adayinthelifeofanintmkter: Open Thread: Is the iPad a Flop?

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Open Thread: Is the iPad a Flop?

So far, the reaction to Apple's iPad has been very mixed. For some, the absence of a camera is a deal breaker, while others bemoan that Apple still doesn't allow multitasking on its iPhone OS and that Safari still doesn't support Flash. Others, however, are excited about the iPad's potential as an e-book reader and gaming device. Here at ReadWriteWeb, opinions are still mixed as well. Reactions among our writers range from advising people to wait for the iPad 2.0 to giddy excitement about the prospect of a better couch-surfing device.

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Tech Pundits: Mixed Reactions

All of the tech pundits who attended the launch event and actually used the device for a few minutes were impressed by the iPad's speed. John Gruber, who also wrote one of the most balanced evaluations of the iPad launch so far, went as far as to argue that Apple's A4 processor is the iPad's most revolutionary feature.

Walt Mossberg is cautiously optimistic about the iPad's potential. Mossberg says that the software "looked impressive," but also notes that the virtual keyboard "may be a liability." In the New York Times, David Pogue writes that just calling the iPad a big iPod touch doesn't do it justice, and that the iPad "as an e-book reader is a no-brainer." Pogue also cautions critics that it's too early to draw any conclusions. Nobody, after all, has really used the device yet and we haven't seen any iPad-only apps that really push the device to its limits.

Stephen Fry puts the launch into a historical context and notes that quite a few pundits expected Apple's iPhone to be a flop as well. MG Siegler, on the other hand, looks forward and says that holding the iPad is "like holding the future" (if you are already used to the iPod touch and iPhone).

A Paradigm Shift?

Nicholas Carr and Slate's Farhad Manjoo take a slightly different angle. Both argue that the iPad will represent a paradigm shift in how we look at our computers. Manjoo lauds the iPad's interface and ease of use and thinks that using the the iPhone represents a breakthrough in doing away with the old multi-window desktop metaphor. Carr writes that the success of the iPad is not a sure bet, but also argues that "whether it finds mainstream success or not, there's no going back; we've entered a new era of computing, in which media and software have merged in the Internet cloud."

Indeed, just like the iPhone changed our expectations of what mobile phones should be able to do, the iPad might just change our expectations of how laptops should work and what they should look like.

What do You Think? Let us Know!

What do you think? Is the iPad just an oversized and overhyped iPod touch, or is there more to it? Is it a Kindle killer and an awesome gaming device that will replace your Kindle and iPod touch? Does it represent a paradigm shift in how we will look at our computers in the future? Are you going to wait for iPad 2.0? Or are you waiting to give it a try at the Apple store before you render your final judgment?

Let us know your opinion in the comments.