The much anticipated, much rumored and much blogged about new little Apple toy was birthed yesterday as it sprang from Steve Job's holy gadget-womb - the iPad. Everyone who knows me knows I have definitely drunk the Kool-Aid since 1983. After seeing it finally come to life, here are my initial thoughts. Now, for something completely different...

Ok, I don't get it. I'm sorry, I just don't. I mean, the technology is great, it's a touch pad, and that's juicy in and of itself. But I don't understand the WHY of it. It's a big iTouch. That's how I'm seeing it, and no matter how much sizzle they add to their marketing pitch, it's still nothing more than an oversized "Baby Huey" iPod and gaming platform.

Its too big to be portable. I can't keep it in my pocket and I'd be afraid to dump it in my purse for fear of scratching up the screen. So that means if I'm taking it somewhere, it needs it's own bag.

Now I gotta tell ya, I got enough crap to carry around with me whenever I leave the comfort of my cave. If I'm not home tethered to my beloved laptop, I'm out running errands or in client meetings. So if I want to check something out online, or play with an app, I like to be discreet about it since I don't want said clients, nor potential thieves, to see I have a sparkly, shiny, glittery new Apple toy that I'm playing with, so there goes the idea of using this thing when I'm out. And honestly, if I'm gonna lug around something, it's gonna be my macbook pro. I don't care if it's thicker, I don't care if it's heavier. If I gotta carry a new bag, that bag's gonna carry my office. Not a big toy to play games and read the newspaper with, and run a few select "NEW" applications. Which, by the way, I'm sure will be drool-worthy. But let's be honest here.

This looks like an attempt to release a product for the sake of testing the technology's desirability. Apple knows their users VERY well. They know what we need, what we want, what we buy, how we use it. They know we like the touchscreen of the iPhone and iTouch. They know we want webcams and microphones, we like shooting photos and taking videos and recording ourselves live. They know we want ports to be able to hook our toys up to all our media outlets so that we can enjoy said gratifying ego boosting self created content. This new little toy has no cam, no mic, no ports? What gives?

Seems to me there will be an iPad 2, iPad 2G, or whatever the hell they're gonna call it, and they'll add some more goodness then, but who knows how much. Or they're doing what I suspect is closer to the truth - they're testing the waters to build on a new macbook design, which is gonna be WAY more than $499. And if they were to include a cam and ports on this thing, that's just one step away from laptop level - and Apple CERTAINLY doesn't want to release a $499 laptop.

I will say this - when this thing does finally grow up and becomes the new laptop that will surely be, Wacom better watch out - cause you know there will most definitely be the ability to draw on the screen in Photoshop and Illustrator (OMG the thought of that just gave me a Macgasm!!), and that means every Designer will drop Wacom like last night's leftovers. I for certain will be one of those Designers (as I'm sure you've guessed) and I will love it to death, no doubt.

But for now? What the hell, Apple? Dudes, small iTouch or iPhone means I'll take my fun everywhere. Macbook Pro means I can take my work AND fun everywhere, or stay local. This thing is too big to take everywhere, and lacks the stuff to make my FUN actually FUN. So if I'm gonna use something, I'm sticking to my iPhone and Macbook Pro, thanks a bunch.

At least, that is, til you release the new iMacbook Pro Touch Pad. Oh yeah...