Apple iPad – will it slot into your digital life?
Filed under: customers, gadgets and gizmos, innovation, news, trends
This morning was an early adopter’s delight. If you haven’t heard already then let me tell you about the latest tech gadget must have announced by Steve Jobs in San Francisco this morning.
It is called the iPad and at 18.9cm wide and 24.8cm high it is a tablet style computer designed to slot into your life somewhere between your PDA/iPhone and laptop. Apple have launched this new device at the home user who wants portable web browsing, email, music and the ability to watch TV and Video in a sleek little book like device encompassing all of Apple’s gorgeous design aesthetic.
Let’s get the iPad tech specs that I can confirm out of the way first.
- Measured diagonally the screen is 24.6cm making it slightly smaller than a magazine.
- Apple designed A4 1Ghz chip
- Will support 7.2Mbps 3G as well as built in Wi-Fi based on 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1.
- Speaker and microphone built in,
- Remarkably thin and weighs just a touch under 500gms.
- High-res LED-backlit screen with a 178o viewing angle. It is, of course, a multi-touch screen based on the same tech that’s in an iPhone, boasting superior precision and responsiveness that Steve Jobs calls “the best [internet] browsing experience you’ve ever had.”
There is tonnes more that I have skimmed over here (the Gadget Guy Pete Blasina does a nice wrap), and Engadget put the keynote presentation from Steve Jobs in pictures, but you can quickly imagine this will be one seriously slick bit of kit.
How will it fit into my life? First up I like sitting in the arm chair with a novel while watching TV and this is where I can see one very handy application for the iPad. Not having a fold out lid as per the normal laptop and sized similarly to a magazine I can imagine sitting there with my iPad quite comfortably, reading a digital book on the newly launched iBooks (US only at the moment) application in full colour (sorry – see ya Kindle) and catching up on study in-between.
In fact for me this is where the iPad will be most perfect, slipped into the iPad Case it will become my research assistant that doubles up as a portable multimedia device for study- music and entertainment.
The extra connectivity it offers with my existing wireless bits and pieces are another benefit. Docking it upright and connecting a keyboard makes it that much more usable as a study device I don’t think I’ll even consider netbooks anymore. I can catch up with Mum on a video call and play games for entertainment from my hotel bed when travelling. Games on the iPhone are good but have never really taken me by storm because the screen is just that wee bit too small for my liking. I’m pretty sure that this larger screen device will eradicate that problem too, no doubt scaring the likes of Sony and Nintendo this morning.
I’m an early adopter, I admit it. I’m an Apple fanboy too and just as easily to admit is that there is definitely room for an iPad in my life.
How about you? Do you see this new device fitting into your digital life?
Will the iPad allow you to connect to the internet via your iPhone or 3G mobile phone (via bluetooth) saving you the need to buy the 3G enabled iPad or having to sign up for another 3G data plan ?
Although the telcos would always prefer to sell another data service, wouldn’t they.
Dan, like you I was up early to get the first real bits of information on the iPad. Seems like Apple have done it again. Having left my PC past behind and converted my home to Apple over the last few years, I am eagerly awaiting the availability of the iPad – and ofcourse, the 3G version as well. Apple enthusiasts will, over the coming months, help build the excitement and anticipation leading up to sales day – by discussing every detail, strenght and weakness of the iPad, ensuring a successful, and well orchestrated revolution.
Rocco – no mention of this I have read as yet, but there is a lack of interconnectivity which is sad – such as no USB port. It also lacks Flash support and no camera either making it a little short of revolutionary but when you compare it directly with a Kindle DX it still stands up miles ahead of the competition on price and features in my mind.
Michael – I knew you would be close to the action! Did you bring anything netbooky/tabletty home from CES in an early adopter excitement overload?
Products such as the iPad are great for the industry. It pushes the others to work harder to create a competing and hopefully better product.
ie. The HP iSlate, The Nokia N900 smartphone etc.
