iPad- is it worth it? The Good, The Bad and the UGLY!

This week's homework is about Apple's new iPad. Having indirectly worked with Apple for a non-disclosed third-party organization, at an undisclosed location (I don't wanna get in trouble here folks), I feel that I have a good grasp on the product.

Before discussing the good, bad and ugly- let's answer an important question: What IS the iPad?

The iPad is basically an over-glorified iPod touch. If you don't know what that is... where have you been for the last 5 years?!?! 

Now that we've established that, let's move on.

THE GOOD:

Sleek design, high paced technology and a touch screen that will blow your mind!

"The high-resolution, 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS display on iPad is remarkably crisp and vivid. Which makes it perfect for web browsing, watching movies, or viewing photos. With iPad, there is no up or down. It’s designed to show off your content in portrait or landscape orientation with every turn." (Apple iPad Design)
This bad boy comes at a price though.
Starting at $499... and going all the way up to $829 if you want the 64GB with WiFi AND 3G capabilities. (Apple iPad BUY NOW page)

Can you believe someone would spend that much on a little gizmo? Believe it folks! Oh, and that's not including the keyboard dock, iPad case, the iPen, and much more... take a look!

 

 However, it wouldn't be expensive if it wasn't worth SOMETHING, right?

"One of the first things you’ll notice about iPad is how thin and light it is. The screen is 9.7 inches measured diagonally. So overall, it’s slightly smaller than a magazine. At just 1.5 pounds and 0.5 inch thin,¹ you can use it anywhere. And a slight curve to the back makes it easy to pick up and comfortable to hold." (Apple iPad Design) It has 10 hours of battery life, is multi-touch capable (which means it recognizes multiple movements on its screen) and not only WiFi capable but also 3G capable- if you spend a little more. The iPad does have a lot of features people have been asking for... but in a new iPod touch. That being said, the WiFi capability on the iPad is phenomenal! Just so long as you don't go to any sites that use adobe flash... I'll talk more about that as I go into the bad and ugly side of the iPad.
THE BAD:
This revolutionary device has one small setback... No USB port. Yes, you fellow geeks and nerds know what that means! It means you have to buy specific (and not cheap!) Apple products if you want to connect your precious iPad to anything other than its dock. They even advertise a special kit if you want to import pictures from a camera to your iPad. Yeah.
The hugest problem with all Apple mobile products (iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad) is the fact that they cannot use Adobe Flash Player. There's even an apple article about it here. This means most pictures and videos on the web will not work on the iPad- which is kinda ironic since they advertise it for its web capabilities.
THE UGLY:

There are a lot of things not so convenient about the iPad, such as its size. It is the most inconvenient size imaginable. Too big to put in your pocket, to big for your purse, too small for any computer case... which means you have to buy a case from Apple. Another thing is if your precious iPad slips out of your hands and *KABOOM!* Shatters into pieces... or perhaps you are in the park and lay your iPad down to kiss your sweetheart, turn back and *OH SNAP!* It's been stolen!!!! Well my friend, you are out of luck. There is no Apple provided insurance for this puppy. You will have to buy a new one- for the small price of $499. That my friends, is pretty ugly. There's been so much hype about this that I doubt it'll flop, but my personal opinion.
The iPad is not the only tablet out there, there is also the Samsung Galaxy which so far is the only real competition. This device is smaller, lighter- has two cameras AAAND *drum roll please* supports Adobe Flash, mulitasking oh and it has phone capabilities too. The price has yet to be released, but if you check out the above link you will see a comparison table. This is claiming to be the first "iPad killer". It'll be interesting to see what happens once the price is released. Here's a picture of Apple's newest competition:

My honest opinion, save your money and buy a real computer! Macintosh computers ROCK- iPads... well, I'll leave these last few photos to show you how people view this interesting new piece of technology.