The 3 Reasons Why I Didn’t Buy an iPad

I REALLY wanted to like it.

I stalked the iPad online for many weeks and read all the glowing reviews from luminaries like Pogue and Mossberg. It seemed like the ideal device handed down from God Steve himself. And yet, once I tried it in the store, I just couldn’t convince myself to drop the $499. Here’s why:

1. No “Real” Keyboard

This was probably the biggest deal for me. At the store, I tried to type on it and it was a major FAIL. There’s just no fast way to touch type on it, even if you rotate it to landscape mode. It doesn’t help that there’s no good way to prop it up for typing either. It almost needs those little legs that all keyboards have.

Not being able to type quickly leads to one major implication:You can easily consume content, but not easily create it. I really like to create things with my laptop — whether it be writing or programming.  So I want a device that makes it easier, not harder, to create content. I realize there are wireless keyboards coming down the pipe, but I don’t want to have to carry around two pieces of equipment all the time just to make it usable.

2. Kindle Beats iBooks

Let me start by saying that the iBooks app is gorgeous. I love the virtual bookshelf, and the color photos. That said, for an e-book reader to work for me, I need to be able to make notes and underline portions. That’s how I read, absorb and ultimately enjoy a book. The bottom line is that the Kindle supports that feature and iBooks on the iPad does not.

Beyond that, the number of books available pales in comparison to the Kindle, and the weight of the iPad makes it more difficult to casually hold for long periods of reading. The Kindle feels like a feather in your hand compared to the iPad which really requires two hands to hold.

3. Not Different Enough

Apple is all about thinking different (just check their slogan). And the iPhone was a real breakthrough — It was radically different than any other phone out there.

But now that I have an iPhone, and my wife has an iTouch I really feel like the iPad wasn’t getting me anything new. Yes, the screen is a lot bigger, but other than that it’s pretty much the same as the devices I already have.

So for now, I’m waiting on the iPad, but maybe if another couple killer apps (like the marvel comics one) start to pop up on the iPad, I *might* reconsider…