Have iPad critics missed the point?

Canvassing the opinions of technology bloggers presents yesterday's iPad reveal as somewhat of a disappointment. On the other hand, the device has its fair share of staunch supporters.

Many of the common criticisms of the iPad appear to hinge around what the device doesn't do, but Saatchi - Saatchi's CIO Peter Mangin feels that such critics have missed the point. "I wasn't expecting this universal device that can do everything I ever want," he said. "It isn't designed to be a computer; it's designed to be a device to consume media. I think maybe that's been lost on a few people." He added that the iPad is not intended to replace an iMac Pro, PC or otherwise for heavy-duty computer tasks.

Mangin is reportedly the fourth New Zealander to place an order for Apple's much-hyped tablet device, which he expects to follow a fairly similar pattern to the iPhone in terms of revolutionising the device market. "It's going to change the way consumers interact with computers," he said.

Much like the iPhone, Mangin expects that future iterations of the iPad will address most outlying issues and iron out any kinks. "As a general rule of thumb, it's usually about the third revision where they hit the sweet spot.

While positive opinions of the iPad such as Mangin's might be a little harder to come across online, he is in some pretty powerful company; the New York Times' David Pogue believes the iPad is following the typical pattern for Apple products of media panning followed shortly by breakaway success once it hits the market. He had the following warning for critics: "As we enter Phase 2, remember how silly you all looked when you all predicted the iPhone's demise in that period before it went on sale.

The LA Times' Michael Hiltzik shared a lot of the reservations of the device's critics, but also hinted that there is some serious potential. He doesn't share Apple CEO's belief that the iPad is a "magical and revolutionary device" right now, although he contends that "depending on how it's exploited, eventually it could be much more.

Perhaps most tellingly of all, Apple's Nasdaq stock price increased by over US$6 overnight following yesterday's unveiling.

TechDay readers, on the other hand, aren't so optimistic, with over half of those that participated in our poll dismissing the iPad as "just a large iPhone" at the time of writing.