The iPad -- Revolutionary, or All Hype?

(CBS)  Was the iPad worth the wait?

The latest product to grow on Apple's tree debuted Saturday after weeks of buildup.

And "Early Show" contributor and CNET Senior Editor Natali Del Conte says, "The things that does, that it promises to do, it does well." But make no mistake, she adds - the iPad has its drawbacks.

CNET live blog: Apple iPad launch day
CNET Review: Apple iPad

What are some of the important specs of the iPad?

• 0.5 inch wide
• 1.5 pounds, which is thinner and lighter than any netbook on the market
• Same App Store and operating system as the iPhone and the iPod Touch
• 9.7-inch LED backlit display
• 178-degree viewing angle
• Up to 10 hours of battery life
• Uses your home Wi-Fi. A 3G version that will use AT&T's network will launch in a few weeks
• $499 for the 16-gig model
• $599 for the 32-gig model
• $699 for the 64-gig model

What's the general consensus among reviewers?

Most really like it. It does what it says it is going to do and it does it well. The general consensus, though, is that people who are into technology and expect a lot from their gadgets are disappointed with what it cannot do yet and what it does not have such as a camera, a physical keyboard, phone features, and the ability to run multiple apps at once. People who are not as picky about their technology will generally be happy that it does what they expect it to do in that it lets them surf the Web, email, listen to music, watch video, display photos and slideshows, play games, and read e-books.

What are some of the drawbacks of the iPad?

• It doesn't multi-task.
• It is a fingerprint magnet. For something so elegant, it sure does look pretty grimy after a few minutes of use
• It is heavier than you think it is. Using it as an e-book reader can be difficult if you are planning to hold it like a book for prolonged periods of time
• Typing on the keyboard can be hard to get used to. You have to set it down to place your hands on the keyboard, which is awkward and odd. I don't think you'll be composing long e-mails on it.
• It will NOT replace your notebook or phone. You won't be able to produce a lot on this. It is meant for you to consume media like music and video. Producing things like video, photo, or written text is not really the best experience.
• It is expensive for something you're not sure you need yet. There is always the chance that Apple will lower the price in a few months like they did with the iPhone. There is also a VERY good chance that a camera will be installed in the next installation of the device so if video calling is important to you, you might want to wait.
• It is not a high definition experience. High resolution but not HD
• You cannot annotate your books from the iTunes store so if you are reading a book you bought through Apple, you can't take notes on the book or mark passages like you can on the Kindle.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know about the iPad
iPad Preview
Reviewers Love the iPad, But Will You?
We have an iPad and that's no April Fool's
Tablet Computer Competition Heats Up


Where does the iPad shine in reviews?

• Battery life is longer than anticipated
• The screen is beautiful
• The App Store is the best mobile application store around with over 150,000 apps available now and over 1,000 already optimized for the iPad including CNET.com and CBS.com
• The 178-degree viewing angle is great for watching movies and videos in a group from different angles
• The book reading experience is GREAT but you can't read the books you buy in iTunes on your home computer, which ties you to the iPad, which is kind of annoying

Is this the future of computing or just another gadget?

• It is the future of a new kind of gadget. It won't replace anything. It doesn't revolutionize anything. It is just a new thing that I suspect people will add to their repertoire of gadgets.
• We have to remember that Apple doesn't usually INVENT new kinds of products, they just do the best job of brining them to consumers. They didn't invent the smartphone but they have done the best job of making a smartphone that people notice, want, and can use easily. They didn't invent the mouse but they made that an everyday product when they launched it. The tablet is NOT a new device. It has been around for years but no one has bought them. This will be a true test to see if they are needed because if Apple can't pull it off, it might just be that nobody can.

Does CNET recommend it and if so, to whom?

