Now that the excitement and build up has come to a climax I have begun to come down (a little) from being the owner of a 64gb WiFi iPad.  I have been like a child waiting for this date and device to get here.  Some are thankful that is has finally arrived while some have asked for more info.  So in order to get it out of my system, somewhat, here is my Pros & Cons take away list:

Pros

1) It truly does feel natural in your hand.  Its light enough to hold for an extended period of time and its weight is just heavy enough to feel like its protected.

2) Response it amazing.  Being the owner of an iPhone I was very surprised that the accelerometer was so quick and snapped the screen from portrait to landscape so fast.  When there is a strong connection it is equally responsive.  

3) Screen resolution is beauty.  I still can't believe that I am holding this tiny tablet computer and it looks so damn good!  The first app that I used for an extended period for the iPad was the Marvel Comics app.  I was a HUGE comic book reader back in the day but just go tired of collecting and figuring out where to put the read comic books.  But this digital comic book really came to live with the iPad.  The pictures are amazing and vibrant and the way that the screen "animates" to the next series of text helps the reader to really immerse oneself into the story. Not to  mention the definition of video and quality of pictures.  

4) Ability to flawless integrate with my other Apple products.  If anybody knows me, they know that I am a 100% Apple ass licker.  Nothing gets me going more than Apple, the brand, and their products.  When I synced to iTunes for the first time the iPad immediately became "mine" in the sense that I now had all of my media, contacts, calendar, emails, and much more on my iPad within seconds.  So now I can sit at my iMac at home, the office, or the other office, pick up my iPhone, or NOW my iPad and everything is synced the same.  It makes life very easy as a business owner and executive.  

5) Its look amazing.  Apple not only has superior quality of products but the products are DAMN SEXY.  The sleek and sexy designs of their products is yet another thing that sets Apple apart from their competitors and why they can demand a premium.  I couldn't wait to take it out in public, go to the coffee shop, sit down with it, and enjoy it with a cup of Carmel flavored coffee… and you know what?  I couldn't wait to see the heads turn as I walked around with it, tapping it, scrolling on it with my fingers, and just having fun with it in general.  And yes, I did get the "is that the new one", "is that the iPad", and "did you get that today".  Even the ones who didn't say anything still did a double take.  When you pull out an Apple product you command a second look.  'Nuff said.  

6) Apps, Apps, Apps.  The iPhone is very successful because of it's ability to become whatever the user wants it to become.  Whether for entertainment, business, or personal, the iPhone App Store is golden.  So now you take the App Store and make apps specifically for the iPad and its a no brainer instant winner.  "Rinse and repeat", is a motto often used in business.  It means "if it ain't broken, why fix it".  You take what works and scale it to make it work for something else.  

7) eReader, iBooks, and Kindle.  Yes, Apple did create an iBook store, and yes it is quite amazing to turn the pages and the graphics involved with the books is spot on.  But a lot of people out there already have Kindles (like myself).  There is a Kindle app that allows the individual to whisper sync their iPad in order to download the rest of their books from Amazon.  Now despite the fact that you can't take Kindle's books and put them with iBooks it doesn't really matter.  You can decide to open the Kindle app or the iBooks app and both are very pleasurable.  If you want the added bonus of the page turning effect than you can pay the few dollars extra Apple is no doubt going to charge for purchasing books on the iBooks platform.  However, buy books and eBooks to read so to pay the extra few bucks seems crazy to me.  I can't see Apple keeping the Kindle App for long.  It'll def. cut money from Apple. 

8 ) iPod as usual.  A lot of people have complained that the iPad is just a "Big iPhone, or iPod Touch.  And there def. are things that the iPad has that resembles these devices.  Again, if it isn't broke than don't fix it.  The iPod's success and place in modern culture needs no explanation and the iPad has the iPod and iTunes apps in place here.  

9) Speaking of the iPod the sound is great for this kind of device.  Steve Jobs was right when he talked about the iPad being a new device in its own category.  And the sound that goes with this new kind of electronic is quite good.  The built in speakers are loud enough for the device's size.  When you add in the white ear plugs that have become standard in today's community the sound BOOMS and its not a bad boom.  Its this kind of attention to detail that makes Apple one of the best.  

10) Bridges the "gap" between mobile and laptop/desktop.  The iPhone was fantastic for mobile web and email.  It truly was a humongous break through in terms of smart phones.  In fact, the iPhone is often not even discussed with other cell phones because any other is so far off from comparison that its impossible to compare.  However, the iPhone is limited in its size and ability to see Web sites and so certain kinds of tasks that requires a bigger screen.  Unless you are in the tech industry like myself, luggage a laptop around  can get on your nerves as it tends to get heavy when walking for an extended period.  And often you are lugging that laptop around for what?  To do some light browsing and emailing on the go anew.  So when Steven Jobs decided to try and bridget that gap because the others couldn't (Mr. Jobs elegantly stated at the keynote "Netbooks aren't good at any of those) many people didn't get it and a lot of experts felt like this is one leap that might not pay off for Apple.  However, if there is a new market for the "in-between" then the iPad does that and more.  The pad is only about a pound and a half, is slim, and fits easily in the majority of bags people carry nowadays anyway.  

