Nope, I didn’t pre-order the iPad yesterday. However, it’s highly likely we’ll purchase Apple’s netbook in the near future. Especially given the intense spousal pressure — my role as CTO of the Zatz household has been challenged. Yet I see no reason to float Apple loan without having even touched the device… and without addressing several open issues. Computerworld put together a list of 15 iPad mysteries, some now answered, but they failed to address my three biggies. Keeping in mind this will be a shared device.

1. Multiple User Accounts?
Will the iPad offer multiple user accounts? Melissa’s got her email, Facebook, and wallpaper; I’ve got mine. So it’d be nice if the iPad OS could accommodate us with global user accounts.

2. App Sharing?
Will we be able to share apps? Between devices. And between users (assuming multiple user accounts). We’ve got two iPhones, obviously hosting a number of apps, many pay. Is there a mechanism to duplicate or move them onto the iPad… without redownloading and repurchasing?

3. Network backups?
To position the iPad as something more robust than a supersized iPhone, and given a launch app like iWork and the camera kit, I’d think Apple needs to offer some sort of backup and sync mechanism. So will we have to periodically tether the iPad to a computer to backup apps and app data, as we do with the iPhone? Or will Time Capsule and MobileMe options be made available?

Unfortunately, I fear the answer to each question will come up negatory. Making this more a list of iPad shortcomings and iPad 4.0 OS feature requests. And I have one non-iPad bonus question: Will the keyboard dock also work with an iPhone? Technically, I see no reason why it wouldn’t. But from a business perspective, the lines between iPhone and iPad are already too blurry – so I could see them drawing this line in the sand.

As the bastard child of EchoStar, Sling Media no longer enjoys the same sort of blog love seen in years past. So while many learned that the 3G iPhone Slingbox client ($30) was finally approved over the weekend, you may have missed a few other nuggets of Sling goodness…

Bell TV is the first licensee, beyond the obvious DISH Network, to implement Sling Guide services. Re-branded as the more clear “Remote PVR” for Canada, Bell customers now receive:

• Personalized and integrated view of everything there is to schedule or record in a simple visual interface on a PC, Mac or compatible smartphone.
• Ability to search, browse and schedule new programming from anywhere you have an Internet connection.
• One click recording.
• Full control of the DVR and television using a computer or mobile phone.

But customers worldwide can appreciate Sling’s continued its march into the browser. Not only have they started to de-emphasize (hide) computer SlingPlayer software in favor of their evolving web player(s), they’ve unveiled a web-based remote control learning widget. (PC-only, for now.) Anyone who’s struggled with IR control of their STB will appreciate this tool to customize/create a virtual remote control by mapping IR signals from unsupported hardware:

Welcome to the Slingbox Remote Control Manager. We’ll help you set up your remote control, change it, or create a new custom one.

Back when I was employed by Sling, staying current with remotes was one of the causes I championed. And why not? The hardware supported it. I’m only bummed it’s taken Sling this long to get to a beta release.

Last month, Aliph unleashed their latest Jawbone Bluetooth earpiece. And PC Magazine declares the Icon to be “the best-designed and potentially the most flexible Bluetooth headset on the market.”

Of course the Icon features Jawbone’s trademark “NoiseAssassin.” But the Icon should also expand Jawbone’s customer base as the lowest priced Jawbone (at launch) – coming in at $100. Interestingly, Aliph has probably confirmed what we already knew in that Apple is done making Bluetooth earpieces, given authorized usage of the iPhone Bluetooth charge indicator.

However, the most dramatic new Jawbone feature is the five MyTalk voices that ship (or can be downloaded) with your Bluetooth headset. Which Gizmodo calls “laughably cheesy.” I have to agree the personas are somewhat over the top and entertaining. But not quite as amusing as I’d like. And, unfortunately, I don’t have the skills to create the sort of soundboard I was envisioning or to remix the various personalities into something like Revolucian’s instant classic Christian Bale tribute (NSFW). However, Dan Dorato turned me on to Garage Band and I pulled together my very first compilation in about 25 minutes on a flight to Vegas yesterday. Click the triangular play button below…

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WorldCard

Now that my transition from Yahoo to Gmail is in full swing, I’ve also taken the opportunity to clean up and expand my address book(s). Google’s contact de-duper has been helpful. But the $6 WorldCard iPhone app has been a massive time saver. It’s not quite perfect, but it’s solid when it comes to analyzing 3GS photographs of CES-acquired business cards. I’d say it got ~95% of contact names, phone numbers, and email addresses correct. And the other fields I care less about. But WorldCard does provide field editing and allows you to match areas of a business card with select fields for additional cleanup. Once satisfied with the results, WorldCard dumps (or merges) the contact details into your iPhone address book. Combined with Gmail’s iPhone Exchange services, any new contacts show up online rather quickly and without intervention. Recommended!

