Is the i(Maxi)Pad meant for you?

Before, I say anything else, I think that the name iPad is a poor choice in naming of Apple’s newest product. I get where they are going with the naming – iPhone, iPod, iPad – but it is a poor choice nonetheless. I guess no women were involved in the decision making process in the naming of the iPad. I had a hard enough time buying Maxipads for my Mom when I was in high school. If any woman in my life (girlfriend, mother, etc.) asks me to go to the Apple store to buy her an iPad, I would not be able to go on principle.

Anyway, I am a bit late in responding to the unveiling of Apple’s iPad. I will not list the iPad specs or go through a list of all of its features. If you want that, it is best to go to the apple.com, cultofmac.com, or engadget.com. I can give you my opinion as a lifelong Apple constumer. I have owned numerous Apple products in my life. At the moment, I own an iMac and an iPhone 3G. Though I was curious about the iPad, I realized that I would not rush over to buy the iPad once it was released. Since I have both an iPhone and iMac, nothing really can justify the purchase of an iPad.

I will say this. It will take a lot on Apple’s part to convince people that they need this product. My intuition tells me that the market is already saturated with iPhones and iTouches. I can say with confidence that many people’s mobile needs have been satisfied with these devices, so why buy an iPad (unless you are an Apple Fanboy/Fangirl)?

When the iPhone came out, it revolutionized the cellphone industry. Everyone and their next of kin was clamoring for this device. Everyone responds to technology that revolutionizes the industry – not so much for evolution. I am not the type to rush out and buy every new gadget that comes out on the market; so when the iPhone 3GS became available, I did not wait in line at my local Apple Store. Since I already had an iPhone 3G, I did not see the need to buy the 3GS. Yes, it would have been nice to have a video camera; yet, how often would I use it? In my eyes, the 3GS was merely an evolution of the iPhone. With the unveiling of the iPad, my first impression was that it resembled an enlarged iPhone both in aesthetic and function (minus the camera of course).

Apple should have done two things with the iPad to convince people that need this device:

More Hard Drive Space.

64gb will not suffice. They should have expanced the memory of this device to convince people to look at the iPad as more of a laptop instead of an iPhone with expanded memory.

Apps able to run in the background.

Apple should have developed an iPad with background applications in mind. My biggest pet peeve with the iPhone is that more than one app cannot run simultaneously on the iphone unless it is one of Apple’s native apps. If the iPad was able to run 3rd party apps simultaneously, I think more people would have been inclined to drop the $499+ for the iPad.

I know that I could add many more things to this list like add a video camera, usb connections, etc.; but, these two issues are big with me.

I can say with confidence that the iPad will let its presence be known in a field in which the Amazon’s Kindle is king. I currently use Kindle on my iPhone, and I am not the type to buy a fully loaded Kindle DX; but, for those that are so inclined, the iPad presents itself as a suitable alternative to the Kindle. The iPad would look very attractive to an audience that thrives on media whether it be magazines, newspapers, and books. In this respect, I feel that the iPad has found its niche, and it will remain a niche product within the Apple line of products. I could be wrong, but only time will tell.