Meanwhile…the iPad is tethered to AT&T, right?

But you know me…I’m verbose. And being verbose with a virtual keyboard is painful. So I’m just not into tablet computing in general…

I can totally imagine this being a really cool thing for you to have in your bag, but I think it’s fair to say that your needs are extremely unique. It’s going to be interesting to see how popular the iPad ends up being. For some years now, it’s been a sucker’s play to bet against Apple’s knack for fulfilling consumers’ desires…but, this time, they’ve unveiled a product that strikes me as being very far from a home run.

This all reminds me of Macheads and the section in which the old-school Mac aficionados bemoan the shift of Apple toward consumer electronics, feeling that less attention/resources are paid toward the core computer products (if they are, anymore). I imagine these folks are not super-enthused at the introduction of a giant iPod Touch instead of a firm ETA for Core i5/i7 Macbooks.

[1] But I’m also not someone for whom e-book readers are compelling.

Nice analysis from a traveler’s perspective. I agree with you – this is going to be huge. One thing the iPhone really shook up is how we access our data. The UI for iPhone apps is often much more pleasing than their Web site companions. Take Facebook for example – I would much rather use the iPhone app than the site – it’s so much more efficient at getting to the content that interests me, and filtering out the noise. There are a lot of other examples. I think the iPad really has the potential to make casual computing so much more pleasurable. And as visual artists, I completely agree, this is going to offer a fantastic platform for presenting our work. The secret sauce here is multi-touch. Apple has nailed it better than anyone else, and it’s a big part of the iPhone juggernaut, and will really help the iPad user experience as well.

I had a Kindle and liked it, but it just didn’t do enough for me. I always had my iPhone nearby to check e-mail or Twitter. And the screen was not readable in dim lighting conditions – a big problem when traveling. I actually preferred the UI and speed of the Kindle for iPhone app, and used that more than my Kindle. Based on early testing done with the Kindle DX, I think for education, the iPad has the potential to be a monstrous hit.

I am left with a lot of questions following the presentation, especially with regard to distribution of other published content besides books, but I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these. I think it’s really exciting that I’ll be able to leverage my app addiction on another platform :~)

As much as I am sad some of the features I was hoping for did not show up, the iPad is the television of our era. Simple, easy, flip it on and there is entertainment. This is the item you will turn to when your are bored watching TV with your wife. Check your email, browse, play with apps. It is the bridge between mobile (iPhone) and the home computer (iMac, MacBook).

Like most apple products, there is nothing revolutionary tech-wise. The interface is the key here. It just makes being lazy simple.

Sadly, all power-users will be frustrated with being locked into the iPhone app platform. That being said, if I were a student on a budget, I would probably buy this. I can live my “cloud” based life (facebook, email, web, twitter) and not have to spend too much.

… I just wish I could have a Hulu app…

It is quite compelling for me and does a lot that can’t easily be done on a traditional notebook computer (and I wasn’t suggesting that it would replace a computer, although for many it probably will).

For folks who have been using an iPhone happily to do web stuff, even in their living rooms with full laptops accessible, it’ll be great device to have.

And for those who use e-book readers, it looks like an awesome option, so long as you can recharge every couple days. With that screen and the ability to use iPhone apps, it’s a pretty cool device.

But if you’re bringing it on trips as a third device, along with your Macbook and Blackberry, then it’s certainly no groundbreaker. If you could only bring two of those devices, you’d still bring the Macbook and Blackberry, right?

I would. It cannot replace the need for a laptop or netbook while on a trip. All it does is replace an e-book reader and do much more than its predecessor did.