Tired of the iPad yet?

Lately  you’ve probably been inundated with iPad news, reviews, comments, hatred, etc. Allow me to toss a few more words onto the pile.

When the tech blogs started reporting that Apple was making a tablet, I had very high hopes. Then Steve showed us what the iPad would be, and I lost my enthusiasm; now I own one. Yes, it’s been a roller coaster ride.

After reading so much criticism of the iPad’s shortcomings, I feel compelled to quickly cover the most common complaints as I feel they affect me.

• “It’s just a giant iPod touch” — No, actually it’s not but I doubt I can change your mind. Sure, it shares an OS with the iPod/iPhone but there are plenty of iPad specific changes that make for a different experience. If you don’t understand how much of a night-and-day difference this amount of screen resolution brings to the table, I fear you’re a lost cause.

• “It doesn’t multitask!” — True, but it’s not that noticeable during normal use. Sure, I’d love to stream Pandora while surfing the web but for now, I don’t find it much of a hinderance in my day-to-day usage.

• “It’s heavy.” — I would describe it as solid but not heavy. Besides, who wants to pay $500 for a flimsy lightweight device? Sure it’s not something you can hold onto for long with one hand but if they made it lighter, the battery size would suffer and you’d be complaining about that instead.

• “This won’t replace my laptop.” — You’re probably correct unless you only use your laptop to check Facebook and Twitter. The iPad can take over a big chunk of what you use a notebook for, but it definitely won’t replace it.

• “There’s no Flash support!” — Correct but I really don’t miss it that much. Would I like to watch Hulu from the comfort of the iPad? Yes! However, I’m sure they’ll eventually start using HTML5 and all shall be right in the world.

• “This is just a fad” — They said the same thing about the iPhone. Nevermind that tablets in bulkier form have been around for years. Plus, with HP and Dell working on their own tablets, I think we’re about to see an explosion of choices for the anti Apple folk. I’m definitely interested in seeing what an Android tablet can do.

That’s probably enough of that. Want to know what the iPad does well? Plain and simple, it’s a fantastic multimedia & Internet machine. If you want to surf the web, use Twitter, read RSS feeds, stream a Netflix movie, read an ebook, or play some games, this device is an excellent choice. It’s the last thing I have in my hands before bed, and the first thing I reach for when I wake up.

In case you were wondering, the battery life is just as amazing as every review claims it to be. Even after streaming Netflix for hours on end, you’ll still have enough battery life to make it through the day. And yes, the screen is fantastic as well.

So, do you need an iPad? Absolutely not. Will it change your life? I doubt it. Let’s face it, you probably don’t need half of the gadgets you own. With the iPad, you get a fun, versatile device that will only get better as the OS matures and app developers turn their focus toward the larger HD screen.

If you’re hung up on the highly publicized shortcomings, just imagine the monstrosity Apple would have created if they tried to please everyone.  My iPad sits on my desk between my Macbook and my Asus netbook and I don’t think any of the 3 are going anywhere soon. For the time being, I do find myself reaching for the iPad more than the other 2 options; I guess we’ll see how that pans out in the coming weeks.