Enough with the rumours! Apple has finally announced its mystery device…the iPad. Steve Jobs unveiled the unit at Apple’s press event in San Francisco this morning.
The device is only half an inch thick, weighs 1.5 pounds and is roughly the same size as a Kindle. As predicted, the IPS display is 9.7 inches diagonal and is capable of displaying HD video. The iPad can be charged and synced via USB and claims to have a battery life of…10 hours.
Now let’s talk features. The device is multi-touch and is optimized for surfing the web. All web pages can be viewed full screen without zooming in and out. Of course you can check email, view photos, play videos (in HD), games, read eBooks and make full use of apps.
As for physical features it has a speaker, microphone, Bluetooth capabilities, as well as an accelerometer and compass. What is missing is a camera. That means no video conferencing or video calls. And no you will not be making any phone calles on this. Jobs says each iPad will have 802.11n Wi-Fi built-in, but you can get 3G for a bit extra.
So the big question…how much? $499 USD for 16GB, 32GB for $599, and $699 64GB. If you want 3G built-in add about $130 per model. Wi-Fi models will be available in about 60 days (April) while 3G will be a bit later (June). pricing and availability in Canada have yet to be announced but Jobs did say international 3G plans should be announced in June/July.
There you have it, Apple’s “revolutionary” device. Kinda seems like a glorified iPod Touch…no?
Too bad they didn’t make it possible to make calls on it. Is there not a Skype app? If it’s on a 3G network, just seems like a gimme…strange. I could see myself carrying this in my bag and using a bluetooth headset.
January 27th, 2010 at 11:23 pmI’m taking a media course at SAIT and we talked about this for a good half hour one class. The thing is, people are comparing this to a tablet PC when it isn’t. Apple has created a completely new category. This device is more of a home networking remote control than anything else. People have complained about the lack of hard drive space but if you take a look at the other devices Apple creates you’ll notice a theme: Wireless networks with media all on a central hub. Apple TV, Time Capsule, any of their Airports, they all link devices wirelessly so that you can enjoy your media anywhere in the house.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:40 amPlus, how many times have you wanted to look something up while on your couch and either had to leave the room, pull out your laptop or just said “forget it”? This device is perfect for leaving in a living room, foyer or waiting room.
But it does need some work. A camera would be awesome, as would a “phone” for the 3G model. I think it has great potential, but wait for the 2nd or 3rd generation before picking this guy up.