I held off on commenting on Apple's unveiling of the widely-praised-yet-equally-criticized iPad because: A) I didn't want to be mistaken for part of the hype machine, B) while I think it's a promising device, I don't see it "revolutionizing" healthcare anytime soon, and C) I wanted to hear the news behind the news before offering an opinion--and that meant waiting for the first wave of hysteria to cycle through.

Don't get me wrong: with a 9.7-inch multi-touch, high-def screen, a formidable processor and access to Apple's App Store--all packed into a 1/2-inch-thick frame--the wireless iPad is one slick, smartly priced addition to Apple's line-up. But while Apple has won the hearts and minds of many a physician with its popular iPhone, the company still has miles to go before it sleeps if it wants to lay claim to the healthcare enterprise.

I know everyone is gaga for tablets--and, again, I really like the iPad from a consumer's POV--but as The San Francisco Chronicle recently pointed out:

"At El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, doctors and nurses started working on convertible tablet computers in 2003, but abandoned them last year after moving into a new building with computers in every patient room.

Cheryl Reinking, vice chief of clinical operations at the hospital, said the decision was made after workers soured on the tablet computers - which included a full keyboard - because of their bulk, short battery life and screens that weren't always easy to read."

Apparently, Reinking thinks the iPad is promising enough to make the hospital consider a move back to tablets. She said the iPads could be valuable for doctors moving around the hospital, which is a fair point. But I wonder how the doctors will respond to the idea of toting around a 10-inch tablet all day, every day compared with the iPhones and Blackberrys they've come to know and love, and which slip comfortably into a holster? What about data security? What about controlling the spread of MRSA and other nasty infections? Isn't that why we have mobile clinical assistants?

Nevertheless, I'm not ruling the iPad out as a breakthrough contender. The news behind the news, as Brighthand.com tells us, is that while it was reported previously that Apple was getting ready to unveil iPhone OS 4.0, there will apparently be a version released before then: the proto-type Apple iPad units that were being shown off last week were running iPhone OS 3.2.

Although based on unconfirmed sources, the article states: "Developers with early access to version 3.2 have found code that will allow devices running it to make and receive video calls, as well as switch between a front-facing and rear-facing camera."

Now, I know the iPad we've seen lacks any camera whatsoever, and apparently robust multi-tasking is not going to be a part of OS 3.2, but that just means we can expect, a generation or two down the road, that these functionalities will be available, at which point we could indeed have a more meaningful device for healthcare settings.