By Senior Editor – Kris Smith (@croncast)

The dust is settling a bit from the iPad announcement yesterday and the world looks strikingly similar to the way it did before Steve Jobs took the stage.

If we were to follow the dystopian film progression this is the point when those first infected would begin to show symptoms  and exhibit zombie-like behavior.

Fortunately, that hasn’t happened yet. What has happened is that sides are being chosen by fanboys and regular folks alike. Those that are infected could be a part of either camp. Which is good for us if we want to have a serious discussion about the iPad, the hype and tech culture.

I think everyone is amazed that they fit all of that technology into such a small space and made it fast. What Apple demoed and then gave press a hands on for was the real-time tablet that I suggested it would need to be. No one will wait for this thing to load. The iPad as a device is a complex engineering feat to be heralded.

However, this iteration is catching flack not only because of the hype prior to the event but from the unseasoned technophiles that now participating in tech culture – the newbs.

Apple, knowing what they were about to put on public display, should have been dampening the hype at every turn. Being humble can go a long way when releasing a product that doesn’t come close to the hype or public expectations for a product that they will spend discretionary income on.

The unseasoned technophiles that I speak of are the iPhone packing mommies, nannies and insurance selling daddies that are now hooked. They want to know all the new gadget information just like we do. Remember, TechCrunch, Gizmodo, Engadget, Mashable or this blog wouldn’t exist without our collective techno lust. It has been passed on in spades to a larger, more eager consumer that is ready to spend and get their gadget on.

They were paying attention yesterday just like you. They’ve got opinions that have been shaped by their new smartphones and kindles. Sure they weren’t around for the old brick devices and ascii e-readers but they too know that the iPad, in this iteration is a waste of money.

Most of them, like the nerds, will sit this round out. The people forking over for the iPad will be the developers, engineers trying to figure out how to hack and reverse engineer it and those people that just gotta have it no matter what.

Choose your side carefully, my friends. Remember, even if you see someone with an iPad and your lust-o-meter goes up to 15 – breath deep, don’t let them bite you and hold onto your wallet with both hands. You will not regret waiting for the next version of the iPad or the next competitor that makes a gadget that lives up to all the hype.

Image credit: Joshua Blankenship (thanks to @renaud for the link and Joshua for being a wizard)

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Tags: Apple , Apple iPad , apple slate , engadget , gadget lust , Handhelds , Smartphones , Steve Jobs , tech culture , TechCrunch , techno lust , technolog lust , Technology