Steve Jobs, “The iPad is a magical and revolutionary device…. at an unbelievable price!”
For over a month now the whole world has been talking about the “Apple Tablet”, the “iSlate”, the all-in-one sexy technology device that does it all. Today at Macworld 2010 our curiosity was fed with a remarkable gadget - essentially a larger, more powerful iPod.
Apple, the company that brought us all-in-one iMacs, the ultra-thin Macbook Air, the 17″ laptop, iPods, the Apple Music Store, the App store, and the iPhone has now unveiled their latest piece of sexy equipment…. The Apple iPAD.
Many were expecting something more, something different, criticisizing Apple for not living up to the hype and “only” delivering a stronger bigger iPod (no USB, no CAMERA). Others detest the name choice, with women funnily disturbed at the female product the name conjures up (someone twittered “The Apple iPad for all your heavy (work)flow days” ). Yes, Apple should have gone with “iTablet” or “iSlate”, but taking a perfect piece of technology like the iPod and building it up seems like a good revolutionary step forward. Best part of it all is that its priced at $499! Thats a relief for many expecting it to be around the $1000 mark (I think they learned from the iPhone pricing issue the first time around.)
TECH SPECS and MORE
The stories that fed the rumor mill online hypothesized on a plethora of applications and specs about the iPad, and most of them were confirmed. Lets run through this baby!
• 9.7-inch LED
• 1.5 lbs and 0.5 inches thin
• 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• 140,000 applications
• Full iWork Functionality
• Speaker and microphone
• A compass and an accelerometer
• 10 hours battery life
• 1GHz Apple A3 chip — Apple chips (mmm…delicious!)
• Runs OS X
• eBook: Books on iTunes with iBook application
• Over 1000 sensors, LED backlight with IPS technology
• The 30-pin dock connector on the bottom of the iPad - to dock and charge. Connect to iPad accessories like the Camera Connection Kit or the Keyboard Dock - paid separately
• Full size mechanical keyboard - paid separately
• iPad Case: ” allows you to use iPad in various positions, to make it easy to type, look at photos, or watch movies”
• A sexy metal case, yes.
• A belt clip? Thank you but no thank you.
Biggest technological disappointement is that we were expecting more of a computer and this isnt quite that. Also there is no camera, and no USB slot (but you can get that in the kit).
See all the features here, or scroll down for my bulletpoint cheat sheet.
Despite the poor reputation of iPhone’s US reception, Apple is sticking with AT&T for $30 unlimited data.
PRICING
The biggest surprise of the day was the price-point! The Wifi 16GB model will be priced at $499, 32GB at $599 and $699 for the 64GB model. The price goes up with the 3G ($629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB, and $829 64GB). As usual though, make sure you budget in the accesories like the keyboard and camera kit, etc.
CONTENT IS KING. Goodbye Kindle!
Steve Jobs knows that content is key determinant for the success of the tablet. The announcement of an e-book store was expected, and the showcase of the iBook application definately gets me excited!
Penguin, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Hachette — are supporting the app. ( Where’s Random House? )
The Kindle pricing will hold, with the first book priced at $14.99 ( “True Compass” by Edward Kennedy). In true Apple fashion, with a simple tap you can purchase the book off of iTunes. Your book will be displayed on a digital bookshelf, and pages turn in a smooth curling fashion by tapping the sides of the screen.
The iPad will support the popular ePub format and authors will be able to embed multimedia such as photos, videos, and audio files directly into books. That’s a cool feature for standard books and an outstanding feature for textbooks. Imagine your history book containing video and audio snippets.
The iPad doesnt use the e-ink technology like the Kindle does, so it might not be as easy on the eyes… but the backlight functionality should suffice, and the user-experience certainly intrigues.
Though the Kindle is slightly cheaper, the functionality of the iPad is significantly better, so the price increase is warranted.
THE APPLE EVOLUTION REVOLUTION
From the iPod to the iMac, Apple has a history of changing the media landscape. It contributed significantly to the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and subsequently the Macintosh. Over time it continued to deliver exciting products, replacing Discmans and Walkmans with the iPod and coined the term “smartphones” for the iPhone setting the bar high for mobile technology.
Today, with the release of the iPad, Apple is taking on netbooks and ereaders and personal computers with this sexy gadget. You just know that by the time the second generation comes out, the technology landscape will have changed drammatically!
