OPINION
The iPad's Cruel Teaser

Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) debuted its first TV ads for the iPad during the Academy Awards television broadcast on Sunday, doing what Apple does best: showing us dozens of things we can do with an iPad in just a few seconds, all to the tune of some hip music we've never really listened to before.

Yet these ads are like walking into a restaurant where the menu doesn't arrive -- we're hungry and salivating, but in this case, the key that holds the fine-print details won't arrive until April 3.

A Closer Look

In just 30 seconds, Apple showed off all the core features of an iPad, and the only words we heard are the ones in the cool background song, "There Goes My Love" by The Blue Van (never heard it before, but it's not bad). In any event, what's Apple really doing here? What tantalizing tidbits is the company going wide with to share to the millions of potential consumers watching Hollywood's hottest awards show?

First up, a faceless and mostly bodiless man pickups up the iPad from a table, then swipes the screen -- like on an iPhone -- to open up the iPad, launching into the amazing Photos app that lets a spread of the fingers reveal a preview of zooming/spreading print-like photos on the screen. This transforms into a virtual bookcase -- the iBooks app -- before it transforms into the now customary New York Times Web browser page demonstration.

Meanwhile, the man hands switch to a woman's hands and lap in between these demonstrations, though really, most eyes will be on the iPad screen action (but hey, I did notice that the man's hands were curiously devoid of any hair, so make note: hand models and video bloggers might want to start shaving to keep the overall image and message squeaky clean).

Next up, we're treated to a quick look at the "Star Trek" movie, presumably the information page via the iTunes Store online via a new iPad interface -- hard to say, it was really quick! We get a super fast look at the Calendar app, then cut back to the iBook virtual bookshelf and start reading True Compass, an Edward M. Kennedy memoir ebook. Then back to photos, more cool pinch-zooming, what looks like a maps zoom into the Eiffel Tower via a satellite photo. Then back to copious virtual page-turning on the memoir -- Apple is clearly showing off the look and feel of turning pages -- and on to more photos and an iPad horizontal landscape turn to show off how the accelerometer re-orients a photo of a cute little girl.

Next, we see the hands open up about four email messages through the new Mail iPad interface, showing the messages stack like real paper on the virtual screen -- oh so cool! This cuts out to what looks like an iPad Pages app that shows the fingers sliding an image into place as if the user is designing a graphical newsletter of some guy's snowboarding report.

Back to Mail, where a big virtual keyboard is launched for a reply to a message that also sported photos.

Then back to "Star Trek" and a quick shot of many apps flashing up and being replaced by others in fast succession.

The overall impression? Wow.

What Can You Do?

But this is what Apple does, and as near as I can tell, few other tech companies can consistently whet the appetite by showing off functionally like Apple does. Remember the Droid preview commercials? Not bad, but they didn't give the impression of functionality the way Apple somehow manages to. Think iPod touch and iPhone App Store commercials -- they are all about cools things that the device does. Gotta commend Apple on this strategy -- they are one of the best.

At the same time -- ouch!

I learned that I can read ebooks on the iPad, but what about other documents? What if I have a PDF on my Mac or PC I want to read? How about a Word file? Apple's iPad Features page doesn't tell you how you might be able to transfer files to the iPad, other than maybe emailing them yourself. There's a USB or SD Card accessory in the iPad Camera Connection Kit, but can it be used to simply transfer files? Or do you have to use some surprisingly clunky App Store app to do it like I do on my iPhone?

And what about multi-tasking? The commercial shows a rapid cornucopia of apps being used, but none of them being used at the same time. If I'm really trying to build a newsletter page with graphical elements, how does that work, anyway? And what if I'm trying to write an email or a letter or work on a file for well, work -- can I refer to a Web page, find an answer or cut-and-paste and come right back to the cursor spot where I was a moment ago? Will this work with some Apple apps and not third-party apps? Is there any kind of persistence for a Web-based app?

For something that looks so rockin' awesome, can it run Skype?

Whet the Appetite

For all the potential moaning that bloggers, reporters, and guys like me might do over the as-yet undelivered iPad, there's no arguing that Apple's TV commercial debut did it's job: captured attention for 30 seconds, positioned the iPad as a multifunction device (not just an ebook reader!), and likely sparked new consumer interest.

For many of us, though, while it was cool to see the ads, they didn't do anything to answer some important questions for those who might really want to put the device to work -- or pass and wait for a more functional revision.

Either way, you'll be able to get your hands on one April 3.