iPad ?

I agree with MG Siegler about the market of iPad

Most people won’t yet, but as long as Apple has its base that will buy and use the iPad, they have plenty of time for either themselves or third-party developers to create the killer uses that make the iPad a must-have product for a broader range of people. We already saw that happen with the App Store and the iPhone/iPod touch.

Many people are not convinced yet, me included. I remember I was even more disappointed when iPhone was launched. It did not have 3G, it did not have GPS, it did not have multi-tasking, it did not have stylus, and on and on. All those things iPhone lacked, some still lacking today, do not seem to matter that much as it seemed. It is more about user experience. People don't like it can find tons of reasons to denounce it as sub-par product. Users are typically satisfied with their experience. Those features lacking, some of them are purely business decision instead of technical ones. As for Flash, we may see websites dump Flash and support HTML 5 much sooner. They will have to optimize the website for handsets anyway. That may be Apple's game plan from the beginning. Apple also has Google on its side on this front.

The App market revolutionized the mobile computing. Will the iBook do the same thing to the print media industry? Only time can tell. Steve Jobs claimed he was at the intersection of technology and liberal arts. There may be true. He is also at the intersection of two powerful trends: the uprising of mobile computing and a print media industry desperately looking for new business model.

Kindle won't be the answer. It is dedicated e-reader only. It has its own niche market, and that is it. It was never meant to be a revolutionary product. Windows 7 based tablet might be. Given the Microsoft's track records, I won't bet on it. As someone pointed out, Windows 7 is trying to be king of every kingdom on the earth, but it cannot. Nothing can. Microsoft does not have the control over user experience as Apple has with their close system. The MS partners? They don't have a good track record either. HP, Dell or lenovo, you name it. They are not famous for their sleek design or revolutionary products. They produce lame but (once) profitable machines people use but don't love. Android and Chrome OS will also attack the Windows 7. Again, GOOGLE proved that it is not hardware savvy company.

Given the fact there is no real competitors in this category, the iPad can do at least O.K. for a while, and give Steve Jobs some time to refine it. Or, come up with "one more thing."