The iPad doesn’t need to do everything

Totally agree for myself - I still use my Laptop from 9:00 - 6:00 AM) - The iPad doesn't do everything. In fact, it doesn't do a _lot_ of things very well. I use my (unJailBroken) iPad about 3-4 hours a day. Here is where it is Bad:<p><pre><code> o Multi Tasking (Switching between email, irc, IM, web, Terminal - don't even try to do all at once. o Long Form Typing o Terminal Sessions o Sunlit Use </code></pre> Here is where I _really_ use it:<p><pre><code> o Games (Field Runners, PinBall, MirrorsEdge, PvZ) o In Person Social (Photos, Web Pages, Games when hanging out) o Video (I watch all my TV through iTunes on my iPad) o WSJ - Guaranteed - 45 minutes a day. Awesome App. o Good Reader (for PDFs) o Kindle - though not as much as I thought I would. o Email/Calendar - though not that much better than my iPhone. o Time Magazine. (First time I've read Time in 4+ Years, now I read it weekly) o Marvel (I'm addicted) </code></pre> With the exception of meetings in the office, where I still carry my Laptop, the iPad hasn't been more than 15' away from me in 30 days.<p>Can't wait to see what Applications are built over the next year.

At this point, it looks like a consensus is emerging: The death of the general purpose computer is greatly exaggerated.<p>The iPad is a great tool for consuming information, but not so good at communications or creation. A month in, I've never heard of anyone doing serious work on an iPad despite Apple's efforts to shoehorn a full office suite into the thing.<p>However, people love it despite the limitations. The iPad's a device that's just plain <i>fun</i>, and that counts for a whole heck of a lot. Apple will probably sell millions of them, and it looks like they have a good shot at creating an enduring category.

My iPad gets a ton of usage. It's almost replaced paper for me. Instead of sketching out notes and ideas on paper, I use Adobe Ideas on the iPad.. I get a permanent record and it's even better than paper (bigger canvas, colors, etc). This is about the only "content creation" I do with it, but a <i>very</i> essential activity.. I'm getting a lot more done thanks to this.<p>Beyond that, it can't be beat for checking e-mail and the Web just before going to sleep/after waking up, in the bathroom, or while sitting on the couch.<p>I've also started to read a lot more. I haven't had any weight issues with it at all, but I have a 9 month old baby so I'm used to holding a ton of weight in awkward positions for ages.. :-)

The iPad is an information display and user interface device which can also leverage computation.<p>Take a look at the music applications available. TouchOSC is revelatory. It doesn't make music. It's a meta-tool. It lets you construct your own controls for musical instruments. (Actually, other devices can use Open Sound Controller signals as well.)

I love to use my iPad <i>with</i> my computer. When doing work it's a calculator, notepad, every scientific PDF I own, another browser window, email. It goes under paper and notebooks, gets tossed around. In a very real way it's a computer window I've pulled out into meatspace. I kind of want another, though the price is too much for two.<p>My computer is almost exclusively emacs or maybe Illustrator/Photoshop.<p>In this sort of setup, the iPad <i>shines</i> for me.

Why do we need to rationalize this device? Didn't we all agree in January that the iPad is indeed a slick product, but serves really no purpose for the average hacker. Now it's out and you bought it anyway because you couldn't resist Apple of course. And your defending yourself with statements how much fun it is to play games or read news websites on it. Congratulations. RDF in action.

What I'd really like to see is some research into how much of the difference between Apple and its competitors is the placebo effect. People expect Apple products to be easy to use, and when they find something that's difficult, "It wasn't designed for that."<p>You look at Android or Windows or Linux by contrast, and when it's difficult to do something, it's because their design teams are much weaker than Apple's. Sure, the iPad doesn't have to do everything. But if you approach a netbook or a non-Apple tablet with the same "It's an Apple, so it must be good" mentality, is the iPad really worth the price premium?

Marco is right on as usual. My use of the iPad is similar anyway.<p>While you might be better off with a MacBook Air if you find yourself using iPad + keyboard a lot, it's still about $1000 cheaper to get the iPad.

iPod in 2001: physical click wheel, 500 dollars, 5gb and Mac only<p>iPod in 2010: touch screen, 199, 16gb, and makes calls/high speed Internet<p>It will get there.

I've read 11 books so far on my iPad. So, as a reading device, I'm very satisfied with it.