Should I buy an iPad when it comes out?

As a complete Layman on the subject, it is of great interest to me to see so much discussion over the item. Those who will buy anything apple makes, versus the middle ground of people who find some of Apples' products superior to other products which do the same thing (They know because they have both brands) along with the 'haters' who think Apple is just another controlling corporation who wants unrealistic ownership over everything they make.

I thought the iPad was supposed to be a 'reader', like a Kindle, but with the classic Apple stylized interface. But when I was watching the release presentation, it looked as if it is supposed to fill the gap between a phone, and a netbook?

Which by definition, it does less than a netbook, and more than a phone, right?

I think it looks cool. I like the fact that some of the APP developers are looking to adjust their current apps tot he larger format. I like that the web pages present in a larger format, and I don't have to squint, like on my iPod touch. I get tired of reading only 50-75 words on a page when I am reading a book on my iPod touch, too.

I don't really need a Large format portable phone/netbook, so the features that are missing to make that happen don't bother me so much. It is interesting to me that some folks are unhappy because Apple's iPad did not fulfill their fantasy of having a Tablet-style computer with nearly as much functionality as a Macbook. but maybe I missed out when Apple said that was what they were going to do, then reneged on it.

I won't get one, because 1) I can't afford it, and 2) I don't have a gap between a phone and a netbook to fill. But if I wanted to buy a reader, because I read a lot, I would compare it it to a Kindle, and any other reader out there, and decide based on what the product will do for me.

I don't see what need it fills, so no.

The iPad is disappointing on a lot of levels, I think. Lots of missing capabilities: no camera, no GPS, no multi-tasking, no Flash, etc.

The iPhone was revolutionary because it introduced some new hardware capabilities and interaction paradigms that people hadn't seen before. But this hardware isn't anything new except a new screen size with fewer capabilities. I thought they'd do something innovative with input mechanisms like adding haptic features. And I think it runs counter to the important tech trends of convergence and open systems. Instead of bringing the iPhone and the MacBook closer together to converge around one device and universal software, they inserted a new device in the middle and require a new branch of software development. And it's a closed system on a proprietary OS with a controlled app pipeline, and now we have a new Apple-controlled, DRMed bookstore.

It was interesting to note that all of the cool things in the presentation had to do with the software design, and not with the device itself. It's just a new device with new constraints and a renewed call to software developers to put some beauty into their work. But the device in and of itself doesn't advance us any farther into the future...to me, it's a backslide.

Given its price (especially without 3G), I'm sure there will be some interesting specialized applications for education, healthcare, etc., but for everyday consumers I don't think this adds value.

I'll be writing about this subject sometime next week on UX Magazine, and we've posted coverage of the announcement event on our site, and lots of tweets (@uxmag) from the announcement.

The answer depends on how you weigh the attributes of the iPad. I wrote out a "scorecard" to list what I thought were the important aspects and how well they were executed.

I didn't include "openness," but it would have scored low, offering an Apple-controlled application channel and Web applications. It isn't tinkerer-friendly. But there are two factors that say openness isn't important to the success and usefulness of Apple's products:

First, there is the huge popularity of the Apple SDK for iPhone and other platforms. Objective-C is the top language topic on Amazon. Apple made what started as a strange, fringe language and class library and made it the top application development system.

Second is the success of the app store. People are making and downloading and even buying applications in huge numbers. People are creating, no matter the limitations.

There is gong to be a lot of really useful and entertaining software for iPad. The multimedia, ebook, and games aspect of iPad's potential needs no explanation, but iPad is also likely to be a widely used note-taking, messaging, and Web application device for more serious uses. Take a look at iWork for iPad.

Personally, I've concluded that I want one when it arrives.

However, I don't have an iPhone - AT&T service is terrible here - and I have an ulterior motive: I really want to create applications for the iPad. The HTML / CSS / Javascript / PhoneGap approach seems perfect for this device.

I'm not sure I understand the uproar over this device lacking a camera, though maybe GPS would be nice. Multitasking is actually a "feature" I'm happy to avoid - positioning this device as an alternative to a Kindle suggests a world in which Apple hopes consumers will actually focus on their content. I suspect that either Apple will either move toward multitasking eventually, or figure out something like the old Mac's desk accessory approach to supporting some basic functionality on the side.

