apple delivers on its promises. And those are some big promises; the company has been tossing around words like "magical" and "revolutionary" to describe what many have dismissed as nothing more than a larger version of its iPod touch. But is that all there is to this device? Is the hope that Apple promises for this new computing experience nothing more than marketing fluff and strategic hyperbole? Or is this a different beast altogether -- a true sign that change has come to the world of the PC? We have the definitive answers to those questions (and many more) right here, so read on for our full review of the Apple iPad!"

 The Apple iPad, pride of Apple. This is my favorite part of the above excerpt.

"The iPad is something in between its monumental iPhone and wildly successful MacBook line"

 They have it exactly right. Take out all the hype, all the shameless plugs, and all the typical Mac reasoning, and you have just that. The iPad could be described as a MacBook trying to be an iPhone. I've heard lots of things about the iPad. Here's a few things I'd like to bring up.

1. It's supposed to be functional.
2. It's supposed to be a breakthrough in technology.
3. It's supposed to take the "throne" from Apple's other products. (I wasn't aware there was a "throne" for shenanigans or propaganda.)

These all share something in common. They are logically wrong. Allow me to explain.

1. It's supposed to be functional.

No, you see, a mouse is functional. A touch pad is very much less functional in many situations, being far slower for typing and less accurate than a mouse. This is okay for a small phone, but for something competing with laptops? The iPad's keyboard will lack the physical click of a real keyboard, something we could have removed long ago if we had ever wanted it gone. And with the reduced size of an iPad, it should come as no surprise to people that it is not a high-end computer. This being said, how exactly is it functional? It isn't, it's pretty.

  2.  It's supposed to be a breakthrough in technology.

I'm calling Shenanigans. I mean really, not only has the exact same technology been used on the iPad's freaking predecessor, the iPhone... But it has been used on other things way before it was ever even announced. How about the incredibly famous Nintendo DS? How about the iTouch? New? Breakthrough? Not even close. Your high horse is built off of stolen ideas Apple. At least admit it.

  3.  It's supposed to take the "throne" from Apple's other products.

First, it's too big to take anything from the phone / mp3 player line, and too weak and non-functional to take anything from the laptop line. Second, the iPhone and even the new DSi does this stuff better in my opinion. Why? They're smaller, a stylus is more accurate than a finger, and most importantly. They don't try to be a computer. They're mobile devices. And that justifies their flaws. Oh, and they don't cost an arm and a leg.


In conclusion, don't be fooled by the hype around the iPad. There's nothing worth exchanging your laptop or smartphone for.