Is an iPad More Like a PC or an iPod?

Lots of people will argue about what a "tablet" device actually is. Some might argue an iPad, for example, is an iPod "Touch" with a much-bigger screen. Others will argue it is more like a PC without a keyboard and mouse. To make the argument even more complex, there now are different form factors for tablets. There's the iPad with a 10-inch screen and the Samsung Galaxy with a seven-inch display.

Size matters in mobile devices, and smaller is usually better. The iPad is 50 percent heavier than the Tab, about a half a pound more, and that makes a big difference if you're holding it for long periods, some would argue.

The form factor might ultimately lead to differentiation in the tablet space. Most tablet users will wind up using them as an e-book reader and video player. So the issue is how much value a user places on larger screen size versus portability. It isn't so clear yet how much content creation actually will be done on such devices. They are built for consumption (reading, watching, hearing) more than creation of such media.

For some of us, that really does make the iPad an iPod "Touch" with a bigger screen, Apple's protests notwithstanding. To that extent, the question is whether an iPod Touch style device with a seven-inch screen, or a 10-inch screen, is useful. Don't get me wrong, one would have to conclude that the tablet really is a brand-new product category, not simply a new form factor for a notebook PC.

But like many other devices that are "multi-function" appliances, there are trade-offs. Smartphones have to work well as phones, even though they also are mobile Web devices. PCs have to work well for content creation and work, even though they can be used to read e-books, listen to music and watch videos. E-book readers have to support the reading experience. A tablet arguably has to work well as a mobile Web appliance.

But that's where the product category issues lie. Smartphones and Internet-connected PCs, notebooks and netbooks also support the mobile Web. The tablet lies between the smartphone and the notebook. Tablets support content consumption "better" than a smartphone, but do not support "content creation" as well as a notebook.

But that still leaves lots of room for positioning devices. You might say an e-book reader now is a tablet optimized for reading, an iPod is pocket-sized device for listening to music, while other multi-function devices are optimized for watching video or navigating the touchscreen Web. In some ways, you might argue the tablet has separated the "work" and "content creation" roles of the PC from the web browsing role.

Let the tablet wars begin