It's Not All Peaches and Cream About The iPad...

[Jeff Campbell]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.macworld.com/article/145976/ipadissues.html?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a38:g26:r10:c0.014835:b30134360:z0' target='_blank'>http://www.macworld.com/article/145...35:b30134360:z0</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"My colleague Dan Frakes has chimed in with his take on the five best surprises from the iPad's launch. I'm in total agreement with his list-well, except for the name thing. The iPad's design is elegant, the size seems about right for a device designed to surf the wWeb and handle e-mail and e-book reading. I really want to buy one..."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1264960943.usr105634.jpg" /></p><p>But he has reservations, although mine are quickly fading. The only thing he points out that I'm hoping they do fix when it comes out (hopefully with new OS for the iPhone as well) is the multi-tasking, or lack thereof. For a device such as this I think it really hinders it's usage if you don't have multi-tasking. The video camera? Nice but not essential for my needs however I can see that it would be beneficial for video chat. The lack of flash, no GPS on certain models and the video limitations don't really bother me for what I'm contemplating my usage might be for this device. What are your thoughts?</p>

[possmann]

Like most of us (I assume) I am devouring everything I can about the iPad - from all viewpoints. Frankly, for me, I cannot wait to BUY one sight unseen! Sign me up for the 16GIG WIFI one - that would be perfect for what I intend using it for. IN FACT, I may go so far as to get 2 - one for my 84 year old father who is a bit fed-up with sitting down at his computer station but doesn't want to deal with a laptop.

Of course there are shortcomings - there always are shortcomings with any 1.0 released product. During the process of launching the item someone will always identify a change that will have to be pushed back a back to a later release. That is the nature of all things - especially in the software and technology world.

The question you have to ask yourself is, for how you intend on using this device, are those items really "shortcomings"?

[Jeff Campbell]

The question you have to ask yourself is, for how you intend on using this device, are those items really "shortcomings"?

Good Point!!

[ptyork]

The question you have to ask yourself is, for how you intend on using this device, are those items really "shortcomings"?

I have major issue with only a few of the technical shortcomings (mostly the lack of multi-tasking, really). But the price, form factor, and battery life are right on. However, the real problem is that I would intend to use this device in exactly the same way that I currently use my iPhone. So I'd be pissing away $500+ so that I could keep my iPhone in my pocket when I'm sitting on the couch and just have a hankering to, err, browse something. And since my eyes would literally fall out of my head if I spent any more time in front of a backlit LCD screen trying to read books, well, I just don't see the use for this type of device.

[Macguy59]

As I've said before when I look at what I use laptop for . . . 90% of the time it's for email, web browsing, reading news papers online and Quickbooks online. All of which can be done easily (and better) using the tablet. And since I had planned on buying the Nook before the announcement that it does ebooks is pure icing so I'm exactly the target market for it. But I can see that this device just won't work for some people and that's ok.

[jem]

Maybe if I didn't already have an iPhone, I could justify it, but right now I can't. I have a Sony ereader, and love it, and I love the iPhone. I like being able to pull up the iPhone map and find a location on the fly, and I couldn't do that with the iPad because it's too big to haul around all the time. I guess I'm not the target market.

[Taltoz]

I can see where multitasking could be useful but for me it would probably not be worth the battery drain. I am assuming that it will "multitask" the same as the iPhone so iTunes music will still play in the background. The camera thing is, in my opinion, overblown given how you would have to hold this to get the camera at the correct angle. I am looking forward to getting my hands on one and will probably be buying one for myself and one for my wife.