Cons

And now for the cons.  I think before I go on its important to note that the iPad like other devices are made for a specific reason.  The desktop is made for at home, at a desk computing while the laptop was made for taking your desktop on the go in order to do the heavy lifting your desktop does but from somewhere else.  The iPad was not created to take the place of desktops or laptops (despite it doing some of the same tasks a lot better).  You can't throw away your desktop or laptop in honor of solely using the iPad.  It wasn't made for that.  As such, some of my cons contradict the fact that the iPad isn't made for heavy computing but this is my list and things that I think could be better of the iPad regardless of what Mr. Jobs says

1.  No camera.  When I am using the iPad it feels like I should be looking at someone and talking to them.  It makes sense that this device should be used for online video communication.  One of the major disappointments with the iPad is that it doesn't have a camera.  However, I guarantee that future generations of the iPad will have a camera.  The iPad can't meet every single want of the consumer because how will Steve Jobs make more money by having iPad owners purchase the next generation iPads and get the ones who didn't purchase one yet to get the next generation iPad.  

2) Apps. Apps. Apps.  I know this was already a Pro but it is also a con.  Despite being able to use the app store for good it also means that Apple has full control over what gets into the App Store and what doesn't.  Therefore, if Apple feels like an app doesn't meet certain criteria (whatever the hell that is) then that app gets dumped in the land of lost apps.  Unless you jailbreak you iPhone or iPad and in that case you do whatever you want with it.  

3) Where do my hands go?  The device does feel great in your hand but I always feel like I shouldn't be touching the screen.  There is a huge difference between tapping and swiping then to have my grubby mitts on the screen for an extended period of time.  Maybe I am being a little OCD but overtime I pick up the iPad I get worried about smudging the screen and have to make it a point to wipe the screen off.  Which brings us to:

4) High maintenance for keeping the screen clean.  Touch screens are phenomenal and a great invention.  However, the screens for Apple's touch screens get incredible smudgy. The fact that I have incredible OCD when it comes to my electronics (but not my house) compounds this issue for me.  I am carrying electronic wipes around in my pocket to keep both my iPad and iPhone screens clean.  

5) There's (not) and app for that.  I know this will get cleared up pretty soon when developers stat getting their  hands on the actual iPad but there is very few apps for the iPad.  I am a HUGE app guy and have tons on my iPhone 3GS so not having many asp to choose from yet is quite upsetting.  Again, I KNOW that eventually there will be plenty to choose from but at this moment there isn't.  

6) No mic.  There is not only no camera but there isn't a mic either.  So that means no Skype out or VOIP calling.  This is a huge set back for many of the apps that are already created for the iPhone.  In the future, I am sure the iPad will have a mic (see Con #1).  I stand corrected.  @sunnycyclist over at TUAW.com commented on a reply I made to a post.  It does have Dragon Dictation as an App. I totally missed that one!

7)  Typing anything significant sucks.  I thought about blogging from my iPad but soon realized I would be writing until the next day.  The keyboard is big enough to do a lot more typing than on a smart phone, however, the virtual keyboard is in no way big enough to do any real typing. Apple does make a keyboard dock for the iPad which I have ordered but out of the box the typing on the iPad is not sufficient for extended typing.  

8 ) Great resolution… when you can see it.  One thing that irritates me is that when I watch the iPad and the video playing has predominantly black in the picture it makes it difficult to see anything.  A few times I didn't even think the video was playing because I couldn't see anything.  It was a stand up comedy show and there was black curtains behind the comedian.  Yet, I couldn't see a damn thing unless there was specific movement.  So if someone is wearing dark clothes and there is a dark background don't expect much enjoyment.  

9) The software is fully locked down.  I debated on this one for a while.  When something is open source then anyone can come in, take the program, and update it, change it, fix it, etc.  This doesn't jeopardize the initial program unless the individual doing it to that specific software is trying to hurt it.  Case in point is the Android operating system from Google.  its an open source and anybody is free to come in and make apps for it which then means that anybody can come in and use it.  However, as we alluded to, each app has to go through Apple and the Apple platform is nowhere close to open.  In some respects this may be a valid reason why you Apple computers aren't going to get infected like a 5 dollar Skid row.  

10) No flash.  Steve Jobs was right when he discussed how Flash does not play well with HTML and other web based standards.  In fact, Flash doesn't play well with anything.  However, many websites like Hulu use flash to play videos.  Therefore, the iPad is useless when viewing websites that use Flash.  HTML 5 standards is such that is has begun supporting video so Flash doesn't become the primary option, however, there is still some time left for that to happen.  So until then its up to the different website owners to decide to make an app that plays nice with the iPad or to update their site to get away from using Flash. 

So there it is.  My Pros and Cons list for the new Apple iPad.  In my opinion I think the Pros are far better than the cons.  As the majority of these cons has the potential to be cleared up or can already be cleared up.  I am so happy with the iPad that my wife and I have decided to sell the Kindle we just got a few months back in order to get another iPad so we each have our own!

Did you get an iPad?  Are you waiting to get one to see what they are like?  What are your thoughts on the whole "iPad thing"?  I'd love to hear from you.