"Last time there was this much excitement about a tablet, it had some commandments written on it." -- the Wall Street Journal

Here are my quick reactions to today’s Apple Special Event; expect some more thoughtful analysis in a few hours. But the highlights of the last few hours were:

• A new Anywhere tablet device called the iPad. The $499 iPad lets consumers listen to music, watch video, read books and periodicals, and view TV shows, all from a 10-millimeter-thick multi-touch LCD tablet. The iPad is designed to be a media device, not a PC; the major software packages available will not be suites such as Microsoft Office, but media-oriented software such as Apple’s own iWords, which Apple is releasing in touch-enabled form for the iPad. That said, the iPad will run all iPhone apps, and additional packages from independent developers for iPad will be sold through the iTunes App Store. 
• High speed wireless connectivity via 3G and WiFi. iPad boasts more than 100 Mbps wireless Ethernet connection using the 802.11n standard for connecting to content in the home. Versions sold through and AT&T will also feature 3G mobile broadband connections, which will be offered on a prepaid basis. Up to 250 Mbytes per month will cost $14.99; Unlimited monthly broadband will cost $29.99.
• A new iBooks book reader application. Apple decided to attack the Kindle market by offering an eBook reader on the iPad and added online purchasing via a new iBook Store. The iBook store has 5 publishers signed on to deliver content already; more are in the works. 

Will it catch on? Based on a few minutes of hands-on playing with one, absolutely. The iPad bears the same relationship to a netbook that the original Mac did to DOS PCs: it’s a complete rethinking of the reading and media consuming experience. Apple’s full-color, full motion device makes not only netbooks, but any product with an E Ink display look tired and dated. And if you’re a publisher who lives and dies by what your content looks like, you want to be talking to Apple now; any other digital distribution is going to look very last decade.

Stay tuned for more details and a deeper analysis for clients over the next day or two.