The e-Reader Wars

By the time I am done writing this post, the iPad release date will have arrived. There are multitudes currently freezing in line waiting to be among the first to purchase their beloved device. My first question is, why? A lot of people are going to buy this product simply because it has Steve Jobs’ stamp of approval on it. They will buy anything Apple makes. Others have looked at the specs and like what they see. Let’s take a look at the specs to see what these new iPad owners will get to experience.

• 9.7″ backlit LED display
• 1024×768 Resolution
• 1GHz Apple A4 processor
• 16, 32, or 64GB flash memory
• Dock connector port
• 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack
• Built-in speaker
• Microphone

The Wi-Fi model carries additional features including Bluetooth 2.1 and Wireless 802.11b/g/n.

As I was watching Modern Family this week, iPad got a huge plug. The geeky dad really wanted one for his birthday, and after a series of unfortunate events he ultimately gets to blow out birthday candles on his new toy. The show made a couple of good jokes, including one where Phil (the geeky dad) aligns himself with early adopters. Considering the guy is not a computer geek it makes me wonder if he is the perfect target demographic for Apple. A middle-aged man with no real knowledge of computers, who is looking for the latest and greatest thing to come out. Apple certainly has other demographics, yet the show highlighted this one particularly well.

So, getting beyond the hype, and the fact that this is an Apple product, is it worth it? I have said all along during the development phase that I think this will be a fun toy, whether or not I am interested in owning it. I am sure I could amuse myself for hours with the myriad of apps, especially considering that there is no phone, making it a glorified iPod Touch.

The early adopters referenced in the TV show suffered a setback this week, when we all learned that pre-ordered iPads would not be shipping this week. Those who paid up front won’t be getting their devices first, the people freezing in line will. If I had pre-paid I wouldn’t be too thrilled about that. I am sure those who paid early are too loyal to Apple to cause too much of a stink over it though. It’s kinda like how we Star Wars fans watched George Lucas destroy his own franchise and continued to send him money.

As I explained in my Kindle for iPhone post, I could probably read a book on it without too many problems. I’m not sure that I’d want to, but I would be reasonably able to do so. I am saving the topic of whether or not the iPad is even competing with e-Ink enabled e-Readers for another post. I don’t think iPad is a “Kindle killer.” I don’t happen to like the concept of anything being an anything killer, since it is typically hype. I don’t want the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 because I hate the iPhone, I want it because I am a Sony Ericsson fan and really want an Android phone. Same with the iPad. I am not interested in other products just to dismantle Apple’s market share, but simply because I am interested in other products. I think Kindle is pretty safe by the way. I could be wrong, but I don’t really see the two engaging in the all-out battle people are talking about.

The bottom line is, if you want to buy it, go for it. It is a well-designed product, and shouldn’t have any major issues. If you want a bigger screen, or Flash, hold out for one of the competing products. Tablets are just now hitting mainstream, so it couldn’t hurt to wait for the prices to come down, or for the next great device to come out in a couple months, whatever that product may be.