With as much hype surrounding it as the original iPhone, there can be few interested in consumer electronics who didn’t know that Apple were holding a new product launch yesterday evening and sure enough, the Apple iPad was launched.
The iPad is a tablet computer which can be simply described as visually being a ‘large iPod Touch’. Initially available for sale only in the USA, with other regions expected to follow in the early summer, the device is powered by a new 1Ghz Apple A4 processor and is loaded with Wi-Fi 802.11n and v2.1 Bluetooth, plus the usual Apple software including iTunes and the App Store, Mail, Calendar and Safari. The LCD screen measures 9.7″, while the whole device is a mere 1.3cm thick and weighs a touch under 600 grams.
The iPad will be available as both a Wi-Fi and a 3G/Wi-Fi model, with a 16GB, 32GB or 64GB Flash storage version for each. Pricing appears reasonable in the USA, with the Wi-Fi iPads costing $499, $599 and $699 respectively, while the 3G enabled tablets will require another $130 to be added on to that.
Apple also used the event to launch their iBookStore, where they will be selling eBooks for use with the iPad, plus news that current iPhone app developers will be creating new apps especially for the iPad, in order to take advantage of the new screen size. Saying that, all existing iPhone apps will work and users will have the option of increasing their size to fill their new screen.
Notice we described the iPad earlier as like a big iPod Touch and not an iPhone? Well, it’s because the iPad doesn’t have a phone function, or a forward-facing camera for video calls, so anyone owning one will still have to carry their mobile phone. There was also no mention or demonstration of multi-tasking ability or Flash compatibility, and the LCD display hardly lends itself to longer periods of eBook reading pleasure.
Still, it’s sure to be a massive seller, but we have the feeling future editions will be far more impressive – just like the iPhone before it.
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