“Some say the iPad heralds a new era of computing, and I’m inclined to believe them,” writes Dan Lyons in the lead story of Newsweek’s April 5 cover story. “The interface is so intuitive — navigating with your fingers rather than a keyboard and mouse — that it will change what we expect from our computers.”

That’s interesting. Because when Lyons was interviewed immediately after Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad to the press last January, he was, to say the least, underwhelmed.

Lyons is better known in tech circles — and probably better read — as the formerly-anonymous author of The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs.

Either this week’s story was heavily edited, or Lyons has learned an important lesson about writing for a newsweekly: The magazine can love or hate the thing it puts on the cover, but it can’t do both.

Below the fold: Lyon’s initial reaction to the iPad, captured on videotape by Om Malik, founder of the GigaOM blog network.

WARNING: Lyons describes the iPad in language not suitable for polite company.

[vodpod id=Video.2943072&w=425&h=350&fv=]