Apple's New iPad

Saturday was the big debut of Apple's iPad. Friday was full of pundit previews and technical reviews of the much-anticipated product.

For example, over on CNBC, David Pogue gave a very positive review of the new ereader. Complaints included no camera and a virtual keyboard. Pogue pronounced it great for getting information, but poor for sending/creating it.

I wrote about the product in these two prior posts, here and here.

In retrospect, the earlier piece has conclusions with which I remain comfortable. Seriously, how much better a compliment can the iPad be given than to be compared to a netbook more than Amazon's Kindle.

My business partner told me last week that, just in pre-orders, the iPad already had 33% of the volume of Amazon's Kindle, though the latter has been in the market for at least two years.

I don't think there's any question that the iPad will be significant in its category. Some claim that, at least initially, it will also increase volume of ebook sales at Amazon. Perhaps so. But I continue to believe it will marginalize the Kindle, relative to its prior market position.

As to Holman Jenkins' points, I'm not quite as sure of them now as I was then. Yes, Apple doing cloud computing and advertising seems a stretch. But, when you consider the iPod, iPhone and iTouch, the iPad represents simply the latest in Apple's second-generation application-specific digital devices.

That strategy seems to set Apple apart, make it unique, and capitalize on it, and/or Steve Jobs' genius for the design, production and marketing of such devices.

Look how easily and thoroughly Apple has moved into and changed the music and phone businesses. Perceiving Apple's niche as application-specific digital devices has allowed Jobs to cleverly and profitably combine software and hardware solutions to specific consumer needs, outflanking phone and computer makers. Plus creating whole new devices for music and video.

On Friday, I was left musing over David Pogue's comparison of Jobs to Edison, and simple identification of Apple's success with Jobs. According to Pogue, no more Jobs, no more Apple. He explained and described Jobs' incredible control over details of Apple product designs. Unlike Gates, Jobs has a clear magic touch with consumer products and systems.

Plus, he is very decisive, according to Pogue. That's why Apple can product devices so quickly, from concept to market, with such beauty and functionality. Jobs is focused, moves quickly and eliminates delays.

I suppose it's both good and bad news, in the conventional vein regarding Jobs' health and energy where Apple is concerned.

But there seems to be no denying that the iPad is another milestone product.