iPad
Thoughts
* Shame there’s no SD storage. Seems like Apple missed a trick here.
* No camera - perhaps something for version 2. Videoconferencing would be a killer.
Summary
The Apple tablet is real and it’s called the Apple iPad.
Earlier today Steve Jobs, the Apple CEO, launched the iPad. There have been rumours about its appearance and functionality. Jobs and the Apple team are starting to reveal details.
What does it look like?
iPad Specs
In a nutshell, it’s thin (at half an inch), got gobs of flash storage (16 - 64 GB) and multi-touch.
* Apple’s own 1 GHz Apple A4 chip (more on this later!)
* 16 – 64 GB of Flash storage
* Bluetooth 2.1
* 802.11n
* 10 hours of battery life
* Speaker, microphone and 30-pin connector
* Fully multi-touch
* 9.7 inch IPS LCD
* Height: 9.56 inches (242.8 mm)
* Width: 7.47 inches (189.7 mm)
* Depth: 0.5 inch (13.4 mm)
* Weight: 1.5 pounds (.68 kg) Wi-Fi model and 1.6 pounds (.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model
* Accelerometer and Compass
* All models use GSM micro-SIMS.
Size At 189.7mm x 242.8mm, it’s bigger than an A4 piece of paper (210mm × 297mm) by around 10% - 20% on each side.
iPad CPU
Note, it’s NOT an Intel. Turns out it’s Apple’s own processor! Apple’s purchase of PA Semiconductor gives them their own super-low power CPU which explains why the iPad can play HD video and last for up to 10 hours. PA Semiconductor used to supply chips to the US military and have world-class expertise in high-performance/high-energy efficient chip design.
When’s it available?
In the US:
* Wi-Fi models shipping in late March.
* 3G models shipping in April.
Internationally:
International deals occur in June or July.
Note that Apple has a “Notify me” form here.
Will it be a success?
The Apple Newton was the iPad’s predecessor. It flopped. However, since then we’ve had the iPhone which has been an outstanding success. The iPad is built on the same infrastructure as the iPhone such as the operating system, wifi access, touch screen and, incredibly successful, App Store.
However, whether it can fend off the to-be-released Google tablet devices is to be seen. Also, previous tablet computers have failed dismally although that may be down to the lacklustre marketing / technology implementations by Microsoft and associated hardware companies.
Sources
* iPad Home Page
* Tom’s Hardware
* Architosh