iPad First Impressions --

First of all this is just first impressions of the iPad. Since I do not have the device in my hands I cannot conduct a full technology review. But here are some thoughts:

1. The iPad Hype did not match the reality. I think the press had worked it self in to a froth, and was throwing everything but the kitchen sink in to the product feature list. When the hype generated feature list was different than the actual product there was a lot of disappointment and negative comments in the press, blogs and twitter.
   
2. The press and analysts were expecting a Netbook killer. The iPad is not a Netbook like device. It is trying to create a whole new category. More on this later.
3. The boys in Redmond must be feeling some angst. They have beaten to the punch once again. The tablet showcased by Ballmer at CES was another boring version of Windows 7 with no optimization for the new form factor. Once again Redmond missed the boat. I think we have seen Microsoft's better days. More on this later.
4. The pricing on the iPad starting at $499 was a huge pleasant surprise. This is going to put a lot of pressure on Windows 7 based tablet manufacturers.
5. Whoever selected the name iPad, probably does not have much interaction with women. I was talking to my 14 year old daughter about the iPad and she thought that Apple had just created the world's most expensive feminine hygiene product. :-). Obviously Apple needs to get more women on their marketing teams.
6. Lack of Flash was disappointing. I can live without a lot of features but how can you call iPad the best web experience without being able to view Hulu and Netflix?
7. Other than that I loved the device. I hope to buy a couple iPads for my family. One for the kitchen and another for the living room. And that is where iPad will be a huge success. Apple has created a new market beyond our offices (netbooks, laptops) and pockets (Smartphones) by moving mobile computing to our kitchen, bedrooms, and living rooms.
   

Why This Blog?

There are hundreds and maybe thousands of blogs on Smartphones and mobile computing. So Why did I start this blog? Three reasons:

1. Use of Smartphones is exploding in the US -- in a down economy. The future of this segment is very bright. Smartphones and its variants the tablet/slate will be the PCs of this decade.
   
2. General lack of well researched and unbiased information on this subject. With a few exceptions, analysis by bloggers and editors is very biased and incomplete. It mostly consists of personal experiences, analysis of a few tweets from freinds and family of how they love or hate the device. This is not serious research but just somebody's opinion. Just look at the coverage of Google Nexus-One by PC week. A lot of articles all over the map.
   
3. I would like to bring the perspective of the real users not just geeks like me who live for new gadgets and devices.
   

My overall goal is to bring well researched, unbiased research with occasional rants and raves (hey I am human) on this exciting new subject. So here is what to expect:

• Device reviews
• Primary Market Research
• Expert Opinions from people other than myself
• Occasional Case studies and experiences of real customers