The morning after, I sense some disappointment with the iPad.
But come on, folks, let's get serious.
We couldn't have hyped it up any more. Not only did many of us want all of these features to be included (four of which were not), we were anticipating to be blown away.
We were expecting a bombshell, something completely unexpected to rant and rave about. The biggest shock of all ended up being the price, with the product starting at $499 after rumors of it costing as high as $1,000.
But now that it's the day after, let's shake off all the nonsense and wake up.
This device is revolutionary and it raises the bar on eReaders of the future. Why get a Kindle or a Nook (sorry guys) when you can also display images and videos in high-quality, listen to your favorite music, surf the Web, check your e-mail, and do countless other things?
The iPad will do to eReaders what the iPhone did to phones. Why simply talk on a phone and send text messages when you can have a built-in GPS/maps, music, games, browse the Internet, and check e-mail? That's to say nothing of the true value of that product --- its 140,000 apps.
It's those 140,000 apps that made the iPhone (and popularized the phrase "there's an app for that"). As awesome as the iPhone was when first announced, only a handful of the apps were available at first. So we didn't even see the whole product when the iPhone was first introduced. We had no idea it could do so much.
Same with the iPad. We're only catching a glimpse of it. Only a "taste." And for that, it's silly to rush to conclusions about its merit.
iPad apps will make the iPad more than worthwhile.
Surely, some of the most mind-blowing apps and creative uses haven't even been devised yet. We all need to have a little patience, and watch what developers come up with. I'm personally excited about the potential for news. If news organizations don't take the iPad seriously, or devout resources to it, third party developers will.
I'm sure we'll see awesome new ways to browse the news in the months ahead.
Of course there are so many other areas to keep an eye on in the iPad apps space -- gaming, video (live TV comes to mind?), productivity and more. Products like Seesmic Look can thrive on an iPad and allow a whole new way of experiencing social networking.
Niche interests will likely to lead to the most killer iPad apps, whether you're interested in stocks, the environment, politics, photography, sports, or -- like me -- something as obscure as genealogy. Let's take a look at just a few of these examples.
Genealogy:
I can only imagine displaying beautiful family trees and swiping historical photos on my iPad. Not to mention its capabilities for research inputting new data and conducting interviews. As a research tool alone, it's sure to have amazing potential, but as a collaboration tool and way to display work, it can easily become invaluable for every genealogist to have.
Sports:
Imagine following live events for your favorite teams, watching or listening to them live, while toggling statistics you want to see in real-time, standings, and out-of-town scores in a seamless interface. MLB.com's first iPad app is a great start, and there's sure to be more ahead, creating a revolutionary experience for any sports fan.
Photojournalism:
Trevor Tan notes at "Tech Talk" that the iPad could easily become the "photojournalist's dream." A developer could create a dynamic app, allowing journalists to easily edit pictures on the fly and send them to the newsroom. The iPad could also turn into a great digital portfolio when a photograph-enthusiast wants to share pictures with a friend or prospective employer.
Maybe these areas don't interest you, but some are sure to. Look no further than this list of 10 iPhone apps that can be redone for spectacular display on the iPad. And while critics say the iPad is just a bigger iPhone or iTouch, the value of its display size and quality of the screen can't be denied.
Of course, every one of these 140,000 iPhone apps, as you may have heard, will also work on the iPad -- out of the box.
The most exciting part --- it's the 140,000 more ways (on top of that), or the iPad apps of the future, even a few years down the road, that are going to define the iPad.
The green signal has flashed for developers, and speaking of "Flash," it will be available to developers for iPad apps.
So let's tone down on those premature conclusions. There are thousands of iPad apps we can't even imagine yet that will be available in time. Prepare to be blown away by this device, one that will revolutionize eReaders the same way the iPhone revolutionized the smart phone industry.
And for that, whether you get an iPad or not, all consumers will be better off for it. The bar has been raised -- and high. Thanks, Apple.
Follow Craig Kanalley on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ckanal
Jose Antonio Vargas: Steve Jobs and Apple iPad Tablet -- It's the Content, Stupid!
Memo to news organizations and publishers who think the glossy, state-of-the-art Apple tablet is the answer to your prayers. Steve Jobs sent a clear message during the launch of the new iPad: It's the content, stupid!
Frank Cioffi: Apple's iPad: Investors Shouldn't Think Short-Term
Clearly Apple has created a gorgeous product at a great price point. But can Apple make the iPad a successful new category where others have failed?