If you already own an iPhone, you may not need another device for running those apps, unless your app providers are planning substantial upgrades to take advantage of the bigger space - or you find iPad apps you can't live without. My guess is that the apps will eventually drive the success of this device, and you'd be sane to watch and see what comes.

Perhaps I shouldn't have, but I had assumed Apple was aiming at a device less personal than a phone; something that people might share, for example, passing around the living room while watching TV.

But using the iPhone OS (and without multitasking) means that it doesn't support separate user accounts. This is a fundamental flaw in my view since any group of people that might share access will have many different email, social networking and other accounts and preferences, including bookmarks and so on.

This means our family would have to pool all our bookmarks together into one huge collection, and we couldn't each stay logged into our various social networking and email sites by simply selecting "switch user".

In my view, as it stands, the iPad is a single user product only, and I, after all, will now be unlikely to buy one. Instead I am hoping for something more inventive to come along.

I would definitely get one for the following reasons:

- I hate operator contracts. I have a plain nokia phone with a month-to-month plan and have had a great desire to have internet connectivity on certain occasions while I am out and about.

- I am not a big fan of laptops due to their ergonomics. They tend to put you in a bad posture when using them for long periods of time.

- I need something that can sit in my coffee table like a magazine and that is where the iPad comes in. I can be sitting in my sofa while watching TV and browse the net on a nice size screen.

- I live in Chicago and enjoy watching Dodger and Angel baseball games on MLB.com. I have done it on my desktop and it is not a lot of fun. With this device, I can view the games comfortably in bed or in my sofa.

Robin Nixon's comment about sharing the iPad around the living room got me thinking of all the living room games kids and adults play, such as pictionary, boggle, trivial pursuit, you name it. Combine that with Simon's desire to develop apps for it, and you have an interesting opportunity to port parlor games to an iPad that is shared around the group, or to create new parlor games.

Like Simon, I'm tempted to get one when it comes out. It is exactly what I've wanted for a long time, something small to surf the web while lounging around the house.

I can't wait to get one! Almost the first thing I said when I got my 1st gen iPod Touch is that it would be perfect if only it was the size of a paperback, and that's exactly what the iPad is. I read a lot of ebooks on my Touch and whilst it's doable it's not a great experience. I decided that as of this year I won't be purchasing any more physical media and the iPad fits in with that perfectly.

VNC on an iPad. Think about it.

I think a smooth Remote Desktop client would be the ultimate iPad app.

I have had an iPhone since they came out. I currently have a 3G and my wife has a 3GS. I also have a Blackberry that mandated by my company, they do not allow/connect iPhones to their network.

Will I buy an iPad? Yes.

I spend 95% of my time on the iPhone listening to music, reading email, on Facebook, on Twitter, playing games, managing my to do tasks (Things), and reading books. All of these seem to be activities while very feasible on the iPhone to be enhanced on the iPad.

Since I have an iPhone I don't really care about the lack of camera. Plus I can't imagine holding up a something the size of a sheet of paper to take a picture, it's kind of dorky. I really would like the GPS because I think using it as a map in the car would be very useful.

CR

Watch the video on Apple's website, at http://www.apple.com/ipad/#video, and you'll soon decide. I was sceptical (elsewhere in this thread) because of the lack of multiple users and multitasking. But even so, now I've viewed the video it does appear to have all the other features I want. It's slick and packed with style and many parts of the OS have been rewritten for the iPad.

Whether it's worth it or not is not something I can answer for you. What I can do is point out that most of the people who are saying it's not worth it haven't actually picked one up and used it. On the other hand, it seems that most of the people who did get to play with it either want one or think it would be great for their parents - who don't know how to use a 'real' computer.

Listening to some MacBreak Weekly podcasts, I get the feeling that it's more for content consumers than producers - though the demo of iWork has me thinking it might be just fine for putting together presentations, especially if I can hook it up to a projector like Steve did when it was introduced.

You can run most iPhone apps on it either in their normal size or in a mode where each pixel becomes a 2x2 pixel, which makes bitmaps chunky.

Personally, I'm seriously thinking of buying one when they come out. Yes, the price may drop later - that's a risk with any new product. It's not a replacement for my laptop or my iPone - but that doesn't mean there's no value in it. Like my LiveScribe smart pen, I think it's the kind of thing I didn't know I needed but, once I have it, will come in handy for many applications.

