The Apple iPad Hype, in a Nutshell
January 27th, 2010 · apple, gadgets, ipad, news, tablet, video
Apple iPad
I usually don’t write about stuff with this much hype, but for some reason, I feel compelled to give my two cents on the subject.
I’m not very impressed with Apple’s new tablet, and many others were left underwhelmed as well. The months of rumors and speculation that hyped up the device and set our expectations too high didn’t help either. The name itself has generated a lot of laughs, and everyone’s wondering what to make of this.
Is this a dud, or is this Apple’s next big thing? I don’t know for sure, but I can at least summarize the highlights of today’s events and link you to some relevant resources to help you decide for yourself.
The Event
Sites like CrunchGear and Engadget were blogging about the event live. The rumors were finally put to rest as Apple unveiled their tablet:
- Looks as expected, but the name was a bit of a surprise: it’s called the iPad.
- It’s got WiFi, an accelerometer, multi-touch, bluetooth, and it’s basically running the iPhone OS.
- More expensive models have more storage and 3G.
- iPhone apps run in it, either in iPhone resolution or in “double pixel mode.”
- Has a bookstore called iBooks.
- Will have games from EA and other game publishers.
- Costs anywhere from $499 to $829
Many were quick to point out what the iPad lacks:
- No multitasking
- No camera
- No USB port
- No SD slot
- No Flash, although Adobe seems to be working on that.
The Reactions
I don’t think Apple got the reaction they wanted. While there is a fair amount of positive reaction, most of it is mixed or negative.
Don’t take my word for it; read some of these articles:
- The iPad: Our Take
- The Anti-Hype: Why Apple’s iPad Disapponts
- POLL: Do You Plan to Buy the Apple iPad?
- iPad Poll: Yea or Nay?
- 8 Things That Suck About the iPad
There’s also plenty of speculation as to what the iPad means for its competitors:
My favorite reaction to the iPad is the trending topic that it spawned: the iTampon. ‘iTampon” was a trending topic for most of the day, hilariously enough. The iPad does sound like a feminine product, and as it turns out, Mad TV already capitalized on this joke… four years ago:
All jokes aside, will the iPad live up to its hype? So far, it’s not looking so. Some say that once it comes out and has a few “generations” of updates and additions, it’ll dominate the mobile gaming and e-book reader markets. Others say the iPad is stuck in an awkward category between smartphones and laptops, and if you have both of those, why get an iPad?
Once the iPad gets a webcam, Flash support, and a native SD slot, I might consider getting one. Until then, I’m happy with my Kindle, and these iPad alternatives are looking more appealing:
- JooJoo (unlike the iPad, it includes a camera, a USB port, and a higher resolution)
- HP Slate
- Google Tablet (only a rumor, but considering how many Google apps I use, I’m very interested)
So there you have it, folks. By the end of the day, we have a new Apple product, a running joke about tampons, and a slight wonder in our heads about the future of mobile technology.
Photo from Apple
