"Catcher in the Rye (which inexplicably is near the top of Amazon's list of bestsellers)"

That's easy to explain. The recent death of the book's author, J. D. Salinger, was headline news.

As for iPad, it's just a fashion statement, with significantly less functionality than a netbook. Apple are master marketers, so many people will buy it anyway.

Do you really not know why Catcher in the Rye is at the top of the bestsellers list?

This is the tablet I'm actually interested in:

http://www.liliputing.com/2010/01/hands-on-with-the-notion-ink-adam-tablet-pixel-qi-screen-tegra-2-graphics.html

talk on the blogs is putting it under $500, it's far more flexible and open, the ability to switch between regular screen and eInk is impressive, it will multitask, and though that article doesn't mention it, it does handwriting recognition and they're working on a drawing app.

Careful. Jeff Bezos announced that Amazon sells 6 Kindle books for every 10 conventional books when both are available--.And just getting started--.

Explanation for "Catcher in the Rye" near the top of Amazon's Bestseller list: The author, JD Salinger, died last week.

As for the iPad, I will get one. And no, I am not a hard-core geek. I commute 2-3 hours a day via a train with free Wi-Fi,and I see a huge benefits for me.

I am a Kindle user and have bought them as gifts to family. An additional issues with the iPad is the monthly connection fee. The plan not requiring WiFi is over $30/month. Kindle has no connection fee, Amazon expects to make its profit from content sales.

I agree the iPad may very well be the one device in recent Apple history that won't be a HUGE success. I was eagerly looking forward to the iPad, however, was deeply disappointed that it was just a big iTouch instead of a Mac OS X based tablet PC. Something that could have potentially replaced my need for a laptop on the road. Sadly the iPad will not do it, mainly because it won't run all of the full fledged programs I need it to run. With the current iPad approach, I would have to still carry my laptop with me. And sorry, but a claimed 10 hours of battery life will probably be more like 5-6 in real life.

I disagree on the eReader comment. I am seeing those things popup everywhere. I travel a lot and see more and more people carrying them on planes, trains and buses. I was considering buying one for me until the recent broo-ha over MacMillan publishing jacking up the prices on their ebook titles. Publishing, like music, just don't seem to get the digital age. I am more willing to buy a LOT more books at $10 than I am at any higher price point. I read a lot of technical books and get tired of paying 30, 40 or more dollars for these books. Hence, I don't buy as many as I otherwise would. Too bad for them.

So, for me, probably holding off on purchasing the iPad or any ebook reader, at least for now.

Yo mr. know 'truly' nothing - Ever hear of J D Salinger? His recent passing w/ The Catcher in the Rye comment?? Please get facts right - Do you even understand how McGraw-Hill perceives the IPad? Opinions are nice to have but please be of original thought and why would you reference an LA Timeas 'opinion' as fact??? Aren't you supposed to be a little smarter and 'in front' of convensional?

For gaming, I do see an advantage for some board games. It would make a nice portable chess set, for example.

I completely agree, with the possible exception of some of the e-reader stuff.
The iPad looks very cool, no doubt, but I'm struggling to find a compelling thing it can do that I can't already do better.
As you said about games, I have both a PS3 and an Xbox 360. I'm very well covered in the games department.
Movies? I'm addicted to Blu-Ray. Even if I wasn't, and even if the iPad had Blu-Ray capability, I've never needed to watch a movie while on-the-go. Maybe if I spent a lot of time on airplanes, but I don't.
I have a Kindle for e-reading, which is the nice, comfortable size of a paperbook book, light as a feather, easy on the eyes, and hardly ever requires recharging.
It plays music? I hardly need a large beautiful display for that. My iPhone plays music just as well, thank you.
I'm sure it will sell well, but to me it looks like a giant iPhone without the phone. I can't think of any time I've ever wished my iPhone was a lot bigger.

The iPad looks too much like a product in search of a market, The specs released so far do not provide for basics that the business user would need, and the Apple announced price for the iPad is too high for too little performance for all but the diehard Apple fans. Gamers will have little or no interest in this underpowered high-priced product. I see no distinct market that Apple is directing this product to. It appears they are taking the "if we build it they will come" approach.

