So, I got my iPad on the day of release. No, I didn't stand in line at an Apple store. I sauntered into Best Buy that Saturday thinking I might be able to play with a demo, and found there were plenty left to buy. Since then, it's been with me most of the time as I explore it.
Detractors of the iPad point out that it's simply a big Ipod Touch. They are partially right. The technology is the same, other than the Apple A4 processor, which is what gives it its noticeable speed. So the iPad is not anything earth-shattering technically, but that misses the point. The Newton was a technical tour de force, but it had very little impact on the computing culture in general.
The thing that sets the iPad apart is the user experience, which is always the bottom line with Apple. When you are holding one in your hands, if feels about the same as a thin trade paperback. Only you can surf the web on this trade paperback. It can do all the things that you can do on your iPhone/iPod Touch, but the screen size really DOES make a difference, and sets it into a category all of its own. The Apple apps that ship with it are elegant - the calendar app reminds me of my old Franklin-Covey binder. And many of the updated iPhone apps are simply breathtaking.
As some commentators have noted, the iPad is still waiting for its "Killer App," the thing that other devices cannot do. The closest thing I have seen is the Alice in Wonderland app, which takes the pop-up book to an extreme level. But I can think of all sorts of areas, especially medicine, where the ability and form factor of the iPad could create a paradigm shift. On a personal level, I can lay on my back in the grass at night and use a planetarium app to help me locate constellations - something impractical with a laptop or iPhone. It's also great in my GTD (Getting Things Done) workflow. I used to use a number of paper-capture devices for meetings and such that a laptop would be too bulky for. Now I carry my iPad and use Evernote, synching my meeting notes over all my devices.
But the thing that has fascinated me the most is watching people who do not like technology work with iPads. My wife Micky is not afraid of technology, but needs to be convinced that the tech way is better than another way. The iPad was the first piece of tech she has ever told me she wanted rather than having to have me convince her of it. Watching her typical use, she no longer needs a laptop except to synch the iPad. Everything she typically needs to do on a computer works better and more conveniently on the iPad. She also has a iPhone, but it had not filled that gap completely.
The even more interesting example is my Stepfather In-Law. He's a native Kentuckian from a small town - a very intelligent man but largely a luddite. He would rather have a rod and reel in his hand than a mouse any day. For two days of their visit, he sat in my recliner and played with an iPad. At one point he said, "I never liked the Internet, but I like this!" If Apple can build a product that he likes that much, and at less than half the price of a laptop, I think they've got a winning combination. Geeks may decry specs or a locked-down system, but I think Apple will be laughing all the way to the bank as they sell thousands to ordinary people.
The computing world has changed. Maybe just a small shift for now, but I think we really are seeing the beginning of a major change in the way people interact with their technology.
--Addendum
One thing I forgot to mention that links up with my review of gaming systems for kids below is that a two-player version of Smallworld is available on the iPad for $4. It is a pretty amazing adaptation and allows me to carry a game for us wherever we go.
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