What do you think.

I am looking for something that I can just use for reading PDF eBooks and to be honest I find the Amazon Kindle DX with digital ink and two weeks battery life a more compelling proposition.

The iPad doesnt really offer that much more than i can already do with my iPhone.

Until new applications are developed which the iPhone doesn't support, I still would settle for the iPhone.

My personal opinion: over-rated crap.
I hate it...I wouldn't get one even it's for free

I can see how it can be useful. Like for college students, they can print it to class or the library without having to lug the Macbook around.

Good for when you are at lunch in the dining hall to just do some quick web surfing.

Over rated hype, I have the iPhone and I'm not sure I would find any additional use for the iPAD. i would rather stick with my dell network as its more flexible. However it does not stop me wanting an iPad.... apple just have that special way to make you want there stuff over anything else..

Originally Posted by TWD

The iPad doesnt really offer that much more than i can already do with my iPhone.

That's currently very true but you have to look at the concept more than anything else to see the broader picture.

For the average person a PC + operating system is far too complicated a thing to understand and deal with all the complexities that can arise. What the new breed of tablet computers is doing is removing the complexity and giving folks easy to use devices without the hassle.

The iPad is just the first device that encompasses just the common needs, email, web, photos, games, office, which is what 95% of people do anyway. Anything else is solely the realm of "specialist" computer uses who do need a full OS.

Apple has made the first step with the iPad and others will follow. I'll bet my boots on Google announcing their own tablet withing 12-18 months - it's too big a trend to mis, and they've already got an OS to use

Originally Posted by blue-dreamer

For the average person a PC + operating system is far too complicated a thing to understand and deal with all the complexities that can arise. What the new breed of tablet computers is doing is removing the complexity and giving folks easy to use devices without the hassle.

I was considering one for my Mum for that very reason.
Too bad the iPad doesnt have built in camera. So we cant easlily Skype video.

Also, i dont know about the lack of proper keyboard.
I couldnt visualize myself getting much work done without one.

And then there is the complication of iPad not supporting Flash, which means a lot of broken websites.

Over-rated hype. No USB or Flash support? I think I'll wait til version 2.0

It's certainly an overrated hype considering the fact that it has pretty low memory, without flash and more so the shape and the size of it.

Out of curiosity how many of you who think the iPad is overrated hype have actually spent any time using one? Or are your opinions based on a general dislike for anything Apple or the lack of a feature you may or may not even miss?

I won't suggest everyone needs to rush out an buy an iPad, but considering 2 million people already have in the first 2 months it was on sale it strikes me there's a lot more than hype going on. Many people who have bought iPads wouldn't have thought they had a real need for one, and now have a hard time seeing how they could live without it.

It's not for everyone and you personally may have no reason to get one now or ever, but calling it overrated hype seems a little silly given the mounting evidence that the iPad is far from overrated or hyped.

I enjoy web-browsing, viewing pictures and long videos while on bed so that thing has a space on my lap. A netbook is also capable for videos but iPad can view it at any orientation therefore more porn friendly

Originally Posted by fiberglass

I enjoy web-browsing, viewing pictures and long videos while on bed so that thing has a space on my lap. A netbook is also capable for videos but iPad can view it at any orientation therefore more porn friendly

Too much information I think.

Originally Posted by fiberglass

I enjoy web-browsing, viewing pictures and long videos while on bed so that thing has a space on my lap. A netbook is also capable for videos but iPad can view it at any orientation therefore more porn friendly

Oh-My-God...TMI much?

I think the iPad is great for Facebooking while in bed.

I would rather have a simple laptop, they are cheaper and i hate apple products.

Thank you for your dialogue fun

The lack of USB connection and built in camera, for now I would say it is crap yes.

I think it's cool device but I don't think it defers that much from the iphone... just the size.. it's even unfonfortable because you have to use it in your lap... just too big.

because you have to use it in your lap... just too big.

As opposed to a laptop which you balance on your finger.

I like the ergonomics, tactile feel of a real keyboard.
I can touch type and crank out words at a rate of knots.
But on a flat screen surface (like the iPhone) I am reduced to
the two finger "hunt and peck" mode.
So there is a huge productivity disadvantage.
This is where iPad looses points to Netbooks in my opinion.

Also the lack of multitasking is a bit of a deal breaker since
mostly when working on PC I have several windows open
at the same time. I think the next version might have that feature
though.

Reading the reviews from attendees at the Apple WWDC it sounds
like the new iPhone (and next iPad presumably) will have 328 pixels per inch screen resolution which means crisper text.

As much as I want something to do my offline reading with right now, I am tempted to just hold out a bit longer and see how big an improvement the next iPad will be.

TWD, I don't think the software keyboard on an iPad is something you'd want to use to write your next novel, but it could certainly work for an email. If you hold it landscape it's not too bad. Granted that's from a few minutes testing at the Apple store since I don't currently own an iPad.

If you're wanting to do more serious typing you'd want to get either the keyboard dock or a wireless keyboard.

Multi-tasking is coming for the iPhone in a week and the iPad this fall.

A lot of people want to criticize the iPad for not being a full computer, but it's not meant to be. Most of us here are power users, but we're a very small % of computer users. The iPad isn't specifically being made for us, at least not us as power users.

It's meant for the majority who only want to surf the web, watch a video, read an ebook, and check their email. For those and other media consumption things the iPad is really perfect. For example my mom has been talking about getting a laptop for years. She really only wants it so she can check email in any room of the house and to surf the web. A laptop would be overkill. An iPad would be perfect.

I'm with you on holding out for the next version. I figure it'll cost less and have more and be a better value and it'll give developers more time to create apps specific for the iPad. What I'd really like to see is a way to interact with the screen with a touch sensitive pen like on the Wacom tablets. I don't think it's coming, but it's my wish. For typing I'll likely get the smallest wireless keyboard I feel comfortable typing on. The combination of iPad and keyboard will still be more mobile than my laptop and will probably handle 75% or more of what I need a computer to do.

I won't be giving up my laptop at all, but it's easy to see myself using an iPad about as much as the laptop in a year or so.

By the way my comment above wasn't directed at you. Unlike the majority in this thread I think you've actually thought about this. Some people will criticize Apple (or Microsoft or Google or…) just because they feel the need to criticize the company in question and anything that company creates.

Anyone who picks up an iPad and uses it for a few minutes can see how the touch interface is going to replace the mouse driven inputs we mostly use today. Not to say everyone will have an iPad, but computing will likely push toward more tablet like devices in general.