Here’s my take on the iPad. I’ve read enough blogs and opinions this morning that I figured I’d throw mine into the mix. I’ve never done a post like this but what the heck.

As someone who’s in the market for an electronic book reader I’ve really been eying up the Kindle. My father got one for Christmas and I find it highly enjoyable to read on. I think it’s as close to a book experience as you can get.

Before the iPad was introduced I worried about the reading on the Apple Tablet because adding a back light makes it like reading on a laptop which I don’t like.

Here are my thoughts:

Pros

• Starting price $499! They will sell a TON at this price (this is also a negative though, see below)
• iPhone Apps work directly from the App store.
• Big screen
• Big battery
• Music , Movies, Photos
• iWork (can still get some work done)
• Mail (even though this will tempt me to check more than twice a day)
• iBook Store (still not convinced on the reading experience)

That’s it in a nutshell. I could easily see this device replacing my laptop. It can do all the things I really want to do on my laptop and more.

Think of it this way. This is a first revision and we’re going to find lots of negative things we don’t like about the iPad but it really is a game changer.

Imagine books where authors provide commentary or non-fiction books with photos and videos.

How about cooking books where the author walks you through the recipes step-by-step. You’re reading Gordon Ramsay’s new cookbook and he’s swearing up a storm telling you what a fool you are for adding so many onions!

It’s a game changer because it will develop into a new way for us to consume and enjoy content.

Cons

• $499 model doesn’t have 3G. OK. Let’s me say this. I refuse to give a Canadian cellular provider any more money. This includes Rogers, Bell, Telus, Fido etc. We are constantly being screwed (for lack of a better word) by Canadian providers in the cell industry and I refuse to give more money than I already do to these companies. At the same time, I believe the 3G chip should be in all the models.
  Kindle provides “global wi-fi” without a monthly fee. You can literally purchase and download a book instantly. Without 3G and without paying a provider I’m only able to buy a book when I have an open wi-fi connection on the iPad. That or you can spend $629 for the base model with a 3G chip.
• Screen and bezel is weird. It’s a square…. but movies can be displayed widescreen and a good chunk of the screen is lost to the gigantic black bezel. This will be one of the first things to disappear in later revisions.
• No camera. I don’t mean a camera to take photos. I’m talking about a camera to have a  video chat with someone.
• Stupid SD card accessories. One of the first questions I had was “how does someone without a mac or .me subscription get their photos to the iPad?”  Not a fan of the accessories for getting my photos into the iPad.
• Back light for books – Again, I’m not sure how the reading experience will compare to a kindle. I know that I’ve tried to read books on my laptop and I hate it. My eyes usually stare at a bright computer screen all day and I’m not sure it would be any different on the iPad.
• Hard Drive Space – 16GB is too small. Books will become more interactive and therefore require more space. Add a few GB’s of photos and some music and you’re full.

Conclusion: Well…..  Last night I discussed the iPad with my wife and told her that if Amazon dropped  the Kindle in price to $99-$149 I’d most likely buy one and continue to purchase books from them. This year I’m enjoying reading more than ever, but I don’t want 200 books lying around. Going digital for reading is inevitable in my eyes.

How-evvvvvvvv-ver……… being an apple nut and fanatic I’m pretty positive that I will end up buying the $499 model.  IF (and a big IF) amazon drops the price of the kindle am I really just wasting money on a device that I’ll end up replacing eventually?

What are your thoughts?