Even smart companies occasionally do stupid things.  Take Apple and the IPad.  It is, I predict, going to be one of the dumbest ideas to ever come down the path.  It wouldn't be the first time Apple has had a major product flop.  Remember "Lisa" and the Mac Air? 

Right now the financial and tech world are all abuzz about the IPad, seen by its supporters as the killer of the Amazon Kindle and similar ebooks.  And the publishing industry is pulling for it, since they don't like how hard Amazon grinds them to keep book prices cheap and Apple has always been willing to stick it to the consumer in the past.

Now I am in the somewhat unique position of being a user of both the IPhone and the Kindle.  I love the IPhone, but for the life of me I cannot see how the IPad is anything more than a big IPhone.  The keyboard is just like a big IPhone, which is okay for texting but not so good for anything else and the screen is just a big computer screen.  It shines in your face so while it is nice it will kill your eyes just like any other computer display if you look at it for long so I don't get it as an ebook.  Plus the battery life is, like an IPhone, lousy.  Just a few hours.  Take it from me, a big reader and user of the Kindle which last for days on a single charge - that is a big deal.  Plus, the Kindle uses a chemical technology on its screen which  shows up like a book and never hurts your eyes.  Granted there are no pretty color pictures, but for most of us readers that is nothing at all unless you are reading coffee table books on World War II or Flower Arranging.

So, the bottom line is I can't see who the long term market is for this thing other than nerds who like gadgets and Apple cultists.  Why would I want to schlep around a big IPad that doesn't make calls, costs a lot, has to be charged all the time like my IPhone, and hurts my eyes if I read on it too long?  Yes, I love the applications on my IPhone but making them bigger wouldn't add a thing to them.

If you are a reader, you will love a Kindle.  If you like applications, you will love an IPhone. But if you want a 2 for 1, as of now, it doesn't exist and this is a lesson that big doesn't mean smart.  I wonder if the government will bail them out on their losses on this thing?