Apple iPad is Steve Jobs' answer to netbooks and ebook readers
January 28, 2010
Bill Gates must be excited over the Apple iPad. About 10 years ago, Mr Gates loudly and clearly announced that the PC of the future is a tablet that you hold in hand and tap with your finger. Microsoft even created a special version of Windows software for hardware manufacturers to make tablet PCs. Some products were introduced, but no one wanted them. Now, Apple's Steve Jobs has announced exactly the same concept - a tablet PC. It's called the Apple iPad.
Of course, technology has taken huge leaps during the last ten years. Display technology has improved - touch screens really work, the resolution is high and text and videos look sharp, 3G and Wi-Fi mobile connectivity works all over the world, music and videos are available, GPS didn't exist as a consumer technology ten years ago at all, to name a few advances. Although it is fair to say that Bill Gates was ahead of his time, it remains to be seen if the Apple iPad is the innovative product that can finally create a new market for tablet computers.
Before the product details, here's our verdict on the Apple iPad. Version 1 of the iPad won't be a killer product. Its next, improved version with seamless access to ebooks, magazines, newspapers, downloadable native apps (Skype, perhaps), cloud storage service, Flash player, multitasking, and compact-size model can make it a hit like the iPod.
The Apple iPad has 9.7-inch LED display and no keyboard. On-screen keyboard is available for typing. Multi-touch technology lets you tap the screen with a finger or pinch an object on the screen with two fingers. For a portable handheld tablet, the iPad is pretty large (9.56 x 7.47 x 0.5 inches / 24.2 x 18.9 x 1.3 cm). If you intend to carry the device along, a bag or briefcase is required.
The iPad comes with excellent connectivity features. All models have Wi-Fi for Internet or home network access via hotspots. More expensive models also come with 3G and 2G mobile connectivity to UMTS/WCDMA networks (in the U.S., AT&T). Built-in GPS receiver provides geographic coordinates for maps. Bluetooth is available for wireless headsets and other peripherals. Wired headphones can plugged into the 3.5mm jack. Speakers and microphone are included in the unit. Surprisingly, there is no webcam on the iPad (this must be added to the Version 2 wish list).
Another area where the iPad shines is multimedia. The tablet can play common audio file formats (except for WMV), video formats, photos and documents (also Microsoft Office documents). Ebooks delivered as Epub and PDF files can be displayed on the device. Movies look beautiful on the 1024 x 768-pixel resolution display. Wisely, Apple has equipped the iPad with a powerful processor that can cope with the large touch screen and other tasks that require computing power. For some reason, Flash multimedia player is missing from the iPad.
None of the mentioned hardware features are new. There are many tablet PCs or netbooks with similar features already in the stores. Apple's strength, however, is the way it can integrate downloadable content to a hardware product.
Digital music became a mass market phenomenon after Apple introduced the iTunes music store (available on the iPad). Add-on applications for smartphones became a worldwide success story after Apple introduced the App Store (available on the iPad). The early success of the Amazon Kindle indicates there finally is a market for ebooks. Apple's new iBooks store for ebooks, possibly also for magazines and newspapers is in an excellent position to win plenty of readers on its side.
When iTunes, App Store and iBooks are only a tap away from the iPad user's eyes, available content is the key factor that will make or break the product. If Apple can get attractive ebooks, newspapers and magazines (on top of TV shows, movies and music) to the device, the iPad tablet can become a personal media center at home.
The iPad can be synced with a PC, but Apple should consider offering a cloud service for the iPad as well. Three storage configurations is available; 16, 23 and 64GB. It is not enough for a movie collection. All three models come with Wi-Fi, but 3G costs extra. List prices range from $499 (for 16GB Wi-Fi model) to $829 (64GB, Wi-Fi and 3G).
All and all, the Apple iPad is not only competing against other tablet PCs, but also against netbook PCs and ebook reader devices. If the iPad was smaller, it could be the device that killed ebook ereaders, but not in its current format. The most competitive product for the iPad may be a slick netbook PC that can be turned into a tablet when needed, such as the Lenovo Ideapad U1, Asus Eee PC T91, Always Innovating Touch Book, or the HP tx2000.
Video: Hands-on with the Apple iPad tablet
Check out the responsiveness of the tablet and a couple really nice features; you can quickly peek inside a photo album and turn the page of an ebook like a real page.Video by Financial Times.
Apple iPad key features and specifications
- 9.7-inch LED-backlit touch screen. Multi-Touch technology can recognize gestures made with two fingers.
- 1024 x 768-pixel display resolution.
- Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n. All iPad models come with Wi-Fi.
- 3G and 2G mobile network connectivity in specified models only. Tri-band 850, 1900, 2100 MHz) 3G for UMTS/WCDMA networks with HSDPA data. Quad-band GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) and EDGE network.
- Bluetooth 2.1.
- Digital compass.
- A-GPS receiver.
- 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of internal storage space.
- Dock connector. The Dock itself (for syncing with PC, for keyboard) is an add-on accesory.
- 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack.
- Speakers.
- Microphone.
- 1GHz processor designed by Apple.
- Output to TV via Dock Connector (not included). 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable. 576i and 480i with Apple Composite Cable.
- Audio playback of AAC, AAC (copy-protected format used in iTunes Store), MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV files.
- Video playback of H.264 (up to 720p resolution at 30 fps), MPEG-4 video (640 by 480 pixels, 30 fps) file formats.
- Photos that can be viewed: jpg, tiff, gif.
- Documents: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, html web pages, Keynote files, pdf, plain text, rtf, vcf.
- VoiceOver screen reader.
- Dimensions: 9.56 x 7.47 x 0.5 inches / 24.2 x 18.9 x 1.3 cm. Weight: 1.5 pounds / 0.68 kg and 1.6 pounds / 0.73 kg for the 3G model.
- Rechargeable lithium-polymer battery. Battery life: up to 10 hours of Wi-Fi use, watching videos, or music playback. Battery charged via power adapter or USB.
Ari 31.01.2010 05:42
For mobile network connection, the Apple iPad is using micro-SIM card instead of the standard-size SIM card used in GSM phones. Only a few operators can provide micro-SIM cards. So, forget about getting the iPad and inserting your old SIM card into the tablet.
lars 08.02.2010 21:44
Is the iPad locked to a mobile network?