Apple iPad: Was it Worth the Wait?

January brings winter to some, the Super Bowl, and the announcement of new technologies. This year is no exception. The big announcement this week comes from Apple with its new iPad. Cutting edge declarations are not new to Steve Jobs or to Apple, Inc. but is the new iPad really a new dimension among the plethora of recent hand-held devices or just a repackaged, resized, new named device that basically offers the same capabilities as similar marketed devices?

The answer to this and many other questions may not be answerable without total immersion with the product. Us techies love new gadgets and trust our fore-fathers like Jobs to provide an on-going supply to be reveled. At first glance the iPad is renascent of the release of the iPhone. That being said, it was the opportunity that was provided to small technology companies that really provided the base of excitement that exploded the popularity of the iPhone and led to its overall success.

So what might we see as a customer base for the iPad?

Well, first is the subset of technology junkies that have to have it if it is new. Second, the developers that smell the opportunity to produce applications much like the open market apps available for the iPhone. And finally, I see an emerging group of e-readers that are ready to upgrade and hope with the iPad will meet their needs plus a whole new dimension as an added benefit. This group would be satisfied with the minimum but are hoping for greatness.

Jobs suggested it would be "far better" at tasks such as web browsing, email and reading eBooks than either smart phones or laptops, creating a "third segment" of computing between handheld phones and laptop computers. It remains to be seen if this is the case.

So what does the iPad promise?

• As an e-reader, the iPad allows downloads of e-books from iTunes

• Its small size should fit into any handbag for ease of transport and quick access.

• Functionality is similar to the iPhone and iPod so that population will have a shorter learning curve

• iPhone applications will run unchanged on the iPad

• The iPad is 0.5in thick, weighs 1.5lb (0.7kg) and can store 16 to 64 gigabytes of data.

At first look the iPad seems to be a cross between an iPhone and a Laptop. Ease of use and meeting the audience expectations will be the true measure of the tablets success.

One thing is for sure Apple, and Steve Jobs, knows how to create excitement and if his track record provides any indication the iPad will deliver.