Apple Tampon... ewwwwweeeeeeeee.
Wikipedia [1 Feb 2010] says, "The iPad is a tablet computer developed by Apple Inc. It is scheduled to be released in March 2010 (for WiFi only models) and April 2010 (for WiFi + 3G enabled models). It will feature multi-touch interaction with print, video, photo, and audio multimedia, internet browsing, and will run most iPhone OS apps. The device will have an LED-backlit 9.7-inch (25 cm) color IPS LCD display and use a virtual keyboard for text input."
It sounds to me like the Apple Ipad is a sort of hybrid device bridging the gap between hand-held computers like palmpilots, blackberries, and iphones, ebook readers, and laptop and desktop computers. While the Apple iPad doesn't exactly fit into any of these categories (it would more properly fit into the tablet computer category) it features components of all of them.
I've heard good and bad opinions on the Apple iPad. Some people think it is the coolest thing since warm milk while others cannot see the point of it. My personal opinion on the Apple iPad is that while it may not be completely useful, it seems like a lot of fun and on top of that, what I am more excited about, is that it represents a step in the right direction toward combining and consolidating all of the many gadgets we have into one all-purpose device.
The Apple iPad reminds me of the handheld computer 'pads' from science fiction shows like Star Trek. I remember seeing the characters in these shows using these amazing flat gizmos that seemed to be used for anything and everything and thinking 'wow i hope that really happens one day'. It seems to me that the Apple iPad brings us, not just one, but a few steps closer to this reality.
