I checked out Apple’s new iPad over at the Apple store yesterday. Pretty cool.

Seems like we went from being impressed by things getting smaller, to impressed by things getting bigger. I guess it depends on how you look at it. I consider it a larger iPod Touch, while others consider it a small computer. Sure, it’s a cool device, it offers most of the features of my iPhone in a size more suited to reading, writing, and movie watching. But I cringe everytime I hear someone say it is going to replace the laptop computer. Here’s why I say that’s rediculous:

A) Multitasking – whatever your taste in OS is, whether it be Windows, Mac OS, Linux, those systems have spent years perfecting multitasking and file management for both business network users as well as home users. The iPad, while a user friendly device for simple computing, is a huge step back on these important features.

B) I cannot run any of my professional applications on it. It doesn’t have the computing power or multitasking flexibility for Adobe Creative Suite or any video or 3D modeling/animation software. Also, no matter how neat Apple’s word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation stuff is, there’s no way it will replace Microsoft Office in the average workplace. The iPad OS is just not suited to these types of business applications.

C) Even if it did have the computing power to run that stuff some day, I don’t like the idea of downloading the software from an App store. I want full access to the system and software I purchased. Its like getting a car and being told you aren’t allowed to open the hood. The dealer has to make all installations and upgrades. If you can’t open it, you don’t own it, I say.

D) The whole refusal to support Flash thing. This should be evidence to any power user that the iPad/iPhone platform is bad news. It’s not just about being a personal supporter/user/designer of Flash content, it’s about the principle of the whole thing. What if Steve Jobs decides he doesn’t like some other technology, is he going to just say that isn’t allowed on the device? As the owner and user of the device, I want the freedom to be able to use whatever technology I see fit. You can’t claim that the “possibilities are endless with the iPad” and then pick and choose what is possible on the device. Not to mention, Flash is still important, whether Steve Jobs believes it or not. A lot of popular websites use it. My son Maxwell will be very dissapointed that he can’t visit disney.com with his iPad.

The iPad definitely has a place in the business, but not as competition to the Personal Computer. If I were in the market for a book reader like the Kindle right now, the iPad would be my choice. If I were looking for a portable device for watching movies, I’d probably go with the iPad even though I still prefer having a physical Blu-Ray disc over a DRM-protected digital file.

It’s a cool device, but please don’t call it the laptop computer replacement. Because if this is the future of computers, I’m a little worried.