It’s the first hands-on review of the Apple Tablet!

[Cander]

In all cases: If you want a specific feature, then $500 at least is a lot to ask for. If you are talking an all rounder, then the closest thing to this device (and I mean closest) is the iPod touch, which is $184. You are shelling out $316 for a bigger screen for apparently a better internet viewing experience, support for book reading with an unknown library database, a questionable work device, and a better video watching playback experience - and bear in mind the cheapest version doesn't even come with 3G, and if you do get the 3G option, that's another monthly payment being taken from your bank. I'm a student, and if I was forced to choose an Apple product to buy out of the iPhone, the iPod touch, or the iPad (and if shooting myself wasn't an option), then I'd go for the iPod touch simply because it is a smaller, more useful clone of the iPad.

Instead of answering all your points, I will just address this last paragraph as it sums up exactly the problem you have understanding how this is a consumer device. I don't mean for that sound as harsh as it does. So don't take that as an attack. The main point being, you think like a techie. That is not a bad thing, it is just the wrong way to think about this device.

You, as many other people, are too focused on seperate features and saying X device can do X better and cheaper. Y device can do Y better and cheaper. Well what device can do X and Y and Z very well for what is not very expensive AND be an enjoyable experience? That is the question you should ask as that is the important one. Sure you say the iPod Touch can do all those things cheaper, but have you tried reading a book on an iPod Touch? While the iPod Touch is great for on the go little device for quickly checking on web sites or other bits of media and data, something bigger is WAY better for experiencing that media. Especially around the house. And around the house is more the focus of this device anyway. While it is mobile, it is still focused on being a device you can easily take anywhere in the house. I will touch back on this point later to discuss why this is important and how it changes your average consumer computing experience. I want to get to some of the other things first.

To address your issue about eBooks, Apple is working with the majors of book publishing like Harper Collins and Simon and Schuster. Those are not the only ones. They mentioned at least 5 or 6 publishers. And the prices are actually very competetive to the Amazon store. In the event keynote you can see prices ranging from $4.99 to $14.99. $14.99 being new releases. They are also in the ePub format so before anyone starts shouting about proprietary formats, they can stop now. This certainly makes buying from the Apple book store much more attractive over Amazons proprietary AZW format. And if the Amazon and B&N book stores still 'float your boat' there are iPhone/iPod Touch versions of their apps available in the App Store that should work on the iPad.

The 3G point really isn't worth addressing. How many devices of this size come with 3G? And when a USB connected 3G modem can cost up to and over $200, that point loses any meaning in the discussion and makes using the 3G models of the iPad as a comparisson point against devices without 3G pure spin. And in particular when you are using the iPod Touch as a comparison point that does not have 3G, let alone away to attach 3G to it at all.

To understand what is important about this, you have to go back many years to Bill Gates' book "The Road Ahead" as well as many of his CES keynotes back in the day. He was all about the internet appliance. Devices for the consumer for the consumption of the internet and our media. And that is what we are getting. Not a computer. But an appliance. This is the kind of device the average consumer will get a lot of use out of around the house. Imagine this. A device that docks to a keyboard for working on your financials, writing letters, or other productivity task at your home office. When you are done, undock it and either dock it to your TV to watch movies off the device, or keep it in your lap on the couch to browse the web while watching NBC. Need to go drop your kids off at the Super Bowl (metaphor alert ), take it with you to the bathroom to read a book. Add in the possiblites of mobile gaming AND the quite real possiblity due to new APIs in the latest SDK that a dock could be created to play the games on your TV where the dock handle the control inputs and pushing the game display to your TV. And yeah I know, netbooks are cheaper and can do all that too. Well can you do all that and have it be an actual enjoyable experience? Every try reading an eBook on a netbook in the bathroom or on the couch? Ever try playing a game on a netbook on the couch? Not exactly ideal. The netbook is great, on a desk, but the experience is far from ideal.

Again, and I cannot stress this enough, this is a consumer focused computing appliance. Not a tech geek toy and not a computer. I hope none of that came off as too much of an attack on anyone. That was not the intention. Just saying geeks think like geeks. You need to think like your customer to understand the usefulness of this device to them. They need easy access. They need slick interfaces. They need one stop locations for all their media purchases. We may not need it, but many consumers do.

Last point I want to make, is reserve final judgement on this device until at least WWDC. I am fairly sure the next major point release of the iPhone OS (4.0) will be shown off then. As of now the iPad is only running a minor point release (3.2). This event was just to show off the basics of the device.
I need my coffee now.