Apple announced the iPad yesterday, and the wave of dissent from the tech community seemed overwhelming, although not altogether surprising. I think it’s one of those cases where techies, like hardcore gamers, think that they are the only relevant market because they’re the only ones who can appreciate cutting-edge technology, and that the masses just eventually follow along. Lots of people seemed to have trouble describing the product without comparing it to another product: “a giant iPod touch,” “a colored Kindle,” “a big iPhone without the Phone,” and so on. I’m not sure how ultimately revolutionary it is, but I do think that, from a marketing point of view, it’s a pretty smart move to position it as a “third product” between laptops and smartphones.