OSNews

A smart phone is a phone and an iPad isn't?

So, you're saying that any computer with a modem is a phone?

I would argue a device is based on its primary purpose/use.

A laptop/desktop is a 'p.c.'
A server is a 'server'
An xbox is a games console

Now, all of these can in fact have Exactly the same hardware. So on what basis do we distinguish? We distinguish them on how you USE that hardware/software combination.

An iPhone is a phone first. Everything else is extra to this fact.
iPod touch a music player
An iPad is a PC as its sole purpose is to run apps.

All three run the same OS (more or less) but they are not all used for the same thing.

Google. voice and skype say yes they are...

Uh, no? i'm saying that the iPad is not a phone.

The iPod isn't a phone, so we should include it then? Besides, you can use an iPad (or a desktop or laptop while we're at it) to make phone calls.

But I can use a headset with a mic and Skype to make calls with my iPod Touch...

And, if a future iPad has voice calling (in the traditional mobile sense, not VOIP) does it suddenly become not a PC?

Then what is the difference between an iPad 3G and a Smart Phone? both of them have a connection to a mobile phone network with the only thing missing is the voice functionality.

If one is going to split off the iPad into its own category then you should do like wise when it comes to netbooks as well. Personally I think the whole segmentation attempts by some is stupid - you'd be better off looking at the demographics of the customers as a basis of whether investment into a particular area in the form of software, hardware or accessories will pay off in the long run. If 35million netbooks are sold but half of them are pirating cheap skates who have no interest in actually spending money on stuff other than a netbook then it gives a distorted image of how many potential customers are versus the total sales. Hence these statistics are meaningless when one considers how they're applied when making decisions.