Good points. FYI, JD Salinger, the author of Catcher in the Rye, died last week - that is why sales for the book are way up.

You need to get out more and read more. If you spent any time in an airport or on an airplane or commuter train you would see lots of happy kindle users.

Catcher in the Rye is inexplicably at the top of Amazon's list because J.D. Salinger passed away last week.

Duh.

Finally a comment by someone who isn't gaga about Apple. I believe that the iPad is another Newton. It is helping to define a new product space that is not being met by smart phones, and netbooks.

The power of smart phones is that they are appliances, not computers. You don't have to install device drivers, know what kind of hard drive you have installed... In short you only need to understand how to run the apps rather than how to run the computer.

The "appliance" concept is what most users should be using. The need to deal with Microsoft software wanting everyone to understand how the hardware and software works under the hood is complete BS.

The iPad is a step into the netbook sized appliance market where one only needs to understand how to drive rather than be a mechanic first.

I predict that the iPad is the forerunner of a netbook running an Android "appliance like" system in the future. The "holy grail" is a netbook sized device which allows one to access voice, email, chat, internet, and applications (word processor) all at the same time.

Imagine a netbook that has a voice circuit that is used while the system is otherwise in sleep mode to save battery power. Then carring your netbook and having a blue tooth headset means that you have your phone and all of your other functionality at your finger tips.

I became a Kindle user after I saw one in the wild. After the owner let me handle it I immediately bought mine. Amazon would sell more if they added distribution channels (retailers), but I digress.

The Kindle is optimized for reading the static pages of a book. Lightweight, thin, long battery life, e-ink display. It can do lightweight web browsing for pages optimized for mobile devices. Free 3G connection, zero monthly contract. In short, it is perfect for what it was designed to do.

Technology is constantly getting better. I accept the fact that I will throw the Kindle over in two or three years or so for a faster, sexier device just like I do my cell phone. The iPad isn't it. Not yet.

The iPad is a brilliant device that should be the next form factor for the personal computer!
What is the simplest computing device? Pencil and paper. What is the simplest communication device? A book. If a book is too inconvenient for people then contemporary society is in deeper trouble than even I thought was possible.

The iPad is no more inconvenient to use as a portfilio, or a text book or a pad of paper.

I use iWork now and that suite is sufficient to put someone through grad school including the spreadsheet driven quant courses like Stat and Ops Management. The keyboard dock makes this a complete personal computer. It is the perfect computer for grades 5 to MBA with the electronic textbooks. (I don't believe in heavy use of computers in schools before grade 4.)

As for integrating it into the latest Windows environment:
1. Perhaps management needs to reconsider the environment in the first place and EARN their inflated salaries instead of hiding behind "industry standards" and jumping off the same bridge as their buddies.
2. The latest release of Windows products never are compatible with prior versions anyway. When a document is published or stored for record it needs to be read by future readers WITHOUT worrying about finding arcane technology to do it. Paper and tablets have recorded our knowledge and right now the closest thing that we have is Adobe's PDF.

My ONLY computer now is my MacBook Pro. While I will contain my enthusiasm, with difficulty, until I touch the iPad, the iPad appears to support everything that I do including my personal scholarship.

VJM, MBA, MS

But the problem is that there isn't any technological wonder in the A4. Its more than likely a reassembled set of ARM IP + a mysterious graphics chip. Most the PA Semi people left soon after the Apple acquisition.

The impact of this device will only be known the moment we hold one and start to use it. Either it will be magical like the iPhone (who could, seriously, go back to using their old cell phone after trying an iPhone?) or it will be "meh" like the AppleTV. As long as we're guessing, I'm guessing it will be "schwing!"

Lot of other things are missing:
1. The screen resolution is modest: for 1024x768. The image quality is even lower when it comes to video with a resolution limited to 640x480 for MPEG-4 and a misguided display of 4:3 for films. These characteristics place the iPad below the touch pad Microsoft: Zune HD.
2. Lack of basic connectivity (no USB), that all cheap Netbooks have, thus not being able to directly feed data from a USB key, or digital camera (on the go).
3. No Adobe Flash Player support, which is present in almost 75% of websites that are not compatible with the iPad. It will take some time to ensure that every website passes to HTML5 and CSS3 to navigate optimally on the web.
Etc.

