Leon Gersing

I love how a device that no one has really used has caused such a rift in the geek/nerd/tech/yawn universe. So, I’m going to weigh in….

I remember when Apple came out with the Macbook Air and nerds were up in arms over that because of the price. It was under powered by their stupid, nonsensical standards. You know what happened? People who travel a lot and need a computer that allows them to get things done (email, documents, presentations, etc) while traveling on a plane or a subway or whatever. Guess what happened? They loved it and geeks didn’t buy one. You also forgot about it the next time another machine was added to the Macbook Pro line. Because __that__ machine was for you.

Not every user experience has to be a ubiquitous homogenized one. People are heralding iPad as things like a Kindle killer. Nope, you’re wrong again. If sales go down, they’ll drop the price. If no one buys it they’ll devote more time into building apps for iPad or the subsequent Google Android Tablets that are bound to pop up in the next year or two.

So, if you’re interested in one, buy one. If you’re not, then don’t. If more people like them than don’t then they’ll go the way of the Newton. If not, then get a Macbook and start hacking away at apps for it and fleece the millions of iPhone, iPod and iPad users out there who actually are interested in the device.

Oh yeah, and no one, __NO ONE__ has ever, __EVER__ said that the iPad was the end all be all of the future of computing, because that would be hyperbolic. IF you’re worried about your kid _not_ getting into computing because you only own an iPad, then buy that little hacker a mac mini and give them room to run. But stop with the whiny conjecture and hyperbolic punditry. I’m over it.

DISCLAIMER: I’ve been programming for years. Frankly, a computer that my parents can use without calling me for tech support every week has me pretty excited.

Me? Waiting to play with it but am very intrigued.