The iPad will sell like hotcakes. While it doesn't have a true computing "niche", it has the Apple brand behind it, and seems extremely easy to use. I'd rather buy one of these than a netbook or an e-reader for sure.
The iPad does not fill the e-reader niche. The screen is not as friendly to the eyes as E-Ink. It is still a standard backlit LCD as far as I'm aware. It's also too heavy for pure e-reader use. An e-reader should be comfortable to hold in one hand while lying on one's back.
Finally, I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure you can't transfer PDFs from your desk top computer onto the iPad to read. That kills any chance of it being qualified as a good e-reader.
I was one of the people who was underwhelmed when it was announced the other day. I've subsequently realised though that it's true - there is a place for it. My mother would love one as all she wants to do is send/receive email, browse the web and manage photos. It should be a great 'family' device also that can just sit in the kitchen
So we've advanced to mere disdain. Better than undisguised contempt, I guess. But beware talking down to your potential userbase; that's one of the systemic problems of educational and enterprise software.
Remember back in the days of VHS when recording one TV program while watching another required one to pour over a users manual while haphazardly pressing an assortment of buttons in the hopes that you’d figure it out? Nowadays, DVR systems are so simple that the average 10-year old can watch a Baseball game while simultaneously setting up a series recording of 30 Rock. The technology is not only easier to use, but a helluva lot more powerful, and it’s that balance that drives Apple’s products. The iPad embodies that balance for the large group of consumers who get their tech news from CNN’s cable channel instead of from Engadget.
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[ 3.0 ms ] story [ 29.1 ms ] threadThe closing paragraph says it all very well.