The iPad? Interesting. (PS)

I personally, have only owned Dell merchandise before, and this was purchased right after I graduated high school in ’05. Thus, when I looked at the enormous amount of increase in consumer computers specs, I thought maybe I would like to get one. However, while choosing a brand to go with might be a trivial aspect of choice, I always come back to apple. Obviously, you cannot simply go to a local store in Joplin, MO. Actually, I think the closest one is in Springfield. So, I go to apple.com today and I see this awesome picture of something called an iPad. When I see this thing I think to myself, “What is this sweet-action-looking piece of equipment that my eyes are gazing upon?” At this point I decide to check one of the videos linked to the page. Apparently, the iPad is apple’s attempt at making a mobile product that creates a third category of device between smart phones and laptops. I think this is a pretty novel idea. In the first part of the introduction of this product they talked about it needing to be better in specific fields some of which being internet browsing/streaming, e-mail, music, photos, and videos. In the demo it looked pretty capable of doing all that and more. I almost forgot to mention that you do all this on a touch screen, no mouse/touch-pad or external keyboard. The words, “Very nice,” come to mind.

This makes me wonder, would people really prefer this type of item. I do not know all the specifics, but how practical would this thing be in everyday life. Other than the cool-factor, why would anyone choose this over a laptop?

The features seem to be good, and it can easily download applications just like on an iPhone. Mostly, I believe the biggest advantage of this device is its mobility. The iPad looks to be about as big as a spiral notebook and as thin too. However, if apple doesn’t think of a convenient way for transport, the possibility for damage could be a setback. Though, I am sure they have already thought of this occurrence. Personally, when I see this thing I think of a step forward in the mobility of technology, and of science fiction becoming reality.

I believe most people would say that apple is definitely more advanced than most of their competitors i.e. Dell, HP, etc. However, how convenient they are is another matter, because they are expensive and monopolize all their products. Another point is most people do not want to learn a different operating system (OS.) Luckily though, the OS for the iPad is very similar to the iPhone/iPod make. This item may very well encourage people who are not familiar with Macs to open explore. Also, I think this device opens up a new avenue of possibility. For example, say someone just wants to browse the web and look at pictures on a large screen, but they do not want to go through the entire process of getting out the laptop, powering it on, and logging in. The iPad would appear to be a faster and lighter alternative with a comfortable viewing screen, unlike the tiny screen of a phone.

Oh yeah, the price of this thing starts around $499. I think that is pretty decent, considering that you could get a low-end laptop for about the same price, and this thing doesn’t appear to be low quality at all. Though, I don’t know much about the tech specs.