Tada! So now we have the iPad. The next magical thing marketed by the wizard called Jobs, promising to create a niche of its own in the market, reign it, revolutionarize all of us. Wow!
And Tada! I think i need two of them, here is my 'much awaited' (why, it is - I've been eagerly looking forward to the day I post this) iPad review. 'So what?' Is that what you are raising your eyebrow for? How is this one different from a hundred others, written by nerds around the world? Well, it is different actually. I'll tell you how.
Primarily because: I haven't touched the iPad. Not even seen it for real. Infact I have no hope that I might actually get to see one in the next 2 years. That's precisely why I write this review - without delving into the specs or rambling about how smooth the interface is, I'll just tell you what I think about the product from what I hear. Simply put, this review is not about what the iPad is for a customer/user and should you buy it - its more about what it means to casual onlooker, like me - who's just interested with what's hot on the tech-sphere. Less a product review and more a 'buzz-review'. I think I need some credits for coining that cool term!
Till the day of launch, things seemed to be colourful enough to most people. Somehow, I remained skeptical. The idea of a 'blown-up iPhone' remained just that to me - a blown up phone. Ugh! And then, last saturday it happened. Like I anticipated, the sales figures didn't quite match the amazing figures that Apple gets normally with it product launches. A few points lost there.
Sunday afternoon, I checked out the top technology news sites again. And guess what I saw, hordes after hordes of complaints. Heating issues, battery life, battery charging issues, and more freqently, issues with WiFi. Oh, Apple, I think that's a lot of points you lose there.
Lets now look at a few things iPad promised to be and where it ended up.
'The bridging device between your netbook and your phone' - do people really need a bridge there? The netbook itself is a bridge device, in fact.
Gaming: Neither here do I see a point too. For motion-sensing kind of casual games, I think iPad is slightly too bulky and iPhone might do a better job. For the slightly more serious genre, the presence of hardware peripherals, and better powered insides of a regular laptop is indeed better.
Web and Applications: Web browsing, I admit, is one arena that the iPad will shine in. Touch interface will be a boon, especially with many sites launching special touch-optimized versions. About apps, I have mixed feelings. True, the App Store is a wonderful place that sells wonderful apps. Anyway, I don't really like the idea of running productivity apps on a platform that was primarily designed for phones.
And some other things - e-book - no, the sunlight readability is poor and display is less paperlike. Digital photo frame - yes, it makes a really cool one. Movies and entertainment - maybe, but I'll pass.
So what does this all come down to? Time for the verdict for 'should we really be fans'? I think the iPad is just an okay-okay kind of stuff, and doesn't deserve accolades that the iPhone got. Maybe it won't be as bad a product like the Macbook Air, but still doesn't manage to hit the 'great' spot. Sure, it's gonna get a lot more better in the coming days with upgrades, incremental updates and all that. But somehow, I'm left with the feeling that the iPad will remain just a non-essential device that neither isn't revolutionary enough.
Bottomline: I don't like the iPad.
COMING UP NEXT: Where do emotions come from? Are we the ones who choose how we feel?
