iPad - now with wings!

[Alex]

As a Kindle user regardless of how nice the iPad ebook technology is, I have no interest at all. Real uninterrupted reading on a light-emitting screen is a complete unsell. But for people who don't care about that, it sounds great (and they probably were already

Though if it runs iPhone apps, Kindle already has one of those so if you like the Kindle library better but the iPad experience you can have both I guess (no physical Kindle ownership required).

That said, while this looks like a neat toy, I'm not understanding what is so hypeworthy about it. It's a big iPhone. I don't see myself carrying around a several pound (with whatever form of protection you give it) paper sized device that I need to remember to plug in a few times a day.

I may come around when I touch one and can interact with one (will be very soon after they're available since our developers will need to start forking our iPhone apps) but right now it's a "meh."

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Alex

It's a big iPhone.

Actually, it appears to NOT have phone capabilities

Originally Posted by Alex

I don't see myself carrying around a several pound (with whatever form of protection you give it) paper sized device that I need to remember to plug in a few times a day.

Actually, 10 hours of battery life, 1/2" thick, 1-1/2 pounds (the Kindle weighs 10 ozs.).

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

Actually, it appears to NOT have phone capabilities

I was referring to the fact that it is the iPhone OS. So fine, it is a large Touch. Though if buying this means still needing to carry around your 80% duplicative iPhone then that undercuts the case even more.

Actually, 10 hours of battery life, 1/2" thick, 1-1/2 pounds (the Kindle weighs 10 ozs.).

10 hours of battery life means plugging it in several times a day so that whenever you do use it you aren't worried about how long it will be before you can plug in again.

Yes, only 1.5 pounds for the device itself. Add in a well protecting carrying case (or just the need to always be carrying a bag you didn't before) and it will be at least 3 pounds. Add in speakers or headphones, a charger, a blue tooth keyboard for when people discover that both looking at and typing on a screen are not well suited to simultaneity and the weight goes up*.

And if the iPad isn't going to have enough functionality to replace the productivity apps people carry laptops for then case is further undercut.

Steve Jobs started his presentation by asking if there was room for a third category between netbooks and smartphones.

The problem is I don't see how that is the case if the thing in between doesn't get rid of the need to carry the smartphone (for phone purposes) or the netbook (for productivity purposes).

Is getting the New York Times or watching a movie (both of which can be done, if less gracefully on those already existing devices) going to be worth carrying another gadget rather than replacing one? I wouldn't mind being wrong but I'm not seeing it has a clearly made case.