It's a good ad, I like the various poses of the actors, the on screen keyboard looks good, and star trek looks even sexier on that clean glass with the black bezel.

- A

Not everyone can use the word 'reflects' twice in the same sentence.

And I must ask, because I'm curious: has Steve Jobs ever attended the Oscars in an *unknown* public fashion?

that Up garnered its Academy Awards. I'm glad he could be there in person to take it in himself. He doesn't need a statue to know that he has played a key role in his company's Pixar's stunning success over the years.

My wife, who still thinks the primary function of the iPhone is to be a phone, has been a bit wary of the iPad and she's questioned my interest in it on several occasions. But watching the ad shown during the Oscars, she nudged me and commented, "that looks pretty cool." Both of us have weakening eyesight and can see the value of having more real estate for mobile apps to swim in. I think the iPad is going to prove revolutionary by redefining the personal computer itself. It is (or will be) all the computer most of us ever really need. It's capable of: viewing movies and cloud-based video like Hulu (and whatever Apple is cooking up), eventually probably serving as the ultimate remote and TV-entertainment guide, providing an almost enjoyable device for reading and sending email and texting, a fantastic way to access cloud content (I see it almost as an ideal interface to Evernote), and the list goes on and on. Once I have one, I think the only thing I might use my Mac Pro for is for image editing. That is really something. It's 1.5 pounds, runs on battery for at least 5 hours (real world estimate, right?), and it's very versatile. And tens of thousands of developers will write code for it in a very competitive marketplace that's finally brought the costs of software down to within reason (where CD's and DVD's belong as well). An application that costs 99 cents will still make its developers quite wealthy if several million copies are purchased with a single press of fingers everywhere. No need to print manuals, make and distribute boxes or disks, etc...

I agree with Jobs, this will be his greatest innovation. All I ask is please, please change the interface so I can store and access the 400 or so apps I've accumulated. I look at the ad and the display of apps looks like such a waste of all that space (although I know a display of all my apps would likely make most people run away). All I'm asking is his enabling the device to be configured for those of us with more to do.

MS made sure they once again aired their Vista apology ad, in which a bunch of the I'm-a-PC sheeple claim that Windows 7 was their idea - and that MS had to finally be told to make something that's simple(r) and that kinda works for a change. The iPad ads clearly silenced whatever faint buzz might still exist around Windows 7.

I really love that Apple is doing stuff like the iPad. It further casts Windows as "the computer OS I'm forced to use at work."

Wasn't Jobs there just last year?

MS made sure they once again aired their Vista apology ad, in which a bunch of the I'm-a-PC sheeple claim that Windows 7 was their idea -

I always love how the Mac fanboy crowd, who crave to see any press 'event' Steve Jobs appears at, call anyone who uses Windows "sheep".

My wife, who still thinks the primary function of the iPhone is to be a phone,

Um, it's primary function is as a phone. Even Apple tells you that. The phone "has to work".

And tens of thousands of developers will write code for it in a very competitive marketplace that's finally brought the costs of software down to within reason (where CD's and DVD's belong as well). An application that costs 99 cents will still make its developers quite wealthy if several million copies are purchased with a single press of fingers everywhere. No need to print manuals, make and distribute boxes or disks, etc...

First, many developers never make a box, print manuals, or distribute disks. They sell their software on-line. It's only the 'big' software makers who do things like that.

Second, while 99 cents will make you wealthy if you sell 2 million copies, how many apps are going to sell 2 million copies? And when some software costs 99 cents, how many people are going to understand the actual value of software? h***, I've seen people complain with c*** like "Well, for $2 it might be worth it, but $5? Way too expensive!". iPhone/iPod users have come to look for apps as if they're going to a garage sale. "What, you want $10 for this original Van Gogh? Hmmm. That's a little steep. Will you take $5?".

Of course, then there's always the concern that, as a company, you put $100,000 into an app, and then find that Apple has decided not to accept it.

Looking past the tux and seeing Steve Jobs in a bow tie ... now that's a throwback to a bygone era! Anyone else remember the days of "Apple II forever"? Hmmmm.

it has THREE primary purposes if I must your your vernacular. 1) It's a widescreen ipod. 2) A revolutionary mobile phone, 3) A breakthrough internet device.

It is NOT a revolutionary mobile phone. If you want, you can call it a revolutionary internet device. But as a phone, it is mediocre at best. It took two years to get voice dialing. Speed dialing is still completely missing. And the lack of physical buttons mean you have to look at it in order to use it. As a phone, it is OK.

But as you say, it isn't 'just' a phone.

Although I have no idea what you mean by a 'breakthrough' internet device. I guess no one was using the internet until the iPhone came along?