Apple iPad, Worth the Price?
A lot of hype was made last week when Steve Jobs introduced the new Apple iPad, tablet computer. The iPad is a tablet computer that will function similarly to that of a 3G Smartphone, but feature a 9.7 inch touch screen.
Like Apple’s iPhone, the iPad will allow users to surf the web, email, watch movies, and of course access the 100,000s of apps available on iTunes. But is all that hype really worth the $499 price tag? The iPad is designed to be a jack of all trades, it reads books like a Kindle, surfs the web like a netbook, and has apps like a Smartphone, all in one package (a very sharp aesthetically pleasing package). However, it is rather disconcerting that although the iPad has so many functions, it seems to do few well. The full color screen is great for surfing the web but not so great for reading books.
3G connectivity has to be paid for just like a phone or netbook, but there is no included camera or GPS application. Also, although the iPad will run iWork, it does not support multi-tasking. Only time will tell if the iPad’s features are really worth the price. 
I think $499 is a fair price. I wouldn’t complain about it since everyone thought it was going to be around $799 and up anyways… you should be happy anyways that they even came out with the iPad (not really considered a tablet to me, considering no desktop Os, large memory, better processor). Trust me, I am no Apple fanboy, and I don’t own a single Apple product due to the ridiculous prices (except for the iPod touch which I sold), but I will get this considering it’s cheap. And since the 64 GB iPod touch is $399, what would they price it at in the first place? if the priced it at that the 64 GB iPod touch’s market would drop. Sorry for my comment being so long.
It does not support “pure” multitasking. But several Apple tasks will multitask. and the kernel actuall does support multitasking.
Huh?
Why is the iPad inferior for reading books? I read books on the Kindle App on iPod Touch. Why should the iPad not be at least as good? And the pages turn quickly — as quickly as you want, in fact — whereas the Kindle is annoyingly slow on page turns. It’s also (unlike the Kindle App on the iPhone) in black and white, even where book illustrations are in color.
As for “no GPS applications”, a ‘GPS’ keyword search on the iPhone => iPad App store shows 2,340 applications, nearly all of which will work on the (3G) iPad. Yes, it is true that you will be able to buy an iPad without GPS (the WiFi only models), but if I want GPS, I just get one of the 3G models, without 3G connectivity, if I do not need it.
If I do need 3G connectivity, it does NOT have to be paid for “just like” the iPhone. Unlike the phone, it does not require a contract.
What exactly does the iPad not do well? It’s faster (a lot) than any consumer-level computer I’ve every seen.
I see the iPad as a device that does a number of things, reading, web browsing, e-mail, calendar, apps, etc., “good enough”. Is it the best platform for any of them? No, not really, but it does some things better than a netbook, does lots of things a dedicated e-book reader can’t, etc. in a form factor that’s convenient and very attractive, for a price that is higher than any single function device available, but significantly lower than the combined price of a Kindle DX, netbook and PDA.
It is obvious that with its current features, iPad is an overpriced incapable machine sold by the Apple Hype Machine. Stay clear.
Forgive the bias, but
“great for surfing the web but not so great for reading books.” Why not? How do you know. Please explain.
“3G connectivity has to be paid for just like a phone or netbook,” Duurrr. or did you want Steve Jobs to wave this particular fee?
What “new” information do you have that’s worth the post??