The iPad is extremely responsive, lightweight, and easy on the eyes for reading. Is it going to be the netbook killer? As of right now, I would say no, but I believe the next generation will be. Not to mention the HP slate and other tablet PC due out within the year will also start making an impact on the netbook industry.

The iPad can be anyone’s new toy because of the versatility and portability. The applications are fantastic and can finally break out of their shells and harness a whole new feel with the screen real estate. The new A4 processor allows you to move quickly from one app to another in the blink of an eye. The iPad runs the same iPhone OS that we all know and love, meaning there aren’t any learning curves you have to tackle. Gaming looked great and was a smooth experience. All in all, if you’re a business professional always on the go, a sketch artist, or the casual web surfing, Facebook loving, music listening and video watching individual, this device will probably suit all your needs, but to a limit.

There are, however, a few flaws. First, the iPad doesn’t support multi-tasking. Working in the web design and development field, you are constantly working in multiple applications and programs at once. Second, Apple decided not to put a camera in the iPad. Why not? I understand this is debatable and some may say “Why would the iPad need a camera?”. If your target market is the busy, media driven community then you should cater to them and let them take pictures, organize new albums, sync with iTunes, upload to Facebook and other social media sites, and video capture. A front facing camera for video conferencing would be nice as well. I’m not sure that I would use video chat much but I know there are people in the world that would. And the largest flaw, no support for flash. We all understood when the iPhone didn’t have flash and Apple blamed it on preserving battery life and processing power. Now Apple has created its own processor for the iPad to help with speed, not to mention the dual battery it possesses, so you would think it would have enough power to handle flash. If you’re looking to have the iPad replace your laptop I wouldn’t suggest it. The iPad is more of a desktop/laptop companion and media device than a work horse.

As a web design and developer I wouldn’t mind purchasing the iPad. I could use it for a few reasons. Reason one being the iMockup app. iMockup lets you create wire-frames for any interface you desire and lets you manage multiple wire-frame projects. This is ideal for when you want to get away for a while, run to a local coffee shop and bang out some wireframes or wire-framing with a client. The second reason is the Sketchbook Pro app. This would be fantastic for logo design and branding doodles and again, having the portability of working on those doodles with a client or shooting them a quick email of the sketch. The final reason is organization of meetings, projects, to-do lists, and quick referencing with the Calendar, Contacts, Things, and Safari. The iPad is definitely a great start to tablet computing, but personally, l think I’ll hold off until next year.