The Apple iPad has finally arrived, and, as I predicted a while back, it’s really just a big iPod Touch. That’s great. I love my iPod Touch. But, really, is there anything here that Linux can’t do just as well for less money?
Now, I do think that the iPad might be a game-changer. But, I don’t see it as creating some kind of new kind of computing platform. It’s also not going to replace netbooks, notebooks, or PCs.
Sure, it will come with an iPad version of Apple’s iWork office suite, but tell me, have you ever tried to type on a tablet? I have. It doesn’t work. You need a real keyboard, and that’s why netbooks et. al. will continue to do just fine.
What it, and the Linux-powered tablets that will be its competition, are going to do is kill off every special purpose handheld device out there. GPS devices and eBook readers are now officially on their way to joining the Betamax and HD-DVD.
