I don't really see the practicality of it. I sort of think of it as a fusion between a smart phone and a netbook. I don't see it as being very useful.

As they say on Twitter... it's the I-TAMPON
LOL

It's only gonna be for status- it doesn't do ANYTHING new

yeah, i wouldn't buy an e-reader ever. Don't trust the licensing. Also you can't lend it to other people. Also you can't write in it etc. Also if there's an EMP all of civilization's accumulated wisdom is lost. Lol.

Terribly unfortunate name though what was wrong with iSlate?

The iPad is Apple's answer to the netbook. It's designed to be a combination iPod and Macbook Air. To concur with mel, it's going to be a status symbol piece. After listening to the features from the company, it had no features that an iPod touch/phone cannot do. To address jman's concern, it also fails to have an SD card slot, an oversight that would seriously address it's storage issues. When you break it down, it's going to be an iPod with a much bigger screen. I was initially excited to hear about it. Now, I'm going to have a serious talk with my Apple vendor.

For reference, you can get the technical specs here: http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

iTablet?
iBook? Something?

I think that the iCanvas would have been the bast name, but thats just me. and @Emperor, I just found out that they do have these little converters that allow you to attach an SD slot of USB port, however you will have to plug it into the little 30 pin port so it will be sticking out significantly.

Basically as of now I'm not really feeling it, but I hope that it lasts long enough so that they can add the features that people are really looking for and help perfect the idea of a touch computer.

Actually, I won a bet on the name. It seemed blindingly obvious to me that it would be the iPad. Two syllables and very close to the iPod.

iSlate? No chance. To slate is a verb and it does not have the best of meanings if you want your product to carry it. I mean, some of you guys above could well have written, "I slate the iPad...".

My extraordinary ability to name things aside, I must say that I am underwhelmed. No USB port? You have just got to be kidding. No effing way would I rely on or pay for downloads to fill the thing, and I have a lot of macs (table tops and laptops), so I am actually someone who likes the Apple operating systems.

Oh, and iTampon? Very weak humour indeed - it doesn't scan. Come on, you'd think one of the Twits would have thought of something better.

No, the criticism has to be based on substance not Primary School humour. The comments above about USB port and drive size are substantial.

I would also hazzard that screen cracking might be an issue. This is a large thin plate, not likely to resist much pressure or torque.

hazard, hazzard, hazzzard... Must learn to spell that one properly.

I was pretty underwhelmed:
- No camera
- No multitasking (wha?!)
- No phone calls

I wanted this to be something impressive but it's pretty much the bare minimum of what was expected, and of all the areas I expected them to splash out and put a lot of effort into I wouldnt have thought it'd be porting their office productivity suite

I think the name is fine though, people said the same thing about the wii and even the ipod but after a while product names never really take away from the product

At least it looks 'nice' :)

I'd call it the iDon'tWantIt or the iDon'tCare.

This was on MadTV a couple of years back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTzhXMbOWHE

it's ipad mark I. just as with the iphone, the next one will be much better!

i love these features though -- in many ways it's exactly what i want to carry around with me. i hate composing emails on the iphone, which is why i never got one -- this thing has what i want from the iphone without the contract and the tiny screen!

Don't others think it will be very easily scraped or even snap?

I think it is great-except for 2 things. No USB and no SD.

and multitasking. no remorse for buying a netbook.

I'd love to have a maxIPAD sitting around the house. It looks cool and I bet it works really well. But it's too expensive (and damage-prone) for a nice-to-have gadget.

I think that if apple can enlarge the hard drive, give it a USB port, and allow flash and multitasking within the next 6-8 months this thing could become very marketable. If they aren't able to fix those things at most within a year though my guess is that they'll end up having to drop the product simply because it will not be the "in" thing to have due to its unpopularity.

Hey flashman. If you own Macs, you know that moving information from an IMac to this IPad should be done wirelessly, not through USB. It seems to be a little pricey, but could catch on. Hey, if Steve says to buy.....

