Really? Dismiss it out of hand? Consider the fact that the iPod touch has become a contender against both the PSP and the DS. Then consider that most parents need to get their kids a computer for homework anyway. It's unconventional sure, but hey, that's a new product for you, it's unconventional.

Think about it. If someone goes out and buys a iPad and that iPad starts getting the latest releases from EA and a few other major produces (Carmack, of id software, is going to see to that with his new Engine he's working on), why buy a PSP or DS?

So yeah, it hinges on the games that come out. But if games do come out (and I really think they will)...

I am going to need some citations before I buy into that. We go against sales, and units sold and amount of games produced/sold. You do realize that the video game industry made more money than Hollywood in 2009 right?

iPod/iPad will not replace Nintendo DS or PSP. Why would any average gamer switch over? Why would any hard core gamer switch over?

Carmack worked on a Doom Port for the iPod, and that was about it. Their large projects are with the Rage engine these days and he is mostly working on that, which will mostly benefit him and his company in the PC/console gaming market when people start licensing. the new Rage engine over and over again to make games.

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Well, Stephen Colbert has an iPod -- and he’s way cooler than Jay-Z.
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Yes I did actually. I have no clue how that relates to the prowess of the iPad as a gaming device, but thanks for the heads up.

And:
Here is Nintendo saying the iPhone is a competitor (go to bottom)
Here is Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities saying what I said. The iPod Touch (or iPad in my case) might not be a better dedicated gaming device, but it is a better all arounder. So people buy an iPad for the email, word processing and some games and then forget to buy the DS because its $150 for something that's only slightly better anyway.

You'll note both articles citing the DS falling sales. As you might recall from Apples recent sales figures, the iPhone and iPod Touch sales are still going up despite the recession.

Seriously? Have you even taken a look at the iPad? Look, I'm sorry that I'm coming across as terribly bulllish but anyone who's taken any time to look at the potential of the device can see that there is a definite possibility that the iPad could become a contender. It's motion sensitive, it's pretty and it has a huge touch screen that allows programmers to literally invent completely unique control systems (without the size constraints that have plagued the iPhone). Yeah, some people won't like that, but plenty will.

Right, and the Rage engine can compile to iPhone.
MTV
Eurogamer
(Also heard it on PC Gamer Podcast, but don't really care to recall or find the episode).

Even if Rage didn't work for iPhone, people can easily use Unity or Torque to turn out good quality games for the iPad with relative ease.

Look, I'm not really trying to make a big prediction, like, "the iPad will subdue the gaming world, destroying the PSP and DS, as well as the Xbox, PS3 and Wii. Oh, and don't forget how it's going to destroy PC gaming as well!" I never said that, I said that I think the iPad will be a contender against the PSP and the DS.

I think the argument you seem to want to have is "will the iPad take over the handheld gaming market?" I don't know, maybe? It's great technology, but we'll have to see if people can get used to the touch interface. The demo's at the Keynote were great, but hey, it was the Keynote, it's not like they are going to highlight crap, right?

Point being, I see the iPad as having a legitimate shot at being a competitor in the mobile gaming world. It has the look and the tech, it seems it will have some good games. We'll just have to wait and see...

well here is my retort to your comments....

I own a Wii, and was totally pumped when it came out. Since it has been out nearly 2.5 maybe 3.5 years now, I have maybe purchased 3 games for it. Why? Because 95% or more of Wii games suck and are terrible. The Wii runs off a gimmick for the most part and appeals to casual gamers, and younger kids. Any serious gamer is going to agree with me. Why would I play COD MW 2 on a Wii when I can play it on a PC and get 10 times the playing experience?

Maybe the iPad will tap into the casual gamer market but I doubt people are going to spend that much to play games on an iPad. I mean you can buy both a DS and a PSP for the price of 1 iPad.

I still say the iPad is going to be mainly competing in the eReader market. Either way, I most likely will not be buying one. I'd rather buy a netbook over an iPad. Plus the iPad is already lacking so many features like no flash support, no multi tasking, why how would I justify buying it over a netbook which is cheaper, better specs and can play flash?

@tlarkin

Your post brings up an interesting philosophical question. What is a "serious gamer". I know people who play their Wii's almost constantly, who really enjoy games like Super Smash Brothers, Super Mario Brothers Wii, Mario Kart, Metroid Prime, Okami, etc etc. They play them and obsess over them, I don't know that we can call them 'casual'.

