Market Talk

To say the blogosphere is buzzing about the iPad is certainly an understatement. It seems like everyone has something to say about Apple’s (AAPL) new device.

From your typical tech blogs, to twitter, to even Paul Krugman, folks everywhere are weighing in on the new tablet. Some positive thoughts, fair amount of skepticism, but for the most part people seem excited to get their hands on the device and test it out.

And for Apple, this is all unfolding exactly according to plan. And if it seems like it’s a plan that’s been implemented before, well, it has. Seems like Apple’s got a blueprint for how they do this stuff, doesn’t it?

Phase one of a typical Apple product announcement is now complete as months of hype and speculation gave way to the iPad’s actual unveiling, David Pogue chronicles on his NYT blog.

Now phase two – blogger bashing and criticizing of the yet-to-be released product – is beginning and will continue over the next few months until the iPad actually goes on sale, he says.

“Then phase three will begin: positive reviews, people lining up to buy the thing, best-sellerdom, and the mysterious disappearance of the basher-bloggers,” Pogue notes.

So what’s the takeaway? IPad has vast potential, but “it’s too early to draw any conclusions,” he says. “And anyone who claims to know what will happen will wind up looking like a fool.”

Great advice, but that still hasn’t stopped analysts and bloggers from speculating about the impact iPad could have on Apple’s bottom line.

JPMorgan calls the iPad “a smart, nimble device for heavy content users – Apple’s core customer,” which marries the “select benefits of the smartphone and notebook.” Firm thinks the iPad market will be “small at first,” but the gamers and students will represent a meaningful growth market over the long term.

Investors took Apple’s iPad unveiling in stride yesterday as Apple shares posted modest gains after the event.

“That’s a pretty reasonable approach, since it’s impossible to gauge the gadget’s chances based on Steve Jobs’ demo yesterday,” MediaMemo blogger Peter Kafka says. Subsequently, they’ve given those gains back and were recently down 3.2% at $201.22.

But as WSJ’s Walt Mossberg points out, iPad’s success will boil down to the innovative software that third-party developers build, which won’t happen overnight.

Jobs labels iPad’ as a “magical and revolutionary device.”

“But that’s only going to be true if people who don’t work for Apple dream up some magical and revolutionary software,” Kafka cautions. “Give them a little time to deliver before you render a verdict.”

(John Shipman contributed to this post.)

(Photo courtesy of Apple.com)