Well the wait is finally over. After months, nay years, of speculation on whether and how Apple would dip into the tablet market. Today we have our answer. The name is iPad. The device, essentially an iPod Touch on steroids. Composed of a uni-body style aluminum exterior, the device keeps the style of the current Apple generation.
At a much hyped and frenzied big Apple event today in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The press gathered to check in and finally discover what Steve Jobs had up his sleeve.
Apple iPad first glimpse from Steve Jobs, CEO Apple.
You must admit his black neck tied top is a bit priestly. Reportedly Moses was used as a comical slide to hint to ‘the announcement’ during the run-up of the show. The CNET Live blog by Erica Ogg reported:
10:06 a.m.: That’s the end of the updates. Now to the main event.
He shows a photo of Moses holding a tablet. “I chuckled when I saw this.”
10:09 a.m.: Some people have thought that’s a Netbook, he says. “The problem is Netbooks aren’t better at anything,” he says to loud laughter and applause.
“They’re just cheap laptops. We think we have something better.”
10:10 a.m.: iPad is the name.
iPad is the name
A giant iPod Touch-looking device ½ inch thin and weighing 1.5 pounds steals the show.
Some of the other little features:
- A 9.7-inch IPS display, the same display used in the latest-generation iMac.
- 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, accelerometer, compass, and a 10-hour battery life.
- One month of standby battery life. You can leave it asleep and not use it for 30 days.
- Full screen multi-rotational internet browser.
- A calendar and address book for contacts. Maps using Google Maps too.
- Doubles as an iPod with 16gb capacity and access to the iTunes Store.
- You can also watch YouTube, TV shows (iPlayer), and movies on it.
- Photos able to be viewed in stacks, viewed in portrait or landscape.
- You sort through by flicking with your finger. A bottom bar looks like a film strip you can scroll through to see all photos in an album.
- Can organize by faces, places, or events, just like iPhoto.
- All App Store apps including Games run on the iPad also.
- Price: It’s $499 for the 16GB Model
Prang!Update:
It looks like we’re gonna be waiting for this puppy a little while longer:
- Wi-Fi models shipping in late March.
- 3G models shipping in April.
Prang!Further Update
More upsets and hype-me-down’s.
- No Adobe Flash Support – i.e No iPlayer – Boo