The people complaining about a lack of features are missing an important issue. In development there are three facets, scope (i.e. features), time (release dates, etc), and quality. The common wisdom is that you get to pick two of these. Apple chooses quality and time over features. New features will come in time, but they won't sacrifice quality for more features faster.

I have purchased several full color or otherwise image-heavy RPG pdf files in the past. There are iPhone PDF readers. As long as RPG publishers continue to publish in PDF or print-only, a black and white ebook reader won't cut it. Reading them on a laptop isn't that great either as I can't use the laptop in portrait view very easily. I am very interested in using this to read all of my RPG pdfs.

Also, I'd like to +1 Andrew's comment. An iPad with VNC and an ssh client, and I could answer on-call pages from work with it.

The issue of screen size and the like is a big one. Those first few weeks in the life of the iPad are going to be ugly for apps, I'll bet. Many of the most popular apps on the iPhone that are just "ported" to the iPad are going to look goofy. I'm thinking of apps that are unique and built for the small screen--like Doodle Jump or Words with Friends or even the Compass--that are going to have to be totally redesigned for the iPad. Other than folks like Wired who have a really good inside track, I think those first few weeks on the iPad are going to be really... well... lame.

(Yes, I know the SDK is out. All the same, until people get the device, usability patterns just aren't going to be that solid.)

A few others mentioned the GPS and camera. I felt the same way about the camera, but as a guy who has a lot of friends who are professional designers and photographers, I can say that all my buddies are really annoyed. As for the GPS... well, that just annoys me. The sensors in the iPhone open up a ton of opportunities for finding people close doing the same sorts of things.

All that said, I'll have one launch day, and I'll love it, and I'll complain. Which makes me, well, part of the majority.

I broke down and pre-ordered one for my wife. She called me from a trade show and told me she couldn't put up with carrying around her laptop anymore. Perfect excuse!

I'll be curious to see if it plays well with others. If the device is missing key sensory components of the mobile experience, will it end up staying on the couch most of the time? Not that there's anything wrong with that. But if this is the case, then how well will it perform accepting input from other devices? Time will tell.

We should ask this question again now the iPads are out. Are they worth buying? What do you like? What are you unhappy about?

This too shall pass

You've probably been reading as many reviews as I have but aside from easy answers like, 'if in doubt, wait'

I say it all depends on your free time (the time minus work, sleep and eat)

I lean on the idealism of Cory, RMS on the defective closed nature, creation < consume, but ...

I see the iPad as a personal convenient toy, full of potential and maybe becoming more.

Ives said it best - it's one big piece of multitouch glass.

How do you fight phun?

I found this tidbits article on iPad pondering well covered in most angles.

Try a checklist:

Budget:
$499 + recycle fee + tax + AppleCare + keyboard + ... but living on ramen and food stamps?
I doubt the price will drop in the long run.

How often do I consume media?
books, music, browsing, games, video, comms (blog, tweet, data checks)

Are you covered by other devices/computers for 'work'?
at least something with file system data portability

Imagine yourself using it:
The iPad is really a comfyuter 4 the couch, cafe, and conference room. Even though it's only 1.5 pounds; you're really not going one-handed in the subway.

Go play with it at the store:
Reading is one thing, actually touching and interacting with it is another

For me, I think the iPad will be great for reading DRM free PDF and ePub like my O'Reilly books.

All of these I've experienced: Macbook, netbook, Sony Reader, Kindle, and iPod Touch have compromises or fit certain modes of use.

I want the instant on and games of my iPod touch, books and connectivity of Kindle, browsing of Macbook, openness of a command line, opps

This week boiled potato faced baby hippo consumer is hoping the iPad 3G will fulfill that and more.

or I could just pass it onto the missus

I spend 95% of my time on the iPhone listening to music, reading email, on Facebook, on Twitter, playing games, managing my works and reading books.I was waiting since the day apple made its press release for apple Ipad.It has great look and extraordinary features.Its weight is just 1.5 pounds which is lighter than any netbook and it is 0.5 inches thin.It has 9.7 inch Super high quality display using IPS technology and which has very great angle for view.It also has latest wireless networking – Wi-fi 802.11 abd bluetooth.It has large battery life of 10 hours thay any other netbook.It is available in 16,32 and 64GB data storage capacity.I am an apple lover and I have apple iphone 3G and apple ipad 32Gb. I will definitely recommend you to buy it.

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