The Kind Of Splash The iPad Will Really Make

After reading some of the definitive commentary on the iPad I think this paragraph in David Pogue’s article sums it up:

It’s not nearly as good for creating stuff. On the other hand, it’s infinitely more convenient for consuming it — books, music, video, photos, Web, e-mail and so on. For most people, manipulating these digital materials directly by touching them is a completely new experience — and a deeply satisfying one.

Although Walter Mossberg makes a good point here too:

If people see the iPad mainly as an extra device to carry around, it will likely have limited appeal. If, however, they see it as a way to replace heavier, bulkier computers much of the time—for Web surfing, email, social-networking, video- and photo-viewing, gaming, music and even some light content creation—it could be a game changer the way Apple’s iPhone has been.

As more and more people report on the iPad, what’s clear is that its entrance into the reading market isn’t so much a challenge to reading as it is to laptop computing. After all, there’s not much that the iPad is meant to do that a laptop can’t. The difference is the experience. My prediction is that it will split the computer market in half. People who use the computer casually or mainly for pleasure will end up with an iteration of an iPad. People like me who use it to produce stuff will depend more on the laptop and, if possible, shell out the cash for an iPad —but just for fun.