In general, I agree with you. But I think you are 100% wrong about e-Books. You clearly don't live in NY. I see e-Books on the subway everyday and know many people who have them. However, the Kindle, at a lower cost, also seems like a far superior choice for an e-Book reader. It is designed to read Books, not as a multimedia experience. Even Steve Jobs made the distinction between the iPad = Media Player and Kindle = eBook reader.

Just returned from vacation in Maui where at least 1 in 6 people by the pool were reading on a Kindle or Sony eReader. I saw no less than 30 of the devices, and the resort was not busy. Similarly, I saw a number on the flights and at the airports. Note that the majority of these readers are, at a guess, 55+. Maybe you need to get outside more often to see the technology in use. None of the people I saw using an eReader would be those I'd think would have a game console on their TV with net access...in fact, I doubt many of them do more than email and buy from Amazon.

If sales numbers and profits equal success, then I have no doubt Apple will score big on the iPad. Other than the obvious, I think it will do extremely well among those who are computer phobic, as the advantage of the OS is that it truly presents an easy computer experience, unlike the current batch of netbooks, which are really extremely slow laptops made of plastic. Either way, the jury is still out on the iPad, though I think it's going to do well.

I think the people who complain about or criticize the new iPad are deliberately refusing to see the forest for the trees. Most of the complaints I've seen have been very nit-picky, like no Flash support or no webcam. Some have complained about slightly higher level things like the OS limitations or the fact that the platform is locked into Apple's app store. Some wonder why anyone would buy this device when cheaper netbooks are available that will do so much more. These are all just trees. I guess some people think we won't ever get to the forest because there won't ever be enough trees growing successfully.

I personally think we've been moving in this direction ever since the first PC was introduced. Back in the day, all those early hacked together computers could really do was manage some uber-geek's electric train set. Sure, it was kind of a cool application, but not really practical and a great many people dismissed the potential usefulness of personal computers. Look how that worked out. And ever since the first PC was introduced, attempts were being made to make the thing more portable and easier to use. The tablet computer is merely a natural result of those attempts.

The technology has finally arrived to a place where they can be built and be truly useful. The Newton was not a bad idea. It was just released before the technology existed to make it really successful. I don't know if Apple is going to own this category they way it does for music players and smartphones, but I don't think this is a fad. Just because it may not be all you want it to be right now doesn't mean that it won't ever be. Tablet computing is coming and I think that's a good thing.

Call me crazy, but I suspect this post will be embarrassing to read in a year or so. Take a look at the similar things that people said when the iPod was introduced, or even the first version of the iPhone. I can't say for sure that the iPad will be a raging success; the gaps and issues being pointed out by critics are certainly true, but I think they miss the potential "disruptive" nature of the product. We'll have to see.

Ed, you posted the following comment in your blog today: "I ask, how many of you are actually going to spend more than $800 for a high-end iPad so you can re-read Catcher in the Rye (which inexplicably is near the top of Amazon's list of bestsellers)". You might be kidding-- since it is so obvious that this very famous writer and recluse died on January 27, 2010. I did enjoy your article and I feel the skepticism is warranted due to past commitments and prognostications that haven't even approached fulfilling their commitments: Their sales volume, consumer demand targets, nor realizing any strength in their Branding efforts. Thank you for the great read!

Sincerely,

Russell Kwasigroh

Catcher near the top is explicable, owing to it's author's recent death.

