After saying I didn’t want to be a fanboy, I’m posting about the new Apple iPad on the same day as getting an iMac, though it’s hard to get away from all the exposure this new gadget is getting.
It seems to be getting great reviews. I’m sure it’s a capable device, I just can’t figure out what it’s for. Well, I can’t think of any reason why I would get it.
To me it seems like a glorified touch. I was lucky enough to get an 8gb touch for free a few months before it came out in the UK as some poker company sent me it as a gift. I loved it at first but after a month or so the novelty of using wifi went away and I was left with a music player that wasn’t very practical for me. That is, an mp3 player which was a pain in the ass to use at the gym or in the car as you had to go through a few screens via a menu to change things rather than just click a button.
However, I am aware that millions of people love the nano, touch and iPhone. The music player aspect of the iPad is the only thing that appeals to me. I guess it would be good as a home media player and would allow people to browse and play music easily. Though this can already be done with the touch and classic ipods and if I wanted something bigger for the home, I’d be inclined to get a budget all in one pc which runs windows to do that.
A few people have noted that it is being released in the USA for only $10 more than the Amazon Kindle. However, I really don’t think they should be compared. The Kindle was designed specifically for reading ebooks and has various settings for reading in light and dark conditions. I can’t imagine reading an ebook via the iPad outside is practical or easy on the eyes. I may be mistaken though.
Of course, I’m sure the device has lots of great features. I just can’t think of any reason why I would want an iPad. It does seem to be a bit overhyped. I mean it should have been called the iTouch Large or something like that though obviously that isn’t going to shift as many units.
When I normally read about a new gadget I think ‘I want one’, even when I really don’t have any need for it. Though I don’t think that about the iPad. Perhaps I’m missing something but it just seems like a large iTouch with a faster processor. It’s too big to put in your pocket so you would need to carry it around in a bag. And if you are doing that, why not just get a fast netbook with a flash hard drive?
What do you think of the iPad? Is it overhyped or do you think it could be a useful device?
:)