Like any diehard tech toy junkie, I have been anxiously awaiting the delivery of my iPad. When it arrived on Saturday I wasn’t sure what to expect. My initial reaction was mixed when I saw Steve Jobs’ demo of the device in January and my perceived list of pros and cons had not changed much in the past few months.

As I opened the box, I expected to see a device that would show me a glimpse of the future, but was probably two or three generations away from being ready for main stream adoption. Now that I have had an opportunity to play with it for three days, I still believe it is two or three generation away from main stream options, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised with version 1. Here is a list of things I like, things I don’t and of course, things I want:

Things I Like:

• Display is beautiful. Pictures and video jump off the screen. The larger size greatly enhances web browsing
• Performance – applications open and respond almost instantly
• Great battery life – Working on the device for 8+ hours a day on a single charge
• VGA adapter: This is a big deal if I want to leave my laptop at home when I present at conferences
• Camera USB
• Ability to lock screen directions

The biggest pro is using the device for reading and browsing. I’m not sure it will replace my Nook for reading full length books, but for newspapers, magazines and web browsing, the experience is incredible.

Things I Don’t Like:

• No Flash support. Say what you will about sites being redone in HTML5, but for now, the majority of sites that show video use Flash. At least in the short term this is a big negative and makes giving up your laptop tough.
• No camera: I’m not going to hold the iPad up to take pictures of my family, but a video camera for conference calls is a necessity on the road
• No multitasking
• LCD display is bad in direct sun. As great as the screen looks inside, in direct sunlight it is that bad. Even at the highest brightness, the screen washes out and the glare is so bad it’s easier to see your reflection than the page on the screen (the sun also highlights ever fingerprint)
• Keyboard is much better than the iPhone (just based in size), but still is not great for typing.
• There appears to be some major restrictions with the current version of Keynote available on the iPad. I don’t have it installed, however, based on user reviews, here are some of the issues

No audio

Only supports fonts native to iPad

No ppt export

Importing files (even from Keynote 09) is poor if you have animated slides

• Device is a little too heavy and big to type. It feels great when you are watching or reading, but when you try typing it feels awkward unless you rest it on a flat surface.

Things I Want:

• First, the obvious—camera, flash support, multi-tasking (Hopefully the last two will be addressed in the new OS)
• I know I’m being picky, but the device needs to be lighter. Holding it with one hand on the train to read email or a newspaper is a little more work than expected.
• Improved integration with Outlook. The native applications still lack basics such as setting priority in an email or the ability to forward a meeting request. I was ok with that on my iPhone, but if this is to replace my laptop on short business trips, it needs to improve.
• Better Keynote Integration. This is a must have!
• Make it easier to move between in-boxes if you are managing more than one email account
• Allow the user to control brightness without having to go to the control panel

What I think is really exciting is that we really don’t know what the best use for this device is yet. Apple has provided clay for developers and marketers to mold their own ideas. Will it be a great gaming device? Replace text books in schools? Become the control panel for smarthomes? The possibilities are endless, but one thing is for sure, it’s not going to go away.