As I mentioned before, the iPad will offer an optional camera connection kit. This will allow people to connect their digital camera to the iPad using either a USB cable or simply plugging in the SD card. My wife recently decided she was going to take some photog classes, this would be incredibly nice for her to have. Take pictures and then transfer them to the iPad while out and about, or hopefully Eye-Fi will release an App + Card that will allow users to automatically transfer between them as they go (with geotagging perhaps). Of course, that’s an extra cost. Wish they had built a USB and SD reader into the side of the device.
The iPad has an on-screen keyboard, which looked a lot like the iPhone’s. I don’t have a problem with that, but I was very happy to see that Apple will be selling a keypad dock (scroll down on this page to see it). That will certainly be handy for browsing the OCC forums or using the email app.
I’m sure we’ll be seeing a ton of accessories announced in the next few months. The iPad is still 60-90 days away depending on the model, which is plenty of time for everyone to get some new stuff out. I would really like someone to release a camera accessory + app. Should be possible, right?
Apple claims that the device has a 10 hour battery life with over a month of standby. It sounds good, but I’ll believe it when I actually see it. I know my iPhone 3GS and my wife’s iPhone 3G both eat through the batteries.
When the first picture of the iPad was displayed during Apple’s keynote, my initial impression was “WTF?”. I though it looked hideous with that inch wide bezel around it. It’s growing on me now and I understand the reason it is there. It is a handheld device, you need a place to hold it without accidentally hitting an icon or issuing a command. The look, for the most part is growing on me now. I still don’t like the home button and think it was stupid for Apple to keep it on the iPad.
Oh, did I mention they called the damn thing the iPad? What idiot came up with that name? Yeah, I know… that idiot was probably Steve Jobs. I was really hoping that Apple would reuse the iBook name for the device. Heck iSlate, iTablet or just Apple Tablet would have been better. Now because of the iPad, iTampon is a trending topic on Twitter… yeah, there are going to be a lot of those jokes for years to come.
Obviously I have mixed feelings about the device. I really wish it was running OS X and had a camera. Is that enough to be a deal breaker? I don’t know. I understand the reasons for the iPhone OS, but surely they could have run OS X and then used a emulator to run the apps. It’s cool and stupid at the same time… or as Paul Abdul said “two steps forward, and two steps back.”