Im a bit disappointed for the lack of USB and CAMERA, I agree that its essentially a bigger iPod, but we’ll just have to wait for the next generation for that all-in-one device we were expecting. If you are a geeky apple follower you might just buy one because its cool and hip and a wonderful little toy.
Is it a gadget you need? Did it live up to the hype? Not really…but who cares! its Apple!
Apple just knows how to make things sexy and sleek and easy to use… so I for one will run to buy it as soon as its available. NB: 60 days for non 3G version a bit longer for 3G version
Will you get one?
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Below I compiled a thorough list of basic specs and apps for the iPad:
GENERAL
• 9.7″ touch screen tablet device (designed to fill the gap between
• Combines MacBook and iPhone
• Accelerometer - rotate it to switch between portrait and landscape modes
SPECS
• 9.7″ screen – LCD
• The screen has IPS (In-Plane Switching) - improves viewing angle and colour reproduction
• 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. 30-pin connector, speaker, microphone, accelerometer and compass.
• 10 hour battery life, 1 month stand-by.
• Some models come with 3G data as well as WiFi.
MODEL, PRICE, AVAILABILITY
• 16GB WiFi only: $499
• 32GB WiFI only: $599
• 64GB WiFi only: $699
• 16GB WiFi & 3G: $629
• 32GB WiFi & 3G: $729
• 64GB WiFi & 3G: $829
• WiFi only versions available from March. 3G versions available from April.
BUILT IN APPS
• Cool web browser. Jobs, “The best you’ve ever had”.
• Photo viewer, slideshow mode also
• Map viewer, geotagged photos, find my location
• Email
• Music player
• Aspect ratio closer to 4:30, so 16:9 movies have border
• iTunes Store
• YouTube client
• Address Book
• Calendar – similar to iCal on OSX.
• Large on-screen keyboard - takes up half the screen, ease of use
3rd PARTY APPLICATIONS
• 140,000 applications - if you have bought apps for your existing iPhone/iPod Touch, they can be synched for free
• For developers: A new SDK released today
• iPad-specific apps also listed
iPAD APPLICATIONS
• The New York Times reader with interactive elements
• Painting Application showcased, create artwork with your fingers (thus paint splashes on event imagery)
• EA “Need For Speed” demonstration with awesome 3D graphics and touchscreen controls.
• MLB.com Baseball application
iBOOKS
• iBooks ebook application
• Books browsed from an digital bookshelf, read fullscreen. Pages flip over by tapping screen.
• Books from: Penguin, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Hachette book group.
• iBooks supports the ePub format for e-books.
iWORK
• New version of iWork suite created for iPad.
• Pages, Keynote and Numbers included: word processing, presentations and spreadsheets
• Keynote : presentations viewed and created on the device. (nifty: iPad can be connected to a projector, for immediate presentations)
• Pages: document viewing and creation/editing.
• Numbers: create and edit spreadsheets
DESKTOP SYNC
• Sync the iPad’s music, movies, contacts via iTunes.
3G DATA
• 3G enabled models can connect to 3G data network. (see prices above).
• US Pricing: $15 for the first 250MB or $30 for unlimited data.
• US 3G is provided by AT&T.
• International data deals in place by June.
• The iPad is unlocked, so can use another network (since AT$T such poor connection!) Uses GSM Micro SIMs
ACCESSORIES
• Mechanical keyboard: connects via iPad dock connector.
• Case: protective and viewing stand (for movie watching) ” allows you to use iPad in various positions, to make it easy to type, look at photos, or watch movies”
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January 27th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
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January 27th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
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January 28th, 2010 at 3:00 am
The lack of e-ink technology worries me. If you are somebody who reads a lot of books will the iPad provide a good enough e-book reading experience? Also, do you think Apple will address this issue in future iterations of the product?
February 4th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
I’ve been a fan of Apple for sometime, they produce gadgets that is visually gorgeous while working like a champ. That can’t be said about alot of companies, it’s typically one or the other. Tech companies don’t usually take aesthetics seriously like Apple. With me stating that I’ve got to say that I’m anxious about the new Tablet. One thing I question though, is it too soon? I think that this product may be ahead of its time. What do you think?