It really needs more ability to be useful without an internet connection — not just as an offline ebook, ipod, movie player. Yes… it’s smart to use the iPhone operating system with such a huge volume of apps immediately available, and a ravenous developer community. But, I think that unlike a PC netbook, I’m not likely to leave my laptop at home and just use this. It’s just not versatile enough.

I have however, read hundreds of books over the last 10 years on various palm devices. Just a few months ago I bought a bebook ereader. My choice of that over the kindle isn’t really relevant to my point about the ipad so I won’t go into it.

The reason I don’t want an ipad is because I’ve come to hate reading books from a light emitting screen. I find staring into a light-bulb both tiring and tiresome. In dark environments they’re often too bright and in bright environments they’re often too dim. And direct sunlight? Forget about it. The e-ink that my bebook and all it’s kin uses is much more eye friendly and suitable for varying light conditions.

So, yah, I’m underwhelmed.

The iPad, on the other hand, should be appealing to many types of casual computer users. If you sometimes drag a couple magazines or paperback books with you when you go to the doctors office, then you’d probably find the iPad useful. Casual laptop users will find it useful on trips, especially with the 3G option. It would be a useful thing to just keep on the coffee table to browse around the internet when you’re bored on the couch and TV is slow or when you need to settle an argument with your spouse about something.

The iPad is solidly built around serving the needs of the most casual computer users, and there are FAR more of those folks than there are folks who would even think twice about multitasking. In short, this is going to make Apple a bajillion dollars, easy.

The iPad replaces the following:

Kindle $269
iPod touch $199
Digital Photo frame (same size) $100
Hi end remote for all my media $200
Netbook $299

I add all that up and I get $1067.
I get the same thing for $499 or a little more.

That works for me.

I also love that it has a keyboard dock! Connection to input photos! Great looking cover (not to mention the millions of other accessories that will show up in no time).

It’s a huge win for Apple. And it’s only the beginning. Can you imagine what version 2 and 3 will be like if they take the same leaps they took with the phone. Do you remember what we had on the original iPhone? It was a joke. And here’s something I thought of that I haven’t heard anyone say. The screen is about the same size as the original Mac. 9 inches (minus the bevel). I loved that screen and I loved Apple coming full circle.

I don’t have a kindle, but i’m not sure I’d choose the ipad over one, unless I had oodles of extra cash lying around.

As was said by others, I do see it being useful if you were traveling and didn’t want/need to bring a laptop…but when does that really happen?!?

I wish it had multitasking, for example.

And local storage for “stuff” would be nice.

Though maybe using a combination of Google Docs and/or the iWork cloud would mitigate that?

It’s an interesting device for sure!

I think the AppleTV failed because the movie and television industries weren’t willing to choke down the same rules as the music industry in the end. The same thing could happen with the book industry.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/03/square-iphone-payment-system-turns-your-phone-into-credit-card-r/