iPad? Maybe

So. The Apple tablet. I was never chomping at the bit for one and I’m still not. I have a small laptop (an eee with a 10″ screen) which works just fine for those few tasks I can’t perform with my iPhone. To get me to switch away from it, here’s what I need:

Apps for Hulu and Netflix – I can understand not having them for the iPhone, but now, there’s no reason they shouldn’t put them out there (looks like I may have to wait for Netflix)
An updated-for-the-iPad version of what is still (surprisingly) the only screenwriting app – I would be shocked if this isn’t ready by the time the iPad ships
Google Docs support – While I love Simpletext.ws and the associated iPhone app, I still have a lot of files in Google Docs that I need to be able to edit. Word is that rich text support for text areas is now turned on in the SDK so this may be good to go from day one

And really that’s about all I need (other than an external keyboard, but they already provide that). However, to really make me a devotee, I also want:

A front facing camera for video communication – I get not having a camera on the back, but all of Apple’s computers come with cameras, even my eee has a camera, and the iPhone has the processing power to stream video so surely this device does
Flash support – Youtube is ok, but what about Vimeo or blip.tv (so I can watch That Sci Fi Guy) or the dozens of games. The battery argument may have made since on the iPhone, but not on the iPad

And well, that may be it. I was quite underwhelmed at first, but the more I’ve thought about it, most of my problems are software based. That’s something fixable either via OS updates or via third party apps. With a two month lead on getting those apps ready, developers may have some great programs ready on day one.

i wrote this up to explain why i was going to wait for version 2, but I may have talked myself into hopping on early (assuming I had or can find the money).

(John August has some good thoughts on the iPad and it’s use by screenwriters.)