Wednesday 27th, 2010 was probably the most anticipated day for all geeks and techies out there. After a long buzzing rumor dated back from 2002, Apple finally announced the highly anticipated iPad. A device which is supposedly a mind-blower, a game-changer, and an innovation-like-no-other. Based on the Job’s introduction, here’s what we know so far:

• 9.7″ IPS display panel (resolution at 1024×768). And multi-touch, obviously.
• New Apple A4 processor at 1GHz.
• Wi-fi A/B/G/N, Bluetooth 2.1, and 3G (optional) for connectivity.
• 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB storage.
• Up to 10 hours of usage and approx. 1 month standby time.
• Using iPhone OS 3.2 (all iPhone/iPod Touch apps will run without modification).
• Priced from $499 up to $899 depends on the configuration.

And then came the reaction…

So far there’s more hate than love on this piece of device. Here’s why: I think people got consumed too deep by the rumors out there. Even months before the product launch, people already had their own ideas on what the device should be and what it should be able to do. Basically they want this to be perfect according to their own needs or wants. And after the keynote, all the hate comments started to flood gadget blogs, tech sites, etc. Is this an Apple fault? abse-frakin-lutely not. Apple never promised us anything in the first place. In fact, they kept it discreet until the very last minute. It’s the consumers who got tangled up in those hot rumors and sleek mockups across the internet.

What Apple did here is just: They think there’s a market for a third-tier product between the iPhone and the Macbook, they build it according to their own specifications around the iPhone OS kernel so most people will feel familiar on how to use it (thus reducing the learning curve), and then they launch it. That’s it. Plain and simple. It’s just happen that along the process, the rumors were built up sky-high. High enough for people got disappointed (some even got angry) because the product isn’t what they have in mind.

That being said, I for one, am still wrapping up my mind on what iPad can do. I’m not fall for it instantly, but I don’t hate it as well. Watching the keynote, I’m a bit skeptical about the target market of this product. By the way I still am. But when I start to think of what the iPad can do, I realize there’s huge potential here (more on this in a sec). There are a lot of amazing things that you can do with a touch screen this big. I’m pretty sure the success of iPad will be determined by the third-party app developers.

The potentials

Below are some ideas of what may be a killer app or feature on the iPad.

On games: Okay here we go, imagine if StarCraft 2 is ported as an iPad app. You control your squad using multi-touch with the help of a few buttons in the toolbar and a HUD map which can be enlarged, zoomed, and re-positioned. I bet you feel like a total commander now. I think iPad is a great platform for real-time and turn-based strategy. Blizzard, I hope you read this, tower defense is so 2008.

On productivity: We all know iPad’s version of iWork looks neat and all. And I’m sure all of you know how it works by now. But let’s forget about office productivity. Let’s focus on image editing. Back in the day with iPhone & iPod Touch, there’s only so much we can do in terms of image editing. Don’t believe me? try Photoshop Mobile app. But anyway, imagine you can run Adobe Photoshop Lightroom full version (or Aperture) on iPad. Assuming you’re a photographer, you’re on field assignment. Instead of carrying bulky and heavy laptop, you carry an iPad (allow me to remind you that this is an IPS panel device we’re talking about). And heck say you can shoot in tethered mode too with an iPad Camera Connection Kit. How convenient could that be. I bet a lot of photogs will be more than excited with this idea.

Based on those 2 ideas above, I’m already excited about the possibilities it offers. So much more can be done with this device. The sky is the limit here, it’s up to the developers now to utilize its full potential. I’m pretty sure in the next few months we’ll here more about the product and the apps. But for now, I can say I’m pretty excited.

Image courtesy of Apple.