I-Pads and me? More and More.
I-Pads and college kids? That's where it has to happen.
If for no other reason, the dollars involved in publishing textbooks for high school and college involve "reinventing the wheel" -the printed page-every new issue. How much more efficient, less costly, less "respectful" of monopoly textbook publishers, is a properly designed e-reader with Note-taking, Annotation, Wireless Internet connection, highlighting, and other "learner-related" features.
THAT'S where e-readers need to go. McGraw-Hill ,and all the others are shaking in their boots at the prospect of a smartly designed College textbook reader with the necessary features that multiply the value to a student...at less cost.
Consider this. Updating College textbooks could be accomplished with an Online Wiki-like staff of Contributing Editors. Wait,even better. Let's have college Online!
How about a dedicated Newspaper E-reader with all those features and Internet connection?
Wait! I already said that...years ago.

I agree with Mr. Kintzer on one point — the iPad won't be the great new ebook reader. That's due to the fact that it has a highly glossy screen and is backlit, things that are not conducive to extensive reading.

As for seeing someone using an ereader — he's welcome to come visit me any time. As soon as the Kindle International became available I bought one, and I've been immersed in it ever since. I read Catcher in the Rye when it first came out, but an having a wonderful time reading many other new books — and catching up on some I've missed over the years. And have switched our daily newspaper from paper to the e version.

The iPad would be fine for colourful magazines, and perhaps for some other uses, but we voracious readers won't be buying it.

Catcher in the Rye: The author just died. And no one actually read it in high school, unless you count the Cliff Notes.

Comparison: You could also compare it to the Nokia N800/810 which also failed to take off, even though it's arguably more useful (web cam, slide out keyboard, built in stand).

Well said.

I often wonder what would happen to Bill Gates if he were to offer the kind of semi-finsihed products that Steve Jobs puts on the market?

Tarring and feathering, I am sure, would probably be the minimum.

Can anyone explain, why Steve Jobs not only gets away with it, but is considered some sort of a hero?

Idiots spend all their time worrying about hardware. You fail to realize that no one is building a toy for you to play with. Apple is building a platform that will support their sale of books, games, art, music, magazines, newspapers, etc. I love the way all you pundits grumble over details but never recognize the business opportunity. And, dodo, the business proposition is what it is all about. Bet you never saw Apple becoming the largest retailer of music (iPod) or the huge business opportunity of Application sales (iPhone). Well watch the iPad and it's successors make Apple the worlds largest retailer of books, games, magazines, newspapers and yet to be developed utilities. Each of these will be sold without building anymore stores, paying any shipping cost, or warehousing any product. I bet you have never bought Apple and I thank goodness for people like you because you keep the cost of the stock down so I can buy more shares.

it's "champing". A.

Hm-mm..., Catcher in the Rye is the book that Mel Gibson's character was brainwashed into buying by the evil government agency in Conspiracy Theory.

Anyway, I agree, the iPad is interesting; but, not the game changer Jobs makes it out to be.

"(Catcher In The Rye) which inexplicably is near the top of Amazon's list of bestsellers"

Are you that uninformed or is this a joke? J.D. Salinger just died - that's why it is at the top of the bestsellers list.

But I agree. The iPad should be called "Newton II."

It's a severely dumbed down but more expensive netbook. Previous attempts via Linux to provide a simpler netbook interface have already failed miserably.

The iPad is for two markets: 1) The non-techie who wants the internet but not a computer. It's too expensive (they are the most likely to make decisions based on price) and too much of a future shock for them.

2) The Apple faithful and techies. It's too limited and closed for this group.

The A4 chip is the news here. Hopefully it will be fast and in the next iPhone.

"I've yet to EVER see anyone actually reading a book using an e-reader."

I have 2 friends that received Kindles over the holidays. They love their Kindles and use them constantly.

Kindles may be for non-technical types that have time to read things outside of the most recent tech article.

Who would like to know any opinion of a dude for whom the top position of The Cather in The Rye in the charts is inexplicable?

You say "For all the talk of Amazon selling millions of Kindles, I've yet to EVER see anyone actually reading a book using an e-reader."

I'm a user of the Kindle, I've had a DX since about June 2009. I travel weekly and I see them on planes every week. Its also true that many people haven't seen one so they ask me about it. Think about planes and trains, I tihnk you will see more of them.

I agree with you, I don't see the iPad stealing Kindle sales, its an overgrown iTouch (I have an iTouch and I love it, but I don't have an interest in the iPad).