It’s been another one of those weeks. Everyone on my Xbox Friends List is playing Mass Effect 2 and everyone else is talking about Steve Jobs. These are the weeks that are particularly trying on my ability to select a topic interesting enough for both you and me. I have no right discussing a sequel to a game I have installed on my Xbox’s hard drive but have yet to play. One day that game will be a mark of pride instead of a badge of shame, but that day is not today. So let’s talk about Apple. If you missed the news — and I know you didn’t — Steve Jobs unveiled his latest masterpiece to the public on Wednesday: the iPad. As expected, everyone has an opinion on the viability and prospects of this device. Is it worth the money? Will it cure Juvenile Diabetes? Who was responsible for naming this thing? Given the circumstances, I could not resist the opportunity to gather my thoughts for you to consider and most likely dispute. But let’s not jump to conclusions just yet.

Be sure to stick around until the end for One More Thing.

First, let us consider both financial extremes of owning one of these devices. On the low end, 16GB of storage with only Wi-Fi will cost $499. On the other hand, 64GB of storage with 3G capabilities is $829. However that cost does not include the monthly, and yes, unlimited, data usage costing $29.99 per month. A year later you’ve paid $1189 to have a device defined by its creators as something “between an iPhone and a laptop computer.” Yes, the recurring monthly charges could be factored into a budget and justified along with any other subscriptions like a cell phone bill, World of Warcraft account or any other utility, but is the iPad a utility? Is the iPad a necessity? Or is it merely filling a void you recently discovered at or around the 27th of January?

One of the larger points of interest is how the iPad will be received as a gaming device. While the interface hasn’t changed, the real estate has, providing some interesting options for developers, hopefully for the better. A larger screen can allow for the development of iPad-specific games with more detail and increased complexity, but this might also allow for a new tier of pricing justifying the resources necessary to create and experience these newest games. It could happen. Obviously we will have to wait and see if the iPad is the next step in gaming on Apple devices; that verdict will be decided by you and me. But if initial impressions are any indication, this is not the future, at least not yet.

Kotaku’s Michael McWhertor believes that “as a gaming platform, the iPad is less compelling of a casual gaming purchase than the less expensive iPhone, at least until Apple and third party developers like Gameloft and EA start creating platform specific features into their games.” GiantBomb’s Jeff Gerstmann is just as skeptical, “as someone who already stays up on all this tech stuff and plays games on machines actually built specifically for gaming, I’ll stick with the real thing.” From a software standpoint, Gamasutra’s Christian Nutt stated that independent developers will not “pour resources into iPad-native games when its future is less obviously bright than the iPhone’s was.” Wait and see is not the most promising outlook for shareholders, but that appears to be the general tone most are taking with the iPad’s announcement. Wait and see if there are enough sales to justify iPad-specific game development. Wait and see if this was a colossal mistake. Wait and see where the demand for gaming on Apple devices will be 6 months from now.

Additionally, I’m not yet convinced that the iPad will become the standard for eReaders. If consumers are sold on the form factor of the iPad then it’s likely that cost will not play that big of a role in comparison shopping, but it’s still something to consider as Apple negotiates for content exclusively and specifically developed for their platform. Remember, Amazon is paying attention, and will most certainly take advantage of something similar being cheaper on their platform. If the future of print media is digital, how can a future be built on a niche product with a market that redefines niche? I don’t care how amazing the iPad is, it’s not as common as a front porch that a newspaper is delivered to. And it’s not like established print media is making the transition to digital content with grace. Newsday has a mere 35 subscribers to their paid content after 3 months. While Newsday does not have the readership of The Wall Street Journal, I have no doubt that similar trends are being seen around the world. Companies trying to stay ahead of the curve of technology are losing focus on the possibilities of existing and more prominent opportunities. Catering to a fraction of a fraction of a percent of consumers is not smart business.

If you will allow for a moment of devil’s advocacy, I feel that a few things must be said. As is the nature of our herd mentality, we often hastily rush to judgment. The initial announcement of the iPod in 2001 was met with an overwhelming wave of skepticism. Another MP3 player? No thanks. We’ve seen how that little business proposal fared. Despite price points that further isolate the haves from the have-nots and technology that gives the initial impression that these executives have no idea what we want as consumers, Apple has been a trend setter for nearly ten years. Think about it. iTunes is a standard, the iPod is the first and sometimes only thought that comes to mind when someone asks for an MP3 Player. Additionally, audio files like the Post Game Report and Talking About Gamers are called podcasts, not “strangers talking to each other about a random topic.” Steve Jobs could sell a ketchup Popsicle to a man in white gloves. Apple has figured out how to captivate an audience with products that we may initially think there is no need for, but year after year Apple has yet to be proven wrong. Who knows, maybe this is the next step.

Ultimately it comes down to this: I believe Apple is trying to create demand for a product that does not do enough to distinguish itself from its lesser or greater technological siblings. Why not unlock the iPhone and sell that at a higher price than introduce a new product line at an even higher price? Why not reduce the cost of the MacBook? Surely there were other, more reasonable options besides a brand new device. Additionally, first-generation hardware is typically the weakest link in a product line’s existence with Apple. Remember, the iPhone didn’t start with 3G capability, and Copy/Paste took years to be implemented (through a mere software update).

Anything is certainly possible, but as far as this writer is concerned, I’m not so smitten.

Engadget has the best roundup of all things iPad here.

And one more thing, check out Talking About Games.