No the device still syncs up with a computer via apple's signature 30 pin connector cable that no one else uses. haha

If you read my post above jimgov you'll see that I will not contemplate wireless transfers - not if that's going to have to be the norm. I have already dumped my Time Capsule after getting totally pissed off with slow and broken connections. Wire is simply miles ahead of wireless for connectivity.

I do everything in my house wirelessly and have few if any problems. And this device isn't for massive files. It is for songs and pictures and streaming from the web. It isn't meant to replace a computer. I think, when all is said and done, wireless is the way to go.

I am an impatient bugger and instant is what I want. I have had to wait too many times for wireless transfers and then found that the files are incomplete to want to even contemplate it again. As I said above, I have dumped my Time Capsule: total waste of money. I use wired external back up drives now and transfer large files effortlessly. The limiting factors are the machines: not a problem.

If you really need a document email it to yourself and download it....

I am talking about massive files - whole books (I write), and course notes - thousands of pages...

No USB ports? That is just crazyiness. But you can hook it up to a computer right?

Then why not just take a lightweight computer around?

I have a sneaking suspicion that the new one that will come out in a couple months will have a USB port. Oh, Apple.

I see no reason to buy this. Why would I want a giant iPhone? The only thing I could see it being used for is letting me surf the internet while I watch TV more comfortably, and that's probably not a good thing for me. I don't see the point.

Plus it sounds like some kind of electric tampon.

I have a Lenovo X61 tablet; I love it. It can be used as a computer for typing notes, emails, and surfing the web. I use the table feature for taking notes in math/engineering courses, where it is very hard to type notes. It's about 3lbs, but since I don't need to carry anything else, it's plenty light enough to carry all over campus. It's made by Lenovo, so it's very rugged. All in all, it's the best mix of computer and touch screen.

Compared to that, the iPad seems completely impractical and worthless. More of an expensive toy, than an actual tool. But, even as a toy, I think the size will actually make it unpopular.

With regards to e-readers:

I have a Sony e-reader and it has completely changed the way I read. First off, the screen is incredible, exactly like I was reading from a real page. Books are less expensive (or free through google) and I no longer need to wait til I have time to go to the bookstore to get a new book.

Furthermore, you don't even have to use Sony's software, so there's no real licensing risk. In regards to sharing books, my friend also has one, so I can at least share with him : )

The best part is probably the sheer number of books it can fit. I'm currently reading a series that has five books in it. The other day, I was on the bus, finished one book, and could just start another. Also, sometimes in the middle of reading, I feel like reading a short story, and I just switch to an anthology that would be impossible to carry around everywhere.

I just got a kindle 2. Its awesome. like the sony the screen is really easy to read from - just like paper. I wonder what the iPad is like to read from. I suspect it would be more like reading from a computer monitor - which is not so great for reading books.

Do we all agree it is a big thumbs down for the name? Too much like women's sanitary products for my taste.

I'm waiting for Apple to fix a security hole with an iPatch... that would make my day.

Or a bigger version of the iPad, the iFull...

Yes, the names get silly after a while. I do think Apple might have missed the target this time.

I do believe this will be a huge success. Exceptionally well positioned product. Notebooks are too expensive and heavy, mobiles just don't have that screen size. The iPad will be relatively cheap (compared to laptops), as for the lack of USB/Phone... well, there's wireless and data, VoIP, Skype, etc.

The iPhone was also a very crappy phone (and still is), still sells better than anything else out there.

As for the name - well I don't think iPod Touch was much different, but it did the job :)

I think there are very big differences between the iPhone and the iPad. The iPhone revolutionized what you could do with a phone and made smartphones mainstream. Laptops, netbooks, and even tablets are already extremely popular. Even if you have an iPad, you STILL need a phone (and let's be honest, if you have this you have an iPhone) and you STILL need a computer.

I just don't see the demographic it's for. In general, people people above 50 hate reading things off a screen. People below 30 already have iPhones and laptops; the iPad doesn't really offer anything more to them. So, that really only leaves people between 30-50, who have a ton of money to blow on an impractical toy.

I agree that as a concept, this is incredible. In the near future, I believe touch screen electronics will become ubiquitous in society. I just feel the iPad does too little, too expensively.