So, this iPad thing. Why?

Let me preface this post by stipulating 1) Steve Jobs is one of my role models, and 2) I  really do Apple and its products — I used to work for the company in undergrad, only buy Macs, swear by Keynote for my job, and will snap up an iPhone if they ever come to Verizon Wireless.

But why get an iPad?

I finally got around to watching the Quicktime stream of the iPad unveiling, after intentionally avoiding all non-weather-related media since Wednesday afternoon so I wouldn’t learn about any details before seeing the video. ((Yes, I’m one of those people The good folks over at MacRumors.com help with their spoiler-free stream links ))

The positives seem compelling.  The technology in the iPad is impressive, especially given its size. The price point is lower than I think any rational person would expect with the components packed into it. Being able to seamlessly run iPhone apps is a perk to everyone with an iPhone. And there’s plenty of potential for gaming.

How many of those are compelling enough to justify adding another gadget to your technology ecosystem though? My reflexes are too slow for gaming, ((I have to stick with turn-based strategy games like Civilization )) I don’t have an iPhone so no already-purchased apps, and as much fun as reading the news looked in their demo I’d just as soon pull out my MacBook Pro or read it on my BlackBerry.

I’m sure it will eat into the Amazon Kindle market, and there will undoubtedly be niche markets for the gaming folks or the type of people who use the MacBook Air. But (at the moment) I don’t see the hook into the broader market. It basically reminds me of the G4 Cube, which was a huge flop until Apple tweaked the idea into the Mac mini.

History favors Steve though — after all, while he’s making $$$ reinventing entire markets, I’m shelling out $$$ to join one of the slowest-evolving professions in the world

Time will tell I guess Have a great night folks!

Tags: About TDot, I ♥ Apple, Tech Talk