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.

I found the iPad strangely appealing to me. I’m not a gadget guy. My cell phone is falling apart, and I have no immediate plans to replace it before it disintegrates in my hands. I don’t play mobile games of any kind, and don’t plan on doing so. I don’t really want to look silly watching TV on the subway, either. Oh, and I LOVE that I don’t have cable. So, all the shortcomings about the iPad—not being 16x9, not having HD output—doesn’t really apply to me. (Some of the criticism fall along the lines of complaining that it lacks features that you wouldn’t really use but want it anyway ‘cause it’s the latest thing. You need it to have HD output so you can plug it into your high-def TV. Really? How often were you planning on doing that?)

The thought that I can one day bring an iPad, and ONLY the iPad, to a conference presentation is extremely appealing. I’d get it for that reason alone. I’m also beginning to warm up to the whole ebooks idea. I don’t care for the Kindle. It’s too bland for me. Not that I like flashy colors in my books, but lots of stuff I read does need color. If I can take notes and carry ebooks with me on the iPad, that’d be extremely useful for me, especially since I often lug around at least 3-4 books to every conference I go to. Jobs only mentioned five publishers, so we’ll see if others get on board. If their success with iTunes is any sign, they will.

I also think that most people are viewing the iPad too much as an isolated product, and not as part of a larger community of networks that include its apps store and iTunes music and movie store. I’m not sure if Apple had planned ahead of time when they developed this community, but it’s definitely making it an easier sell for people who are already familiar with these networks.

A couple of complaints, though. Why no camera? Unlike some of the other criticisms, video is actually useful. Not needing to bring a laptop to do video chat is great, and Apple already has a camera in its iPod Nano. This seems a bizarre oversight. The lack of Flash is also potentially problematic. These seem to be things that they can build in into a later model or upgrade, so it’s not too bad.

One of the tech reports I read described the iPad as similar to the Nintendo Wii—as in, being a product that doesn’t have the fanciest things but eventually gained mass appeal for having the right pricing and for attracting casual gamers. I think that might possibly be the case here as well. The iPad is probably not going to be that appealing to people who already have smartphones, e-readers, or netbooks. I’m not even sure anyone would want to carry an iPhone, iPod Touch and an iPad when they leave home. It’ll appeal to those who don’t have all those things.

I’m not a fan of getting products right when it’s launched. But I definitely see myself getting one eventually.