My iPad Review

I realize it’s been a few weeks since Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad on the world and it’s going to be a few more weeks until we actually get to see one up close, but I’m ready to give my opinion on the iPad as it stands now.

The Apple iPad at first glance seems like revolutionary device, and for all accounts it truly is, but I must agree with the masses that it’s really a large ipod touch.  I’m not down playing the ipod touch because I think it’s a really unique piece of equipment but I, like most, was hoping for more.

In my eyes the iPad’s market will be people who would like a device to surf the web, check email, play apps and watch movies and have the money to do this on a third device.  To me the ipad is purely ultra luxury.

I was part of the group who got in line to purchase the first iphone, I rubbed elbows with people while waiting in line for the iphone 3G and was really happy when they let you order the 3GS online.  I will also likely be getting the ipad, but I would be so happy to see some of these features be included at least in the second iteration.

Missing iPad features:

• No Multitasking.  This is huge especially if I’m supposed to believe this is a computer not a large smart phone.  While I’m surfing on the web form checking email I want to be able to have instant messenger up and running so I can communicate with people online.  I also want to listen to Pandora while doing work on my iPad but at this point that is not possible.
• No Flash.  I’m ok with the iphone not having flash, I mean it doesn’t really affect me because I’m not power surfing the web like I do on my computer.  But if the iPad is going to be my alternative to my laptop for surfing the web then I need flash.  At least until HTML5 takes over..
• No USB Port. I realize there is a special camera connection kit but what about connecting other devices?  What about printing.  I don’t do much printing but I still must print my boarding passes, is that not possible with the iPad?
• No Camera.  This isn’t a iPad killer by any means but it would be nice to do ichat while sitting on my couch using my iPad.

There are tons of other sites out there listing all the missing iPad features but I’m not going to harp on it.  We all know what’s missing and we said the same thing with the iphone.  But at the end of the day it’s cool device and if does enough for you to justify the cost then you’ll probably get one too.