Why the iPad doesn't suck (completely)

  I was not surprised by the huge backlash after the announcement of the iPad. People expected the second coming of Christ, but they just got what they thought was a giant iPod touch. Is it that? Yes, no, maybe so.
  To address that claim, I only have to point to two things: iWork and 3G. It is a netbook, but more "intimate", as Steve Jobs called it. The iPad appeals to the market that wants a netbook, but doesn't want a whole separate computer. That market it surprisingly large. Think about it. Have you ever wanted to have access to office suites (iWork), the internet, and your media on the go? Probably.
  But wouldn't you have a smartphone?
  Yes, but that smartphone doesn't read ebooks and magazines or work with Office documents. While the iPad cannot multitask, and isn't open to anything but the App-store, that isn't necessarily bad. See, Apple's iPhone OS ecosystem is fantastic in that way. It's closed, it's stable, it's safe, and it just works. Your iPad will be able to sync with iTunes, work like Microsoft Office, play all your games, access the internet from anywhere, play all your movies and music, and it will do it quickly.
  And of course, your friends will be jealous.
  The iPad will sell. It will probably further the hurt that has been brought onto iPod sales (down about 10% each of the last few quarters). I can't decide whether I'd want one, but the answer is no. I have an Android phone, which is open source and can do a lot of what the iPad does. I, as such, certainly understand the objections. At the same time, I can see who it appeals to, and I can see why Apple chose not to make a full on computer (people do not like crap).
  But complaining is fun. Just like people did about the original iPod.
  Just because you don't like something doesn't mean it will fail. And, chances are, you're missing something. I think that that is, for most people, e-reading. Apple has changed the structure of the business just a week or two after announcing their plans (no more $9.99 ebooks), and now publishers are jumping ship, killing Amazon. Comic books are in the work, as are magazines. You see where this is going. It's a larger ecosystem. It's Apple selling more hardware that does more things for a higher price at a better quality. A year after the release of the iPad, expect a hugely successful ebook store right next to the App-Store, and a new version of the iPad that is about as close to being a laptop without being a laptop at all.
  Of course, expansion has never done empires well.