Update: Well, the reviews seem a bit mixed from the tech crowd even as the TV news stories are about the best thing Apple could have hoped for – breathless anchors telling us how much they want an iPad.

Wall Street Journal has a good summary of the early buzz. My take so far is that these are the key features in play:

“low price” “giant iPhone” “many applications” “high quality” “no still or video camera” “potential typing challenges”

This morning Apple launched what is almost certain to become the new tablet computing standard, the Apple iPad. Reviews will be coming in at a lightning pace today and we’ll try to summarize them later, but in the meantime here’s a great “Everything you need to know about the iPad” piece from the Gizmodo people.

Apple iPAD launches

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Some of the mystery surrounding the condition of Apple CEO and founder Steve Jobs ended tonight.   Jobs is recovering from a liver transplant he had in Tennessee about two months ago and is expected back at work at Apple soon.    The WSJ reports:

Steve Jobs, who has been on medical leave from Apple Inc. since January to treat an undisclosed medical condition, received a liver transplant in Tennessee about two months ago. The chief executive has been recovering well and is expected to return to work on schedule later this month, though he may work part-time initially.

Mr. Jobs didn’t respond to an email requesting comment. “Steve continues to look forward to returning at the end of June, and there’s nothing further to say,” said Apple spokeswoman Katie Cotton.

Tomorrow’s Apple stock may surge Monday on this news as there has been widespread speculation that Jobs would not be able to return to Apple at full strength where that now appears to be a distinct possibility.   Under Jobs leadership Apple effectively resurrected itself as a viable technology company after nearly imploding under the pressure of cheap, massive PC sales in the 1990s.     Yet thanks to the iPOD, iPHONE, and other Apple gadgets the company has enjoyed a huge resurgence in popularity, prestige, and most importantly for investors….stock price.

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My iPOD can beat up your iPOD

By John Ghysels, technology-report.com

Apple’s surprisingly high profits not withstanding, there appears to be trouble about in iPOD land, if comments over at Amazon.com, like this one, are to be believed:  http://www.amazon.com/review/R1J5U3Y9O8E1YF/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm. 

Indeed, a brief web surf showed a surprising degree of frustration with the new 4G iPOD nano. The main complaints seem to center on compatibility issues. This is perhaps because the new 4G nano is compatible with, well, just about nothing. If one has invested big bucks in earlier iPOD compatible cases, holders, speakers or chargers, as well as the much more expensive consoles, monitors, audio players, etc., then you basically have to start over. 

It’s always hard to judge from any rating site what exactly is going on with many gadget products. You never know how many ratings are just hot-heads venting about confusing technology. If you believed even half of all this on-line ranting, we’re certain you would NEVER even buy a cell phone. 

However, the proof is in the pudding, or in this case, in the mysterious workings of the marketplace.  Technology-Report notes that prices on “new” 3G iPOD models are still suprisingly high and, in fact, are about equal to the price for the new 4G POD Nano, at about $140.  This is in spite of the many added features on the new generation iPOD. 

While production on the 3G has likely stopped and supply issues certainly come into play here, it is still a bit shocking that an earlier generation is selling for around the price of the new, “much improved” version.  Even the prices of older 4 Gig, 3G iPOD’s are holding their values, with heavily used units still selling for $80 or more. That’s better than most houses in California. 

The marketplace may be reflecting the impact of an expensive upgrade, as well as the satisfaction of existing users. Apple may have violated the old cardinal rule of Detroit, planned obsolesence, and done themselves too well on the “old” 3G nano.  

In any case, I love my 3G iPOD nano. It still has the feel of hi-tech and runs like a top, even two years later. I still while away oodles of time, carefully craming loads of videos and audio entertainment into it’s measely 4 gigs. It’s small size and ease of use has allowed it to infiltrate into my life and that of many others. 

Yep. I love my iPOD 3G nano.  And I ain’t givin’ it up jest yet.   

–John Ghysels, 01/22/09

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