Siri

Siri (free) received a good amount of positive buzz at launch last week. It provides a new spin on information aggregation and operates via decent voice recognition as you carry on a scrolling chat with your “personal assistant.” I doubt I’ll use it regularly as I’m not sure it saves any time over accessing separate apps. But Siri reminds me a bit of Wolfram Alpha’s advanced queries and is quite fun in a Magic 8-Ball sort of way — check out some additional screengrabs of our playful testing.

SlingPlayer

AT&T has finally relented and it appears that the iPhone Slingbox client ($30) will be shedding it’s WiFi-only designation in the near future. But it’s not going 3G without a bit more drama… AT&T says “we’ve worked with Sling Media” to further optimize SlingPlayer for 3G. Something Sling has absolutely no recollection of: “AT&T never discussed any specific requirements with us.” Regardless, the updated app should be available soon. My personal copy of the iPhone SlingPlayer has been active on 3G for several months. Unfortunately, the video quality isn’t great – a combination of AT&T’s overtaxed network, the max resolution Sling utilizes for their mobile clients, and a reliance on processor-intensive WMV decoding over native H.264. Plus, audio and video isn’t always in sync. Which is why I upgraded to Slacker Radio Plus ($48/yr), my constant and more reliable gym companion, via iPhone over the weekend.

Logitech’s new Touch Mouse iPhone app (above left) is a cute bit of marketing, but power users can do better. Touch Mouse, in conjunction with PC or Mac server software, allows you to use your iPhone as a remote touchpad (à la GlideTV) and keyboard. For basic control and a cost of zero dollars, it’ll probably serve many well – as long as you keep your expectations for future development in check.

But, as I learned over at A VC early last month, there’s at least one super-powered iPhone alternative available for a mere $2. Mobile Air Mouse Pro (above right) is a remote touchpad and keyboard… and so much more. The video below steps through many of Mobile Air Mouse Pro’s various features. Combined with a Ceton-infused HTPC, I can’t help but imagine the possibilities.

You may have caught Cignias’ Nao Symphony Wireless Music Station CES press release, announcing broad device availability and the requisite iPhone app. But I caught the actual unit. The Nao Symphony Wireless Music Station ($299) provides a slightly different take on the pedestrian iPhone speaker dock. In fact, it’s far more sophisticated.

So while you could just drop your iPod in the Nao Symphony and control music playback via the bundled remote, you probably won’t want to. Nao’s real power comes from it’s WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Fully control a docked iPod wirelessly via iPhone or Blackberry app. Better yet, stream music directly to the Symphony from any A2DP Bluetooth phone or over WiFi from a Blackberry or iPhone.

I’m looking forward to putting the 4 speaker, 50 watt loaner system through its paces. And, despite the current lack of cloud-based music services (think Sonos S5), Cignias promises frequent (wireless) device updates.

Click to enlarge:

After catching up on the coverage and sleeping on it, I’ve got a few more pre-release iPad thoughts to share.

More and more I come to the conclusion that the 10″ iPad is a supersized iPod Touch. Which is not a bad thing but, given the current state of the iPhone OS, will be somewhat limiting for power users. And why the Nokia N800, HTC Advantage, or WorkPad Z50, with their streamlined operating systems, never panned out for me. Yet given the OS point upgrade (to 3.2) and the size/power of the iPad, I’ve independently come to the same conclusion as Boy Genius — there’s GOT to be a major iPhone OS 4.0 refresh on the docket for 2010. How could it not include multitasking? As John asked yesterday, “What if your in Pages and need to look up something on Wikipedia? You have to save your work, go to Wikipedia, then go back into Pages.” And I’d simply like to stream Slacker while check email or browsing the web. This HAS to be coming…?

However, if I reduce my expectations, pumped up after months of imaginary iSlate features, and limit my environs to the home (like Glenn and Ben) the iPad – even in its current form – would make a nice home theater accessory or Audrey replacement. The Slingbox SlingPlayer client possibilities are particularly appealing (pictured above). Especially since Echostar/DISH clearly won’t be offering their SlingTV accessory at retail. Although, we need Sling to bump the video resolution streamed to “mobile” clients for maximum enjoyment.

Also, while Jobs and company probably didn’t want to move the spotlight from the iPad, I suspect some iPad enhancements will surface on the iPod Touch and iPhone platforms. iBooks are a no-brainer and will surely be available to the iPad’s smaller siblings. But I’m also hopeful the iPad Keyboard Dock and/or Bluetooth keyboard tethering will be available to all iPhone OS 3.2 devices, as I Photoshopped below.

Lastly, we’ve seen some crazy talk that the iPad will effectively kill Amazon’s Kindle initiative. While there’s certainly and obviously overlap in function, I don’t see the two devices as direct competitors. Kindles run 50% (or less) the cost of an iPad and does one thing very well. Perfect for many. My mom would absolutely love a Kindle. Whereas she’d have no interest in or idea how to maximize an iPad. (Sorry, Mom.) I’d still like to see Amazon release a 3G-less Kindle at $129 and offer a more reasonably priced blog/RSS download plan for those on Whispernet. But they’re not going anywhere. In fact, with their cheaper eBook prices, I predict the Kindle app will do quite well on the iPad.