The weeks of speculation and hype that accompany every new Apple media announcement were finally over on Jan. 27 when a gaunt-looking Steve Jobs unveiled Apple's challenge to PC netbooks. Looking like something in between a giant iPod Touch or an iPhone on steroids, the iPad was touted as "mystical, magical and truly revolutionary."
Jobs and other Apple gurus claimed that their goal was to create a new class of mobile device, somewhere in between a smart phone and a laptop. Exploiting all their advanced technologies, this mid-category mobile device would have to be better at doing several key tasks--web surfing, photo sharing, movie watching, game playing and book reading.
Jobs' retort regarding the comparison of the iPad to netbooks, was that "netbooks weren't better at anything."
In looks at least, it seems Apple's talented designers have come up with a product that would turn any geek into a salivating, gotta-have mode. The iPad is a very sleek appearing, half-inch thick tablet, weighing only 1.5 pounds, with a 9.7 in-glass screen (1024 x 768 resolution--very sharp), and an aluminum bezel. It only has one button to contend with, and a very sensitive, multi-touch screen interface, making it quite intuitive to use.
The large viewing area makes typing with its on-screen keyboard comfortable, and Apple claims a 10-hour battery life, with up to a month long on standby. It connects via USB and has 802.11n, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and optional 3G.
The iPad will hit the markets at the end of March and will start at $499 for the 16 GB version. There are also 32 and 64 GB models, as well as 3G options. AT&T will be offering two cellular plans--$14.99/month for 250 MB and $29.99/month for unlimited data. Amazingly, no contracts are required. Apple is working on an international version, projecting its arrival around June.
Virtually all the iPhone apps will be playable on the iPad, and these can be seen in their native, iPhone size or, with the touch of a button, be doubled in size to fit the larger screen.
However, just for the launch, the iPad is shipping with 12 new apps designed just for this tablet. Three of these are a special version of Apple's iWork: Keynote, Pages and Numbers, and will have the functionality of a full business suite. These apps will only cost $10 each.
One free app is iBooks, which will support Apple's new eBook store. Jobs freely claimed he was "standing on the shoulders" of Amazon's Kindle, but feels iPad's large, back-lit screen, the customizable display features, the fact that the iPad feels like holding a small book in your hands--all this will revolutionize the realm of digital books, both popular and even textbooks. Get ready to read your best sellers hot off the eBook shelves, rather than the presses. Major publishers like Harper, Penguin, Simon & Schuster have already signed on.
Other apps are a web browser, email, photo viewer, music player, video player, YouTube, a calendar and note pad.
Apple has also made a kit with SDK software available for free to third parties, to develop apps for the device. To demonstrate how easy it was to accomplish, they gave three companies two weeks to develop an application for the unveiling.
Two of them came up with some very cool games, but what was most impressive to me were the remarks of the NYTimes rep after his demo of the newspaper on the iPad. He said, "I'm incredibly excited to pioneer the next version of digital journalism." Get your mind around that.
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