SOME of what he says is true... but it is all subjective and depends on how YOU would use it. Not everyone will be using it, holding it, doing the same things on it as everyone else.
It's Awkward: Compared to WHAT? It is way less "awkward" than any laptop or netbook I've owned. He says "Portability, shmortability."... uh... for the processing power and capabilities that this thing has it is WAY more portable than a standard laptop. Throw it inside any one of a myriad of cases available for it and it is as portable as any old book or pad of paper.
It's heavy: I'll agree with this... it is heavier than I thought it would be. It does make it a little "awkward" to hold with just one hand for extended periods of time. But it comes back to how do YOU use it. *I* use it with it resting on the arm of the couch, on my leg, or if in bed lying next to me on the mattress. Most people do the same things with books and I sure as hell doubt many would be holding up a laptop or netbook one-handed. Yes it is heavy IF you plan on holding it in just one hand... but how many people do that? Plus that "heft" comes from the super large battery. I'd take having to lay it or prop it up against something with a super long batter life than just a few hours of battery life and being able to hold it in one hand.
It's slippery: Somewhat. I notice if I'm really mobile with it that it can be a little slippery. The rubbery case that Apple sells fixes that (as well as many 3rd party vendor cases). Once again it is how you use it. If sitting in a chair or on a couch and you have the thing propped up against your leg or couch/chair arm... it isn't "slippery"
The screen has too much glare: It IS a glossy screen... true. They only time I've had a problem with it is in very harsh direct sunlight when outside (where I have the same problem with my phone, netbook and laptop). With lights on in the house, or sun coming through the window, or indirect light outside I don't have any problem with the glare. This thing gets SUPER bright... it cuts through most glare. So yes... it does have glare... but "too much" is subjective and debatable.
Forget reading in the sun: Is this a "new" shortcoming or is it the same one as above dealing with glare? He says it is "impossible to view in bright sunlight". I say hogwash. It is not as easy to view in DIRECT bright sunlight... but impossible is completely a stretch.
Fingerprints are annoying: Yes... when the device is turned off. I never notice the fingerprints when the device is turned on. The super brilliant display cuts right through them. So if he is like me then absolutely the fingerprints are annoying once the device is turned off... because you have a $500+ nice piece of machinery all smudgy. So I find myself wiping the screen every time I power it off. If I were having to wipe the screen while it was turned on then YES... it would be a problem. But I don't... so I don't see the issue. Buy a screen protector if it bothers you that much.
It does not multitask: True & False. False in the sense that you can listen to music while surfing the web, using (certain) applications, checking your mail, etc... True in the sense that you can't have multiple 3rd party apps running at the same time. I find this to be a bit of a shortcoming but I also know that I'll be able to jailbreak it soon and remedy that... and there are rumors of v4 software having multitasking capabilities... so I wouldn't let naysayers try and persuade you to not get one just because you can't run multiple 3rd party apps simultaneously (yet).
The browser is limited: This is a stretch. Outside of FLASH capabilities (which we have seen over and over is less of a concern than people are trying to make it out to be)... it is a full-fledged browser on a mobile platform. There will be a
few who will find it limited... but those would be well in the minuscule minority.
The virtual keyboard stinks: Matter of opinion and *I* disagree with his opinion. I can type VERY fast on the soft keyboard... and even if that doesn't do it for you... you can hook up an external keyboard. The author loses all credibility when he says: "The iPad can be paired with a physical keyboard, but even this is awkward, because the actions normally done with a mouse or a trackpad on a desktop or laptop have to be done with your finger on the iPad." Uh... hello... of course what you normally do with a mouse or trackpad you have to do with your finger (or capacitive stylus) on the iPad... it is a TOUCH SCREEN tablet device! Here the author just reeks of troll and shows that he will grasp at any straw to bash an item that he obviously has some sort of bias against. I was open minded up till here.
There's no USB port: True... what is the author gonna do with that USB port? iTunes is the program you have to "sync" your device with for a reason. For everything else on the go there is the camera connection kit. True a USB port could have came with the iPad natively... but I can't think of a single time I've "needed" a USB port on my iPhone in the 3 years of having it. I can't think of a time I'll "need" that USB port on the iPad. Sure it would be nice to have it just in case... but I think people want stuff crammed into their device regardless of whether or not they really use it. My iPad came with toe-nail clippers installed!!! Do I ever use 'em? Nah... not really... but they are there if I ever need to! Give me a break!
iPhone-only apps look horrible: I'll agree with him here. MOST iPhone-only apps don't look great at all when scaled 2x! But something that I have done is realized my iPad is NOT my iPhone. I have certain apps that I have to keep with me on my iPhone. When it comes to my iPad I look at it as a completely different device and I've only been loading iPad specific apps on it. There are only TWO iPhone apps I have on my iPad right now. Facebook... and that is only until they release the official app for the iPad. And Air Video (which looks GREAT on the iPad) and that is once again... only until they release the iPad version.
The price is just too high: This one is easy... if the price is too high (for you) then don't buy one. Problem solved!
Who is
HE to say the price is too high for
ME? I actually find that insulting!
It doesn't replace anything: True & False. TRUE in that this is NOT a phone replacement or a laptop/netbook replacement in the sense that *I* can't easily do my development and design on this thing. FALSE in the sense that now I don't have to bring my laptop or netbook along with me on vacation or when being out of the house for a few days. I hated having to lug around my laptop while on vacation just to watch a movie, read a book, send pictures of the vacay to family & friends or occasionally check my facebook or email... or do an emergency update to a website while away. NOW I don't have to take my laptop with me because my iPad will do ALL of those things comfortably! So in a way... it DOES replace my laptop (in certain scenarios). It doesn't completely replace it 100% of the time... but it does replace it in those times where I don't want/need a laptop around.
So in trying to be as open-minded and objective as I can... I agree with a few of the authors rants... but over all I just see the author as a troll who will grasp at straws to make-up anything negative he can about the device to come up with enough trash for an article to illicit responses from both sides of the camp. Outside of the first two sentences... did he say ANYTHING nice about the device at all? THAT tells me he has an agenda with the article because even the most anti of anti-apple fanbois out there would come up with a slew of positives about the device if they were being honest. He couldn't come up with ANY!
