It's a jack of all trades (not even) and doesn't excel at anything it does.
What's the point of this thing? It's a terrible ebook reader, too big to be a portable music player, and more expensive than a comparably sized netbook that can do so much more.
I'm not seeing the use for this, what-so-ever. Why not just carry around a 10" netbook and have a real computer instead of a giant smartphone?
What's inside the iPad and what it can do
Summary
The 0.5-inch thick device, which weighs 1.5 lbs., is intended to be used for web browsing, e-mail, photos, video, music, games and e-books -- pretty much everything that its pint-sized cousin the iPod touch can do, only bigger.
Topics
Apple on Wednesday announced the iPad, a 9.7-inch tablet computer that fits in between the iPhone smartphone and the MacBook computer.
The 0.5-inch thick device, which weighs 1.5 lbs., is intended to be used for web browsing, e-mail, photos, video, music, games and e-books -- pretty much everything that its pint-sized cousin the iPod touch can do, only bigger.
[Image Gallery: Apple iPad official pics]
"We've always tried to be at the intersection of technology and liberal arts," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said. "It's the combination of these two things that have let us make the iPad."In fact, it can run all iPhone and iPod touch apps out of the box, with no modification, using pixel-doubling technology.
It comes preinstalled with iTunes and the App Store and has a virtual keyboard for typing, as well as pop-over menus. It supports HD video and offers 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity and Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR support, as well as an accelerometer, compass, speaker, microphone and Apple standard 30-pin connector.
Inside, you'll find a 1GHz Apple A4 chip -- yes, in-house silicon -- as well as flash memory ranging in capacity from 16GB to 64GB. Jobs claims its battery will last 10 hours with use and "more than a month" in standby mode.
The device is arsenic-free, BFR-free, mercury-free, PVC-free and "highly recyclable," Jobs said.
The device's support for e-books comes in the way of "iBooks," a new online bookstore. (If you're counting, that's three stores for Apple now: App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore.)
The iPad can also support documents, spreadsheets and presentations with a new, modified version of the company's iWork suite.
While all iPads will have Wi-Fi, mobile broadband 3G connectivity (via AT&T) depends on the version: A plan for up to 250 megabytes of data will cost $14.99 per month, and an unlimited data plan will cost $29.99 per month.
All iPad 3G models are unlocked devices and use GSM microSIM cards. International deals are expected to be announced sometime in June or July, Jobs said.
The iPad will start at $499 and scale to $829, depending on version:
- 16GB Wi-Fi only: $499
- 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G: $629
- 32GB Wi-Fi only: $599
- 32GB Wi-Fi + 3G: $729
- 64GB Wi-Fi only: $699
- 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G: $829
No date was set for availability.
Accessories are also available: a dock that functions like a picture frame, an external keyboard (effectively turning the iPad into a MacBook, sans Mac OS X) and a case.
Full specs:
- 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip
- 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)
- Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
- 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; 1.6 pounds (.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model
- Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
- Digital compass
- Wi-Fi model: Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
- Wi-Fi + 3G model: UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900,1800, 1900 MHz), Data only, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
- Storage: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive
- Accelerometer
- Ambient light sensor
- In the box: iPad, Dock connector to USB cable, 10W Power Adapter, Documentation
- Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
- Audio formats: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
- User-configurable maximum volume limit
- Support for 1024 x 768 with Dock Connector to VGA adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Composite A/V Cable, 576i and 480i with Apple Composite A/V Cable
- Video formats: H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
- Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)
- Language support for English, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian
- Keyboard support for English (US) English (UK), French (France, Canada), German, Japanese (QWERTY), Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting and Pinyin), Russian
- Dictionary support for English (US), English (UK), French, French (Canadian), French (Swiss), German, Japanese, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting, Pinyin), Russian
- Accessibility: Support for playback of closed-captioned content, VoiceOver screen reader, Full-screen zoom magnification, White on black, Mono audio
- Built-in 25Whr rechargeable lithium-polymer battery (rated at 10 hours using Wi-Fi)
- Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system
- 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack
- Built-in speakers
- Microphone
- SIM card tray (Wi-Fi + 3G model only)
- PC or Mac support
Talkback Most Recent of 96 Talkback(s)
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trance2tec27th Jan 2010 -
Save a heck of a lot of money, too!!
ANd it can't even call people (Unless you can use skype . . .), so it's only a giant iPod touch with 3G . . .
JLHenry27th Jan 2010 -
T1Oracle27th Jan 2010 -
One word: Bluetooth
If you don't use a headset by now you already look ridiculous, IMHO.
PacoBell28th Jan 2010 -
Bad eBook reader?
