The eagerly anticipated iPad has finally been released, and since everyone else on the internet is writing about it, I thought it only right to say a little something myself. Feel free to comment, critique, and/or correct.

To me, despite the hype and the sales figures, it all comes down to this: Is the middle place between laptop and phone really a space we’re dying to fill— or will the iPad fall through that metaphorical hole?

On the entertainment side of things, the iPad does have a lot of advantages. If you’re looking for a portable entertainment device that’s more engrossing than your mobile and, well, not as heavy as your living room’s entertainment unit, the iPad seems like a good bet. However, I have to question some of the “benefits” I’ve seen reviewers praising. Many cite the iPad’s twitter and texting functionality as a huge plus to the gadget, but this seems dubious. I can’t see how texting or tweeting would be made easier or more fun with an iPad, when a phone is so much more portable. Indeed, the cell phone remains the ultimate Twitter device: you can pull it out of your pocket the next time a random something inspires a text/tweet. What would you do with an iPad? Pull it out of your bag? Balance it on our knees while typing in your flash of inspiration? Maybe we’ll see an iPad utility belt in the future...

Of course, considering this blog is for a publishing imprint, I’d be remiss if I didn’t discuss eBooks. At this point, I think nearly everything that can be said about eBooks on the iPad has already been discussed ad nauseam. In my opinion, the eBook library interface on the iPad is an improvement on what the typical eReader provides, and I’m thankful for that. Seeing all of your eBooks on a brilliantly colored ‘shelf’ may well fill your heart with gladness. Somehow, I suspect that those people who love their new device and all the great, fun things it does, will also love that they can read excellent books on it.

In sum: the iPad certainly seems to offer a fun and entertaining experience for those who hope to use it for those reasons. It seems like just the right device for a long car ride, or for a living room that has had its TV commandeered by someone who wants to watch opening day of baseball season.

For those who are interested, here’s a positive review and a negative review of the iPad.

What do you think?

~Marjorie DeWitt