Is Apple's iPad "underwhelming" or "a game changer"?

ShareThisAfter a whole lot of hype about Apple's newest "creation," the company launched the iPad yesterday in San Francisco.

Even before the existence of the device had been confirmed, enthusiastic tech and media watchers were wondering if Steve Jobs' latest wonder product was going to sweep in and save the publishing world.

And the predictions continue.

For instance, CBC's Andy Barrie said of the iPad: " I think this is going to be as important as Gutenberg. I really do."

Tech writer and former Globe and Mail communities editor Mathew Ingram isn't so sure. In a GigaOM column titled "Will the iPad help media? Possibly. Save media? No."

He wrote:

"..does the iPad contain anything that could be seen as throwing a lifeline to the foundering ship of traditional media? Well, no...

"Could the iPad be used to help create and distribute content or connect to services aimed at specific groups, through the kind of membership-based model with which The Guardian is planning to experiment? Possibly. But that again is a nut that newspapers and magazines will have to crack with or without the iPad, and the existence of the device isn’t necessarily going to make finding the right business model any easier."

Another tech writer, Matt Hickey from CNET was "underwhelmed" and listed "Five things the iPad is missing."

New York Times media columnist David Carr is unsure of the value of the device for the publishing industry, but still thinks the "game changed" with the iPad's launch. After attending the San Francisco launch, he wrote:

"It is clear that the iPad – which will cost $500, $600 and $700, depending on how much power they have – will allow consumers to develop a high-touch relationship with media. Whether they will use their other hand to reach into their pocket and pay for some of that gorgeous content is uncharted territory.

"There was all manner of hyperbole as is customary at these affairs – 'Isn’t this awesome?' Mr. Jobs said as he gathered steam — but you get the feeling that the iPad is creating and killing categories at the same time. The game changed today."

While many are optimistic about the iPad and what it could do for the publishing industry, magazines, newspapers and books were not a big part of the launch presentation. As MediaWeek reported:

"...magazines and newspapers did not receive much stage time during Apple’s event on Wednesday, and Apple did not even mention selling print subscriptions in its press release."

UBC journalism professor and new media watcher Alfred Hermida suspects "we may end up underestimating the long-term impact of this device, both on what we consider personal computing and how we interact with media."

He wrote on his blog:

"Apple’s secret is in marrying form and function into devices that are focused on the user experience. The iPhone has demonstrated how a device can serve as a platform for new media experiences. On first impressions, the iPad appears to offer an ideal platform to rethink journalism in a more visual, interactive and multimedia direction."

There's no doubt that the starting cost of the iPad (which ranges from $US499-$829) is much more accessible than anticipated, which will help to make the device more popular among average users. But what news organizations, magazines and book publishers will do with the device remains to be seen.