I received my new iPod by mail last weekend and am very happy with it.  I thought I would write some things about it.  In the end I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.  Read on if you care why …

First, in my opinion the iPad hits a mark (almost) with respect to a a new product category.  Companies have been trying to create a new product category for a while.  Palm did it very successfully for a while with the Pilot and did so by delivering just what people needed instead of trying to reach too far.  MIDS, UMPC, tablets (pre-iPad) and even netbooks never got the formula correct.  Amazon’s Kindle did get it correct and generated an e-reader market but it also set the stage for the iPad to be even more successful by giving it another application.

People always ask what is an iPad for:

• First, it is a toy
• It is a web-surfers dream (more portable, easier to hold on the couch, huge battery life, instant on, easy to use)
• It is a great video player for the traveler (portable, great video/audio, connects to the web for content, iTunes delivers selections, don’t need a second device)
• It can be a great business document reader, at least for pdf ( See comments on GoodReader, Great Pdf support, ok at word, Kindle books, iBooks)
• It can be used to do regular computer stuff for low end uses, great for travel (mail, address book)
• Great calculator (PCalc)

To me things that set the iPad apart (in the good way) from its competition are:

• Battery life is exceptional
• Size, screen resolution are great
• Instant on makes it a treat to use
• Good built in software for pdf, networking, email, web-browsing (caveat here later), video, etc
• Ability to get lots of fun apps and content from others at really cheap prices ($0.99 apps to $9.99 so far for awesome utility)
• It got here first (it beat the HP’s iSlate and also Plastic Logics e-reader,…)

That all being said, the reason I give it 4 out of 5 is for what it lacks:

• Flash support.  Lack of flash is ridiculous.  It just works everywhere else.
• Camera.  Seems strange that this feature did not make it in.  Cameras are shoved in everything these days and open up video conferencing.   This was the one of the uses I had wanted and will miss.  The suspicious person in me thinks that a camera enabled version will come out within a year frustrating all early adopters like myself…heck, every pre-release version I have seen on TV or the web includes a front facing camera…
• Lack of connectivity via USB to get content on the device.   This is frustrating for me as my primary use is a business document reader.  GoodReader saves me here.
• Inability to charge via a PC USB port.  This must have been known but was never disclosed ….

I have been waiting for Plastic Logic to release its new ereader and now I give up…. Essentially, I just read an announcement that it has been delayed yet again until the summer.  This means I go to the dark side and get an iPad.  I am not a big apple fan but I don’t see anything else that really interests me.

At CES they leaked lots of information for it and as far as I can tell, none of it was true e.g. No GPS, no mention of multi-touch mouse, no digital TV support, no built-in wireless broadband, etc.  On top of that, the buzz on the net is that it is limited to 1GB not expandable memory which is just crazy given most users will want to do what ever they can to boost performance.  I hear more version are coming but cannot help but think the phased roll-out is more for marketing reasons than anything else.  

So in my case, I held off purchasing the mini 9 for the mini 10, the mini 10 is not as good as they hinted so I will now not buy either.  Great way to attract customers!!! 

Still waiting for details on the dell mini 10 netbook.  Seems like a good form factor, a gps, a multi-touch pad, broadband, 2 GB, etc.  Saw on one blog that it will be released Feb 27 but you would think more details would be out if this was so. 

I am really eyeing those netbooks.  I was a skeptic but they are getting good reviews and the price seems pretty nice.  Plus, the in-laws talk about a computer for simple tasks so it sounds perfect for them although I could not recommend it without trying one.

I looked at the Dell Mini 9 but it seems hard to commit too knowing the mini 10 is on the way.  I like the idea of playing with multi-touch on the touch pad and an integrated GPS sounds like a great way to replace two gadgets with one ( I currently do not have a GPS but am tempted …).

Too bad it is not out yet…on the other hand…waiting for the next shiny new thing is a great way to save money as long as there is always something shinier on the way…