I guess I should start this post by saying that I haven’t actually seen the new Apple iPad firsthand.  But in all honesty, I don’t think it really matters.  I’ve read enough of the hype, seen enough of the videos, and read enough iPad reviews to form an opinion about whether the iPad could potentially be the next best thing since sliced bread.  And, while I’ll admit that it does sound pretty amazing, I do have a few concerns about it.

For anyone who is not yet familiar with the features of the Apple iPad, here’s a quick rundown:

– Will run all of your existing iPhone Apps and Games

– iBooks – Book Store like Amazon

– iWorks Suite of Apps (which, for the uninitiated, is Apple’s app for creating documents, spreadsheets and presentations)

– Mobile phone functionality

– Unlocked to accept the SIM card of any mobile phone provider

– .5 inches thin and weighs 1.5 lbs

– 9.7 inch IPS Capacitive multi-touch display

– 1GHz proc Apple A4 chip (PA Semi!)

– Comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB, all with varying prices

– 802.11n WiFi, BT 2.1 and Compass

– 10 hrs of battery life and 1 month standby

It might take me a bit of time to wrap my head around a computer that can also be a phone.  But OK, I can see why someone might not want to walk around town with 2 gadgets, when they can carry only 1 while enjoying the functionality of both.  My biggest concern comes, however, from the fact that if I had my computer so accessible and if I carried my computer around as I carried my phone, my social life would go down the toilet.  It’s bad enough when people are constantly checking their email (On the train! At the dinner table! In the bathroom!), but with an iPad, nobody would have an excuse as to why they didn’t do the requested work immediately – they could never use the excuse ‘I was away from my computer.’  While this type of availability could potentially turn is into an even more productive society, I have no doubt that it will detract considerably from the social nature of man.

I’m slightly disappointed by the missing features on the iPad including a lack of USB port and no camera feature.  I can’t quite picture how a 10 inch screen would be a camera.  But if I had to take a camera and an iPad, I might as well just take my iPhone and my laptop, right?  It’s the same 2 things to carry around.

Finally, I’m a bit puzzled about why people should invest in the iPad when they’ve only just begun to truly enjoy their iPhone.  And with an iPhone 4G speculated to debut as early as this summer, how can consumers decide which Apple product is really worth spending money on?  Still, as someone with a large-screen laptop that is incredibly heavy to carry, it might be time for me to upgrade – and choosing an iPad as an affordable and comfortable alternative to a standard laptop may not be out of the question.