So the rumors are over and now the chatter begins.  Apple officially announced their next major hardware release today and it’s called the iPad. What Is It? People are calling it a hybrid between an iPhone and a full laptop but in reality it’s much closer to the iPod Touch.

The new Apple iPad is an ultra-thin device that is a half an inch wide and weighs 1.5 pounds. It has crisp resolution, battery life of about 10 hours and lets users see Web pages in full screen mode and use virtually any app you would expect an iPod Touch to do (as it has no camera) plus GPS functions (in 3G version). There is a few 3G plans that appear to be exclusive to AT&T despite speculation that Verizon could have been a carrier.  It costs $15 for 250MB of data per month and $30 for unlimited datawith no contracts,  something Steve Jobs called a “real breakthrough” in pricing. The Wi-Fi-only iPads will start shipping worldwide in 60 days, with the 3G models coming in April.

Is there an App for That Device?

Every app that is currently on the App Store that works on an iPod Touch should work on the iPad. Apps designed for use on the iPod Touch and do not upgrade the code for the larger screen will only take up a small portion of the screen, or they can be blown up to full size with some visual degradation. There will also be iPad-exclusive apps, many were demoed and several will be preinstalled. I’m guessing that apps that work on the iPhone but not on the iPod Touch will not work due to the omitted hardware.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

So the good news is that the rumors can finally go away. Apple released a solid “new product” that I’m sure will sell very well. I doubt it blew many people’s minds but anything with that amount rumored hyped will ever satisfy the imagination. Whether this is a “killer” of any technology is yet to be scene but I’m pretty sure that you will see the iPad in many locations as a replacement for other devices people carry.

The problem is that this device is still rather limiting. Yes it can replace an eReader but eInk is nicer on the eyes. Yes it can replace an iPod Touch but which is easier to carry everywhere. Yes it can replace a SmartPhone’s Data Services, but it can’t replace a phone. Yes it can replace a GPS if it has 3G Service but is that realistic to mount in a car? Yes it can replace a laptop, assuming you can do all your work without full powered applications and don’t expect to multitask on it. Is the non-removable storage enough? Are you comfortable with App Store Lock -In and repurchasing apps?  So that leads to, what can I compromise from another device in order to justify needing another device. Or do I simply just carry another device?

But I’m afraid it gets worse! AT&T and Apple, the exclusive relationship that everyone expected to go away, DIDN’T! What’s this mean for the iPhone’s potential expansion is not clear but one thing is for sure, this wasn’t a good sign of that relationship changing. The move makes sense in some ways as AT&T’s GSM technology is in use world-wide but boy did we want to hear something different.

I give Apple credit, this device looks very nice and I can’t wait to play with one. But playing with one is a lot different that buying one and changing your habits to work around it’s limitations over devices you use today. So the question becomes, will you and millions of other people stand in line and say “iPaid”