The January 27th announcement of Apple's new iPad came with mixed reviews from many in the tech world, and it's not hard to see why. For months, many had been speculating about what Apple might have had up it's sleeve, and though some of the rumors turned out to be true, what was lacking left many feeling underwhelmed by the iPad.

Presented as a device to fill the space between smartphones and laptops, Apple had no qualms about stating its belief that the current crop of netbooks, which many believe already fill this space, couldn't compare to the new iPad. The iPad was also touted as a device that would give users the best e-book reading experience and the best Web browsing experience. It's those comparisons that are leaving many questioning just what the iPad really is, as well as whether or not they should buy one when the devices become available at the end of March.

So, what exactly is the iPad, and how does it fit in? That's the question Apple is going to need to spend more time clearing up for consumers if they hope for the same kind of success for the iPad that the iPhone and iPod touch have received. When the iPhone was first announced in 2007, for example, people knew they were seeing something new and innovative, something that would change the cell phone industry, as well as change the public's perception about what a smartphone could really be. When it went on sale, the iPhone did just that, sending its competitors scrambling to catch up, as consumers lined up in the streets to get their hands on one. The iPod touch had a lot of the same excitement attached to it as well, giving consumers who didn't already have iPhones the chance to experience most of the same features without having to switch carriers or pay for costly data plans. The iPad, however, hasn't generated that "I have to have it" feeling yet. Instead, it's generating questions about if it's even necessary, something I'm sure Apple wasn't going for after the new device's big debut.

The iPad's real problems come from it wanting to be too many things to too many people, without it fully committing to any of those things significantly enough to give it an edge. In the case of netbooks, for example, the iPad lacks many features that are found standard in these devices, such as a video camera for video conferencing, expandable storage, Flash support for Web browsing, and multitasking. The intentional lack of these features, in a device claiming superiority in this space, is inexcusable. After all, in order to compete you have to at least start at the same level. To claim superiority, you have to have at least what the competition is offering, and then give consumers something more than that, something extra to give the product the edge it needs to win. Netbooks currently allow you to run more than one program at a time. You can keep an e-mail client open, while working on a document, and browsing the Web, for example. You can also hold a video conference while on the road. The iPad currently doesn't let you do that. Aside from that, how can a device claim to have the best Web browsing experience when its lack of Flash support doesn't even allow the user to view everything on the pages they browse to? Like it or not, Flash is used in many sites. To not support it in the iPhone or iPod touch is bad enough, but in the iPad? It just doesn't make sense. Leave your laptop at home, and hit the road with only your iPad? I don't think so, at least not as it is currently configured. What Apple seems to have done is intentionally leave some hardware and software features out in order to create an upgrade path for future versions of the device. The problem is that many consumers will simply wait for those upgrades to come along, and skip buying this first generation of the device in favor of the second or third generation of the iPad. Leaving out so many features was a huge mistake on Apple's part. By simply adding them in to begin with, the iPad would have easily built up just as much excitement as the iPhone did.

In the category of e-readers, the iPad has a much better chance of besting its competition, though, even with all of its features, it will still have a formidable opponent in Amazon's Kindle. The Kindle has established itself as the top of the line device in this category, and in all fairness the iPad isn't really a true e-reader. The e-ink displays of true e-readers like the Kindle, the Nook, and those offered by Sony are not backlit like the screen of the iPad, and therefore do not put as much strain on the eyes when reading for long periods of time. They also tend to not have glare issues when used outdoors. Like many who still don't understand the appeal of true e-reading devices, it's not about color screens and gimmicky bells and whistles. It's about the ability to read comfortably, and carry your book collection with you while on the go. Color e-ink will find its way to true e-reading devices soon enough, and when it does, it still won’t be backlit, preserving the comfort factor true e-reading devices offer. Want to read a novel for a few hours on the Kindle? No problem. With the iPad, that may not be the case. Most true e-readers can also go for days, even weeks, without needing to be recharged, whereas the iPad, even with its 10 hours of battery life, will still require charging far more often. Yes, Apple's new iBookstore looks nice, but to be able to purchase those books from wherever you may be will require paying extra for the iPad with 3G, as well as a monthly fee to AT&T for use of the 3G network. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Sony on the other hand all offer readers with 3G built in, and no monthly fees to carriers for its use. For those who love to read, once again the iPad may not be the way to go.

So, if the iPad can't outdo current netbooks, and it can't beat the experience of reading on true e-reading devices such as the Kindle, what is it good for? Once again, that's the question a lot of people are asking. When all is said and done, the iPad is simply a well put together portable entertainment device. Think of it as a giant iPod touch. In that space is where it truly shines, and in that space is where Apple should be showing off its benefits. Instead of trying to compete with netbooks and true e-readers, and bringing comparisons to those devices upon itself, the iPad should be shown off as a casual use device for home or travel that allows users to listen to music, watch videos, do some light reading, and browse the Web when carrying a laptop would be too cumbersome. The ability of users to have those features, as well as the ability to customize the device to suit their needs by adding apps from the App Store, is where the iPad really shines. Want to sit in bed and watch a movie, listen to some music, play a few games, or browse the Web on a screen larger than that of an iPod touch? The iPad can do that, and it can do it very well. Instead of trying to compete in categories that have already been defined by devices the iPad can't top in its current state, Apple should be carving out a new category, one where the iPad will be at the top of the heap. With competition as tight as it is, for Apple and the iPad, it just makes more sense.

Of course there will be the hardcore Apple fans that will buy the device as soon as it is released, but there will no doubt be many more that will hold off, waiting for the next version, or wondering if they really need an iPad at all. For current owners of the iPhone, iPod touch, a netbook, and/or a true e-reader like the Kindle, there really isn't much need for an iPad, unless you simply want a larger version of your iPhone/iPod touch to be able to run your current apps and watch video on a larger screen. For a starting price of $499 for a 16GB iPad, however, I think many will think twice, especially if they currently own a 32GB iPhone, or a 32GB or higher iPod touch. For people who don't already own a netbook, e-reader, iPhone or iPod touch, the iPad may be a good fit for them, since they wouldn't already have devices capable of doing the same, or more, than the iPad. That's where the majority of iPad customers will most likely lie for now.

Apple took a big gamble by debuting a new product that was lacking many features people consider to be standard in a device that costs as much as the iPad, while claiming superiority over existing products already in the field. Whether the iPad will be a success or failure remains to be seen, but if Apple truly wants the iPad to be the one device you carry with you when you leave your laptop behind, they will need to hurry up and release the iPad 2, and address all of the current hardware and software features the current model lacks.

Update - 4/8/2010: During its preview of the new iPhone OS 4 software, Apple addressed the issue of multitasking. The new feature will be appearing on the iPhone 3GS and 3rd generation iPod touch devices this summer, as well as the iPad this Fall.