Prior to Apple's new iPad announcement, people were predicting all sorts of things, some of which were spot-on and some of which were way off-base. All of them drew further attention to the device.

In an effort to do video news run-downs, participants were complaining that there is no news this week; everything is about the iPad. This is patently false. There is plenty of news. Rather, what's missing is interest in anything other than the new iPad.

In today's tech landscape, all that is absent is a full-time Apple TV network (called Apple TV?) over the cable and satellite systems. On it, people would talk about Apple 24/7. My guess is that this network would outperform G4, FX, and probably dozens of well-established networks. It would be more interesting than the Golf Channel, maybe. (Look for my vision of the Apple TV network in tomorrow's column.)

This fascination with all things Apple will probably continue for the next few years as Apple users are, and always have been, emotionally invested in its gear. After all, the apple is the original forbidden fruit. So, it's only natural that this week's obsession—and I do mean obsession—surrounds the new iPad.

Thus begins the next phase: the outpouring of analysis. In some distant future, one will wonder why so many cycles of the human spirit were wasted on over-analyzing this device. There will be criticisms. There will be commentary. There will be comparisons and contrasts with old iPads and there will be speculation about what the competition will be doing in the months ahead.

For a device that many people do find useful, there seem to be more people preoccupied with talking about the device than actually using it. That said, I know people who actually use the thing to the hilt and let me tell you, they have somehow made it a thematic part of their lives. But I digress.

Anyway, when the device hits the streets on March 16, two noteworthy things will happen. First, all the Apple fanboys will buy it because they buy everything the company makes. They will all have three iPads, one of each version. Next, competitors—mainly Samsung and Google—will dissect the device and try to figure out why they cannot better compete with the product. They will think to themselves, "We are more than competitive with the phones, so why not tablets, too? It's kind of the same thing, no?"

In fact, the competition can only hope that the iPad is actually a huge fad and will just fade away. Of course, they cannot make money if that happens either.

All the while, Apple's stock rockets into the stratosphere and the company, which essentially has four chief consumer electronics products, remains the most valuable group in the world. Now, it has to stay that way, somehow.

You can be sure there will be an onslaught of articles with headlines such as:

"iPad Today, What's Tomorrow?"
"Can Apple Sustain Growth?"
"Does Apple Have an Encore?"
"Flying High: Will Apple Ever Come Down to Earth?"
"Can Anything Stop Apple?"

And, since no company is perfect, once the headlines "Apple Fumbles" and "Apple Finally Errs" hit the newsstands, a slew of negative headlines will follow. But for now, it's all about the iPad. It's iPad week! Enjoy it.