The iPad

Today Apple announced a new device, the iPad, which is basically a tablet PC, perhaps the main feature of the device was the device as an ereader. I looked into it and found that the screen is no different than a regular laptop or netbook screen, so as an ereader it’s no more advanced than the laptop you have now, except that it will have custom software and a touchscreen to make look and behave more like an ereader.

Of course, the plus side to using a regular screen is that you can also display pictures, videos and other media much better than an ereader, and the response time is instant. However, the huge downside is – it’s not an ereader! You’d still be staring into a white screen the whole time you’re reading.

As an ereader, I don’t think the iPad is a threat to the Kindle or Sony lines at all, though the iPad as a device for other uses – most notably a netbook or tablet PC and portable gaming device. In these areas the iPad seems excellent.

This also come with the launch of a bookstore too, and while this would indicate that at some point Apple will make something that has true ereader capabilities, the books on the Apple store are going to be priced higher than at the Kindle or other stores, in general. The selection on the iBookstore is also not at the level of the established bookstores, but overtime I imagine the selections will be similar.

To summarize – Buy an iPad if you would use a netbook or tablet PC, or love playing games on your iPhone, don’t buy it as a straight ereader.