Apple iPad = Failure!

In regards to Nancy Raskauskas’ post: “Re-Thinking the iPad”  ( http://blogs.cosmicthings.com/techtalk/re-thinking-the-ipad/), I have a different stance.

If anything, I think we went easy on Steve Jobs and his new toy.  If this is the “greatest project” Jobs has ever worked on, that doesn’t say much for the iPhone, iMac, Pixar Studios, and all of his other revolutionary endeavors.  Let’s face it: the Apple iPad is a great big failure.  I am disappointed.  You are disappointed.  We all are disappointed.  At the beginning of the press conference, a quote was featured on the screen – “The last time there was this much excitement about a tablet, it had some commandments written on it!”  Yes, the hype was there.  Even I, the biggest Sony fan and Apple-hater in the world, was excited.  This device could have been so many things:

• It could have a real computer Operating System.  Now obviously, it wouldn’t have had Windows 7 (even though Windows 7 is the best PC OS ever created).  But having the Mac OSX would have made it viable as a notebook replacement.  I am sure Apple could have tweaked the Mac OS to be touch-friendly.  Not only would it have provided for a more streamlined and intuitive expierience, but it would have enabled the installation of normal PC apps, such as Firefox, Photoshop, etc.
• It could have been MUCH cheaper.  There is no justification for Apple’s pricing plan here.  To not include 3G in every model is absurd to begin with, but to then demand $130 more per iPad to add the 3G access is ridiculous.  This means that the 3G-enabled iPads are $630 for 16GB, $730 for 32GB, and a whopping $830 for 64GB!  Now, one can buy an iPad without 3G for $130 less, but what is the point of an internet tablet without constant internet access?
• One still needs to pay for the 3G access once they’ve already paid $130 more upfront.  That’s right, once you pay the hefty premium just to get the capability of 3G internet, you then must pay $30 per month to get the 3G internet, courtesy of AT&T.  Now, one might say that is not terrible considering most companies offer only 5GB of data for $60 per month, whereas here you’re getting unlimited data for only $30.  Perhaps that is a valid point to some extent, but this is after $130 more upfront!
• It isn’t a widescreen!  What is this, 1929?  Every device I know of is moving to a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio – but not the iPad.  No, the iPad is stuck in 1929 with its square screen.
• Another $30 for the iWork suite of productivity programs!  Steve Jobs talked all about how great the iPad is for doing work – but that’s not included!
• The accessories are priced exorbitantly as well.  $70 for the keyboard dock.  $30 for the video-output cables.  $40 for a carrying case.  $30 for the SD/USB connection kit.  These prices are out-of-this-world!
• Apps are shared between iPad and iPod/iPhone, meaning that apps developed for the small iPod/iPhone screen will either be displayed in their small native size or be blown up to full screen and pixelated on the iPad.
• Battery life is *supposedly* 10 hours.  I bought an iPhone 3G that was supposed to have 8 hours of battery life and I got 2.  This essentially means we can expect 2.5 hours from the iPad if it has as horrible a battery as the iPhone.
• Yeah it has this fantastic on-screen keyboard, but it takes up half the screen!  Yeah it may be okay to type on but there won’t be much screen left to use while you’re typing!
• It tries to be an eBook Reader. Why even bother?  Sony and Amazon just about have the market wrapped up, and their devices are better at reading eBooks than the iPad.  On the Sony Reader Daily Edition, you get a 7″ touchscreen with stylus, FREE AT&T 3G access built in, 2 WEEKS of battery life, and the ability to highlight, annotate, and bookmark pages!  Not to mention the fantastic support Sony already has with its eBook Store.
• Its tapered edges make it terribly unstable when trying to type on it when it is on a flat surface.  I know from experience with the iPhone 3G, trying to hit any on-screen button near the edge of the device would make it rock back and forth.

These are just a few of the major complaints I have with the iPad.  There are many other things Apple has failed to achieve with this embarrassment of a device they call the iPad.  I would love to see Microsoft come out with a Windows 7 Tablet and blow this Apple iPad right out of the water.  Of course that will probably never happen but I would love to see Microsoft reap the rewards of Apple’s disappointing flop.