• Heavy readers will really like this. The reading experience is just so much more elegant that any other e-reader.
• Stackers: This is a term for people who like to keep a laptop or phone on their lap while watching TV.
• Gamers: Casual games are really fun on this. Not all hard-core gamers will be sold but there are some compelling titles
• Students: It will be a great learning tool as textbook companies start to publish interactive books as their own application
• Early adopters: People who just have to have the latest and greatest will not be disappointed

Whom does CNET NOT recommend this for?

• People who want to replace a netbook, notebook, or phone
• People who want it for video chatting or conferencing
• People who don't want to spend a lot of money on something that is unproven

Is this really a larger iTouch?

Yes and no. Yes, because it does everything the ipod touch does, but no because It does more then since it has more applications specifically designed for this device. Ipod touch is not a work tool....the iPad will be handy in your career.

Check out other reviews of the iPad:

USA Today: Verdict is in on Apple iPad: It's a winner
The first iPad is a winner. It stacks up as a formidable electronic-reader rival for Amazon's Kindle. It gives portable game machines from Nintendo and Sony a run for their money. At the very least, the iPad will likely drum up mass-market interest in tablet computing in ways that longtime tablet visionary and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates could only dream of.

NY Times: Looking at the iPad from Two Angles
Pogue contends that the techies prefer a conventional laptop, but the non-techies will adore it.

"The bottom line is that the iPad has been designed and built by a bunch of perfectionists. If you like the concept, you'll love the machine."

WSJ: Laptop Killer? Pretty Close
"After spending hours and hours with it, I believe this beautiful new touch-screen device from Apple has the potential to change portable computing profoundly, and to challenge the primacy of the laptop. It could even help, eventually, to propel the finger-driven, multitouch user interface ahead of the mouse-driven interface that has prevailed for decades."

PC Magazine: Apple iPad (Wi-Fi)
"Aside from Apple enthusiasts, many of us wondered who would drop hundreds of dollars for this not-quite-computer. But having used the iPad for some time, I can tell you that the device just makes sense. When you combine basic-but-essential work tools with iWork, an improved browser, e-mail, iPod, and photo applications, a well-executed e-Book platform with iBooks, and throw in thousands of downloadable apps and games, and package it all in a gorgeous, slim slate with a beautiful 9.7-inch touch screen, you have yourself a winner."

For more on the iPad, click on the video demo below:


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[watsittoya]

it's all hype.
the people who buy it now will be missing out on whatever features the company decides to put on it later, just like the iPod generations and etc. just get a laptop.

[Hosheen]

First, "General Consensus" is a redundancy. One would think that someone who writes for a living would know this, but then decent journalism is a thing of the past. Writers for even CBS are as ignorant and careless as some 6th grader writing a first theme paper.

But on to the iPad. What does it do that my 10 y/o tablet won't do? Other than cost more, that is. No multi-tasking, no USB port, no camera, no Flash for the web, no use for this product. I've been an Apple and Mac user for over 20 years, but this Apple has a big worm in it.

[justsane-2009]

6.1 million americans have been unemployed for 6 months or longer. who the hell cares about apple's newest toy?

[voxpopulus]

The ones who are employed and can afford it.

[to_john]

It's shiny. It has a shiny Apple logo. Lemmings will line up to own it. Tablets have been around for over 10 years. My 5-year old Dell PDA does more. The Apple Newton did more. Will it be profitable? Could be. Is it worth it? NFW! Will I continue using my HP convertible tablet? Yes, and it will keep running another 10 hours after the iPad died and do more for the 20 hours it's running. Can you use iPad for feminine hygiene? No (well, I guess you COULD, but it wouldn't be comfortable), even though the name leads you to believe it is so. Will APPL be laughing all the way to the bank? Could be, but I haven't bet my retirement on it.

[cuffhead]

It always amazes me that there are people out there that would wait days in the cold for a movie, electronic device, or even a when a store opens up. These are the same idiots that will walk over a dead or dying person to get what they want.