My only issue with Apple products is the closed ecosystem and silly things like mentioned above. ie. No usb port, no flash support and no multitasking. A camera for video conferencing would have been nice.
Apple always seem to hold back on features and release new ones in a dribble to keep interest in the product alive for as long as possible.
However it looks like it well sell in the millions and will satisfy the requirements of many users. Good onya Apple for pushing the envelope of design and technology.
Dan, I sure did….(free plug coming up)…….all will be revealed in my blog soon to published…..just wish I had been able to extend my vacation to include the Apple announcements…sigh…..
Rocco, it’s amazing how much hyperbole they created which lead to an incredible amount of publicity online and traditional media. I don’t think you could pick up a paper or switch on a news channel yesterday without reading or hearing about it.
It may not be revolutionary, and as you say is a closed ecosystem unto itself which is iSad (sorry) but I also reckon you are right – it will sell by the truckload. With hindsight of my post yesterday I think this may be a baby version of something better to come later with more support, connectivity, features etc. What do you think?
Michael – now that was a shameless plug and a total tease! Where are you? I’m coming to play with it whatever it is!
Dan,
Its interesting Telstra talking about Apple products…when the Iphone was released you guys came out with uncompeditive plans loosing a great deal of business to your compeditors.. I was told that Apple denied you branding the phone with your logo and not permitting Bigpond music downloads etc…
Is Telstra about to change their thinking and start looking after personal customers with affordable data packs as you have now done with business customers…it would be another refreshing move in the right direction…what you say?
The problem with the iPad is the exorbitant cost involved
for a device that is nothing but a huge iPod touch. A device of this size really needs more than the iPhone OS. I think HP’s Slate is lookinn like a superior alternative: better specs +
Windows 7. You get the web in your hand + flash +
all the extensibility and power of Windows. I also find it quite hilarious that Mr Jobs said that netbooks are better than nothing, yet the average netbook can do more than the iPad. It’s that simple.
Hi Davo,
I can’t really comment on product placement or pricing from a Telstra perspective because that is not an area I work in at all. I do work for Telstra but was asked to blog from my perspective as an online student, certified gadget nerd & early adopter.
From that perspective I couldn’t have been more excited to write about my first impressions of the Apple iPad on the day it was launched.
I like to think of this blog as a good sign that at Telstra, and by that I mean employees of the company, are encouraged to talk about what ever we like – including other brands that are good for technology and advancement in general, that sounds like a refreshing move in the right direction to me!
Cheers – Dan
=)
As an IT professional who is called upon by family members to solve home computer problems on an almost weekly basis, I have long argued that PCs (and I include Apple Macs in there) are hugely more complex than 905 of their owners need. I firmly believe that we need a home computer that works like a television, where no technical knowledge is needed to operate it,when you turn it on it just works and it doesn
Interestingly it says there is support for 3G data, but I would like to know if the iPad can make and receives phone calls ?
Hi Dean,
The iPad has 3G for data connectivity (think super fast web browsing) but Apple has not included telephony as a standard on it. Maybe third party Apps will unlock that in the future?
It’s also pretty large so you would look pretty silly holding it up to your head to make a call!
Dan,
I’m curious about your comment that you “can catch up with Mum on a video call”.
If this device has no camera and no telephony capability, how do you make a video call?
@Ron I think I imagined it. Early adopter wishful thinking? Over excited blogging? Apple proprietary Camera attachment cable thingy?
Whichever way you look at it, I got it wrong on that occasion. Thanks for pointing it out Ron!
Video call, no probs
Someone will surly release a clip on camera for it (blue-tooth?)
As for telephony, Voip should be no problem, if not now, it soon will be (Skype etc)
As for holding it to your head, why, use a blue-tooth headset.
Hi Paul – there is already talk of such a thing by way of the yet to be released Camera Connection Kit – check out this article on its ‘hidden’ USB capabilities. http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/04/ipad-camera-connection-kit-has-hidden-usb-capabilities.ars