Apple's latest device to be a cause for anticipation, speculation, criticism
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The intention of the iPad was to compete with electronic-book readers such as Amazon's Kindle, Barnes & Noble's Nook and the Sony Reader. These readers range anywhere from $200 to $479 in price, while the iPad starts at $499 and goes up to $829.
With the exception of the Japanese Flepia, made by Fujitsu at a cost of $1100, the iPad is the only one that offers color.
So why the disappointment? It's essentially a big iPod touch.
Prior to the Jan. 27 announcement, Apple fans got word of something in development called the "iSlate" or "iTablet." They expected a tablet computer to compete with the popular netbooks.
It's true that Apple has been working on a tablet computer for years, but this may not be it. Instead of running Mac OSX, the announcement revealed it runs iPhone OS.
Realistically speaking, to run OSX smoothly on a device that small, Apple would have to put in a stronger processor. This would shoot the price up for the iPad. Not only for the processor, but to deal with the additional heat produced by it.
And how many people would sink $1000-$1500 for an Apple eBook reader? Only the fabled Apple cultists, who revere Apple C.E.O. Steve Jobs as a god and see all Apple products as a gift from god.
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So there's no way to tell whether the iPad will soar like the iPod or sink like the Macbook Air. We'll just have to wait until March to see.