I followed yesterday’s iPad announcement with a good amount of excitement. Anyone who knows me will tag me as a bit of a gadget head, so maybe it has just been too long since I’ve gotten myself a new toy. Regardless, my personal expectations for the day were mixed, but I always do hold out some hope for a surprise announcement or game-changing feature from Apple. Sadly, yesterday produced neither of these things. We got roughly what was expected (a tablet modeled after a large iPod touch) and no game-changing features were announced.
There are still many positive elements to this device. For example, I am hopeful that gaming on the iPad takes a control approach totally different from the iPhone/iPod. But, this will take time and sufficient hardware saturation to make the investment in iPad-specific games worthwhile. For me, load the thing up with a solid Photoshop alternative and I’m nearly sold on the thing as an on-the-go photo editing studio! These are my two areas of interest in the device, primarily media/entertainment consumption/editing, and these will likely be the reasons that lead me to purchase one (if I do so – probably 2nd gen).
However, it is just that entertainment angle that also leaves me so, so sorely disappointed with Apple. The lack of Flash compatibility is a major roadblock to enjoying video content online ON ANY DEVICE. Continue reading Apple iPad Reaction – No Flash