That being said, to me 'serious gamer' has always been someone who builds their own systems, maintains their own drivers, follows the news and knows the tech (I still have a hard time accepting console gamers in general as serious gamers, if I'm honest...) But who am I to judge? That's what makes this an interesting question. Is a middle aged woman who plays Cubis all day a 'serious gamer', they're certainly devoting enough time to it... Difficult question.

As for your comments on netbooks, I'm just going to have to echo Steve Jobs comments, "The problem is Netbooks don't do anything well." For me it's an iPad v. a Macbook (which, with the price of a high end iPad, is a viable comparison.) And that actually brings me to an interesting read I came across recently...

Old World v. New World computer

Personally I'm on the fence on this one. I think I can use the iPad in my job as a client advisor for BMW, it fits quite nicely. I'm going to buy one as a result. But I'm not sure I'd like the iPad as my main device... Anyway, read the article, it certainly raises some interesting points.

I've seen some netbooks do some pretty cool stuff. My old neighbor, who is also a Mac user, bought a PC netbook and uses it to control everything in his house. His entertainment center, is other computers, his music library, and so forth. It is light weight and can surf the web while it plays music, or controls another device. It can already do more than the iPad. No multitasking? What the hell is Apple thinking?

I don't want to have specific devices for specific centric functions. I read that blog and I have to disagree. I am not about to buy 9 different devices when I can buy a laptop that does all of them. Of course, exceptions can be made, but as a general broad statement that kind of holds true.

I have said that I will hold reservation of my final opinion of the iPad when I get to work with one, but right now I am thinking it won't live up to the hype. I also bet you see some online stores for the handheld market soon. You can already download gameboy games on your Wii via the virtual console, and I bet they bring that feature to the handhelds to compete with the ITMS.

Heck, I almost exclusively buy PC games off of steam now because I don't want to bother having any CD or DVD media lying around for the game itself. I just want to download it and go. Steam does that, and it is a great service when their servers are crashing, which is not all the time but it does happen. Then again they don't charge for their service either.

however, I cannot trade games in for games on steam. So, I do go down to my local gamestop from time to time to trade older games in for credit towards newer games. So I will still buy some games on media from time to time when I am doing trade ins.

The one thing that the iPad screams in failure right now, is integration. Which has been a problem for Apple for a long time now, and has gotten tons and tons better over the years but it is still an issue. If we go new world, into more specific centralized application of each piece of technology, they better all play nice together then for them all to work. Apple has a history of being a pain in the ass to work with other products.

I am a defender of Apple products and a Mac user myself, so I often find myself explaining to the PC elite about the differences of the Mac versus a PC and the pros and cons and how really it is all just personal preference as there is no cold hard fact that makes one better than the other.

I just do not see the iPad becoming a huge item for gaming. I know the mac fanatics will buy one, I work with one. The guy is apple crazy. He is already setting money aside to buy one. Will he use it every day? Probably, but will he actually use it effectively and efficiently? Probably not. He will probably waste most of his time just playing with it, just like he does his iPhone.

One more thought on your philosophy of casual gamer versus hard core gamer. A hard core gamer is going to spend part of their revenue each year on gaming, and going to buy several titles if not many. Where a casual gamer may play a game a lot, but they aren't really branching out, buying just a few games per a year.

I really do have to say I am rather disappointed with the Wii. I love a few games, like Mario kart, Mario galaxy, Zelda, and so forth but a lot of the games I have rented have been utter crap, and their game play is limited or the Wii-mote doesn't work like it should and the graphics can be lower quality.

I would never try to play Left 4 Dead on my Wii, and that is a game I am addicted to at the moment.

And realistically, this is probably the best definition of a serious gamer. Someone who is willing to spend money on their hobby.

See, and as much as I've been arguing that the iPad could be a break through device (maybe) in gaming, it's thoughts like this that make me pause. I feel the same way about the Wii. I was pleasantly surprised by FPSs like Meteoroid Prime, but there have been several games where the controls just were not solid enough for me.

One thing that will be true of the iPad. It's only going to be good for certain kinds of games. To be honest, I can't see an FPS working all that well on there. But, if someone took the time to put an RPG, RTS or perhaps a racing game on there, it might work out. It just depends on if the game can utilize a touch interface and accelerometers... (I'm still not a big fan of porting physical controls, like A and B buttons, to a touch screen... I have my doubts about platformers and arcade fighters ever ever working on iPad, for example.)

