iPad, your latest style-slash-tech-savvy product buzz that came out somewhere around April 2010, certainly one of the “hottest” gadget to own just about now.

So after the longs months of wait and anticipation, comes the product, and in these past few months the online tech world has been buzzing all around giving reviews of the product; which you may find here, here, here, or maybe here. Just a few examples ;)

So what of the iPad? Does it live up its expectations? Is it a sensational hit? Well, based on what I read, unfortunately.. yessnotreally.

There are indeed differing opinions and reviews, positive and negative about the iPad, but mostly everyone agrees; it’s not gonna be that much of a hit, definitely a lot less than iPod or iPhone.

Let me summarize those long reviews for you:

Basically most of them agreed, it’s an overpriced decent device, good for both reading books and playing games, made elegant and stylish, but has serious flaws built into it, mainly when compared to iPhone; a lot of them thought, it’s a more expensive iPhone with less features, no USB support! And it doesn’t even make phone calls, its quite heavy too! …but we have to remember its only the first version.

On the other hand, a lot of people made jokes about it, especially on youtube:

5 Hilarious and Stupid Apple iPad Joke Videos

Well, I can’t really give you a personal take on this since I don’t have one, but judged on the features listed, and what I heard about it in the reviews, it does seem like a cool gadget, however…

It certainly could have been better!

Now, I have never been a big fan of Apple, not that I dislike it, but I’m not very gadget-savvy and I happen to prefer other products as of yet. But when I stumbled upon news of the up and coming release iPad a few months ago, I honestly thought that time, it’s something I have to buy ... let me explain why

It was because I thought the device would completely replace books and papers! (too much to expect?) and that I loved to draw and scribble on pieces of paper.

Imagine if this device can have handwriting support built around it, that it would be your “piece of paper” and textbook at the same time. You can scribble or draw any design to it and it would record flawlessly.

-no more heavy bags and messy papers! Just iPad!

Wouldn’t it be something all students and lecturers would love to have? But unfortunately, Apple opted for a virtual keyboard instead, it also has no USB support which made sharing that much more difficult, so that was all my false impression, but I think it’s a fair opinion on how apple could have done better.

What do you think? You’re welcome to leave some comment below J

REFERENCE LIST:

Paul, I (2010), 'iPad Reviews: The Good, the Bad, and the Ecstatic', PC World, viewed 13th June 2010,

<http://www.pcworld.com/article/193112/ipad_reviews_the_good_bad_and_ecstatic.html?tk=rel_news>

Mossberg, W (2010), 'Apple iPad Review: Laptop Killer? Pretty Close', All Things Digital, viewed 13th June 2010,

<http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20100331/apple-ipad-review/>

Baig, E (2010), 'Verdict on the iPad: it's a winner.', USA Today, viewed 13th June 2010,

<http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2010-03-31-apple-ipad-review_N.htm>

Pogue, D (2010), 'Looking at iPad from two angles', New York Times, viewed 13th June 2010,

<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/technology/personaltech/01pogue.html>