iPad, A Brave New World

The iPad will use the iPhone OS. Applications for the new gadget can be acquired through the app store. Inevitably the arrival of the iPad will change the computer and mobile industry permanently. The main question is how long it will take. Simplicity is the hallmark trait of the new iPad--a cross between a mobile device and a laptop--but lacking features of each.

Skepticism and optimism seem to be abound prior to the arrival of this device. Some consumers complain that it is too expensive. Some gamers complain that the device doesn't support Flash. It isn't a laptop-esque device--as you can't purchase normal software and run it on your machine. It isn't a phone, but it certainly looks like one. It's not an eReader, because the screen glows rather than reducing the projected light. The iPad is putting together many of the core features of each of these devices together--to create something less of an imposture and more "new".

Nevertheless, the iPad will still be a game changer, because it is simple. It is a computer (albeit untraditional) that is completely uncluttered--no hardware keyboard, no bulk, extremely light weight and ultra-portable. It looks like the future--just missing a few parts--but that is the reason the future is so damn fun--invention and change. Despite it's faults, the iPad is a bridge to a very simple and beautiful era of computing technology. Let's just see who follows in Apple's footsteps first.