Up On the Roof…

During Apple’s media event today, there was discussion around the new device and who’d use it.

I can see some appeal for use in the medical field, although medical apps or device connections were not covered at all today. With a large screen, it’s better at charts, photos, graphics (x-rays) than an iPhone ever could be. See also Upcoming Apple Tablet is Generating Significant Hype — Will it affect Healthcare? on MedPage Today.

What about home use? The iPad was designed for games, iBooks, movies, etc. So, the home user is in the sweet spot of the iPad’s target user.

iPad vs Kindle. With a $499 entry level iPad, the prices are close enough to make potential Kindle purchasers consider an iPad. Current prices are $259 for the 6″ Kindle and $489 for the 9.7″ Kindle DX (a match for the iPad screen size). I think the answer pretty clear here; the iPad wins. For me its as simple as “Color” vs “Black and White” TV.

Business Users? The iPad makes a great presentation device thanks to the addition of the new iWork apps (Word Processor, Spreadsheets and Presentations). It has email access web browsing, calendar, and the iBooks book reader. There’s a projector cable available for large screen hookups. So, while not as powerful as a laptop, it can certainly make a lightweight substitute in for some users.

How does the iPad stack up against a more powerful entry level Mac? At $499, the iPad is half the price of the entry level MacBook. What are the key differences? Let’s compare the two …

MacBook Advantages:

• camera
• true keyboard
• larger, wide screen
• CD/DVD read/write
• ethernet connectivity
• usb 2.0 peripherals
• true computer processor and memory
• MacOS X computer applications
• camera
• flexible video output
• digital audio output
• large hard drive
• flash support
• video skype support

MacBook Disadvantages:

• weight 4.7lbs. its ~3lbs heavier
• thicker, just over an inch
• no iPhone OS, thus no access to iPhone/iPad Apps
• not a tablet form factor, less friendly for ebook reading
• Twice the price

An iPad will probably be in my future for personal and home use. Will it be in yours?