Apple's iPad Launch in San Francisco

Hello everybody, hope you had a nice holiday season and a good start in the new year.

Since the whole world was holding its breath yesterday while Steve Jobs unveiled another Apple device several walking minutes away from here, I decided to come out of forced blog retirement (read "too much work and no play" ... or something like that) and go have a look around during my lunch hour.




The press conference was in a building at Yerba Buena Gardens, right across from the SFMOMA.



When I got there, the conference was just over and there were journalists everywhere outside, some typing away on their laptops, others reporting live in front of news trucks and complicated camera equipment.



Something about the body language of the people gathered in front of the building told me there might still be something going on inside. People seemed to be clearly waiting for something, or someone, so I decided to stick around, and wait with them.

Sure enough, minutes later, Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple) came out!

At first, I almost didn't recognize him for a couple of seconds because he looks just like any other IT guy (except older) dressed casually with worn jeans and a hoodie, looking very unassuming. But of course, when the journalists all moved towards him and the security people started to clear a path in front of him, there was no doubt.







Apple released yesterday what they call an "iPad," a device that looks like a big iPod Touch and does basically the same thing, only bigger.

Great looking device, although a bit limited in what it does, and if you want my opinion, not the best choice of name.

I guess I'm not the only one who thinks the name is a bit ..ahem.. how shall I put it? Kind of a faux pas. The Web quickly responded to the name. Someone on Twitter posted "The Mini-pad will cost $499, and the Maxi-pad will cost $699." *cough* *cough* And some smarty-pant almost immediately circulated a crude, though hilarious, Mad TV video (Warning, the video may be offensive to some of you).

If you are considering getting an iPad, be sure to check out some of the initial reviews and feedback first, before you spend your hard-earned money.