This is tablet computing, Apple style
It is uncertain whether this first iPad will reach mass-market acceptance, given its high price and unproven use case. Even so, it could still act as the spearhead for a new category of simplified portable devices built around large-format touchscreens. This is the hope of many of Apple’s competitors, who are hurrying their own tablets to market.
Early reviews of the iPad have praised its user interface and industrial design. Its technical limitations (chiefly a lack of USB ports, Adobe Flash support, and multi-tasking OS) are seen by many as less important than the shift in user experience that a large-screen touch interface can offer – if executed well.
The familiarity of developers with the iPad platform (due to its close relationship with the iPhone OS) will play a big part in the iPad’s success: third-party developers will need to provide “killer” apps that make the iPad a must-have device. Apple’s ferocious control over app approval, and its refusal to support key cross-platform technologies such as Adobe Flash, are sticking points that will make some developers cautious.
The iPad alone won't save traditional media
The iPad has generated significant attention from magazine and news print publishers hoping to leverage the device’s combination of desirable hardware, controlled content delivery channels, the maturity of the iTunes Store billing platform, and a deeply engaged user base, to deliver and monetize their own content.