Steve Jobs of Apple [AAPL] fame has sent out an E-mail stating his intention to take another sick leave, and he is once again relying on Tim Cook to keep the company running along until his return.

Thus far, having Steve step away from active duty for a finite period of time seems to be reasonably acceptable to the company, the customers, and the stock market.

So, does this mean that Tim will be able to slip in some pricing improvements to various Apple products in the interim, like price drops on the MacBook Air models, or spinning out the next generation of the iPad, or a sneak preview of an iPhone 4G-LTE, or updates to the Mac Pro and iMac models, or even a multi-multi-version of the AirPort Extreme?

Hmm…

Maybe even fulfillment of that wish for the hybrid iPad-Mac computer…

Well, while wandering around a local Best Buy [BBY] store, I found myself standing at the Apple [AAPL] kiosk, in front of:

1. an iPad;
2. a 11.6″ MacBook Air;
3. and a 13.3″ MacBook Air.

So, of course, I just had to start meanderingly playing with the three devices, each in turn.

Was very interesting to see that the 11.6″ MacBook Air is as wide as one side of the iPad.

Also comforting to know: the keyboard and trackpad handling of both of the MacBook Airs is virtually identical to the current generation of aluminum keyboards and trackpads shipping with Macs and other MacBooks and MacBook Pros.

The thinness of both the 11.6″ and 13.3″ MacBook Airs was also surprisingly nice; the TV commercial about the MacBook Air somehow gave me a distorted impression that the side profile was more abruptly wedge-like, but in person, it is a more graceful and gradual rounded taper.

The $1,221 Question

But, as I’ve been wondering for the past few years: Is this, finally, the suitable replacement for the venerable 12.1″ PowerBook?

This clearly bears more investigation… Another road trip, perhaps?

Apple’s [AAPL] lockstep dance with AT&T [T] as its exclusive 3G service provider may be ending, with Verizon [VZ] showing up to the dance hall seemingly first.

So what’s a mobile data services consumer going to do?

Rumors, Lies, and Damn Lies

Like many of you, we’re certainly curious about the outcome next year for the still-as-of-yet-not-finalized-and-publicized Verizon version of Apple’s  iPhone product, which has been heavily rumored to be shipping early 2011. Certainly, this indicates that this coming winter holiday season represents the last time that AT&T will be able to fully capitalize on its exclusivity deal with Apple for the iPhone product.

But, there’s another portable IT device that has really captured the hearts and imaginations of the computing public: Apple’s iPad. Initially seen as just a “toy” or a trivial curiosity by many of the so-called industry pundits as well as Apple’s perceived competitors, the iPad is now identified as a serious contender as both a mainstream consumer and business mobile device. Even in certain industry segments, like medical and legal specialties, the iPad has made significant inroads in adoption and acceptance, given its form factor and feature set.

But, like the iPhone before it, the iPad has been locked into a 3G wireless net by AT&T. However, unlike the iPhone, the iPad also has Wi-Fi versions that has proven wildly popular, and given a lot of people’s avoidance of the AT&T network and the increasing ubiquity of Wi-Fi coverage by various vendors and free coverage areas sponsored by various organizations, it is this variant of the iPad that may prove to be the best option for the majority of interested parties.

Verizon: Enter, Stage Left

So, many of you have heard about the recent Verizon offering for the iPad, and that the iPad would be sold starting on October 28, 2010. But you may be wondering why Apple bothered to squeeze CDMA-style 3G into the iPad but not the iPhone, at least not as its first device with Verizon.

Answer: Apple didn’t.

Instead, Verizon is offering one of its MiFi pocket routers with any of the different capacity Wi-Fi iPads (with a service plan to boot, ‘natch).

Of course, this means that if you are interested in adding a “take-it-with-you” Wi-Fi capability to your iPad, you probably can just get a MiFi router and service plan from Verizon. The question is, of course, whether it makes sense for Verizon to bother subsidizing the cost of the iPad in order to sell more plans and MiFi routers… Business-wise, to garner a significant mind- and user-share of current and future iPad users, the solution to be to merely give the iPads away for $0.00, once some sort of multi-year commitment for the MiFi data plan was established, or even bundle it with an existing smartphone plan.

