Apple iPad Tablet presentation by Steve Jobs

For those interested in Apple's latest iPad Tablet product, visit their web site at http://www.apple.com/. Apple have made the Steve Jobs presentation available as the entire focus of their main page. I don't know how long they'll keep it as their only focus, but I'm sure they'll have a link to the presentation for some time.

What I found interesting is initially I couldn't work out how big the iPad was. Based on rumours I thought the device was going to be smaller, which goes to show you shouldn't listen to rumours. Once you see the video you get a good idea of the size.

A number of areas with the iPhone, which to me are limitations, have been improved with the iPad. The larger on screen keypad and the external keyboard docking station looked very good. The price of the iPad at $499USD (with WiFi, but without 3G) locks like a great price. Even paying $130USD extra for the 3G model offers value.

The smaller screen on the iPhone is often an issue (as a result of the browser and email applications) which causes me to reach for a netbook and this now looks like it should be less of an issue with the iPad.

With the iPhone and now the iPad, I couldn't help feel Apple are losing their reputation for selling expensive products. The iPhone and iPad pack a lot of features for a very good price.

I currently use my iPhone only for internet usage for my own reasons and I would be one of the target market for the iPad. When I was looking at the iPhone I was actually seriously considering the iTouch. But I wanted the GPS, faster processor of the 3GS series and 3G data, so I felt the iPhone for me was a better bundle than the iTouch. Now the iPad would be a very serious option.

A couple of thoughts do cross my mind.

In the presentation Steve Jobs points out they believe they are creating a third market. The iPhone, the notebook and now the iPad. Due to the size of the iPad, I can't help think, would I be bothered with carrying the unit around. I have a netbook which to me is a great product, but I don't carry that around with me on a day to day basis, but I do carry around the iPhone because of its size. The netbook has been fantastic when travelling in Australia and overseas. It has also been a great help when I've needed to carry my Windows applications with me. But I rarely take the netbook with me on a daily basis and I wonder if the same would be true of the iPad.

The next feeling I get is the Apple product is for those who just want to use the technology. As an IT person I want to more than use the technology. I want to tailor it to my needs and my clients' needs. The closed shop approach of Apple doesn't appeal to me. I can however get around that by doing everything on the internet. With cloud computing options improving, that approach isn't a bad option. For those who just want to be a consumer of the product, it looks like an excellent product. I get the feeling that perhaps the IT market of old is slowly going and even I will soon largely be a user of the technology. That may even be a good thing as it shows the market has matured.

I'm not usually an Apple fan, but with the iPhone and now the iPad, I have to say I feel Apple are producing products which package together many features I want at an affordable price.

There are still things I would like to see in the iPhone and iPad, but since I don't have the technical skills, as a consumer I have to accept if I use the products, I have to accept the limitations.

Overall, full credit to Apple for what looks like an excellent product. I'll be very interested to check out the  iPad when it comes to the local Apple store.

- Kelvin