The Apple iPad
Today Apple had finally answered a lot of questions about its newest creation, the “iPad”. We know it has a 9.7-inch screen, weighs 1.5 pounds, has Wi-Fi with a 3G option, and Apple claims it has up to 10 hours of battery life. The iPad runs the iPhone OS and “almost all” iPhone apps and uses the ePub format for books.
All of the applications built in on the iPad have been created from the ground up to take full advantage of the very large multi-touch screen. The apps will work in any both portrait as well as in landscape orientations. From the demo that Steve Jobs had shown, it appears the transition between applications as well as orientation is very fluid.
The iPad’s mutli-touch screen will allow you to view entire web pages all at one time. Just like the iPhone and iPod Touch, the iPad has no need for an external pointing device because Steve Jobs said, your finger is the most natural pointing device. You can scroll through a page just by flicking your finger up or down on the screen, or pinch to zoom in or out on a photo.
Apple has stated that you are able to watch 10 hours of video on the iPad, that also can sit in standby mode for one month on a single charge. I’m not sure how much to believe this completely, as most manufacturers tend to exaggerate the battery life on most devices, however I certainly hope this is true.
There are mutliple configurations for the iPad. Those configurations include hard drive (16GB, 32GB & 64GB) configurations as well as a Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G model. Apple has noted that users whom choose the 3G route can elect two 3G packages via AT&T. The first is a 250MB data plan for $14.99 USD, or a unlimited data plan for $29.99 USD, with both not requiring a contract. This should prove to be a big win for both Apple and AT&T.
The pricing listed for these models seem to be fairly reasonable considering the technology in this product, and the attention to detail that Apple puts into every product they release, see table below.
| 16 GB | 32 GB | 64 GB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $499 | $599 | $699 | Wi-Fi |
| $629 | $729 | $829 | Wi-Fi +3G |
Specifications:
Size and weight:
Height: 9.56 inches (242.8 mm)
Width: 7.47 inches (189.7 mm)
Depth: 0.5 inch (13.4 mm)
Weight: 1.5 pounds (.68 kg) Wi-Fi model;
Weight: 1.6 pounds (.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model
Display
9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
Processor
1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed.
Capacity
16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive
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7 Responses to “The Apple iPad”
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John works in the public IT sector focusing on network security and system admin/monitoring.
I am really considering buying one of these. I want to see one first though before I make my decision.
Yeah, I’d really like to see one too. Maybe the Apple store by the house will get one soon since the Wi-Fi only model comes out in March.
I was impressed even though NPR’s All Tech Considered posted some humorous commentary on the iPad’s name and it’s female audience.
Anyways, for those of you looking for a bit of humor you can find it here: http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2010/01/ipad_apples_way_of_reaching_ou.html
Thanks John for this great synopsis!
I hate the name, it’s a marketing fail. That being said, I like the concept but I can’t help thinking it’s just a giant iTouch. I do love that it can work w/ wifi as well as working on the 3G network, that is one thing I love about my Kindle, I am virtually never without the internet. I’m with both you and Steve, I can’t wait to see and work on one in person, I’m sure when I do, I’ll probably leave the store with one. LOL
I think it’s a bit early to say it’s a marketing fail really. People will joke about it, but no one will forget the name once they hear it either. It’s going to sell, a lot. That’s for sure…
The ipad is the next generation of gadgetry to replace the netbook, but lets face it, it is no kindle and thus the only reason to replace my netbook with it would be the battery life and apps.