Waiting for the HP TouchPad: Day 3

Monday was theoretically the last full day before the HP TouchPad I ordered is delivered. I was originally planning to post something both yesterday and today about waiting for the TouchPad, but decided my time would have been better spent spending time with the neighbors and taking the boys to finially see the latest Pirates of the Carribean.

I did spend part of today reading reveiws for people who either received TouchPads before they were avialable or had the sense to pay for Saturday delivery or bought the device retail.

I was both excited and frustrated sitting on a patio enjoying the company of the neighbors watching a FedEx truck go up the street and NOT stop in front of my house on Saturday. I did get to play with a neighbor’s iPad 2 and I expect at some point we can do a side-by-side of the experience of the two devices.

Do I think from that short time looking at videos that the TouchPad is going to be an iPad killer? Not having done anything with a TouchPad and only spent 20 mintues with an iPad, I don’t know. At this point, I don’t believe any product or brand is ever really going to kill anything that Apple develops and brings to the market, especially if they bring it first. Their brand it just too strongly embeded in the minds of Apple fans. And as Apple delivers what Apple fans expect, I just don’t see anything really getting between Apple and Apple fans.

What I do believe is that the TouchPad and WebOS 3 is the begining of an HP strategy of delivering full integration across all the devices I use. Of course, until more WebOS 3 devices are relased, it’s really hard to know what parts of integration will be useful features, and what parts of integration will be features lacking a use case.

After looking at a number of reviews online, too many to list, I’ve pretty much come to consultion that while the media seems to like the TouchPad, there are other devices out there in the same space that like, too.

But isn’t that to be expected?

The big point for me is that I know a bit about what I’m getting myself into.

The TouchPad is a new platform. It’s the first time we know of WebOS being put on a slab tablet. It’s the first non-Windows tablet HP has done. As a new hardware, I’m expecting there will be problems with how it works. I’m expecting that there will be problems in my understanding of how it works. This isn’t me being appologist. It’s just the way it is with New. Especially when new is in a space that, at this point, isn’t really mature. Or when there are products that make everyone think you’re either playing me-too, or catch-up.

This is why I’ve not been an early adopter of pretty much anything. New means something different. New means feature sets that have to mature quickly to the way the unwashed masses dream up ways of abusing them. New means there might not be all the apps I’m used to having coming from Windows or Linux.

I’m getting a device to replace a non-functional, WiFi-only netbook. I found a way to make the netbook work. I realize that I do not need a replacement for my main desktop or server when I’m away from the loft. I just need something that helps me get out of the loft. And I would love to have something that makes being in the loft a little bit nicer.

I am not going to suddenly turn this site into a Palm/HP/WebOS-centric site. I do look forward to getting into the community that already exists around WebOS, both inside and outside HP. And I may even think about developing some simple apps to scratch a personal itch or two.

I do plan on mosting more, like when the box arrives. Brian has asked that I post something showiong the unboxing. I hope I’m patient enough to get that setup.