Apple iPad Meets Mixed Reviews (and not just about its name)

Yesterday, one of the most hotly anticipated (and mysterious) products of 2010 hit the market – the Apple iPad. Cheers and jeers poured in from across the world, and there was SO much  buzz about this event, it almost broke the internet. Social networking sites like Twitter and live-blogging platforms saw major technical issues due to the overwhelming response.

But now that the dust has cleared, just a little, let’s take a closer look at the  iPad, and what it means for marketers and techies.

Steve Jobs has billed the iPad as “a magical and revolutionary device,” but what are the real specs? Is this just an enlarged version of the iPod Touch?

Here are a few of the stats:

• 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
• 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive
• Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
• 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip
• WiFi and 3G models available
• Accessories available including a keyboard dock, case, camera attachment, etc.

Critics are already coming out of the woodwork to put in their two cents about this new device. While some say it’s like “holding the future,” others argue the iPad isn’t going to change anything, and isn’t worth purchasing if you already have an iPhone and a laptop. Wired even published a “Ten Things Missing From the iPad List.” Not the rave reviews one might expect from a brand new Apple product. Most reviewers, even those with a positive outlook, agree that this isn’t a “must-have” device, at least not yet.

One of the major issues with the iPad that caught our eye, is that it doesn’t support Flash. This is extremely problematic, as Flash is the basis for most web-based rich media. If the iPad is the wave of the future, it means developers the world over will have to find a new way to present their multimedia content. Looking at the internet, sans Flash, is a whole different experience – and a far more empty one. But we’re not there just yet.

In the end, all we can do is sit back, wait, and see how the iPad makes a mark on the mobile computing market. And as soon as we have one in our hot little hands to test, we’ll let you know.

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