[guest173]

too expensive and not useful enough for my family

[panton41]

I have no use for this. My web browsing habits include doing exactly what I'm doing right now (forum posts). It can be difficult enough to type on a full desktop/laptop/netbook much less something without any tactile feedback.

Add on no Flash? Sorry, Stevie, but HTML 5/CSS 3 might be able to do 99 percent of what Flash does but there are no browsers on the market that fully support even a large subset of the full HTML 5/CSS 3 definition not even Safari. Add on that web developers and their customers use what works and tend to be very conservative in making major changes, Flash will be around for quite a bit longer.

Let's not get started on the App Store. Oh, yes, I want to be locked into whatever software vendor has paid Apple the money for the development kit and then the "right" to publish it. What if the program I want to use doesn't get approved?

I bought an iPod last year over a Zune due to its larger infrastructure (try to find a Zune desktop stereo). That means Apple puts two new pieces of software I don't want (iTunes & Quicktime), three new Windows services all just to do little more than what Windows Media Player and Amarok (from KDE on Linux) does without any additional software or drivers other than the player. If you have any trouble the "advise" on the Apple forum is 99 percent "Buy a Mac".

In the end I've decided Apple isn't a technology company is a cult* and I refuse to drink Evil Stevie's Kool-Aid.

* For the record Linux is a political party. BSD...? They're the people who vote for Ralph Nader...

[RatPackSixGun]

I like BSD and I didn't vote for Ralph Nader.

[nopatriot]

My mac is 2006 powerbook, can not upgrade to snow leopard and I am looking for how to protect from hacker now.
XP, 98 and Mac, all got viruses, have never been detected by only one scanner. Norton, Mcafee and xsoft spy AVG, free scans etc. we all tasted just like you. The problem was temporary solved by pc tool free scanner and I deleted viruses manually.
But I found really scary fact on internet these two days. when I search how to protect from hacker on google, the result shows a lot of hacker sites instead of protection tips. They are hackers even teaching on youtube and selling hacking tools and software.
What I learnt from one site, they use java script or device like connector and they hack anything anywhere.
It means we can not buy anything any more from internet. we can not use internet banking.
the fact we got one hacker, Identity theft who failed to use with combination of number of card but go name to purchase $50 stuff in same day after I failed to use own card with the company reasons .
We did not use card but the hacker used the card. But they even could not use.
Chase called us soon and we found the fact. Thanks Chase.

All of hacker tutorial sites are illegal should be deleted by government or FBI.
And the seller and tutors they should be shut off their faces.

Windows and Apples all don't care about this fact and keep going to change version but
customers are suffering from lack of protection.

[IndiasWorstTechSupport]

There is nothing on this planet that can not be hacked. Probably the only thing that can not be hacked is the damn space station/hubble telescope but what would that accomplish? Well, maybe not. It would all depend on the person who wrote the codes. After all, they only write codes for the programs. They don't pay attention in securing it. Oh well, you get what you pay for.

[tmittelstaed]

It's expensive since you can buy a PC laptop on sale at Fry's for $399 that has a real keyboard and a screen that won't give you a neck-ache if you lie on the couch with your computer for a long period of time, or sit in the coffee shop for a long period of time.

The ONLY reason that manufactures like Apple want the Tablet format to replace the laptop is cost of manufacture. Since a laptop has a hinge, and a lot of small wires need to go through that hinge to connect the screen and any other controls on the top to the bottom, you have a potential failure point at that hinge. And the hinge has to be strong and thick steel to last, and what the hinges screw into have to be strong and thick plastic or the laptop case will crack. All of that costs money.

With a Tablet format, you don't have any of that. However, instead the human using the computer now has to bend their head.

People say a tablet and a book are the same, but they are not, books don't have keyboards. You hold a book and a laptop/table completely differently.

To put it simply, this is a niche product, it will never be widely successful.

[j_flood]

Way too much hype...but at least a diversion from talk of healthcare and church scandals. No intentions here to buy one either. Just doesn't meet the need for me.........not fit for purpose.