The problem with Apple’s latest release, iPad, is that it cannot make up its mind what it wants to be. Or could that be its advantage?

Some tech experts announced Apple’s new, not-yet-released tablet, named iPad, as a marriage made in heaven between a smart phone and a laptop. Then some other tech experts looked closer and discovered that iPad can’t take photos. Gasp! But that is something even dumb (never mind smart!)  cell phones can do. And what about making or receiving good old fashioned phone calls? Nope, can’t do that either.

Well, if it has no business in the smart phone gadgetry territory, then iPad must be the ultimate marriage made in heaven between a netbook and an e-reader, right? (A netbook is a light-weight and light-capacity laptop.) Well, it could be – if it was not for the fact that iPad cannot multitask (have multiple applications open) like the lowest of netbooks can. Wait, it also cannot browse the Flash sites on the internet like… yes, you’ve guessed it: like the lowest of netbooks can.

So, that leaves us with an e-book reader. But surely, Amazon’s Kindle is the king of that turf?

Does that mean that iPad has only one way to go: to oblivion?

Perhaps. Though, as everybody knows, when talking about Apple it is never wise to say “never”.  After all, Apple was a late-comer in the smart phone market, but iPhone still managed to set the standards for the whole industry. Perhaps iPad will define new standards for a smartbook - whatever that turns out to be.

One thing is clear: Apple sure knows how to create a buzz around its products.

The attractive pricing leaves no doubt that Apple is determined to conquer the world with its iPad. The price for the 16GB model will be $499. The 32GB model will sell for $599 and the 64GB model for $699. The 3G wireless capability will cost $130 extra.

And in case you are already leafing through the bobshop computer category pages (or would it be the cell phones and PDAs category pages? or the electronics category pages?) in frantic haste to lay your hand on the earliest iPad that makes its appearance there, relax. The first shipments are expected to hit the market in a month or two, in March or April 2010.

Apple iPad key features include:

• 9,7 inch (24.6 cm) colour multi-touch display.
• 10 hours of battery life, and a month on standby.
• Dimensions: (Height x Width x Depth) 242.8 mm x 189.7 mm x 13.4 mm
• Weight: 0.68kg.
• WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.
• View in portrait and in landscape mode.

Full iPad technical specifications can be found on the Apple site.