To iPad, or Not To iPad

Today was THE day. The day Apple fan- boys and girls have been waiting for. Today, the iPad was announced. Now for those of you that haven't a clue what I'm speaking of, the iPad is Apple's version of a tablet computing device. If you believed all the hype, you'd think Apple was re-inventing the wheel, version 2.0. Or perhaps toasting up sliced bread, version 3.0.

Alas, what was unveiled is little more than a BIG iPod touch. The operating system is the same as what is used on the iPhone and iPod Touch. We expected a unicorn, and we got a deformed horse. Seriously. Apple is calling it magical. That's a bit much, particularly for a device that doesn't even support Flash. And I'm a fan, a big fan, of Apple. But I'm also a realist, and I have some gripes about this device. (Feel free to resume your normal facebooking at this time; my writing is by no means that entertaining and this really is just a list of likes and dislikes. My feelings won't be hurt. But if you're interested in knowing what I think is "cool" about the device, and what's "not cool", settle in, get comfy, and read on!)

We'll start with my "not so cool" list:
1. No Flash support. This means no Hulu. We've griped about it for 3 years with the iPhone and STILL no Flash support. Jobsie, what are you thinking?!
2. No camera. While I can concede that the likelihood of my using this device to take pictures or video is slim to none - it's almost a 10 inch device, after all - I did expect to see a forward facing camera for video conferencing and such. Come on Apple, what's the deal here?
3. No multi-tasking, again. Seriously? This means no Pandora while Facebooking. This was another of the big beefs with the iPhone. Does Jobs think mac heads aren't capable of multi-tasking? I'm almost offended.
4. One size fits all. This thing is almost the size of a composition notebook, you know the ones, black cover, college ruled. I understand why Apple chose this size, but I would have liked to see something a bit smaller, maybe 7 inch screen instead of the 9.7 inch we're getting. Why smaller? More portable. When was the last time you read a 1.5 pound book with a page that was 9.75 x 7.5 while lying in bed? Or held a screen that big to watch a movie? I'm not saying 9.7 is too big, I'm simply saying a smaller model would be appreciated. After all, it's all about choices.
5. This one's based purely on a rumor: iBook bestseller titles will be priced $3 to $5 more than on Amazon. That's a LOT. Let's hope Amazon puts out an iPad Kindle app.

And that's it, really. These are my biggest beefs. I haven't actually used one yet so there might be other small quirks I'll find irritating, but at this point, I can only gripe about what I do know.

Now, for the stuff that makes this device a nominee for my next shiny new toy:
1. It's beautiful! The simple lines, the large, crisp screen, the ease of use. What's not to love? (see my "not so cool" list above)
2. The eBook experience looks to be gorgeous. Granted it will likely put undue strain on my eyes, as it's not eInk, but still, it's quite lovely. Virtual page turns, beautiful color graphics.
3. The no contract, reasonably priced wireless data connection. ($30/mo. via AT&T)
4. The magazine/newspaper experience. The New York Times did a demo and what they've done is stunning. Embedded video, stunning color images and your good ol' NYT. Now that's a newspaper experience I can sink my eyes into.
5. Compatibility of most iPhone apps. Imagine Scrabble (or Words with Friends) in local play mode on this thing. No more worrying about the tiles falling off the Scrabble board.

Without actually using an iPad first, this is all I've got on the cool list. Well, this and that it's the newest, latest Apple toy.

Before today's announcement, I knew I'd get one; I was certain of it. Now? Meh... not so sure anymore. Does the cool factor really outweigh the things this device lacks? I honestly don't know anymore. Good thing I have 90 days to think about it.

Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts of the new toy on the block!
Here's to happy iPhoning, iPod Touching, and finally, maybe, one day soon, iPadding! (HAHAHAHAHA, that just sounds hilarious!)