Thinking Twice About Buying an iPad

So, I really want an iPad. And I'm really lucky that they weren't available to purchase the day they were announced, otherwise I'd have bought one. Now, I'm not so sure.

As a "third device" aside from computer and phone (and other computer, and gaming consoles) I see a potential big place in my life for the iPad, mostly as a reader. I read a ton on my Kindle as-is, and if the book reader on Apple's device provides a good reading experience, that will be awesome. Actually, it's a requirement. In addition, I'm excited about the idea of getting magazines on the thing. Magazines on Kindle aren't great, but this video Wired produced (which clearly has the iPad in mind) made me want one right now:

I hope they're going for some open format that can appear on numerous different platforms, not just the iPad. Since they don't mention Apple, I imagine that's their plan.

Add to that the Web surfing, video watching, and other media stuff, and I'm sold on this tablet device. Plus there are the Apps.

Let me say, the thing better damn well support the current Kindle App that's on my Ipod Touch. It synchs to all my Kindle books, and while the screen isn't what I want to read long term on, it's a cool, useful app. Keeping this App on the iPad makes it MUCH more appealing as an e-book reader, since it means you have the whole Kindle library available from day one. I'm worried though that since Amazon and Apple are seemingly feuding over e-books and pricing that one or the other of them will pull it. Given Apple's penchant for being assholes about apps, I think it will be them.

Which brings me to my big issue of the day: Apple's prudish, high-handed censoring of its App store. Check out these to stories about Apple's recent removal of TONS of apps from the store based on standards that only a puritan could approve of:

Violet Blue

Tech Crunch

I really despise the idea that Apple is being so egregious in their censorship of content in their store. Yes, it's certainly their right to do so, but it sucks. It sucks so much that I might not buy their damned thing.

Comments

[Roadshow]

It's an interesting phenomena, but monopolise and bully though they might, Apple are seen as consumer friendly innovators, whilst Windows, with it's open platform allowing complete freedom to programmers and users, continues to be seen as an evil necessity produced by a malignant company. One day, one of the regulators at the European Union, responsible for giving Microsoft such a hard time, is going to wise up to the company with the real closed platform.
I haven't had hands on with an ipad, but I am wholly unimpressed with what it does, all be it that it is a gadget to salivate about. It doesn't multi-task and doesn't support flash. Perhaps waiting for ipad2 might be a better bet. There is also a big premium to pay to have 3G, which for an object such as this would seem to me an essential.
Finally, there seems no comfortable way to hold and operate it. How are you supposed to sit to use it and can we sue if we get a deep vein thrombosis doing so?