Apple finally lifted the veil on their tablet computer, a device which had reached almost mythical levels of fan boy hype through rumor alone.

This wasn’t just a device that would change the face of personal computers, the Apple cults chanted, it would fly in the face of mortal gods and punch them in their pompous kidneys. It had to be, it was Apple and Steve “Messiah” Jobs. And…it turned out to be, the iPad; which really is a giant iPod Touch. That isn’t a joke, or an insult; it’s exactly what it is.

So let’s just say you are a college student, who needs something to take notes on with a decent keyboard, and you just love the Apple.

But you need guidance, you need alternatives, you need…a Geek Culture Expert. That’s where I come in.

I’m not here to tell you not to buy an iPad, I’m just here to let you know what your (cheaper) options are. The most obvious one would be a laptop, and you can get a decent Macbook for about $1,000 with a 13-inch display without extras. The most expensive iPad will run you $829, with 64GB and $30 a month for 3G from AT&T. That’s also excluding the keyboard dock, which you’re going to need if you want to type without your hands falling off from the touch screen. So add another $70 to the iPad’s price.

Granted the iPad is still cheaper by a hair, but also keep in mind it can’t run Flash in the web browser or run multiple Apps at once. If you want to be even remotely productive as a student, you need a device that can do those two things. Go to someplace like Best Buy and you can get a good non-Apple lappy for under $500, which will have enough hardware for all your student needs. If you’re still dead set on the tablet, you can also go with the cheapest option and get an iPad without 3G and 16GB for $499.

Really, though, you might as well get a netbook if you’re willing to sacrifice that much functionality.You can get an Asus Eee PC Netbook for $300 from Best Buy again, and that’s not even the cheapest option. If all you want to do is browse the web and use word, a netbook is perfect.

I’m not against the iPad, I just think the smart thing to do is wait and see if Apple can update it and implement features that are desperately needed, such as multitasking or a camera. It’s name also sounds like a Maxi pad. Either add wings or change the name Jobsy!