I like the idea of the iPad as an eBook reader, providing Apple can eventually wrestle the publishers into selling their books in the $1-$5 range. The iPod Touch is too small to read lengthy texts on, and I just can’t concentrate on a book on a laptop. (Not to mention the uncomfortable form factor for reading that laptops have.)

I’m looking forward to Pingdoms next great article in the same series: Why being hit in the head multiple times is a GOOD thing.

It is nice to hear the reasons from a development standpoint.

It would be nice if I could have music playing while reading. Kindle does this. (Eats battery life).

This can be done by adding that feature to the reading App instead of running both reading App and Music Player App.

1-5$ books? Good luck… Personally I do think 5$ is perfect for a ebook that’s avail in paperback but even that publishers aren’t likely to go with let alone lower.
What I’d love to see is a way for bookstores to hive you a code on each physical book purchase so you can have the ebook version free after say 30 days (code becomes dormant if you return your purchase book).

I have a G1 Android phone, frankly, background is everything, I could live with having a web browser for the UI, but background apps like Locale (Locale lets me trigger events based on anything the phone can detect, I use is mostly to adjust ringer volume for when I am at home and probably sleeping or at my work) are far too handy.

Thank you guys for telling it like it is. I have not understood the “no multitasking” complaints at all since the iPad was announced, and your article describes exactly the reasons why. Advanced users like Ronald are the exception, not the rule, and fortunately for them there are alternatives like Android that will let them do what they want. While I’d personally like to be able to run apps like Pastebot and TextExpander in the background (I have no desire to listen to Pandora or any other Internet radio whatsoever, and that’s all most people can seem to come up with for why they want multitasking on the iDevices), I’m perfectly happy with the stability and speed of my 3GS and am happy I can reasonably expect the same or better performance from the iPad.

Neither cynical, nor hysterical is one of the characteristics of this blog here on Royal Pingdom. Wise and free of mass thoughts.
Interesting article, as always. Myths are to be fought!
Concerning this iPad, no webcam and a 1gHz processor seem the most bothering. OK (or not?) HTML5 will out-stand Flash, but till seems a tough sacrifice. Not to mention Apple’s own OS, Apple’s own this, own that, which remains a very little universal approach.
I’d say, wait and have better, buy a product, not a name, wear and forget fashion!

iPad is the worst of all worlds: it can’t replace my phone or my notebook, so it’s something more that I would need to carry.

It’s too heavy (compared to Kindle) and have a very short battery life (10h instead of 2 weeks? it’s a joke).

But I’m sure it will be a huge commercial success, just because it has a small fruit bite.

Im gonna wait for MSI and HP to launch their tablets before i buy one. Mainly because i think they would make it better now as apple is already launched.

Jeez, Yet another Steve Jobs is a visionary post about the itampon. Did you guys at least get paid to pimp Apple’s latest disappointment?

One use that I’ve thought would be very useful for this iPad would be for accessing Citrix XenApp while on the move.

I don’t get people going on that they want this iPad as a eBook reader? There’s simply no contest with an e-ink display when it comes to reading books. I would very much prefer to read an e-ink display for long texts (ie books) not a eye-straining lit-up display. e-ink does really look just like paper, read like paper. Very natural.

The only bummer about the device is the price for me but then an Android & ARM powered tablet have been in the works…Apple just beat them to the punch by coming out with the iPad first.

So, you’re saying that the iPad NEEDS to not have multitasking, because it fails in the processing department? Because, yet again, Apple is selling you less for more.

No way. This is supposed to be a computer. I want to be able to copy files (ZERO USB ports, closed system), and multitask — run Notepad, have stickies open, FTP to my server, and open multiple web pages simultaneously.

I can do all of the above on OSX, which makes OSX by far the best Apple product. Can’t do this on iPhone, iPad, iPod. This, along with the fact that I can only run OSX on an Mac, will slowly kill Apple. Open up your OS, open up your iPhone, iPad, iPod file system, and give me multitasking. Apple’s competitors are beating them to the punch.

I don’t get the anti-Apple comments here (or anywhere, for that matter). It’s one thing to debate the topic – multitasking vs no, but the childish “how much are you getting paid” crap is pointless. Do you all work for MS and Goog? Or are you just 35-yr-old trolls who never managed to escape mom’s basement?

C’mon guys, if you don’t like Apple, don’t buy their products. But don’t whine here. Apple creates some good stuff and it’s relevant for pingdom to discuss the company and products.

The Ipad looks like fun to play with, but I doubt if you can really work with it? But many people will buy it because of it look.

How about I propose something even better, an iRock? It does allow you to run ZERO apps at a time. It has its upsides, though.
Ease of development: your app doesn’t need to do anything, because it will not be run anyway.
Consistent app performance: no performance = SAME performance!
A more stable platform: it is made out of rock, how can you go more stable than that?
Zero battery drain: It doesn’t even have a battery, in fact.
These are “one app at a time” devices: the iWood device is only meant to run zero apps, so iRock will be able to do that too!

Seriously, though, let the user decide. If you are running too many apps and it has slowed down your device, you just exit some of them. This is what is always done with PC.

ROFL Cah! And SarahX I’m sure it’s not a bunch of 35 year old trolls. I suspect your comment was conceived from a basement itself. The reason people are here “judging” the lack of multitasking is because it is just plain and utterly wrong not to build something that has the potential to do it. Googles Nexus one has more features and you can call Apple on it while looking at Flash Video of the iPad. And, if the reasons for not having multitasking are so relevant then why is iPhone now moving their OS in that direction?

I am using a radio ap from 870 krla and wish I could leave it on when switching to another ap.