So Apple's planned a 'media event' for May 1st (yes, the aforementioned Beltane/Jury Duty/Term Paper day). People are speculating on new iBooks, new iMacs, a replacement cube, and all that. I have a slightly different view I'd like to put forth for consideration.

When Steve Jobs simplified the Apple product line into the 2x2 matrix of portable/desktop by consumer/professional, he made a bold statement about the direction of the company. Later, when he introduced the cube as a 'midrange' desktop, he left a hole in the matrix.

For months people have been speculating on the development of a midrange notebook to round out the 6-product line. Most speculation has gone towards a subnotebook. Something to replace the beloved Duo/2400 line.

The problem (if you can call it that) was that Apple managed to deliver a stunning TiBook in January which, while not a subnotebook, was thin, light, and inexpensive enough to seriously cut into the market such a machine would have. To differentiate a midrange notebook enough to carve a market would mean creating a subnotebook's subnotebook, a machine under 3 lbs. Even with Apple's newfound prowess for industrial and mechanical design, any such machine would take some serious hits in functionality.

I believe that Apple has hit upon a solution to this problem, creating a product which can differentiate itself from the iBook and TiBook enough to carve a healthy market, and moreover, create a machine that even current Mac owners with current equipment would want to compliment their existing machine.

The key isn't to fill the center spot. Apple's answer is to move the iBook into the midrange spot, and create a true consumer portable...

Tuesday, May 1st, Apple Computer will unveil the iPad:

• A tablet-based Macintosh, with no internal keyboard or trackpad.
• Dimensions: 11.5" x 9" x 0.7"
• Airport Standard
• One USB port
• Internal HD
• No media bay
• IrDA port
• Single PC-card slot
• Headphone jack and dual speakers
• 12.1", 1024x768 active-matrix touchscreen w/stylus (though a finger will work fine)
• Software-enabled softkeyboard for on-screen typing. Alternatively, the user can plug in a USB keyboard/mouse.
• 5 hour battery with docking charging stand
• Completely portable, intended to be used in the lap, on the table, in the kitchen, in front of the TV.
• Between 2 and 3 lbs.
• $999

The target user for this machine is the person who already has one or more macs, and has (or will purchase) an airport base, or other airport-equipped mac. This will be positioned as a value-add to their existing configuration. A web browser they'll actually take into the bedroom, family room, or bathroom, to surf the net, check and reply to email, or do any other light-duty work without being tied to the desk.

Away from the home, it's the perfect machine to take with you everywhere, without being concerned about an expensive 6 lb portable. With a merlin ricochet or CDPD card for the PC-Card slot, the iPad will be net-enabled nearly anywhere.

At the $999 price point, there will be a strong demand from people who already have a primary machine (even existing Powerbook owners). This is the machine you can take to your bedroom to use as an alarm clock, using your iTunes library (even your songs on another machine in the house), or a streaming mp3 station, to wake you up. When you cozy up to the TV, you can bring the iPad to continue that instant message conversation with a friend or loved one.

In short, use it for all the things you thought you'd use a powerbook for, before you got tired of balancing the pb on one hand, lugging it around, or opening it up in limited space.

Of course, with Airport, iPads could create a peer-to-peer environment on the fly, and at $1000 apiece, they're even more affordable for school environments.

In short, it's more than a PDA, less than an iBook, and every inch fitting Apple's vision of digital convergence, while at the same time leveraging off of an existing user base that's already wireless friendly to pull off what only Apple can at this point in time.

This is the next big thing...