Well, as expected, today Apple introduced their entry in the tablet market and it’s called the iPad (the event video is now available on Apple’s web site.) Built to be better than the iPhone and MacBooks at common tasks such as web browsing, email and reading books, here’s a few quick specs:
[[via engadget]]
iPad Specs
- Officially called the iPad
- 1/2 inch thick, 9.7 inch IPS color LCD display w/LED backlight, 1.5 pounds
- Uses a custom 1GHz Apple processor (the A4)
- Storage: 16-64GB flash memory
- Wireless connectivity: 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, 3G cellular (on some models)
- Speaker, microphone and the ubiquitous Apple Dock connector
- Accelerometer and compass built-in, same as iPhone
- 10 hour battery life
- Eco-friendly materials
Features:
- iTunes Store fully integrated
- Plays full screen HD video
- Will run all current iPhone apps unmodified
- Developers can update their apps specifically for the iPad
The iBooks Reader
Apple’s book reader application is called iBooks (guess that’s why they changed the name of the entry level laptops to MacBook) and has an associated iBooks Store where you can buy content (hmmm, iTunes / iTunes Store, iBooks / iBooks Store.)
iWork for the iPad
They brought iWork to the iPad: Numbers, Pages and Keynote, $9.99 for each.
3G Wireless
Some models available with 3G cellular wireless reception (still through AT&T.) Two plans:
- $14.99 for 250MB/month
- $29.99 for unlimited data
- NO CONTRACT, can cancel at any time
- All 3G models are sold UNLOCKED and use the new GSM microSIMs.
iPad Pricing
WiFi only:
- 16GB for $499
- 32GB for $599
- 64GB for $699
- shipping in 60 days
WiFi + 3G:
- 16GB for $629
- 32GB for $729
- 64GB for $829
- shipping in 90 days
Accessories
- Dock
- Dock with a keyboard!
- Case
OK, so who other than Dennis (and me) are planning to buy one? Post your comments!
More details and photos available at engadget: Live from the Apple ‘latest creation’ event
UPDATE: Here is an interesting post by John Gruber at Daring Fireball regarding his hands-on experience with an iPad:
And here is engadget’s round-up of all things iPad:
And definitely read the comments on the engadget story, they’re supremely entertaining. You’ll find out all the myriad ways Apple screwed up the iPad and made it an “epic fail”. Yeah, that Steve Jobs. He just doesn’t understand what people will buy.
One more take, this time by British actor, comedian and gadget freak Stephen Fry:
Sample quote:
I have always thought Hans Christian Andersen should have written a companion piece to the Emperor’s New Clothes, in which everyone points at the Emperor shouting, in a Nelson from the Simpson’s voice, “Ha ha! He’s naked.” And then a lone child pipes up, ‘No. He’s actually wearing a really fine suit of clothes.” And they all clap hands to their foreheads as they realise they have been duped into something worse than the confidence trick, they have fallen for what E. M. Forster called the lack of confidence trick. How much easier it is to distrust, to doubt, to fold the arms and say “Not impressed”. I’m not advocating dumb gullibility, but it is has always amused me that those who instinctively dislike Apple for being apparently cool, trendy, design fixated and so on are the ones who are actually so damned cool and so damned sensitive to stylistic nuance that they can’t bear to celebrate or recognise obvious class, beauty and desire. The fact is that Apple users like me are the uncoolest people on earth: we salivate, dribble, coo, sigh, grin and bubble with delight.