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Apple iPad

di Giorgio Natili

Additional Reading Some interesting links to know everything about the iPad:     - Apple Introduces iPad Tablet Device     - Official Apple iPad Demo      - Apple iPad Specs Revealed     - A First Look at the iPad for Publishers     - iBooks     - 4 Reasons the Kindle is Dead, 4 Reasons It’s Not

With literally thousands of articles and blog posts being written about Apple’s new device, it’s easy to experience information overload.

It’s essentially a giant iPod touch/iPhone (iPhone) with a 9.7-inch screen, 16 to 64 GB of memory, and the ability to run almost every iPhone app in the App Store. It can connect via USB to sync with your PC or Mac, play HD video, act an ebook reader and a lot more.

The starting price of the iPad is just $499. For comparison, the Kindle DX, which also has a 9.7-inch screen, costs $489, only $10 less than the iPad.

Here’s what we know so far about the iPad’s specs. We’ll update this as more is revealed about the device:

    - SCREEN: 9.7-inch IPS LCD screen
    - RESOLUTION: 1024×768 pixels (132 pixels per inch)
    - SIZE: 0.5 inches thin.
    - DIMENSIONS: 9.5 inches x 7.5 inches x 0.5 inches
    - WEIGHT: 1.5 pounds (1.6 pounds for 3G)
    - CHIP: 1 GHz Apple A4 chip. They went in-house instead of going to Intel
    - MEMORY: Three models with 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB solid state hard drives
    - INCLUSIONS: Accelerometer, Microphone, 30-pin connector, Compass, full capacitive multi-touch, Bluetooth (Bluetooth) 2.1, 802.11n Wi-Fi, 3G
    - BATTERY LIFE: 10 hours at full blast

Interface
The interface should be familiar to you; it looks a lot like the iPhone OS interface.
There is a new SDK for developers to build apps specifically for the iPad, but all iPhone apps run in the iPad. iPhone apps can run either in their native resolutions or in a “double pixel mode” for full-screen use.

Web, Email, and Maps
Just like the iPhone, it utilized Safari Mobile as its browser. It’s bigger, but not much else is different. And just like the iPhone, it does not support Adobe Flash, a plug-in that Apple simply doesn’t like.

Connectivity
Apple’s tablet comes in two models, based on their connectivity. Both versions have Wi-Fi connectivity, which is to be expected.

Ebooks and Publishing Features
Apple essentially drove a dagger straight into Amazon and the Kindle’s hearts with the iPad. Not only is the device comparable in price to the Kindle DX, but it has its own bookstore: iBooks.
iBooks, announced today at the iPad event, is a new native application for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad that allows you to browse, download and read e-books.

TV, Movies and Video
The video display itself is crisp and sharp, and that was on clear display when Apple demoed several movies on the device. The video interface is just like the iPhone’s video interface, with options for bookmarking, fast-forwarding, rewinding, etc. Oh, and it plays video in HD.

What the iPad Lacks
While in a lot of respects the iPad is a sleek, powerful device that will surely create massive lines on launch day, it is missing a lot of features we had hoped would be in it.

Here are just a few of the things that you won’t find on the Apple tablet:

    - No camera
    - No multitasking
    - No HDMI Output
    - No USB port

Additional Reading
Some interesting links to know everything about the iPad:

    - Apple Introduces iPad Tablet Device
    - Official Apple iPad Demo
    - Apple iPad Specs Revealed
    - A First Look at the iPad for Publishers
    - iBooks
    - 4 Reasons the Kindle is Dead, 4 Reasons It’s Not