AT&T: Enter, Stage Right

Not to be outdone, AT&T has announced that it will also start selling iPads in their stores on October 28, 2010. But since Apple has already been offering both the Wi-Fi only and the 3G+Wi-Fi versions of the iPad online and via its retail stores, there does not appear to be any significant improvements in service. So, unlike the Verizon offering, the AT&T offering does not offer the consumer any way to share a Wi-Fi connection with other devices, despite the cost of the service plans available.

Conclusion: The Management Perspective

This is one of those developing stories that may have an unexpected twist, in a matter of days or even weeks. Since the iPad is a Wi-Fi capable device, any service provider or alternative offering a compelling mobile Wi-Fi hotspot feature at an outrageously reasonable price point would easily become the darling of mobile digital consumers. Since the market, domestically and worldwide, is in such critical demand for a reasonable data service plan to match the iPad and the upcoming lineup of its potential competitors, this is an area where the service provider that re-scales data transfer pricing down to a realistic, affordable level and initiates the customer conversion to its network will be the winner.

The Setup

For a few years now, Starbucks [SBUX] has been offering free Wi-Fi access to two groups of people: qualified AT&T wireless customers, and Starbucks Card holders. While it has worked well for the “in” people, it has been a point of mild consternation for those who have not been inclined to get a Starbucks Card or become an AT&T customer. Over the course of the years since the free Wi-Fi service was unveiled (and the switch from T-Mobile [DT] to AT&T as the wireless provider), I’ve noticed people approaching the Starbucks staff asking how they can get access to the Wi-Fi router, to be told that they need to sign up for the Starbucks Card and register online to get it. Of course, for many of these otherwise-Starbucks customers, signing up for the Starbucks Card has– for a variety of unspecified options– just not been an option, and so they’ve left the premises after making their latte purchases.

The Premise

But as more retail chains offer free Wi-Fi, like Panera [PNRA] and McDonald’s [MCD] and Borders [BGP], and even AT&T stalwarts like Barnes & Noble [BN], it has become increasingly obvious that keeping a cohort of customers happy and connected on-premises translates to a variety of upsells and continued purchases, depending on the locale and customer demographics. And perhaps even more important, retaining the casual customers and converting them to regulars in the ever-tightening coffee wars is crucial to Starbucks’ continued success, so finally broadening their free Wi-Fi access to all customers is a necessity.

And it appears that Starbucks will execute on this requirement shortly.

The Action

So, when does the new Wi-Fi policy at Starbucks start?

July 1, 2010.

So, folks, get your Wi-Fi antennae revved up on your MacBooks, MBPs, netbooks, iPod touches, and iPads!

N.B.

Here are other Javamancy related posts, in reverse chronological order:

• Quest for Fire and Wi-Fi Access
• Overwhelming Response to Starbucks Free Wi-Fi Deal
• Starbucks Card

As I’m tracking a variety of media channels at the same time as the Apple [AAPL] iPad announcement, I find it curious as to how the human condition, and certainly all of these so-called tech pundits, keeps wanting to compare new tech with old tech.

When I’ve been using the iPod touch in the practice, I kept thinking, “Yeah, the iPod touch is nice, but I really could use a larger touchscreen, and some more compute power”. But all of these “pundits” keep talking about netbooks and cheap 13″ notebooks and iPhones and BlackBerry devices… But given that my needs are more specialized (and some of you will call them “advanced”), the iPad may be the missing link in my product usage roster.

Something that fits the 8.5″x11″ form factor with a much thinner profile. Something that allows me to use my hands, enclosed in disposable nitrile and latex gloves, along the touchscreen. Something that does not require me to have an attached, or even wireless, keyboard and mouse to manipulate the viewpane and enter data. Something that allows me to quickly retrieve data from the Internet as well as my LANs, wirelessly. Something that lets me manage scheduling and patient data quickly and conveniently.

I’m not looking for a Kindle or mere e-reader. I’m not looking for a BlackBerry. I don’t need an iPhone in my office, or my lab, or my practice rooms. I don’t need yet another notebook with the keyboard and mouse/touchpad.

Certainly, I need to get a hold of an iPad to see if it really lives up to my requirements. But next to the Axiotron Modbook, this may be the frontrunner.