This is me padding my web site analytics from the Apple Store.

Being a thinking person means I am not an ideal Apple customer. I couldn’t accept at face value the iPad was as “magical” as advertised, so I went over to an Apple Store today to try it out. Just like many, I have very mixed feelings about it, and much to think about before deciding to buy one. There’s a gazillion reviews on the web already, so I will not be writing one. I’m offering a few impressions from a tech enthusiast who is pondering whether to purchase an iPad.

Pros

Apple’s hype over the iPad comes closest to its grand hyperbole with Safari’s web browsing capabilities. It really is a joy to peruse the web by tapping, pinching and swiping. And the display is just gorgeous – so much so that looking at a MacBook Pro screen afterwards was a disappointment. I could easily see myself lounging on the couch, patio, or bed with an iPad.

My biggest surprise was how pleasant the iBooks app was. I wasn’t necessarily in the market for an eReader, but I could see myself buying books, especially to have with me while travelling. The app is just gorgeous, and the page-turning animation is quite cool, even though it is just for show.

Some of the preloaded apps were amazing, and really show the potential that developers will have with the iPad. Plenty of specifics and app reviews are out there, so I will just say that I expect that there will be plenty of amazing apps to come, given that there are already over 1,000 on day one. (This also may mean I’ll be plenty busy at AppCraver.)

Probably the iPad’s biggest compliment was that I just didn’t want to put it down. It really is a fun device to use.

Cons

I think the iPad’s criticisms hinge on the word “fun.” Once you get past the fun, there are gaping holes and crippling weaknesses that kept me from walking out of the Apple Store with one (and yes, they still had some in stock).

I have been surprised at how much the lack of Flash support and multitasking are downplayed in other reviews. Yes, HTML5 will probably eclipse Flash eventually, but it will be a while. I don’t really miss Flash on my iPhone, because it’s a phone. But on what is supposed to be a different kind of computer, there are plenty of places on the web where videos have gone missing. For example, on a Nexus One you could watch the NCAA Tournament from the browser, yet would need to pay $10 for the iPhone/iPad add for the same privilege. This artificial pay wall created by Apple is quite irritating.

Another fallacy I believe has gained traction is the idea the iPad can be used as a productivity tool. This is laughable given how you are restricted to the iPhone-esque one app at a time. Sure, iWorks for iPad is well-designed, but in its current form doc syncing and exporting is a mess. Granted this is coming from my perspective as a writer, but I can’t see writing anything without having a Word or Google Doc open while flipping open a couple tabs to fact-check or do research. There is also the small matter of typing. Whoever says they can type just fine on this is lying – typing in portrait mode is horrible, and it is barely functional in landscape. The only people who can type on the iPad must be hunt-and-peckers who don’t notice a difference. When you touch-type 60 words per minute on a keyboard, trying to type on the iPad is a very frustrating experience.

I knew there would not be tabbed browsing, but its omission still made surfing the Internet feel a bit constrained. Another downer – Google Docs doesn’t work (it functions the same as it does on the iPhone (only spreadsheets can be edited).  Sure, there’s an app for that, but there shouldn’t have to be.

The Verdict

The iPad isn’t a solution to any problem. Much of what it does is great and downright fun. After spending so much time with one that I was getting dirty looks from the Apple Store employees, I realized I want one, but the same way I wanted Castle Grayskull to complete my He-Man collection as a child. It was a killer toy, but it didn’t help me get my homework done.

But for some that won’t matter. It is a great and fun way to surf the Web, watch videos (as long as they aren’t in Flash), play games, and check up on social networks. But just like the first-generation iPhone (and even the current version), there is a lot that is amazing, but much missing. But will that keep me from buying one? Not necessarily.