Walking past the iPad

Today's the third day I could have trotted down to my local Apple or Best Buy store and come home with an iPad. I could have pushed the Saturday sales total to 300,001. But I haven't done it and don't regret it.

I played with an iPad for about 45 minutes Saturday at my neighborhood Best Buy. The experience affirmed my decision to hold out for a future version of the most-talked-about gizmo since the iPhone. Don't get me wrong, I think the iPad is a cool device that immediately set the bar high for touch-screen tablet computers that don't quite do everything you want them to.

In a review I read I yesterday, the iPad left the writer "underwhelmed.” The adjective fits; there was no "wow" factor. Maybe someone will make an app for that.

I'm waiting for Apple to unveil its "new-and-improved" iPad, or the iPad Pro, or whatever it’ll be called. I know it'll happen. I know Apple is listening to its customers and I know the company will work quickly to give the world an improved model.

My initial thought when I picked up the iPad on Saturday was, "Boy, this is heavy." The sleek glass face looks exactly like an oversized iPod Touch or iPhone, but the heft is surprising. One-and-half pounds doesn't sound like much — especially if you're ordering a bucket of steamed crab legs — but it's a lot to keep propped up at a comfortable reading angle when you dive into your iBooks library. I've read reviews that say the only way to comfortably read a book on the device is to add the notebook-style cover that doubles as an angled prop for easy viewing.

I've mentioned many times the iPad’s other shortcomings, including:

—    Lack of a camera (You can bet the next version has one that shoots stills and video.);
—    Inability to play Flash video (This is the most common method of displaying animation and video on the Web.);
—    Lack of a built-in universal serial bus port to attach peripherals like printers or cameras.

The iPad is very much an entertainment machine. There are already more than 1,000 iPad-specific applications (apps), with thousands more on the way. Currently, apps bought for your iPhone must be repurchased for your iPad. I'm hoping Apple finds a way to bundle the apps, as chances are you'll be using an app only on one device at a time. Are you listening, Mr. Jobs?

You can watch movies (formatted for the iPad) for more than 12 hours, several reviews say. You can read and compose e-mail with ease, as the on-board virtual keyboard is easy to type on. You can update your Facebook or Twitter pages and surf the Web pretty well (aside from those holes where Flash-based content can’t get in.)

I saw a story today hinting at a new operating system for the iPhone, which is the same OS used on the iPad. It's a good place to start. Maybe the new OS will allow users to run multiple apps. It'd be great to surf the Web while listening to music on Pandora or Lastfm.

Another iPad upgrade recommendation is to bypass the AT&T 3G network in favor of the faster 4G network offered today by Sprint and Clear. The iPad processor is already lightning-fast. My connectivity using the Wi-Fi network at Best Buy on Saturday was also extremely fast. I shudder to think of how a new flood of devices will affect the already-overtaxed AT&T 3G network.

I'm hoping Apple moves quickly enough to make me want to rush out to buy an iPad before the end of the year. I'm betting I have one before the turkey and stuffing are laid out for Thanksgiving. That next version (or maybe iPad 3?) will be a really great thing to have.