So, today Apple announced the much-anticipated, much-rumored iPad, a device somewhere in between an iPhone/iPod Touch and a Macbook.
I think it’s brilliant. (But you’re not surprised, I know.)
It’s not a tablet, it’s not a netbook, it’s not an iPod. So what is it?
Essentially, it’s what you’d get if a Kindle, a netbook and an iPod Touch had a threeway, the iPod Touch got pregnant and then God intervened and, in his mock-turtlenecked wisdom, made the bastard child way more fucking awesome.
So, for those of you who weren’t hanging on every word of the announcement today, here are some of the highlights of the iPad:
- The ability to view full web pages, as it has a 9.7-inch display.
- Only half an inch thick and 1.5 pounds heavy.
- Besides the expected iTunes/iPod, Safari and Mail, YouTube is now HD and it will run iWork.
- Oh, and it’s going to beat the shizz out of the Kindle as far as eBook-reading goes.
- Transfer your already-bought apps from your iPhone or iPod Touch. And I can’t wait to see what apps developers come up with just for the iPad.
The entire time I was watching the liveblog feed from Engadget, I was biting my lip waiting for the price. And when they announced the pricing structure, I about pissed my pants. $499 for 16GB? Yes, please.
Now, initially I thought I would want the 3G-enabled version, which at $629 is a bit of a kick in the pants. But I’m not sure. Will I really be using it so often when I’m not within range of a wireless station? Probably not. But if my habits ever change, it would be nice to be able to sign up for the 3G service (from AT&T again, of course). Especially since, contrary to most wireless company’s data plans, no contract is required. And $14.99/month for 250GB of data (or $29.99/unlimited) is unprecedented. And very reasonable.
But I’ve got some time to decide. I don’t exactly have $500 or $600 just laying around, and I’m not entirely sure I want to get in on the first version of this product. I’ve learned from experience that when buying a new, revolutionary product, it’s generally best to wait for version 2.0 (unless you have the cash to burn, of course). When the iPhone was first announced, despite having dreamt of it for years and years, I knew that the second version would be much improved. So I waited, and was not disappointed.
I guess I’ll give it some time and see what kind of apps are developed, and pay attention to how I think I would use it to better determine if it’s worth the extra $130 for the 3G capabilities (I’m already leaning toward yes, though).
Oh, and the name? Give it a rest, people. Yes, period jokes, iTampon is next, blah blah. Someone already said what you’re about to tweet there, guy. And really, what did you expect it to be called? It fits with the iPod name and accurately describes what it is. As my friend Jamie asked, “Do you snicker when someone says ‘notepad’?”
Bottom line: No matter what you call it, it’s a game-changer.
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Comments ( 6 )
I’ll be done thinking it’s a goofy name tomorrow, I swear.
Rachel added these pithy words on
Jan 27 10 at
6:05 pm
I mean, it’s goofy, but so is iPod. But not more goofy than Zune.
Megan added these pithy words on
Jan 27 10 at
6:08 pm
You know what I find funny – today Tabitha said that she wasn’t sure if current mac/iPhone users would see the usability of the iPad. I spoke to four primarily mac users about it today, all of whom were thrilled with the prospect and can’t wait to get one. When I got home and finally got to talk to Dave about it, he said he was unimpressed and pointed out a bunch of things that the iPad won’t do, all of which are features we PC users depend on. So I guess ol’ Tabbs knew what she was talking about.
Jamie added these pithy words on
Jan 27 10 at
7:40 pm
Yeah, I mean there are tons of things it won’t do. But there are also tons of things it will do. I don’t think it’s something that is for everyone, and everyone is going to say they either need it or don’t need it for different reasons.
What I do think, though, is that it’s opening the door for a new kind of machine. I think this is going to raise the bar for people like Amazon and Google, and I can’t wait to see what kind of machines the competition breeds.
Megan added these pithy words on
Jan 27 10 at
8:56 pm
I’m having trouble getting my head around how I would use it. I mean it wouldn’t be able to replace my real computer, because of all the photo editing I do… but when I think about it as a glorified netbook or pared down laptop then I really dig it. Of course, having little extra money floating around means that even though I think I’d use it A LOT, if I was going to get another computing device, it’d have to be a fully powered laptop or desktop, rather than this. But it’s very cool.
And as for the lame jokes, none of it compares to when my college (whose mascot is the Scarlet Knights) printed a whole bunch of rally towels a few years ago that said “ride the scarlet wave!!!”. Honestly.
elizabetht added these pithy words on
Jan 28 10 at
2:18 pm
