Stephen's response to the iPad - pre-release (3/29/2010)

I guess I'll go first...

I think the iPad seems pretty cool, and being the computer nerd I am, I want one as soon as possible.
Definitely not right-away, but I am not sure when exactly I'll get one. As soon as I can afford the $500, I guess.

Perhaps I may wait for the next-gen iPad, which will probably have a camera in it, since I doubt Apple will say "Surprise! iPads right now have a camera!"
That would definitely be totally awesome for Ustream or Skype for the iPad. A front-facing camera, and you can type at the same time.

I've heard people unfairly pass over the iPad as merely a "giant iPod Touch".
The iPad may run an iPhone OS based operating system, but it takes it a huge step closer to a full Mac OSX experience.
Movies will look better on it, email will be easier to read, (as well as sort through, with the side bar and stuff), bigger keyboard, Photos will work more like iPhoto in OSX, book-reading will be easier, etc.
The larger screen really does completely change what is possible compared to an iPhone.

I probably wouldn't do much book-reading on it (although who knows? Perhaps it would chance that), although there are plenty of books from Project Gutenberg I could read, as well as the countless books my mom has bought on her Kindle (which can be read using the iPad Kindle app.)

I recently got my first iMac, and have been very happy with it. I didn't want to get a Macbook, since I pretty much already had what I'd want that for in my pocket with my iPhone.
But I still think it'd be nice to have a Macbook without the bulk and expense.
So an iPad would fit perfectly in that middle road.

And if all else fails, I could end up giving it to my mom to replace her Kindle. :P

- Stephen Staver

Twitter: @sstaver