I was hopeful for something really awesome, but it just didn't happen. I'll be getting a Nook.
See, "really awesome",
for me can be not only some super new wiz-bang powerful feature set, but can
also be something that
gets all the details right.
And the iPad
may turn out to fall into that second category of "really awesome". Or it may not. IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL. We need to wait and see what the user reviews are and what the important applications turn out to be, and so on. People were obviously expecting too much (as usual) from this release. It happens every time there is a new release. People develop a totally unrealistic list of "wants". Blu-Ray burner standard, two eSATA ports, 10MP camera, core 2 duo processor, 1,000 hour battery life time, and all for $399.
Sorry. But the Tablet was
never going to live up to all the hype that its rumored release generated.
In point of fact, I think just simply being a big iPod Touch
IS (or could be) "really awesome"! The iPod Touch and iPhone are beyond awesome in my experience. There's just something about them. All the little details are right. They are a pleasure to use. If you just look at feature sets and specs, there are a number of other media players and smart phones out there that seem competitive (or even better, at least value-wise), but the reality belies the specs. The iPhone is so much better.
Similarly, you would be unwise to judge the iPad by specs and early comments from spectators and pundits. Wait. The user experience is what will make or break this device. That and the product markets that materialize (or fail to do so) for it.
I think it was very smart of them to separate out the 3G feature, and to make the data plan no commitment/pay-as-you-go. And I think these are priced very reasonably for the hardware.
Will I buy one? I don't know. I am waiting to see what happens with the eBook (and eMedia in general) situation, and to get my hands on one to see what it is like reading with it. As I said above, for me, the biggest deal with one of these is its "Kindle" type use (but with COLOR and hi-res display or better-res anyway). We shall see. Time will tell.