EMCS Web Design

I'm sure you have all seen Apple's new iPad. As much as I would like to get one of these, I just can't bring myself to. They are relatively inexpensive for anything with a touch screen today, but what exactly are you getting for your money? I say, "Not enough."

When I heard about the iPad a while ago, I was extremely excited. I truly believe that touch screen tablets are the future of computers. Unfortunately, as I read more about it and found out it was a giant iPod Touch, my excitement turned into frustration.

The iPhone and the iPod Touch are great products. The size coupled with its capabilities are amazing and if I wasn't loyal to a certain other wireless provider I may have one. But when you take the iPod Touch and make it huge, yes you have a bigger screen, but you have lost the best part of the iPod Touch: its portability. That is what made the iPod Touch and iPhone so great. The fact that such a small device could do so much and be taken anywhere was pretty groundbreaking. Now its a giant and more of a nuisance than anything. You might as well be carrying a laptop or my personal favorite: a netbook.

"Why were you excited about the iPad in the first place?" you may ask.

Well, very simply, I thought it was going to be a computer and not a toy. Not that toys are bad, but if it was a computer with OSX on it, it could do everything it does now and still be someones main computer. Considering I got my netbook for right around $250, paying $400-$500 for an iPad that can't even do a quarter of what a netbook can just seems silly. Yes, touch screens are probably the coolest thing ever made, but is it worth compromising your capabilities and paying waaaaaay more than a netbook? Maybe to some people, but I'll pass.

Now, when Apple, or anyone for that matter, is offering a slim touch screen tablet computer for that price, I'll be the first in line, but I'll stick to my netbook and old fashioned books until then.