Allow me to admit that I am composing this entry on my new iPad. Also allow me to inform you that I am an avid user of Apple's products. I determined about a decade ago that I tired of always battling the operating system and the hardware. I want the tool I am using to "just work" when I want to get to work rather than having to "work on the tool" before I could accomplish anything productive. I am convinced that the Geek community at large is enamored and enchanted with the whole concept of working on the tool rather than being productive with a set of tools. I do admit that I do enjoy making my own tools, but I don't want the head of the hammer falling off every time I swing it to drive a nail.
In other words, I still build my own tools. But I know the difference between that and being productive with a set of tools. To me, the iPad is a tool. I understand its limitations, accept them, and use the tool for its designers intended purposes. You don't use a hammer to drive a screw. You could, but it frustrates you and messes up the screw.
All of the vitriol being spewed by my fellow Geeks about the iPad not having a camera, or flash, or a USB port really have turned off their critical thinking skills. The designer of the tool that is iPad understands better than they at this point what nail is to be driven with this hammer. I am absolutely amazed and amused over the whole uproar. The iPad has tremendous Geek uses, I won't have to lug around a laptop any longer during the day. Granted, lugging a unibody MacBook Pro is not much luqging... but I don't have to take a power cord along for the iPad and most of what I do away from my desk everyday... well, there's an app for that to speak in the parlance.
Let's be realistic though. The iPad is not a hammer that is targeted towards the Geek community. It is targeted towards the general population, and this is the real reason I think a lot of technologists are secretly disenchanted on the whole iPod/iPhone/iPad concept. The general population doesn't need us any longer when he devices become so simple to use.
Frankly. I'm happy about it. Maybe they'll all go off on their own now and let me get back to the projects and problems I want to work on rather than fixing all of their issues,