What about it makes it a bad eBook reader? The fact that it has a high quality screen, or adjustable fonts/text size? I would take this over a Kindel anyday. The price isnt much different, but this does FAR FAR more than a Kindel or any other eBook reader.
Stuka27th Jan 2010 -
such as?
Kindle has an app store and wireless. Done.
A bad eBook reader? Uh, yeah. It's not made
with epaper. That means its screen is pretty
poor for ebooks. LCD's and LED's (even OLED's)
aren't good for human eyes. Beyond that,
claiming it to be HD capable is sketchy since
it's not an HD aspect ratio. It's true, but is
like saying the Dodge S10 is a sports car
because it has a viper engine.
If you'd take that over a Kindle, that's your
choice. You can choose to gently fondle apple's
unmentionables, and the rest of us will pay
half as much for something more powerful and
only slightly less attractive.
evilkillerwhale@...27th Jan 2010 -
What does dose the Kindle do besides being an ereader?
This thing has color right? Does Kindle? So I can watch a movie or TV
show in this iPod and can I do that on a Kindle? I thought the Kindle
was fairly pricey for what it did when it first came out... Does it do
more and has the price gone down? Is your statement about the iPod
costing twice as much valid or is that just a generic Apple slam that
does not hold water in this case? Take iWorks for instance I use it on
my iMac and I create documents and save them in MS Word format
when I need to. I can import MS Word docs and save in MS Word
format so the iPad can also use iWorks which makes it a productivity
tool does it not? Can the Kindle do that? So I have movies, TV, music,
productivity and games with the iPod as well as email and browsing.
Seems like a full fledged computer to me. Again what does the Kindle
do and what does it cost now a days?
Pagan jim
James Quinn27th Jan 2010 -
Sure
You are comparing apples and oranges. The Kindle has 7 days of battery life and a screen made for reading. The side is closer to that of a book as well.
Any person serious about reading wouldn't even consider the iPad as a reading device compared to the kindle.
You would destroy your eyes trying to read books on a device like an iPad.trance2tec27th Jan 2010 -
Yeah and I'm guessing you are assuming Apple did
not take your whole "reading" thing into consideration when designing
this device. I'm guessing they did. I will admit on my part that I have not
idea as of yet.
As for battery life "IF" the iPod did nothing but book reading chores and
was in black and white I'm betting it would have as much battery life if
not more than a Kindle
Pagan jimJames Quinn28th Jan 2010 -
Destroy My Eyes?????
Ummmmmm What are you talking about. I read an LCD monitor all day and my eyes are fine. How is this different than reading an E-book. And an E-book you would read for at most an hour or so a day.
Where are your facts to support this.
msprygada28th Jan 2010 -
oh, baloney.
I'm not a big fan of the iPad, but even I have to call BS on the "destroy your eyes" canard.
I read ebooks on my Dell laptop all the time. My eyes are just fine (or, at least, they haven't deteriorated in all the years I've been reading ebooks on laptops and PDAs - about ten for PDAs, longer for laptops and desktops).
There are valid criticisms of the iPad; this isn't one of them.
loupgarous5th Apr 2010 -
The kindle's just an ereader, but the ipad isn't a computer
Yes, the Kindle is just an e-reader - but it's lightweight, with the wifi off, the battery life is close to 2 weeks. It doesn't claim to be a computer.
Initial indications are that this ipad can't multitask - if you can't have multiple apps running at once, it's not a computer. And for the price, I want to be able to have multiple apps running at once.
dmariehill27th Jan 2010 -
Multiprocessing does not a computer make....
That is but one factor and it's not crucial. At least to me.
Pagan jimJames Quinn27th Jan 2010 -
netbooks can't multitask (well), either...
...but for $500, you're getting into serious laptop territory these days, and a $500 Wintel laptop from one of the mail order warehouses can lay down a pretty good pimp slap on the iPad in terms of processor power, flexibility... just about everything but battery life (but there are plenty of upper-tier netbooks with 8 hours of battery life these days).
Life is full of trade-offs. It's unclear as to whether the iPad's a good one. I'm skeptical. I just wish someone would put netbook technology into a decent Windows tablet PC.loupgarous5th Apr 2010 -
nonsense
"LCD's and LED's (even OLED's) aren't good for human eyes..."
that's nonsense and FUD from the e-ink camp. i am reading all day on an
lcd device. no eye strain here. backlit is even better for reading in many
lowlight instances because you don't need a lamp.
have you ever tried an e-reader? they are horrible. the screen flickers and
readjusts the ink everytime you flip a page and it takes ages. e-ink is
ancient technology that never reached its potential (color,
responsiveness, frame rates).
bannedfromzdnetagain28th Jan 2010
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