The iPad Hype: Shaun Hautly

I'm a purebred apple nerd. I'm a trained Mac Support Professional. I own two mac computers, 2 ipods, an iPhone, an iPhone 3G, Airport Express, AppleTV, and you can rest assured that I'll have an iPad sometime soon. However, I say that not to brag, but to show that I can still see straight. The iPad has some major drawbacks. I can admit that. No Camera, no multitasking, no USB, large bezel, no carrier diversity, no phone usage, no standard desktop interface, no flash support, and no mention of these shortcomings. It's not perfect.

However, that doesn't mean it's not still revolutionary. Aside from these few hardware problems in the first generation, the tablet has something else going for it: It's a solid piece of functional diverse machinery. It allows programmers to create devices that are simple pieces of software which customize the interface. The same piece of glass can be a webpage, a 4-track recording studio, a race-track, a pizza-hut menu, a blog reader, a scrabble board, a movie screen, or anything else! The hardware is literally, a BLANK SLATE for designers to tailor for their software.

The iPad will be revolutionary for the same reason the iPhone was. However the weaknesses of the iPhone are mostly addressed in the iPad: You don't HAVE to buy a wireless contract or jailbreak it, you aren't limited to a 3.5 inch screen, and you're not limited to a tiny keyboard. You can type full page documents, presentations, emails, and more. All without breaking the bank, and all with a little bit of Apple flare. The iPad may not be its own revolution, but it's taking the torch and running.

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