Time and the market will Tell. I think that it can succeed the same way Netbooks and Ereaders do.

It is not meant to be a full computer for everyone. As much as the touch and Iphone may be invaluable I find them tiresome in comparison to a macbook for mail and browsing.

This really is a sweet spot for some beyond specialized markets.

To me this is an interesting option.

I agree, 3G connections are just too slow for my tastes, it makes me feel like I am on dial up. I do pay for the highest speed connection from time warner though and that has spoiled me for Internet connections.

Its not just the speed of the 3g that is tiresome in in Phones and touches its the size. Yes the interface makes it as good it gets out there, but something larger perhaps the size of the Ipad would make it a pleasure.

True.

This guy gets it. If you're a technically minded, old world computing person, then the iPad is probably not for you. As he points out though, you're vastly outnumbered. You'll still be able to get an old world computer long after the new world devices dominate the landscape, but the new world computers are going to dominate. The iPhone, iPod, iPad are just the first wave.

You realise that OmniProducts are releasing iPad versions of most of their software? This baby is way more than a big Touch.

You can surf the internet on a useful screen size; make notes, draw diagrams; send emails; play games; listen to music; watch vids.

That's at least as much as most people do with their home computer.

I have an Amazon Kindle (a Christmas gift; not sure I'd have bought one) which uses 3G to download books and/or to connect to Amazon. I've never been sure which was slow: the 3G connection or the Kindle itself. Nonetheless, assuming that the 3G connection is the culprit, I can't see the iPad as much more than a way to play games (my primary uses of the iPod Touch are games, iCal, gMail, and an occasional Google), but it is running from an AirPort Extreme (n-capable, but the Touch is g). I'd be inclined to use the iPad the same way and fall back on my MBP for anything more demanding.

I think the multiple uses we've mentioned for our iPhones (and thus are iPads) is a pretty good indication that individual milage will vary...

As for myself, I'll be one of the suckers standing outside the Apple store the day the 32gb 3G comes out, 'cause I'm buying it the first day.

PS -- I am told that the file structure will allow for syncing to desktop applications, how does that change things for the lovely denizens of this forum? (Does it?)

PPS -- I'm also wondering, 3G + Google Voice + Headphones & Mic + AT&T no contract Data = no contract Cell Phone?

Well, if we are going to use the old world new world computer argument here I think that we need to come clear on what makes a product like this really work for everyone, which is the ability to integrate. If we are truly going to a new world form of technology and computing, and you will have specific devices for specific tasks, then they will all need to play nice together. Apple has come a long way making it's product integrate in existing environments, but they are lacking a bunch still.

On that note, I don't see any real world application for me as a user. Either professionally or personally. It lacks too many features for someone like me to use it. I see the older people that want a simple one thing at a time computer (since no multitasking) being more up for this gadget.

Maybe I could use it as a couch computer so I could surf, check email, or whatever while I am lounging but for the price they are asking?

I think bottom line it will swim or sink after it's release based on what the developers can use it for. If this product does not innovate in some way or another I don't see people buying it. I mean it can't multitask for crying out loud.

I've just read (but can't recall where) that one use, albeit not a real biggie, is for doctors and nurses in hospitals so they can quickly and efficiently enter data into and get data from patient records at the patient's bedside instead of having to return to the floor desk to get it. That immediately suggests others of course where a distributed group of people have to have access to a common database.

That also assumes it will integrate into existing infrastructures. Hospitals won't rebuild their back end to make the iPad work in their environment. Plus, several other companies also announced touch screen tablet computers in this last month. Asus just announced theirs.

I actually sat in on a Science Presentation by Apple at our local university. I found out that a good majority of Medical Data already has a reader that works with the iPhone. I was pretty surprised, but apparently the medical profession was enamored with the iPhone, so there you go. Point being, a lot of the integration has already been done.

The biggest reason they liked the iPhone, btw, was because the touch screen (with it's swiping spinning and pinch zooming) was excellent for examining 3D charts of CT scans and what not. The only draw back being the tiny screen. Now that the small screen issue has been rectified, I think we'll see a lot of those doctors migrating over to the iPad.