Apple’s just unveiled their new iPad. It’s basically a cross between a Laptop and an iPhone. You can see all the glorious tiny details on Apple’s website (apple.com/ipad) but let’s discuss first impressions.
When Steve Jobs unveiled the beautiful, huge, ridiculously thin, touch screen device I got very excited. But then he started talking about what it did. It’s nothing groundbreaking. My first impression is of a glorified iPhone, minus the camera and GPS. I was hoping for a full blown touch screen computer, which would mean no more horrible keyboards and mice, just pure finger freedom. I was hoping to be shocked and make oooo, ahhh noises just like the moment the iPhone was revealed but there was none of that.
Don’t get me wrong, the device is great to look at, and probably fun to use but there is no must buy factor. If you have an iPhone or even an iTouch then there is no great appeal to the iPad. In fact, even if you don’t I would rather have an iPhone simply because it’s easier to cart around.
Maybe the problem is the huge hype, such intense hype that even if the iPad shot lasers it wouldn’t have lived up to it. I was practically expecting a unicorn to prance across the stage today, but I was disappointed.
We’ll have to wait and see if Apple has anything more up their sleeves, but for the time being, I’m not interested.