Introducing the iPad
Theo Boshoff
So all speculation on what exactly Apple was going to release next has been put to rest, as Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs revealed the iPad tablet in San Francisco yesterday. Closely following all news and comments of people from across the globe on what seems to have been one of the most anticipated Apple unveilings, reactions are very mixed.Most Apple fans are over the moon about it, but there has been a fair amount of scepticism too.

Enough of that though, let’s get to what the new iPad tablet computer is all about.
Keeping true to the Apple style, the iPad looks like an overgrown iPhone – sleek, sexy and minimalist. And, of course, it is a full multi-touch device with an on-screen Qwerty keyboard. For people who don’t like onscreen keyboards, an extra docking station and external plug-in keyboard are available.

It is just 0.5 inches (1.27cm) thick and weighs about 0.86kg, with a 9.7-inch (24.2cm) LED-backlit glossy widescreen sporting a 1 024 x 768-pixel resolution.
The iPad will be available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flash drive versions and options include a WiFi-only device or a WiFi and 3G device – both devices come standard with Bluetooth. Unfortunately, there is no removable storage available.

According to Apple, the iPad’s battery life is up to ten hours, with a month-long standby time, which, in our opinion, is rather nice, if it is indeed the case. However, questions abound as to why, for a device of his size that draws a lot of power, Apple did not opt for a removable battery.
By the way, the power behind the iPad is Apple’s A4 1GHz chip.

It’s rather strange that there is no built-in camera and once again you have to get an iPad Camera Connection kit, although it does feature an on-board microphone. Why would that be?
The pricing for the iPad starts at $499 (16GB WiFi only), a fraction more than the new Amazon Kindle DX, so in our opinion it is already a viable competitor. The 32GB will set you back $599 and 64GB will cost $699. For the models also featuring 3G add another $130.

The WiFi models are due to ship worldwide in 60 days, while the 3G models will be out in 90 days' time.
On the subject of e-Readers, the iPad supports the ePub format, which is seen as the most popular open book format globally, and coupled with the newly launched iBook store it could be a viable e-Reader replacement, except for the fact that it features a backlit LED screen, which is not as comfortable a read as liquid ink. A plus, though, is that you can read in a dark corner.

Furthermore, what would a device like this be without the necessary applications? Well, from the outset the iPad supports 140 000 apps, and we are sure many developers are going to jump at the chance to create even more.

We will keep you updated on news on the iPad as time goes by and once we get our hands on one, we’ll do a full review in Digital Life magazine.