Microsoft has wound-up in the content business. Not Apple. Google has wound-up in the network business. Not Apple. Each of them is in the media business, but only Apple doesn't have to sell advertising -- so far.
Daisy Whitney: iPad Lackluster Despite E-Reader Capabilities...and No Flash Support (VIDEO)
After months of hype, Apple introduced its new iPad tablet today, which boasts a $499 price but is unlikely to wow folks in the digital media or TV business.
Apple - iPad - The best way to experience the web, email, and photos
Apple's iPad Tablet Could Slay eBooks and Netbooks
10 Features That Would Make iPad a Hit – GigaOM
What Apple's iPad Means for Your Wallet
Adobe says Flash apps will run on Apple's iPad
http://www.PhoneFreelancer.com
It's going to blend with all the other Apple devices in a way that makes all of them more valuable, and puts each of them in a less stressed position.
I'm not waiting for the second generation. I think all of the really important add ons will be there by the time it launches in March.
While those apps may work, I've heard that full-size, it's still just too many pixels. This will surely get better, but I'm sure I'm not alone in saying I'm fine with waiting another year til a much better 2.0 comes out--> IF I would ever get around the notion that it would be a tiresome pain to always have to be propping the thing up. Jobs was sitting in a chair with his leg crossed while he used it and the official Apple video for it shows people with their legs bent to support it. Many of us don't want to sit that way for even an hour.
The pixels are a bit of a concern, and you're right, by the time 2.0 comes around, the iPad will be dramatically improved in so many ways. The ways to prop it up/hold it may be awkward too, so I hear you there -- obviously, I haven't seen/played with one yet. And that could be a concern. We'll see!
Truer words have rarely been written about any newly-introduced device.
People are comparing the new iPad to what they are used to: laptops and cellphones. The iPad is neither, and to expect it to have the same features as those devices simply shows how badly commenters are missing the point.
Imagine the vertical markets that iPad apps could serve: Medical personnel could review a patient's medical charts on it. Salespeople could carry the entire product literature library (including video) as well as customer presentations on it. I foresee dongles that will provide GPS capability - imagine navigating a yacht with a device whose screen size and resolution actually surpasses that of paper charts. Consider using you iPad to control your house's HVAC and lighting.
The iPad's superior screen size and resolution opens up vistas of opportunity for developers. The 140,000 iPhone apps barely scratch the surface of what this device will end up doing.
I believe we're going to be reading some really amazing 'iPad application' stories in the future. Let's wait while creative minds get to work; it'll be fun to see what they come up with.
We may have been expecting too much, but in the final analysis we're offered a totally stripped down bit of kit that won't even surf the web properly, and we're' supposed to be excited that it starts at under $500!?!? Meanwhile back on planet Earth, Microsoft Courier Youtube views are skyrocketing and every exec at HP is sprouting wood over the imminent release of the HP Slate.
This iProduct is much like the iObama presidency. What could have been versus the overwhelming disappointment of what actually is.
Enjoy.
In seriousness, Richard, I think people will develop habits of how they use iPad vs. other devices. And in some cases, it can definitely come in handy. Particularly if that becomes your preferred way of reading books or consuming certain media when you're not in front of a computer screen.
I was prepared for a $1000 iProduct. Totally primed. You might even say iPrimed. Plenty of pre-release publicity generated in that direction had already softened a lot of us up, and I'll bet we'd all be forking over our thousand bucks today (instead of rehashing the latest corporate example of New Coke) IF Apple had done the following:
1. Put a real O/S on it.
2. Given us the camera WE ALL BEGGED FOR.
3. Made it a quarter inch thicker for even more battery. I'm not knocking ten hours, but 15-20 hours would have been TRULY groundbreaking (and it's not like you can swap batteries on Apple portables). I know it adds weight, but anything under the weight of my Asus eee701 netbook (2.2 lbs) wouldn't be a strain IMHO. Also see groundbreaking again.
4. Integrated pico LED projector.
5. A mobile phone
Enjoy.
Maybe it will revolutionize the ereader market, but that's a niche. It seemt to me the iPad has a chance to be the betamax of the handheld touchscreen tablet market, while the HP Slate, the Microsoft Courier, the Lenovo U1 Hybrid, and a number of other devices that haven't come to market yet, but surely will, stand a chance to offer a better value to consumers.