- Jaime

I see the iPad as a mass market device that will evolve over time to be highly successful. Since none of the e-readers are hugely successful yet, it is more of a new market Apple is trying to create, rather than an old market that Apple will transform (aka iPod, iPhone).

The iPad is an iTouch with a bigger touchscreen. The iTouch has been very successful…the iPod for those that don’t want an iPhone (for various reasons). The iPad will allow an iTouch user to do everything he does with his iTouch today (except pictures, so far; but he does that with his cellphone) with a much larger touchscreen. This includes all of the iTouch apps he has already downloaded or will download until new iPad centric apps show up. It will also allow him to do many iTouch things better (e.g. games, pics, videos, browsing) because of the touchscreen interfaces that exist and get further built into new apps. It also allows him to have an iTouch e-reader with an excellent UI and book store. He may not use the iWork stuff, but if he uses it now on his Mac, he may find it sometimes useful. All in all, if I am an iTouch user, I may want to relegate my iTouch to be my iTunes music player/camera/game player that I keep in my pocket or just replace it. Yes, it is less portable than an iTouch; however, my iPhone or other smartphone does everything it does in a portable form. Yes, it does not replace my need for carrying a notebook in my briefcase; however, maybe I leave it stored in the overhead bin more often.

Yes, the facts remain: it is not for a notebook user or an iPhone user that doesn’t want to carry a second large screen device, but neither is an e-reader or netbook. It is not for an iPod/MP3 user that wants his device stuck in his pocket or tied around his upper arm, but neither is an e-reader or netbook.

Watch for Apple to push this as follows:
a) media player replacement for iPod/iTouch users
b) e-reader for iTouch/iPhone users
c) e-reader for Mac/PC users
d) portable game player for PSP users
d) couch device at home
e) gee-wiz device for so many other things

The iPad will allow a simplified view into the complexities of the modern internet.

There is a disenfranchised portion of the population that do not use the new interesting features of the Internet due to their complexity. Apple through this simplified solution and simple user interfaces have the ability to make the modern Internet available to all irrespective of skill level.

I do however concur with those above about the lack of SD or USB interfaces.
The iPad becomes very powerful if you do not require a PC / MAC to interface with it.

Flash support will come in time, in the case of the iPhone there have been rumblings of Flash support being allowed in the near future. Adobe® Flash® Professional CS5 allows for the publication of flash to a native iPhone application.