Ok, so here’s my reaction to the (poorly named) iPad.  Several people I know immediately reacted to the Apple iPad launch with a basic thought of:

it looks cool, but I can’t see what I’d use this for.

I think the basic idea of the iPad is extremely useful.  At least, as far as I interface with technology.  At the moment I have 3 Apple products that I use for a variety of things.

• My desktop iMac functions as the main workstation.  At this machine I can write a dissertation, compose a song, and do general work related stuff.
• My laptop is for general use.  Browsing the web, email, some light word processing, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook.  General ‘non-work’ computer stuff.
• My iPhone is obviously a useful phone, email reader, twitter updater, texter, and used to settle bar bets with its easy access to Wikipedia.

So this new guy, the iPad comes along and doesn’t fit neatly into one of the three categories.  If you step back for a second, you can see that it could theoretically substitute for 2 of my devices (minus phone calls) immediately.  However, I don’t think this is what it’s really for either.  I think you have to look broader:

For months and years, the newspaper industry has been decrying the death of its medium.  No one will buy newspapers anymore because they can get information on the internet for free, instantly updated, without destroying trees, wherever and whenever news happens.

People have started clamoring for eBook readers for a few years now.  They are a bit goofy to use (I got one re-gifted to me, and to be honest, it’s not that great of an interface.)  The idea is to not have a room in your house devoted to holding hundreds or thousands of books when you can physically only read one at a time (even though I do sympathize with the people who miss the look/feel/smell of a book).

This overpriced for its target use device can be used in a number of ways, but it can’t be stuck into any of the above mentioned three categories.  It’s not a new technology, it’s a new method of interaction.

Imagine all the things used on your computer that aren’t used for work.  RSS reader, personal email, web browsing, reading books, etc.  All of these things require only a little computational horsepower.  Now imagine all the devices (physical and technological) that are required for these things (books, magazines, computers, keyboards, mice, desks, computer chairs, USB connections, etc.).

This new device is not a fill in for a laptop.  Laptops are too powerful at this point to simply be stuck idly sucking down battery for reading a book, or tweeting, etc.  It’s not tiny and clumsy like the interface (and slow processor) of an iPhone.

This is the thing that you can watch a quick vid on YouTube, tweet about it, and lay it down.  You can read a book and not have to carry around a laptop bag with a charger, a case, and the 4-5 pounds of weight.

Now, I agree, even at $500 this isn’t quite feasible yet.  Maybe when it gets down to the $250 range (for non-3G, 16GB) we’ll start talking.